Milwaukee Bucks Fire Head Coach Adrian Griffin

The Milwaukee Bucks have made the decision to fire their first-year head coach, Adrian Griffin, as announced by the team on Tuesday. This move comes as a surprise during the ongoing season and the Bucks are now actively searching for a new head coach. Sources indicate that the team is eyeing a small group of accomplished and available veteran head coaches, with Doc Rivers positioned near the top of the list, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Milwaukee Bucks general manager, Jon Horst, expressed that this was a challenging decision to make mid-season and affirmed the organization’s commitment to finding a new head coach promptly. Horst thanked Coach Griffin for his dedication and contributions to the team thus far.

In the interim, veteran assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over the coaching responsibilities. Prunty will lead the team on their upcoming game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Griffin was appointed as head coach for the Bucks this past summer following the departure of longtime coach, Mike Budenholzer, who was let go after the team’s early exit from the playoffs last season. The blockbuster trade that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Milwaukee Bucks put additional pressure on the franchise to achieve significant success this season.

Despite their impressive record of 30 wins and 13 losses, the Bucks have encountered some struggles, notably on the defensive end. Their defensive ranking has dropped from fourth in the league last season to 22nd this year. In their recent games against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team conceded 135 and 113 points consecutively.

Adrian Griffin, aged 49, had previously served as an NBA assistant for 16 seasons, including the last five with the Toronto Raptors. Prior to his coaching career, he had a nine-year NBA playing career.