Now-former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is less than two years removed from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy after helping lead the team to a win over the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Budenholzer’s firing is the latest example of NBA teams having a short hook with coaches who have in the past been extremely successful.
Consider this. Three of the past four championship-winning head coaches are no longer with the teams that they led to a title. Nick Nurse led the Toronto Raptors to the title over the Golden State Warriors back in 2019. He was fired earlier this spring after they failed to make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
Back in 2020, Frank Vogel oversaw the Los Angeles Lakers’ title in the Orlando Bubble. He lasted just two more seasons before being let go. Now, after five seasons and the 2021 championship, Budenholzer finds himself on the outside looking in. This comes after his league-best Bucks squad fell to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr is the only head coach who has helped his team to a title over the past four seasons and managed to actually remain with his team as of this posting. Ahead of Golden State’s Game 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday night, Kerr opened up about the Bucks’ decision to fire Budenholzer.
“My first response is not shock but disappointment. This is the business we’re in. Expectations for every team are so high, and only one team can win. We all believe Bud deserved better, but we’re all aware this is the job we chose,” Kerr on the firing of Budenholzer.
It’s interesting to look back. Kerr actually took over as the Warriors’ head coach in 2014-15, after Golden State fired Mark Jackson, who had led the organization to two consecutive playoff appearances. Prior to Jackson’s arrival in Northern California, the Warriors had earned one playoff appearance over the previous 18 seasons.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, meanwhile, was an assistant under Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks before taking his current gig ahead of the 2022-23 season. Ham’s relationship with Bud dates back to their time together with the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-18.
Ham opened up about the surprising firing ahead of Thursday’s game against Golden State:
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard also took to social media to address the Budenholzer firing. He seemed to be thrown back a bit.
“Folks out here firing championship coaches as soon as they don’t win the chip,” Lillard wrote on Twitter.
Others weren’t as surprised by Thursday’s news. That included NBA great and current media personality Jalen Rose.
Budenholzer finishes his five-year run in Milwaukee holding a .693 winning percentage and an NBA title to his name. He finishes as the second-most successful head coach in Bucks history behind Larry Costello, who led the organization to an NBA title in 1971. Bud also finishes third in wins behind Costello Basketball Hall of Famer Don Nelson.
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