Sometimes the best hire is the one who already knows where the bathrooms are.
The Milwaukee Bucks are finalizing a deal to make Taylor Jenkins their new head coach, bringing back a familiar face who served as a Bucks assistant during the 2018-19 season. The move represents both a homecoming and a calculated bet on proven success.
Jenkins spent the last six seasons as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, compiling a 250-214 record and leading the team to three playoff appearances. He built a reputation as a player development guru and a master of building team culture - exactly what Milwaukee needs as they try to maximize Giannis Antetokounmpo's prime years.
"Taylor knows our organization, he knows our city, and he knows what it takes to win," Bucks general manager said in a statement, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. "This is the right fit at the right time."
Let's be honest - the Bucks are in win-now mode. Giannis isn't getting younger, and the Eastern Conference is wide open. They need someone who can step in and command respect immediately, someone who understands the pressure of championship expectations.
Jenkins checks all those boxes. During his time in Memphis, he developed young players like Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. into All-Stars. He created a defensive identity that had the Grizzlies consistently ranked in the top 10. And most importantly, he won games - a lot of them.
The connection to Milwaukee matters too. Jenkins was on the bench during the 2018-19 season when the Bucks went 60-22 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. He knows the market, he knows the expectations, and he has existing relationships within the organization.
This isn't a sexy hire - there's no big name, no former champion player turning coach, no revolutionary offensive system. This is the Bucks saying,
