Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Discussing the head coach search so far
By Adam McGee
3. What’s your impression of the reported search so far? Have you been encouraged or discouraged by the process and/or the candidates?
MH: It’s been going well! Despite early rumors, they have not interviewed any coaches that I would consider to be terrible. It’s kind of funny that the guy they could have slotted in when Kidd was fired (Fizdale) was taken off the market right before the Bucks started interviewing candidates. That’s a shame, but I love their remaining options. In Messina they’ve got an extremely experienced coach that is still kind of an unknown. Budenholzer is a straight up great coach that should not be available right now. Monty Williams would be an amazing players’ coach. When it comes to Becky Hammon, I personally consider the fact that she is a woman to be part of her list of qualifications. In any other industry you’d be crazy to have a team comprised solely of men trying to get anything done. Does adding that to her traditional coaching resume get her in the mix to land the job? I’m not sure, but the fact that it’s in play is very exciting.
BS: I have put zero stock in what’s currently being reported at this stage. It’s crazy season in the NBA and rumors are flying around all over the league. Names like Mike Budenholzer and Becky Hammon would excite me as candidates however. Budenholzer is a proven commodity in this league and took the Hawks to 60 wins only a few seasons ago. While Hammon would be exciting as the first female head coach ever in the NBA. Not only would it bring a lot of national coverage to Milwaukee, but Hammon would have every motivation in the world to succeed and break the notion that the NBA coaching world is for males only. Being under Pop’s system in San Antonio for the past few years also helps her case.
BP: I went into the search expecting the worst, but after the initial list and subsequent scheduled assistant interviews, I am feeling a little better about the names. While I do think there are a few names on the list that would not excite me in the least, the majority of candidates would be a good choice and I am encouraged with the process. I would be willing to wager that ownership went into the search with a few favorites in mind, so the assistants on the list are likely getting interviews for the sake of due diligence. Although skepticism would be understood, I think it would be difficult to be anything but encouraged by the process at the moment.
JT: For any decision the Bucks have to make of this gravity, I, like many fans and followers of this team, dread what’s to come of the process and the ultimate result of it all. While there’s still plenty of time to feel that dread, I think the names that have been attached to the search have been reassuring across many fronts.
Aside from a few notable candidates, it certainly leans more on the experienced side and although it might not please those who are looking for someone outside of the box/are looking to step foot in their first head coaching job, there’s nothing wrong with looking at someone who has a proven track record such as Mike Budenholzer. There is a benefit to putting your trust into someone who you know has been able to do the job adequately before and that in itself would be a big upgrade from the regime we’re moving on from.
LW: I have been very encouraged. The Bucks seem to have a wide search and are determined to get the right coach. However, nearly every name I have heard barring one or two have been candidates that I at least respect as a coach somewhat.
AM: Following on from last summer, there was good reason for Bucks fans to have a sense of trepidation heading into this process. But so far it seems as if the search has been executed about as well as you’d expect from any franchise in the league.
Could they interview some more fresh blood than what’s necessarily been reported so far? Sure, and there’s still time for that to come to pass. As it stands, though, the candidates that are being considered have been a logical mix, with a widely varying range of skills. That’s what everyone would have hoped for when an extensive search was promised back in January.