Two years after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA title, longtime head coach Mike Budenholzer is out of a job.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Milwaukee has fired Budenholzer after an historic meltdown in the first-round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat.
Milwaukee finished this past regular season with a league-best 58-24 record. It then proceeded to lose to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in five games to open the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The backdrop here was star forward and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo dealing with a back injury throughout the series. Obviously, front office head Jon Horst and Co. didn’t view that as a reasonable excuse for the Bucks’ postseason failures.
“The decision to make this change was very difficult. Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success… This is an opportunity for us to refocus and reenergize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”
Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst on the firing of Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer coaching record (Milwaukee Bucks): 271-120, .693 winning percentage
During his five-year run in with the Bucks, Mike Budenholzer led them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and an NBA title. He’ll go down as the organization’s most-successful head coach since their infancy under Larry Costello back in the 1960s and 1970s.
As for the Bucks, they’ll now engage in a wide-ranging search for a new head coach who can take advantage of the presence of the Greek Freak and continue to lead a championship contender in Milwaukee.
Current Bucks assistant Charles Lee and recently fired former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse are among the early candidates for the job. Milwaukee is expected to take its time and turn over every stone to find a replacement.
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