The Milwaukee Bucks secured their future coach early into the 2026 coaching cycle by hiring former Grizzlies head coach and former Bucks assistant coach Taylor Jenkins.
A New Chapter
After the announcement that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers would be stepping away from his role with the team to possibly transition into an “advisory” role, the Bucks were left to plan the next steps in hiring a new head man to right the ship.
What Taylor Jenkins Brings To The Table
Jenkins began his coaching career in the D-League (now known as the G-League) with the Austin Toros (now the Austin Spurs) in 2008. He coached as an assistant coach with them for four years, including a D-League championship in his last year.
He became the head coach in the following season in 2012-2013, going 27-23 and winning a first-round playoff series over the Bakersfield Jam (now the Motor City Cruz).
He got his first chance in the NBA to become an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks. He spent five years as an assistant for the team, all five under former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks made the postseason four out of the five seasons Jenkins spent in Atlanta and made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015 after a 60-win season.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Mike Budenholzer was announced as the Bucks’ new head coach before the 2018-19 NBA season. Jenkins followed Budenholzer to Milwaukee, helping the Bucks finish 60-22 and sit atop the NBA with the best record in the league that season.
They swept the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs that season, blitzed the Boston Celtics 4-1 after losing game one of that series in the second round of the playoffs, before ultimately falling to the Toronto Raptors 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jenkins Stint in Memphis
Following the 2018-19 season in Milwaukee, Jenkins got his first head coaching gig in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jenkins took Memphis to the playoffs in three out of five (almost six) seasons as the Grizzlies coach. He was fired nine games before the postseason during the 2024-2025 season with a playoff spot already secured.
During the 2021-2022 season, Jenkins led the Grizzlies to a 52-26 record, which was the best in the Southwest division, marking it the first time the Grizzlies had won their division in the team’s history. They went on to lose to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semi-finals. The following season, the Grizzlies finished 51-31, winning their division before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
They missed the playoffs after being hampered with injuries during the 2023-24 season and ultimately fired Taylor Jenkins nine games before the playoffs in 2024-25.
Back on Track
After taking a year off from coaching, Jenkins looks to set the Bucks organization back on course as it tries to regain its footing after a tumultuous season this past year.
With Doc Rivers at the helm, the Bucks finished 32-50, eleventh in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The season was not only wrapped up in poor performances but countless negative storylines with Giannis Antetokounmpo all season caught up in trade rumors, team turmoil and even a quarrel of injury issues with Antetokounmpo, stemming from the Bucks not allowing Giannis to play in the team’s final games due to health concerns.
Jenkins, fresh off a clean slate and a year away from basketball, is coming to an environment where he hopes to turn the tide not only on the basketball floor, but in the locker room as well.
Well written article. Looking forward to seeing how Jenkins maximizes the Bucks.