Doc Rivers is no longer the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, according to a report in ESPN on Sunday night, bringing an end to his short and turbulent stint with the franchise. Despite having one year left on a reported $40 million deal, the organization is set to honor the remainder of his contract. There are also discussions about a potential transition for Rivers into a front-office role for the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN sources.
Bucks endured a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, finishing with a 32-50 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Across parts of three seasons under Rivers, the team compiled a 97-103 record. He took charge in January 2024 after the dismissal of Adrian Griffin, who had guided the team to a strong 30-13 start. However, Rivers could not maintain that momentum, as the Bucks closed that season with a 17-19 run and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.
The following season showed slight improvement with a 48-34 record, but Milwaukee once again fell to the Pacers in the opening playoff round. That same Pacers squad went on to reach the NBA Finals. Tensions reportedly grew within the team, particularly involving star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appeared in just 36 games but maintained he was fit to play late in the season.
Rivers, 64, concludes his Bucks tenure with an extensive coaching resume, including over 1,100 career wins and an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. He is also set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame later this year.
A native of Chicago, Rivers began his NBA playing career with the Atlanta Hawks, where he spent eight seasons from 1983 to 1991. He later had brief spells with the Los Angeles Clippers (1991-92), New York Knicks (1992-95), and San Antonio Spurs (1994-96).
Rivers then took up a coaching role with the Orlando Magic from 1999 to 2004 before moving to the Boston Celtics for the 2004-05 season. His nine-year spell in Boston (2004-2013) remains the longest of his career and the most defining. He later went on to coach the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 to 2020, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020 to 2023, and most recently the Milwaukee Bucks from 2024 to 2026.
Bucks endured a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, finishing with a 32-50 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Across parts of three seasons under Rivers, the team compiled a 97-103 record. He took charge in January 2024 after the dismissal of Adrian Griffin, who had guided the team to a strong 30-13 start. However, Rivers could not maintain that momentum, as the Bucks closed that season with a 17-19 run and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.
The following season showed slight improvement with a 48-34 record, but Milwaukee once again fell to the Pacers in the opening playoff round. That same Pacers squad went on to reach the NBA Finals. Tensions reportedly grew within the team, particularly involving star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appeared in just 36 games but maintained he was fit to play late in the season.
Rivers, 64, concludes his Bucks tenure with an extensive coaching resume, including over 1,100 career wins and an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. He is also set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame later this year.
A native of Chicago, Rivers began his NBA playing career with the Atlanta Hawks, where he spent eight seasons from 1983 to 1991. He later had brief spells with the Los Angeles Clippers (1991-92), New York Knicks (1992-95), and San Antonio Spurs (1994-96).
Rivers then took up a coaching role with the Orlando Magic from 1999 to 2004 before moving to the Boston Celtics for the 2004-05 season. His nine-year spell in Boston (2004-2013) remains the longest of his career and the most defining. He later went on to coach the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 to 2020, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020 to 2023, and most recently the Milwaukee Bucks from 2024 to 2026.
