Milwaukee Bucks hire Taylor Jenkins as head coach to replace Doc Rivers

The Milwaukee Bucks are finalising an agreement to appoint Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach following the departure of Doc Rivers.

The former assistant previously served with the franchise under Mike Budenholzer during the 2018-19 campaign.

He arrives having established himself as the all-time winningest manager in Memphis Grizzlies history with a 250-214 record.

The experienced tactician guided his former employers to three playoff appearances across six seasons before being dismissed in March 2025.

Rebuilding a fractured culture

Franchise ownership identified the highly regarded manager as their top available target due to his strong pedigree in player development.

Executives met with him personally in Memphis last week before securing a final commitment during further discussions in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

He inherits a roster that slumped to a dismal 32-50 record this season, snapping a formidable nine-year streak of consecutive postseason appearances.

Uncertainty surrounds Antetokounmpo

The new appointment follows the ousting of Rivers, who managed a lacklustre 97-103 record across his three-year tenure.

Immediate attention will now turn to the future of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo amidst significant questions regarding the organisation’s overall direction.

When pressed on his future earlier this month, the two-time Most Valuable Player refused to rule out signing a contract extension in October.

“That’s a very good question,” Antetokounmpo said when asked whether he has played his last game in a Milwaukee uniform.

“I don’t know. It’s not up to me. We’ll see.”