Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA.- Adrian Griffin would get his first head coaching opportunity at the same spot where he started as an assistant.
The Milwaukee Bucks officially announced Griffin on Monday as the replacement for Mike Budenholzer, who was fired last month following a first-round loss to the Miami Heat. On April 29, reports emerged that the Bucks were finalizing a deal with Griffin.
The introductory press conference will be held on Tuesday.
Griffin spent the last five seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse, who was fired after the season and subsequently signed by the Philadelphia 76ers. Griffin’s coaching career began with the Bucks from 2008–10 as an assistant to Scott Skiles.
“The Bucks are a championship organization and I am excited to get to work installing a roster with character and talent,” Griffin said in a statement released by the team. “I’m excited to be back in Milwaukee and can’t wait to get started.”
Griffin, 48, made his coaching debut after nine years as an NBA player with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics.
He was also an assistant with Chicago, Orlando and Oklahoma City before joining Toronto.
“Adrian is a respected coach and former player who will bring leadership and experience to the team,” general manager Jon Horst said in a statement.
Griffin will be challenged to replace the coach who led the Bucks to their first title in 50 years.
Budenholzer had the league’s best regular-season record after five 271–120 seasons and coached the team to its first title since 1971 in 2021.
The Bucks decided to change coaches after the season as their fortunes did not match their regular season success under Budenholzer.
The Bucks had the best record in the league in three of Budenholzer’s five seasons, but did not advance past the conference finals in any of those three years.
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