After beginning the season 30-13, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks have decided to fire first-year head coach Adrian Griffin. In a shocking move coming right ahead of the NBA trade deadline and All-Star break, the Bucks are now left without a figurehead for the time being in what they hope to be a title-contending season.
With Griffin gone, the Bucks are on the hunt for a coach who can instantly make an impact on their championship efforts. As a result, Milwaukee is planning on pursuing a small pool of accomplished and available veteran head coaches, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Doc Rivers is the most prominent name that sticks out as an available replacement for Griffin, given his string of success through the years.
Whoever takes over on the Bucks' sidelines will be tasked with maintaining championship competitiveness. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard highlighting their roster, here are the top five candidates to come in right away and become the next head coach of the Bucks.
1. Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers is the clear choice to replace Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee. Not only does he have a proven track record of success with 1,097 career wins, but Rivers also has a championship ring from his 2007-08 Boston Celtics team. Named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history as part of the league's 75th anniversary celebration a couple of seasons ago, Rivers would likely have the blessing of Antetokounmpo and Lillard to take over on the sidelines.
The Bucks want to win a championship this season, and they want a head coach with more experience than Griffin had. If there is any name out there that could potentially accomplish this, it's Doc Rivers.
2. Joe Prunty
The Bucks have appointed Joe Prunty as their interim head coach for the time being after firing Griffin on Tuesday. Prunty was an assistant with the Bucks from 2014-18 and served as an interim head coach for the team in 2018 before rejoining the organization this past offseason. Coaching in the NBA since 1996, Prunty is a well-respected name that the Bucks obviously trust, seeing as they made him their interim head coach.
If Rivers does not want the job, it would not come as a shock if Milwaukee kept things in-house and stuck with Prunty the rest of the season.
3. Mark Jackson
Over the last couple of seasons, Mark Jackson has kept his name in the loop for head coaching vacancies around the NBA. The former ESPN analyst did interview for the Bucks opening this past offseason. While he may not have had the most success in his three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Jackson understands what it takes to win. With Giannis and Dame, two players he has been around and dissected due to his broadcasting career, Jackson would be able to step in and fulfill coaching duties right away.
However, it's much more likely that the Bucks will bring in a coach with championship pedigree to replace Griffin. Jackson has not coach in the league since the 2013-14 season.
4. Mike D'Antoni
The Bucks are attempting the eighth-most threes in the league this season and are making the sixth-most per game. If we know anything about Mark D'Antoni, it's that he likes fast-paced offenses that take a bunch of perimeter shots. D'Antoni has a proven track record of success, like Rivers, and has brought some of his teams deep into the postseason. Currently a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans, the 72-year-old may be content with where he is right now instead of the daily grind and stress attributed to being on the sidelines.
5. Scott Brooks
Scott Brooks last coached the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 season and has been an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers over the last three years. After interviewing for the Bucks vacancy this past summer, Brooks made an impression on GM Jon Horst and the team's front office. Brooks was certainly a finalist in Milwaukee despite being beat out by Griffin. Making the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2011-12 season and coaching various superstar talents through the years, landing the Bucks opening would be the perfect scenario for the 58-year-old.
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