The Guardian has a terrific feature called "The Secret Footballer," where an anonymous soccer player in England writes about various issues relating to the experience of being a professional player. TSF's feature this week is about the dangers of appointing a lead assistant to the head position. Read this description and tell me that it doesn't fit Larry Drew to a T:
In my experience, a club that promotes a coach or assistant manager from within never seems to get much of a reaction in terms of results, and the reason is largely because the players are already too familiar with him. Rather than being in awe or in fear of a new manager (two traits that you may attribute to a successful No1), the squad is relaxed to the point where almost nothing has altered.
The dynamics of the new relationship must be even more awkward for the assistant-turned-manager as he tries to redraw the boundaries with players more accustomed to his arm around their shoulder. But the brutal truth is that many assistants struggle with the step up because they do not have the characteristics that are required in order to lead a group of people. A coach can have all the badges he could ask for and he may know his football inside out, but if he is uncomfortable at occasionally having to be a ruthless bastard by handing out fines or leaving people out of a match-day squad, then, I'm sorry, he shouldn't bother applying.
The whole article is worth your time if you are a Hawks fan who is still confused as to how management chose to shake the team up by promoting Mike Woodson's consigliere.