Notable coach emerges as Doc Rivers’ possible replacement in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Bucks may already have their succession plan in place for Doc Rivers.

Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has surfaced as the “likely prime candidate” for the Bucks’ coaching job if they decide to fire their current coach Rivers, veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported to Substack on Sunday. Stein further notes that there is indeed growing anticipation that Rivers and the Bucks may be headed for “some sort of parting or job restructuring” after the season.

Rivers, 64, has been the head coach of the Bucks since 2024 but now holds an overall losing record in Milwaukee of 95-100 (.487) with zero playoff series victories. He is also currently presiding over a nightmare season in which the Bucks have gone 31-47, guaranteeing a bottom-five finish in the Eastern Conference.

For roughly a month now, we have heard that Rivers could be on the outs in Milwaukee. Then earlier this week, a report emerged claiming that Rivers has now supposedly lost the confidence of his players.

As for Jenkins, 41, he served as head coach of the Grizzlies from 2019-25. Prior to that, he actually spent one season an assistant coach for the Bucks in 2018-19.

In Memphis, Jenkins helped turn a young, rebuilding team into a perennial Western Conference threat (though he did only have one playoff series victory with the Grizzlies to show for it). For a Bucks team that is likely headed into a young, rebuilding phase of their own with an expected trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, Jenkins may be just the man for the job (assuming Milwaukee does not promote this in-house option instead).