Bucks fire HC Mike Budenholzer less than two years after winning title

Milwaukee finished the regular season at 58-24 -- the best record in the NBA this year -- but was stunned in the first round, losing to eight-seed Miami in five games. After the series, The Athletic reported one of Budenholzer's brothers died in a car accident prior to Game 4.

Budenholzer worked out to a 271-120 record as Bucks head coach and his .693 winning percentage is the best in franchise history. 

In 2021, he led the team to an NBA Championship with a 4-2 series win over the Phoenix Suns. Much of the criticism lobbed at Budenholzer over the years relates to the lack of adjustments he has made. However, his in-series adjustments were actually a big reason why Milwaukee was able to come back against Phoenix after losing the first two games in the finals.

Before that year's finals, former Bucks forward P.J. Tucker praised Budenholzer for his flexibility as a coach.

"He's done more adjusting this year than he's ever done before," said Tucker in 2021. "He's getting a little more adventurous and I think the personnel, that gives him a freedom to do that a lot more and that's one of the reasons we've been so successful." 

Budenholzer's old habit of being slow to adjust reared its head against the Heat, though, with particular criticism being levied around his decision not to take a timeout in the waning seconds of regulation in Game 5.

As cruel and unfair as Budenholzer's firing might seem, recent NBA history suggests the Bucks might be making the right move with this one.

In 2018, the Raptors fired Coach of the Year Dwayne Casey and hired Nick Nurse, who led Toronto to its first title in franchise history in 2019. The Cavs fired David Blatt in the middle of a 30-11 start to the 2015-16 season but won that year's title with Tyronn Lue. In 2008, Avery Johnson was fired by the Mavericks after going 194-70 in three seasons. The franchise's next head coach, Rick Carlile, won an NBA title three seasons later.

The Bucks are likely hoping that a similar future awaits them. Then again, it shouldn't be too hard for whoever gets the job. Budenholzer already gave them the blueprint.