The Milwaukee Bucks are still reeling from a hugely disappointing 2022-23 season in which they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat despite finishing with the NBA’s best regular season record.
Management reacted by firing head coach Mike Budenholzer, who had guided them to a world championship in 2021 and the league’s best record three times.
Their coaching search has apparently begun, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski, they will interview Kevin Young, who has been an assistant with the Phoenix Suns under Monty Williams, who was also recently fired.
The Milwaukee Bucks have received permission to interview Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young for the franchise’s coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Young is also a candidate with Toronto and expected to interview with the Suns for the new opening there.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 15, 2023
After playing college ball at Middle Georgia College and Clayton State University, he became a head coach for a pro basketball team in Ireland, then spent two years as an assistant in the college ranks before getting a gig as an assistant with the Utah Flash of the NBA’s G League.
In 2016, Young became an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers under Brett Brown before joining the Suns for the 2020-21 campaign.
That year, the Suns reached the NBA Finals against the Bucks, where they won the first two games, only to lose the next four and surrender the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Bucks apparently have two choices when it comes to hiring a head coach: go with an established one or hire a young assistant who can grow into a good coach.
There are some interesting established coaches available, such as Williams, Nick Nurse, who was just dismissed by the Toronto Raptors, and Frank Vogel, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title in 2020.
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