There has been plenty of confusion about the split between Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Did he step down? Was he fired? Did the two sides come to a mutual agreement to part? Rivers came out to make it clear that he was not fired, telling Andscape's Marc J. Spears that he decided to step down following Milwaukee's season.
"The recently named Naismith Hall of Fame coach told Andscape it was “100 percent my decision” to leave."
Rivers left the Bucks, not the other way around, he says
Despite Rivers claiming it was his choice to leave, the Milwaukee Bucks will reportedly still pay him the eight-figure salary they would have owed him next season, per Spears. That's a head-scratcher. If the decision was Rivers', typically, he would agree to give up that money. Perhaps the Bucks wanted to give him a nice—and costly—parting gift.
Per the article, Rivers said that he still loves coaching but didn't want his job to feel like work. After a season full of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade drama, locker room fallout, and dysfunction on the court, things likely felt a lot like work for Rivers, and it all amounted to nothing as the Bucks missed the NBA postseason entirely.
The Milwaukee Bucks needed a change this summer. Whether Rivers stepped down on his own terms or not, a new coach was needed. Running it back once again would have set the team up for trouble in 2026-27. Now, they can wipe the slate clean and try to bounce back with a new leading voice next season.
Bucks ready to embrace change after Rivers era
After an ugly tenure led by Rivers that ended with a 97-103 record, the Bucks are on the hunt for their next head coach. While rumors are swirling that they have their eye on Taylor Jenkins, the former head coach in Memphis and one-time Milwaukee assistant, management must cast a wide net and evaluate as many candidates as possible to ensure they hire the right fit.
The Rivers hiring is the perfect example as to why they must take their time. After firing Adrian Griffin, the Bucks immediately pounced and hired Rivers without much thought. Immediately thinking he was the man for the job from day one was a mistake that came back to bite the team in a hurry. To avoid having another head coach feel like his job is "work" in a few years, the Bucks need to nail this hiring.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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