Report: Bucks, Doc Rivers part ways
Sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania that the team parted ways with Rivers on Sunday.
CHANCES. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AHEAD ON WEATHER WATCH 12. >> THANK YOU JEAN. LET’S GET TO THE BREAKING NEWS WE’RE FOLLOWING TONIGHT. MAJOR SHAKEUPS IN WISCONSIN SPORTS. FIRST ESPN REPORTING DOC RIVERS IS OUT AS HEAD COACH OF THE BUCS. THIS AFTER THEY FELL TO THE 76 ERS IN THEIR FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON. 12 SPORTS STEPHANIE SUTTON JOINS US NOW. >> STEPHANIE NOT SURPRISING NEWS KENDALL. BUT ESPN IS REPORTING THAT BUCKS HAD PARTED WAYS WITH HEAD COACH DOC RIVERS FOLLOWING A DISAPPOINTING SEASON. THE MOVE COMES RIGHT AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON FINALE AGAINST PHILADELPHIA. RIVERS LEAVES WITH A 97 103 RECORD, INCLUDING BACK TO BACK FIRST ROUND EXITS AND MISSING THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. REPORTS. REPORTS ALSO CITE TENSION BETWEEN RIVERS AND PLAYERS. THE TEAM IS EXPECTED TO PLAY OUT THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS DEAL, REPORTEDLY WORTH EIGHT FIGURES, WHILE AN ADVISORY ROLE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED. RIVERS SAID AFTER THE GAME TODAY HE KNEW THIS WAS COMING. >> OH NO, I CAN TELL YOU WE’RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. WE’VE TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE WANT IT OUT PRETTY QUICK. I JUST DON’T WANT I WANT THEM TO DO IT. IT’S BETTER, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS PRETTY MUCH KNOW. >> NOW THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO WHO WILL LEAD THE TEAM MOVING FORWARD. LET’S BRING IN SPORTS PODCASTER BART WINKLER. BART, SO YOU TWEETED ABOUT THIS TONIGHT. WHY DO YOU THINK IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE BUCKS TO PART WAYS WAYS WITH DOC RIVERS? >> I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW, I NOBODY KNOWS, AND THAT’S BEEN THE SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION SO MUCH THAT IT ALMOST LIKE GOT APATHETIC. FOR BUCKS FANS, YOU’VE BEEN IN LOCKER ROOMS WHERE AFTER GAMES IT SEEMS LIKE, OH, THIS IS A GAME WHERE THE COACH COULD GET FIRED. MIKE MCCARTHY. THAT’S HOW HIS TENURE ENDED WITH THE PACKERS. DOC RIVERS IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WERE A LOT OF THOSE GAMES WHERE THIS COULD BE THE GAME. HE GETS FIRED AND HE WASN’T. I DON’T KNOW. I DON’T KNOW IF THIS WAS A JIMMY HASLAM FRIENDSHIP KIND OF SITUATION. I DON’T KNOW IF JIMMY HASLAM JUST LIKES YOU KNOW I GOT DOC RIVERS HERE. I GOT DESHAUN WATSON. I KNOW THIS NAME. I GET TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF MY TEAM. I DON’T KNOW WHY IT TOOK SO LONG, BUT I DON’T THINK ANY BUCS FANS LOOK THAT’S A NICE GUY. EVERYTHING. BUT THIS IS A JOYOUS DAY I THINK FOR A LOT OF BUCS FANS THAT WERE FRUSTRATED WITH THIS SEASON. >> HOW MUCH DID GIANNIS FUTURE WITH THE TEAM FACTOR INTO THIS DECISION? DO YOU THINK? >> I THINK EVERY DECISION THEY MAKE THERE’S GOT TO BE SOME GIANNIS FACTOR. OBVIOUSLY THIS SUMMER IS GOING TO BE LIKE I THOUGHT LAST SUMMER WAS THE TIME HE COULD GET TRADED. THIS IS THIS IS THE TIME. IF NOT NOW HE’S GOING TO FINISH HIS CAREER IN MILWAUKEE. I DON’T KNOW THAT THE BUCS REALLY COULD AFFORD TO BRING IN A COACH. WELL I THINK THE DECISION IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH DOC AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH GIANNIS, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE NEW COACH, I SHOULD SAY, BECAUSE IF YOU’RE GOING TO HIRE A COACH, DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE HIRING A COACH FOR GIANNIS OR IS THIS A POST GIANNIS TENURE SITUATION. SO THERE’S A LOT THEY GOT TO FIGURE OUT WITH GIANNIS BEFORE. MAYBE THEY FIGURE OUT WHO THE COACH SHOULD BE. >> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK OF DOC TAKING ON AN ADVISORY ROLE WITH THE TEAM. >> I THINK IF YOU KNOW I’M NEVER GOING TO I’M NEVER I’M NEVER GOING TO SAY SOMEBODY SHOULDN’T, YOU KNOW HAVE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT IF THEY CAN GET IT. I THINK IT JUST SEEMS TO BE A NICE GESTURE. AGAIN, WHY WAS HE HIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE? DOC RIVERS IS A NAME THAT BRINGS A LOT OF CACHET TO IT, WITH THE BUCKS OWNERS MORE INTERESTED IN THAT THAN GOOD COACHING. I DON’T KNOW, BUT IF YOU CAN GET A JOB, GOOD FOR HIM. I THINK A LOT OF BUCS FANS, AGAIN, DON’T WANT DOC REALLY ANYWHERE NEA
Report: Bucks, Doc Rivers part ways
Sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania that the team parted ways with Rivers on Sunday.
Updated: 10:55 PM CDT Apr 12, 2026
Doc Rivers is out as the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.Sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania that the team parted ways with Rivers on Sunday. Rivers, who has been with the team for two-and-a-half seasons, had one season left on his initial contract with the team. The reported split comes after the Bucks finished 32-50 this season. Overall, Rivers was 97-103 in his three seasons in Milwaukee. The Bucks will reportedly pay out Rivers on his eight-figure salary for the final year on his deal. During his time in Milwaukee, the Bucks has two first-round playoff exits. The team also missed both the playoffs and the play-in this year.Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin, who was fired by the team in 2024. Griffin had a 43-game tenure with the Bucks. Before Griffin’s departure, the team was coached by Mike Budenholzer, who spent five years with the team before he was fired in 2023. Rivers played college basketball at Marquette University from 1980-1983 before being drafted into the NBA. Late last month, Rivers was elected to join the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
MILWAUKEE —
Doc Rivers is out as the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.
Sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania that the team parted ways with Rivers on Sunday.
Rivers, who has been with the team for two-and-a-half seasons, had one season left on his initial contract with the team.
The reported split comes after the Bucks finished 32-50 this season. Overall, Rivers was 97-103 in his three seasons in Milwaukee.
The Bucks will reportedly pay out Rivers on his eight-figure salary for the final year on his deal.
During his time in Milwaukee, the Bucks has two first-round playoff exits. The team also missed both the playoffs and the play-in this year.
Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin, who was fired by the team in 2024. Griffin had a 43-game tenure with the Bucks. Before Griffin’s departure, the team was coached by Mike Budenholzer, who spent five years with the team before he was fired in 2023.
Rivers played college basketball at Marquette University from 1980-1983 before being drafted into the NBA. Late last month, Rivers was elected to join the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.