As recently as Monday morning my number one rule for the Milwaukee Bucks finding the franchise’s next head coach was for the process to be a long and detailed one, with every stone unturned to find the person the organization best believes can get Milwaukee back to the playoffs and beyond.
They say every rule is meant to be broken, though, and the Bucks appear to be breaking mine (as shared on the latest Gyro Step podcast episode) for a good reason: securing the services of Taylor Jenkins.
Jenkins is potentially the top coaching candidate of this cycle. A former Bucks assistant who then took the head coaching job in Memphis ahead of Ja Morant’s rookie season in 2019, Jenkins sports a 250-214 record as a coach, finished second in Coach of the Year voting in 2022, and his Grizzlies tenure peaked with a 56-26 campaign that season that tied the franchise record for wins in a single season.
There were some lows in Jenkins’ campaign, especially the 2023-24 season when Memphis went 27-55. That wasn’t entirely on Jenkins though, as franchise cornerstone Ja Morant suited up for just 9 games that season. Between Morant’s injuries and suspension and a cavalcade of other injuries and roster turnover, Memphis utilized 33 different players that season. That isn’t exactly a recipe for success as a coach.
Neither is a front office meddling in coaching decisions, but that’s what happened before Jenkins’ final season in Memphis and led directly to his firing. Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman picked out a pair of offensive-minded assistant coaches to be installed on Jenkins’ staff — both of them specializing in drastically different offensive systems, mind you — and demanded Jenkins fire five of his existing assistants to bring in the new voices.
The new offensive approach worked initially but ultimately faltered and created a rift between Jenkins and Morant, ultimately leading to Jenkins’ ousting with nine games left before the postseason despite Memphis’ solid 44-29 record. Tuomas Iisalo, one of the assistants thrust upon Jenkins’ staff, took over. Iisalo’s Grizzlies went 4-5 down the stretch and got swept in humiliating fashion against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
While his time at the helm in Memphis ended abruptly and now the organization has torn down its roster to the studs, Jenkins built a consistent winner in his short Grizzlies tenure. He’s got more wins than any other coach in franchise history and it took a truly snakebitten season for his Grizz to dip below .500 after his first season at the helm when they were a respectable 34-39.
Apr 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
At 41 years old, Jenkins is a far cry from the last “retread” coach the Bucks hired when they brought in Doc Rivers mid-season. And one of the most appealing parts of Jenkins’ candidacy is that he’s a good option no matter which way Milwaukee handles the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga.
Jenkins surely has a working relationship with Giannis from his tenure on Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Milwaukee, times that everybody around the Bucks must look back at fondly given the chaos and lack of success that followed Budenholzer’s dismissal. He also has proven he can take over a team in the lottery and build both a winning culture and on-court product.
The Bucks frankly need a lot of building whether their cornerstone superstar is in place or not. It’s hard to imagine a coach with a better resume than Jenkins for the job. It seems the Bucks feel the same way as they’re putting a full-court press on for Jenkins, including flying general manger Jon Horst and both primary owners to Memphis to meet with him ahead of a second meeting that’s already scheduled.
It makes sense for the Bucks to move quickly here, as there’s a pretty good chance other jobs with more appealing situations will open up as teams begin getting knocked out of the playoffs. While coaching Antetokounmpo is surely appealing, there’s both no guarantee the Bucks will have him going forward or that he’ll be both content and healthy in Milwaukee if he is there based on the 2025-26 season..
Throw in the small market and lack of future assets, and it’s easy to see a job like the Orlando Magic being more appealing than the Bucks gig. And indeed, per The Athletic, Jenkins has been linked at least vaguely to Orlando already despite Jamahl Mosley being up 1-0 over the Pistons at the moment.
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The Bucks are one of just two open jobs at the moment though, so if they can lock down a top tier coaching candidate while competition is limited they might as well do it.
There’s another bit of good news for Bucks fans hidden in this report: it sure seems like Milwaukee is willing to spend money on their next coaching hire. Given the Bucks are still paying both Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers next season, it was fair to wonder if they would cheap out on their next coach. After all, that may be a trend following reports coming out of Portland.
Generally first-time head coaches, especially if they’re coming from the assistant coach ranks versus head jobs in other leagues or the NBA, earn lower annual salaries. Given his strong track record, Jenkins is likely going to be one of the more expensive options on the board. Both of the Bucks primary owners flying to Memphis to recruit him sure implies that Milwaukee is not afraid to splurge on their next coach, which is a welcome sign for a franchise in flux.
The Bucks haven’t actually sealed the deal yet, but if they’re able to lock down Taylor Jenkins before the coaching carousel really takes off it’ll be a significant win for a team that sorely needs them right now.
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