Milwaukee Bucks: 10 potential head coaching candidates

Jerry Stackhouse

A former Buck and a two-time All-Star, Jerry Stackhouse has taken the path less traveled through his coaching journey to date, but he’s navigated it with great success.

Again, in somewhat stark contrast to the journey Jason Kidd took to the top seat on an NBA bench, Stackhouse has worked his way through the system since retiring as a player.

Having spent a year on the Toronto Raptors bench as an assistant in 2015-16, Stackhouse was then afforded an opportunity to take the reins for himself when the Raptors looked for a new coach to lead their D-League affiliate, Raptors 905.

In his first season on the job, Stackhouse embraced the challenges of the D-League, showing not only his coaching acumen but a level of adaptability that is essential for the best coaches. Stackhouse led the 905 to a D-League championship in his first year as head coach, while building a team that had the best defense in the D-League and an accompanying top-five offense to boot.

Almost a victim of his own success, things have been much tougher for Stackhouse and the 905 this season, as players have moved on to bigger and better opportunities. That’s just part and parcel of the G League experience, but it’s the development of players like Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Delon Wright who all spent meaningful time with the 905 last year that stands as a testament to Stackhouse’s coaching.

Again, Stackhouse could offer the Bucks the perfect combination of name value and coaching pedigree. In the most recent edition of his annual coaching prospects list, ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz laid out just how committed Stackhouse is to improving as a coach.

"“Those who have watched Stackhouse over the past two seasons, first on the Raptors’ staff and then as the head coach of their D-League team, say he is doing all the right things. In addition to the respect he commands from players, Stackhouse, an 18-year former pro, has demonstrated a serious desire to learn the craft. He took USA Select teams abroad, attended Tim Grgurich’s much-admired coaching camp, mentored fellow Kinston, North Carolina, native Brandon Ingram, and has become a devoted cinephile who spends endless sessions poring over film.”"

Stackhouse’s painstaking attention to detail was also evident in a fascinating profile by Scott Cacciola of the New York Times this summer too. Simply, there’s a lot to like about the idea of Coach Stack, and it doesn’t just begin and end with his anthem singing ability.