Wisconsin Herd: Chase Buford climbs the coaching ladder to Australia
Before they make their long awaited return to action this fall, The Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks‘ G League affiliate, will have to find their third head coach in their history.
Early Friday morning saw the news that Herd head coach Chase Buford is making the jump down under after becoming the new head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia. The Kings are one of the biggest clubs playing in the NBL, the National Basketball League.
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There’s certainly some Bucks ties in play as former All-NBA center the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Andrew Bogut, is a part-owner of the Kings after making his retirement from the game of basketball late last year.
Needless to say, this is a wholly deserving honor for Buford after he last led the Herd to their best season since the formation back in 2017. Buford’s lone season in Oshkosh saw the Herd finish with a 33-10 record during the 2019-20 G League campaign that was unfortunately shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.
While the Herd were stripped of their chance to compete for a G League title that season, Buford’s leadership led to career years for multiple players. The biggest being former Bucks two-way player Frank Mason III, who finished the 2019-20 year as the G League’s Most Valuable Player.
Chase Buford leaves the Wisconsin Herd with plenty of success
Not only does Buford leave Oshkosh and the Bucks organization by shepherding their best season in their young history, but he helped established the pipeline of development and symbiosis between the Bucks and the Herd.
Herd players spoke very highly of developmental environment Buford and his staff created that surely sparked the success they enjoyed over the course of the 2019-20 season that is hugely important in the G League where there’s such a high amount of roster turnover. Buford handled those twists and turns that are certainly unique to the G League, all while playing to the strengths of the Herd’s roster and pushing the boundaries tactically with the Herd’s small ball starting lineup.
Buford joins a Sydney Kings organization that has a pipeline of coaches that have gone on to great success in the NBA and international basketball as a whole. Past Kings coaches include Brett Brown, former NBA player Andrew Gaze, Will Weaver and Brian Goorjian, the current coach of the Australian national team.
Buford provided a statement in the Bucks’ announcement and gave thanks to Bucks officials, his Herd coaching staff and the Fox Valley fanbase:
"“I’d like to thank Dave Dean, Jon Horst, Coach Bud, Peter Feigin, and the entire Bucks organization for the opportunity to begin my career as a head coach. I am so appreciative of the belief and trust they showed in me and my staff. I’d like to thank Steve Brandes and the Herd organization for all their hard work making Oshkosh & Menomonee Nation Arena the best atmosphere in the G League. To my entire staff, specifically my assistants Chaisson Allen, Dennis Cutts, and John Little, thank you for your tireless work with our team, your comradery and friendship. To our Herd players, thank you for the most special year a coach could ask for. The way you competed for one another and shared in each other’s successes was so fun to watch and be a part of. I will cherish memories from that year for a lifetime.“Herd Nation, what a bittersweet feeling this is. It goes without saying Oshkosh & Fox Valley have the greatest fans in the G-League and thank you for the massive support you showed me and our team. I will miss you guys like crazy.”"
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While the Bucks and the Herd are looking for their next head coach, a big congratulations go to Buford as he takes the next step in his coaching career.