April 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach
looks on during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve looked at most of the great players in Milwaukee Bucks history over the past couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean we’re done with looking back to the past yet by any stretch of the imagination.
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Our goal has been to try to identify the franchise’s All-Time 15 man roster, their greatest starting five, and highlight the work of some of the franchise’s greats who may have flown under the radar.
What’s the point of doing all of that if we don’t also pick a guy to coach them though?
The Milwaukee Bucks have been lucky enough in their history to have some of the greatest coaches in the history of the game of basketball, and those men have played a significant role in the success of many of the players we’ve spoken about as legendary Bucks.
Who’s the greatest Bucks coach ever though?
Who had the greatest impact on the franchise? Who was the most successful of them all? And who is remembered most fondly?
Let’s look at some of the contenders below, and at the end, don’t forget to vote for the coach who you feel deserves the honor of coaching our final 15 man All-Time Bucks roster!
The final results will be decided by a combination of readers votes and opinions and those of our staff here at Behind The Buck Pass, so make sure to have your say.
Next: Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Not only is Nelson a Bucks great, but he stands astride in the history of the league as the all-time leader in coaching wins. Nelson coached just under 2,400 games in the NBA, more than anyone other than Lenny Wilkens, and most remarkably of all it was the Michigan native’s teams who came out on top on 1,335 of those occasions.
Nelson entered the coaching game with Milwaukee with a pedigree that most can only dream of. As a player, Nellie won five championship rings with the Boston Celtics in a glittering career that would eventually see his number 19 jersey hang from the rafters of the Boston Garden.
As a result, even with his relative inexperience as a coach, he instantly commanded respect. On the court, Nelson became one of the game’s great innovators. The Bucks became the league’s best defensive team under his watch, mostly due to the way in which he had his players rotate defensively in a time where defense was still not particularly fashionable.
Nellie was no slouch on offense either though. Having been almost the original Sixth Man in his playing days, Nelson brought that role over to the teams he coached by leaning on guys like Junior Bridgeman and Ricky Pierce for instant offense off the bench. The point forward role that Paul Pressey filled and has now become so prevalent is also credited by many as Nelson’s brainchild too.
Under Nelson’s watch, Milwaukee may not have won a title, but they finished seven straight seasons with 50 wins or more. That ensured the team’s relevance for the best part of two decades, and it’s no coincidence that others who went on to coach the team were heavily influenced by the work of Nelson.
Next: Larry Costello
Larry Costello
Larry Costello may not have been the most personable of coaches the Bucks have had in the history of the franchise, but he may well be the most important.
When the Bucks entered the NBA as an expansion team in 1969, it was Costello who was tasked with coaching them into shape. Sure, he was to receive a massive slice of luck with a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar falling his team’s way, but there was still work to be done.
You won’t find any of the players who played under Costello quoted as saying anything other than that he made them better players.
Costello had a relentless drive, and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game. His playbook was famed not only for its size, but for the fact that it got bigger with every passing loss. He was an innovator too, and the earliest iteration of a triangle-like offense that Phil Jackson has become so synonymous with was more than likely a design of Costello’s to get Abdul-Jabbar as many touches as possible.
Of course, Costello’s legacy was secured in 1971 as he was the man calling the plays as Oscar Robertson and Kareem’s Bucks secured their title, but as his overall NBA winning percentage of .589 shows, the New York native’s impact was much longer lasting than that too.
Next: George Karl
George Karl
As time has gone on George Karl’s personality seems to have become more and more divisive around the NBA, but there can be no questioning his results.
After a relatively inauspicious start to his coaching career in both Cleveland and Golden State, it all seemed to click for Karl when he got to Seattle. Karl spent seven years coaching the Supersonics and made the playoffs in every season.
It was then that the Bucks managed to lure Karl to Milwaukee to be the brains behind the team’s rebuild, and that turned to be quite the success too. After a barren patch through the mid-90’s, Karl’s Bucks made the Playoffs in four of his five seasons in Milwaukee.
The high point was obviously a trip to the Conference Finals which could have ended with so much more in 2001, but unfortunately things were never quite the same from there.
The Bucks shockingly missed the Playoffs in the following season, and Karl’s relationships with certain players (notably Ray Allen) became tenuous. Still over 200 wins as Bucks coach speaks for itself, securing Karl’s place in franchise history.
Next: Del Harris
Del Harris
Following on from the perfect coaching apprenticeship in Milwaukee under Don Nelson, Del Harris got his second job as a head coach as Nellie’s successor in the Cream City in 1987.
Harris did a great job of carrying on where his mentor left off too. Under Harris, the Bucks never failed to make the playoffs, and he racked up a 55 percent win rate as the head coach in Milwaukee.
Harris achieved that success while juggling multiple positions within the organization also, as significant personnel responsibility also fell in his lap as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations.
The problem for Harris was that the post-season was never that kind to him. A 6-15 record in the playoffs for his four full seasons with the Bucks ultimately led to Harris resigning at the beginning of his fifth season though.
Harris proved his worth as a coach both before and after his time in Milwaukee with both the Rockets and Lakers, and in spite of his post-season failings his success with the Bucks shouldn’t go unrecognized.
Next: Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
It might be way too soon for Jason Kidd to make this list, but then at the same time what he achieved last season and the position he has now helped to put the franchise in shouldn’t be underestimated.
Kidd may have arrived in Milwaukee in controversial circumstances following a failed power play in Brooklyn and behind the ousting of Larry Drew, but a 15 win team still wasn’t the most appealing of inheritances for him when he arrived in Milwaukee.
It’s to Kidd and his staff’s great credit that they managed to initiate a complete culture change that brought the team to the playoffs in his first season with the team.
Kidd has been lauded for the defensive identity that he has helped to impart upon the team, but it’s force of personality that really makes him the best coach for a young team like this Bucks squad.
Kidd’s discipline has been well-documented, but the aura that remains from his playing days factors in too. Look at the video above and how he tries to get in his former player Joe Johnson‘s head and try not to love what he brings to Milwaukee.
All the pieces are in place for Kidd to rapidly climb up this list from here on in too.
Next: The Best Of The Rest
Oct 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton(22) hugs Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Larry Drew at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 106-100. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Best of The Rest
The Bucks have had a number of other coaches who have impressed throughout their history, but the difference for the most part was that they didn’t really have any longevity.
Terry Stotts, Chris Ford, Terry Porter, Larry Krystkowiak, Frank Hamblen, Jim Boylan and Larry Drew are all examples of coaches who spent no more than two years at the helm of the team. Although some of them may have posted solid records, there wasn’t really a whole lot that wasn’t mediocre about those guys’ teams.
Mike Dunleavy had a more notable spell as a coach as he at least stuck around for four years, but in that time he oversaw one of the franchise’s most underwhelming squads and a record of .326 for that time doesn’t create any real positive history.
The one coach who probably has a genuine case for inclusion is the new head coach of the Orlando Magic Scott Skiles. In his four-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee, Skiles’ teams were not bad. The problem is they weren’t good either
Only once did Skiles marshall a squad to the post-season, and even then that resulted in a first round exit at the hands of Atlanta. Unluckily for Skiles, the list above is about excellence not mediocrity.
Who’s the greatest of the coaches above though? Who was the smartest coach of the bunch and who means the most to the Milwaukee Bucks?
It’s time to decide.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks Who Have The Best Chance To Make The All-Star Team
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