Bucks Zone

The Milwaukee Bucks unexpectedly fire head coach Adrian Griffin

The Milwaukee Bucks have fired their head coach Adrian Griffin after just 43 games in charge and a 30-13 record.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite having a 30-13 record, the Milwaukee Bucks made the shocking decision to fire head coach Adrian Griffin. It was a big surprise for the NBA community, given he just signed a multi-year contract in the summer of 2023.

Milwaukee will make Griffin’s assistant coach, Joe Prunty, the interim head coach. He already has experience in the role because, in the 2018 season, he was tapped as the Bucks’ interim head honcho when Jason Kidd took a medical leave.

What were the problems that led to the firing?

While most people won’t know the primary reason behind the dismissal, there were some red flags in Griffin’s time in Milwaukee. The most prominent case was his heated disagreement with former assistant coach Terry Stotts, who left the organization afterward despite his relationship with the Bucks’ newest star, Damian Lillard.

Aside from the Stotts situation, Griffin also adjusted his system according to his players’ preferences rather than realizing his mistakes on his own. He famously wanted Brook Lopez to play a blitzing-style defense when the former Stanford University big man is an elite drop-scheme defender.

Most importantly, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetkounmpo reportedly lost faith in Griffin. It was a deciding factor because the Greek Freak was Griffin’s top supporter during the hiring process.

Possible candidates

The word around the league is that Milwaukee wants a veteran head coach, with champion head coach Doc Rivers as the frontrunner. This decision is a sharp left turn from the Griffin hire because the now-dismissed coach was in his first year as the top tactician for an NBA team.

Report gives high-priced superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard grades of 'As' at the halfway mark of the season

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Matthew Dugandzic
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.