1 factor that must weigh heavily in the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching search

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to have a new coach for the 2023-24 NBA season.

It was announced on May 4 that Mike Budenholzer had been relieved of his duties, making it the first time since 2018 that the Bucks will be looking for a new coach. Hitting on this next coach will be essential for the Bucks, who desperately need to bounce back next season. There are plenty of factors that will go into Milwaukee’s coaching search, and experience should be among them.

1 factor that must weigh heavily in the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching search

The Bucks should not go for a first-time NBA head coach this off-season. This Milwaukee team is currently built to compete at the highest level and needs someone who can unlock their potential from the get-go next season. They need someone with experience rather than someone who may take a year or two to truly grasp the coaching reigns. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in the thick of his prime and several of the Bucks’ other core pieces ready to compete, they must take advantage of this contending window.

To be clear, first-time head coaches are not always destined to fail. Nick Nurse, who is among the favorites to land this particular job, won a title in his first season as the Toronto Raptors’ coach in 2018-19. Darvin Ham, Mike Budenholzer’s former top assistant, is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and has them positioned to make a legitimate title run this season. First-time head coaches can work, but everything has to click, making it a sizeable risk. The room for error is going to be incredibly small for the Bucks next season, which would make it a major gamble.

While there will be no shortage of options, the two favorite names floating around are Nick Nurse and Frank Vogel. Both have won championships over the past four years and have experience with star players. Either would be an understandable hiring as the Bucks look to make a run at another NBA title due to the experience they possess.

More will go into this hiring process than just experience, but it’s something that the Bucks should look for in any candidate, without question.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.