Before everything went downhill with the Milwaukee Bucks, Adrian Griffin was a respected assistant on many NBA teams, most notably the Toronto Raptors. Now, according to insider Marc Stein (subscription required), Griffin is looking to return to the role where he's seen the most success, having completed an interview with the Memphis Grizzlies to join Tuomas Iisalo's coaching staff.
After taking all of this past season off, the former Bucks coach may be back in the association soon.
Former Milwaukee Bucks coach hunting for a return to the league
Even if things didn't work out as a head coach, Griffin was still recognized as a quality assistant coach, notably serving as a vital voice regarding Toronto's defensive personnel between 2018 and 2023. Before that, he had a range of coaching experience as an assistant coach with the Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
He could undoubtedly slide back into that role with Memphis or another squad and pick up where he left off before his short stint as the leading voice of the Milwaukee Bucks.
It's hard to say that some coaches are best-suited to remain assistants rather than head coaches in Griffin's case because he didn't have much of a chance to prove he can lead a team. Of course, after being hired in the summer of 2023 to be Mike Budenholzer's replacement, Griffin got fired by the Milwaukee Bucks despite his 30-13 record at the time, in what was a shocking move.
Most first-year, first-time head coaches don't get canned a few months into their tenure, but that's what happened to Griffin. The Milwaukee Bucks were definitely dysfunctional under Griffin despite a quality record, but many thought they would play it out and give him time to develop. However, the front office clearly felt like he wasn't the right man for the gig and pulled the plug quickly.
There's no point in hypotheticals, but after seeing everything that has gone down since Griffin was fired, which has included hiring Doc Rivers and two first-round exits, thinking of a world where the Milwaukee Bucks rode things out with Griffin is certainly a major what-if. The same goes for if the Bucks hired a different coach entirely during their initial search.
Almost two years after the firing of Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks are still trying to solve their coaching issues.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.