The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their search for a new head coach, and the franchise is moving forward with a familiar face. Taylor Jenkins is finalizing a deal to become the 19th head coach in team history, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ramona Shelburne.
The hire comes after Doc Rivers and the organization mutually agreed to part ways, closing the door on a turbulent chapter in Milwaukee.
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Jenkins isn’t a stranger to the Bucks. He spent the 2018-19 NBA season as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer before taking the head coaching job with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He stayed in Memphis for six seasons and posted a 250-214 record while earning a reputation as one of the better coaching minds in the league.
Memphis made the playoffs four times during his run, though he didn’t coach the team in the fourth appearance after getting dismissed late in the regular season.
Still, his ability to develop young talent and adjust schemes to fit his roster became his calling card. That flexibility could matter more than ever in Milwaukee right now.
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Speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future continues to swirl, and trade rumors aren’t going away anytime soon. If the Bucks end up parting ways with their superstar, a full rebuild wouldn’t be far behind.
Jenkins built a competitive team in Memphis by tailoring his system to the players he had, not forcing them into something rigid.
He’ll need that same approach in Milwaukee, whether he’s working with Giannis or starting over from scratch. The Bucks are betting Jenkins can bring stability to a franchise that desperately needs it right now.