According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly fired coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday.
Budenholzer completed his fifth season in Milwaukee but was let go after the team’s stunning first-round loss to the Miami Heat. It was a tragic series for Budenholzer, who lost his brother in a car accident just before Game 4.
Although the Bucks finished first in the Eastern Conference in three of Budenholzer’s seasons, they did not always perform well in the playoffs.
Aside from their 2020-21 championship, they were eliminated in the East semifinals twice and blew a 2-0 series lead to the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 Eastern Conference finals.
Budenholzer’s record was 271-120 in regular-season games and 39-26 in the postseason over five seasons. He was widely criticized for failing to adjust schemes and being repeatedly out-coached. His decision-making during the Heat series this postseason was disastrous, which led to his departure.
It was reported that Budenholzer’s job security was not in question entering the 2023 postseason, as he had a close relationship with general manager Jon Horst. However, former Bucks owner Marc Lasry was a leading voice in favour of heating Budenholzer’s seat during the 2021 postseason run.
Budenholzer received a three-year contract extension last summer after leading the team to their 2021 championship title.
Before coaching the Bucks, he was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons and an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2013. He won Coach of the Year in his first season in Milwaukee and in 2014-15 with the Hawks.
