Milwaukee Bucks Fire New Head Coach Despite Stellar Record
The Milwaukee Bucks fired Adrian Griffin, their freshly minted head coach, on Tuesday despite boasting one of the best records in the league so far this season. Bucks general manager Jon Horst confirmed the “difficult” decision in a statement to the Associated Press. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.” He did not elaborate on the reason for Grffin’s dismissal. The move was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. As of Tuesday, the Bucks were No. 2 in the Eastern Conference at 30-13, making them the winningest team to axe their head coach mid-season since the Cleveland Cavaliers fired David Blatt in Jan. 2016. Blatt was fired over “a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision,” Cavs officials said at the time. Like Blatt, Griffin will hand the reins over to his assistant coach, who will serve as interim head coach until a full-time replacement can be found. The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Bucks are eyeing several veterans, including ESPN analyst Glenn “Doc” Rivers, for the gig.
