Five coaches the Bucks should consider to be their next head coach

By GERY WOELFEL
As a gesture of kindness toward the Milwaukee Bucks owners, a gesture that could save them a ton of money by not hiring some search firm, i have compiled a robust list of  highly qualified coaches to consider after  beleaguered head coach Glenn Rivers’ expected firing.

Caron Butler — After constructing a stellar 14-year NBA career, one that included two All-Star Game appearances, Butler has spent the last six seasons working as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat and learning from two of the best in the business in Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra.
Butler drew interest from some teams with head coaching vacancies the last two years but opted to remain with the Heat.
Butler is also quite familiar with the Milwaukee market. He was born and raised in Racine and played a portion of the 2013-2014 season with the Bucks.
Sean Sweeney — Currently the Associate Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Sweeney has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of the premier defensive-minds in the game.
Sweeney spent four seasons as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd in Milwaukee and played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the development of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Sweeney made a favorable impression on the Bucks ownership group and was given serious consideration for the head coaching spot after Kidd was fired.
Dusty May — While May doesn’t have any NBA experience on his resume, he can flat-out coach. He led unheralded Florida Atlantic University to the NCAA Final Four in 2023 and just guided Michigan to the national championship.
May ran an NBA-like free-flowing offense at Michigan and possesses an even-keel, modest demeanor that would make the transition from college to the pros a relatively smooth one.
Sam Cassell — There are few people in the NBA who have a better working relationship with players than Cassell.
And he’s a winner. He was a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and one title-winning team as a coach.
Cassell also has a familiarity with Milwaukee, having played four seasons with the Bucks. He was a major reason the Bucks advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2001.
Taylor Jenkins — He cut his teeth in the coaching profession with the Austin (Texas) Toros in 2008 before being a part of Mike Budenholzer’s staffs in Atlanta and Milwaukee.
In 2019, Jenkins was hired as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and coached them for six seasons. He led them to 56- and 51-win seasons in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
He was surprisingly fired late in the 2024-2025 season despite the Grizzlies heading to the playoffs. He posted a 250-214 record with Memphis, a .539 winning percentage