After 15 seasons of his service, Wally Blase will not be the trainer for the Atlanta Hawks any longer. Atlanta decided to part ways earlier this morning with Blase, which is newsworthy because of how long his tenure was in Atlanta. The Hawks also did not renew the contracts of assistant trainer Pete Radulovic and team security officer Andre Cottle.
Blase dealt with five different coaches in his time in Atlanta, so he has been here during the good and bad times for the franchise. He serves on the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA) for over 10 years, and was the trainer when Atlanta hosted the 2003 NBA All Star game.
Radulovic has also been apart of the Hawks for awhile, as he has been the assistant trainer for 18 years. There is no timetable on when a new training staff will be hired, as the Hawks Summer League games begin this week. Coach Budenholzer might have wanted to go a separate path, or maybe the owners, we are not entirely sure, but we wish nothing but the best for these three men in their future endeavors.