Tue Jun 24 12:53:41 2008

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Hawks bring back assistants Drew, Bender

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Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The Atlanta Hawks signed assistant coaches Larry Drew and Bob Bender to contracts on Tuesday.

Both men return to head coach Mike Woodson's staff, which put together a 37-45 record a year ago but pushed the NBA champion Boston Celtics to a deciding Game 7 in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Each man has spent the four previous seasons as assistants with Atlanta. Drew had been an assistant with the Lakers, Pistons, Wizards and Nets since retiring as a player in 1991. Bender, who was a head coach at the collegiate level for 13 years, spent two seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers before coming to the Hawks.

In other front office moves, the Hawks named David Pendergraft the club's assistant general manager/director of player personnel and tabbed Steve Rosenberry director of pro personnel/college scouting.