:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72318819/usa_today_18059920.0.jpg "Bucks head coach news: Milwaukee to hire Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin as next head coach")
The Milwaukee Bucks have hired Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin as their new head coach, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. He replaces former head coach Mike Budenholzer, who was fired earlier this month following the Bucks' first-round exit against the Miami Heat.
A former player, Griffin has spent the last 15 years as an assistant, serving stints with the Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Raptors. It was his first year in Toronto under Nick Nurse where the Raptors toppled the Golden State Warriors to win the 2019 NBA Finals. His name continued to pop up on various coaching radars over the next few seasons and he will now get his first head coaching opportunity in Milwaukee.
He'll be taking over a Bucks team that suffered a massive playoff disappointment after finishing the regular season with the best record in the NBA. With the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday still leading the way, there will be immediate expectations to win.