Mike Budenholzer, who spent 17 seasons as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich, has been named the Milwaukee Bucks head coach, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Coach Bud,” as he was known in San Antonio, spent five seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks before they mutually agreed to part ways at the end of this past season.
Budenholzer beat a stable of other current and former Spurs assistants for the job, including Becky Hammon, Ettore Messina, and Monty Williams. James Borrego was also in the running for the position before signing to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
The report from ESPN describes Budenholzer as the team’s top target for their head coaching position, and the Bucks only finalized a deal after he met with stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.