A look at possible candidates to replace Mike Budenholzer as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach

Whoever will be chosen to coach the Milwaukee Bucks will have big shoes to fill.

Matthew Dugandzic | May 7, 2023

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Milwaukee Bucks

After five seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to part ways with Mike Budenholzer, the architect of the team's championship run in 2021. Budenholzer was dismissed after the Bucks' shocking first-round playoff loss this season.

Coach Bud may have failed to steer the team back to the Finals after that 2021 title run, but his replacement will certainly have big shoes to fill. So who could be Budenholzer's replacement? Take a look at possible candidates.

Charles Lee

The Bucks may not have to look far in its hunt for a new coach. Charles Lee served as Budenholzer's associate head coach and has drawn interest from other teams in recent years. Lee is even a contender for the head coaching job at the Detroit Pistons.

Charles is still 38 years old, but his association with Budenholzer since 2014 has armed him with the needed knowledge to handle a squad.

Should Lee go on to get the job, he will follow in the footsteps of some of Budenholzer's assistants who landed head coaching jobs in the NBA.

Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks), Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies), and Darvin Ham (Los Angeles Lakers) are all former deputies of Budenholzer.

The upside of potentially hiring Lee is that there will be no major adjustment in terms of the system that the Bucks will run.

Nick Nurse

The former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse could also be a viable option for the Bucks.

Nurse spent five seasons with the Raptors. He went 277-163 in Toronto and won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2019, the same year the Raptors won their lone NBA crown.

Under his tenure, Nurse recorded the best winning percentage in team history (.582) and guided the Raptors to three playoff appearances, two Atlantic Division titles, an Eastern Conference title, and the 2019 championship.

Frank Vogel

Another champion coach that the Bucks could consider is Frank Vogel.

Vogel's last stint as a coach was with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent three seasons.

Vogel went 127-98 in his tenure with the Lakers, including a championship in 2020. Vogel is also a former head coach of the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers.

Mike D'Antoni

The half-court offense has been the Achilles Heel of the Bucks, and Mike D'Antoni could be the solution to that problem.

The Phoenix Suns became known as a lethal offensive team when D'Antoni handled them.

D'Antoni also had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets.

D'Antoni has been out of NBA coaching duties since 2020, and at 71 years old, it would be interesting to know if he can still handle the rigors of being a main bench tactician.

The current NBA season has yet to end, but the Bucks, led by general manager Jon Horst, already have work cut out for them as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.

Published May 7, 2023

MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.