The Milwaukee Bucks are embarking on a pivotal search for their 19th head coach in franchise history. For General Manager Jon Horst, this will mark his fourth coaching hire since taking the reins in 2017, a period defined by both championship glory and high-stakes transitions. Let's look back at the sideline leaders who have shaped the Bucks' journey under Horst's management.
Horst's tenure began with Jason Kidd already at the helm, a coach acquired in a 2014 trade. While Kidd helped develop a young Giannis Antetokounmpo into an All-Star and guided the team to three playoff appearances, he was dismissed 45 games into the 2017-18 season, setting the stage for a new era.
The first major hire was Mike Budenholzer, a move that ultimately delivered the franchise's first NBA championship in 50 years. "Coach Bud" compiled a stellar 271-120 regular-season record, boasting the best long-term winning percentage (.693) in Bucks history. His system unlocked Giannis's MVP potential and produced the league's best record three times, culminating in the 2021 title.
Following Budenholzer's departure, Adrian Griffin took over for the 2023-24 season. Griffin's tenure, though brief, was statistically impressive; he posted the highest single-season winning percentage (.698) ever for a Bucks coach. He led the team to the semifinals of the inaugural NBA Cup and earned the honor of coaching the Eastern Conference All-Star team before an unexpected mid-season dismissal.
This led to the high-profile hiring of Doc Rivers. Rivers immediately steered the Bucks to the 2024 NBA Cup championship, a notable in-season tournament victory over the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Under Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard continued their All-Star production through the 2025 season.
As the search for the next coach begins, the standard is clear: continue building a championship contender around a generational talent. The Horst era has seen coaches who have developed stars, won a title, and claimed an in-season tournament—setting a high bar for the next leader on the Fiserv Forum sidelines.