The Milwaukee Bucks have begun the search for a new head coach, and there have been plenty of candidates linked to the position.
With over a dozen candidates in mind, it’s time to go through each of them and put them into tiers based on their desirability for the job. With that said, let us not waste more time.
Tier 1 of Milwaukee Bucks’ candidates – Not interested
Mark Jackson: Having not coached since 2014, it was surprising when Mark Jackson was given an interview for this position. While Jackson holds some responsibility for getting the wheels turning on what became the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, he’s been out of the game for nine seasons, and there is no telling what he’d look like in today’s game. It’d be quite a gamble for the Bucks to bring aboard Jackson, especially looking at the list of other candidates.
Doc Rivers: Experience needs to be a big factor in the Bucks’ next coach, but that does not mean Doc Rivers should be extremely high on the team’s wish list. Following his title run in 2008, Rivers’ teams have had plenty of shortcomings, primarily courtesy of blown leads in the postseason time and time again. His Philadelphia 76ers just blew a 3-2 playoff lead less than a week ago, which led to him being fired. Mike Budenholzer wasn’t perfect, but hiring Rivers after firing him would seem like a major step back for the Milwaukee Bucks regardless.
Scott Brooks: Scott Brooks is another very experienced candidate, and while he does not have a ring attached to his name like Doc Rivers, he has been to the NBA Finals. However, he’s not high on this list due to his lack of creativity on the offensive side of the ball, which is highlighted very well in this piece from SB Nation’s Satchel Price. Among the reasons why the Bucks have fallen short in the playoffs over the past two years has been a lack of creative offense and just playing “random” basketball on that side of things. Someone whose well-known weakness is creativity on offense should have some red flags next to their name in this search.