Bucks meet with Taylor Jenkins about head coach opening: Sources
The Milwaukee Bucks have registered critical curiosity in Taylor Jenkins to be their subsequent head coach, league sources inform TheAthletic.
Team house owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam and common supervisor Jon Horst made their approach to Memphis, the place the previous Grizzlies head coach nonetheless resides with his household, early final week to debate their head coach opening and a imaginative and prescient for the longer term with Jenkins in Milwaukee, these sources mentioned.
While there isn’t a deal in place and contract figures haven’t been mentioned, the 2 sides are anticipated to meet once more quickly to additional talk about the opening.
Jenkins, 41, was the head coach of the Grizzlies from 2019 to 2025, compiling a 250-214 document (.539) over that stretch. The Grizzlies made the playoffs in 4 of Jenkins’ six seasons as a head coach, together with a second-round look in 2021-22 after setting a franchise document with 56 wins. Jenkins was not given the chance to coach the staff in his remaining playoff look, because the group parted methods with him with 9 video games remaining within the common season.
Before taking the head teaching place in Memphis, Jenkins served as an assistant coach for the Bucks below Mike Budenholzer in the course of the 2018-19 season, when the Bucks gained 60 video games and superior to the Eastern Conference finals.
Because Jenkins is broadly thought-about a high candidate within the present teaching market, it stays unclear whether or not he’ll prioritize the Bucks’ opening or stay affected person as different vacancies emerge. He has been linked to Orlando if the Magic resolve to half methods with Jamahl Mosley, for instance.
The Bucks are looking for a brand new head coach after Doc Rivers stepped down following a 32-50 season that noticed Milwaukee miss the playoffs for the primary time since 2015-16. Rivers compiled a 97-103 document in two and a half seasons with the Bucks after taking up for Adrian Griffin in January of 2024. Amid accidents to former level guard Damian Lillard and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks didn’t advance within the playoffs in both of Rivers’ first two seasons.
In an interview with native reporters within the remaining week of the season, general manager Jon Horst said Rivers did a “masterful” job navigating a troublesome season with accidents and rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future with the franchise. Still, Rivers determined to step down on the season’s conclusion.
In the identical interview, Horst was open about the franchise nonetheless needing to resolve if it plans to proceed with Antetokounmpo because the franchise centerpiece or commerce the 10-time All-Star ahead earlier than subsequent season.
