The Atlanta Hawks' coach Mike Budenholzer got the nod for the 2014-2015 Coach of the Year after leading the team to an Eastern Conference-best 60-22 record. The win total was also the franchise's best mark, and a 22-game improvement from last season's 38-44 record.

Budenholzer beat out fellow deserving candidates Steve Kerr of the regular season's best team, the Golden State Warriors, and Jason Kidd of the Milwaukee Bucks, who turned his team from a 15-win team last season without him (worst in the league) to a 41-win team and the sixth seed in the playoffs. Budenholzer received 67 first place votes, and had 513 total points, edging Kerr who had 56 first place votes, and 471 total.

Budenholzer was tearful upon accepting the award, calling it "humbling," and thanking his mentor, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, saying, "I can't even begin to articulate how thankful I am and all the things I've learned."

Budenholzer spent close to two decades under Popovich as an assistant coach for the Spurs before moving to Atlanta. In his first season, he managed to squeak in the 38-44 Hawks to the playoffs, and pushed the Indiana Pacers to seven games in their first round series.

This season, the Hawks played more like the Spurs than the actual Spurs, exemplifying ball and player movement, quick, decisive, and purposeful cuts, and absolute unselfishness.

The trademark unselfishness of the Hawks was not left unnoticed by the entire league. Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver were all named to the All-Star team, and in January, the Hawks' entire starting five shared Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors, after compiling the first 17-0 record in a calendar month in league history.

The Hawks are currently up 2-0 in their first round series with the Brooklyn Nets. The series heads to Brooklyn for Game 3 on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.