ATLANTA (AP) — At the start of his first news conference as the Atlanta Hawks coach, Lloyd Pierce looked down at a row filled with four of his new players.

His thoughts immediately turned to his passion: Defense.

“If we weren’t doing this press conference right now, I’d probably have these guys doing some defensive drills,” Pierce said Monday. “That’s who I am.”

Pierce, the former Philadelphia 76ers assistant whose agreement to become the Hawks coach was announced Friday , said his first priority will be assembling a staff. Pierce will be looking for assistants who share his passion for defense and his proven ability to connect with young players. READ MORE>