The Milwaukee Bucks have fired head coach Adrian Griffin halfway through the 2023-24 season.
News of Griffin's firing was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bucks later confirmed the move in a post on X.
"This was a difficult decision to make during the season," Bucks General Manager Jon Horst wrote in the statement. "We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team."
Griffin coached 43 games and had the Bucks tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second-best record in the league this season at 30-13.
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But the Bucks have sunk in team-wide defensive ratings, from fourth in the NBA last season to 22nd. There are now concerns over whether Milwaukee will be competitive enough for a championship.
Milwaukee was Griffin's first head coaching job. He was hired to replace Mike Budenholzer after the top-seeded Bucks lost in the first round of last year's playoffs to the Miami Heat.
Griffin was an assistant coach for 16 seasons in the league, and played in the NBA for nine years before coaching.
Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty will step up as interim head coach, the team says.
Horst is expected to discuss the firing with the media on Wednesday.
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