Mike Budenholzer excited to take next step with the Bucks

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Mike Budenholzer is the 16th head coach in Milwaukee Bucks history.

CHICAGO - Shortly before the day's first game at the NBA draft combine, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst and new head coach Mike Budenholzer walked through the doors of Quest Multisport. It was their first official NBA event together, coming a day after Budenholzer was formally announced as the 16th head coach in franchise history.

Over the course of the day, from watching the draft prospects to talking with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Horst from his courtside seat to catching up with old friends from around the league, Budenholzer seldom let a smile disappear from his face.

After weeks of transition, beginning when he and the Atlanta Hawks agreed to part ways April 26, Budenholzer has found what he believes to be the right next step for his career.

“It’s been a great experience," Budenholzer told the Journal Sentinel at the combine Friday regarding his short-lived free agency and path to Milwaukee. "I’m excited about where I am. I’m really just kind of looking forward, to be honest with you. Just really excited about Milwaukee.”

A veteran NBA coach, Budenholzer, 48, spent his first 19 years in the league with the San Antonio Spurs, including 17 seasons as an assistant under Gregg Popovich. That led to a head coaching job with the Hawks in 2013, where Budenholzer quickly made his imprint, leading Atlanta to a 60-win season in his second year and earning the 2014-'15 NBA Coach of the Year award in the process.

His résumé made him one of the most well-regarded — if not the most well-regarded — coaches on the market this off-season. He met with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks and also was courted by the Toronto Raptors after the Raptors fired Dwane Casey on May 11.

After two interviews with the Bucks — the first with members of the front office and the second including members of the team's ownership group — along with a meeting with Antetokounmpo and Bucks wing Khris Middleton, Budenholzer had learned enough to know that Milwaukee was where he wanted to be.

What set the Bucks apart?

“A lot of things," Budenholzer said. "Very excited about the roster, excited about the things we can do together. Obviously, Giannis is a special player, but I think the entire roster’s got a lot of great players — Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, you keep going down the list, Jabari (Parker), all the guys. I just think it’s a great opportunity for me, a great fit for me.”

The process of getting integrated with the team already has started. Budenholzer has enjoyed getting to know Horst better through the interview process as well as their shared time together in Chicago. The same goes for Antetokounmpo, whom Budenholzer sat next to during most of the afternoon, including during the day's final game, which included Giannis' younger brother Kostas.

"I think learning our players and putting them in the position to be the best they can be is what I will do over the next couple months," Budenholzer said. "Really, we’ll be learning each other for parts of the season, too.”

As he learns more about the individuals on his roster beyond these first interactions and what he's learned about them as an opposing head coach, Budenholzer expects to continue to hone in on the ways to accelerate the team's growth. The Bucks have made the playoffs two straight years and three of the last four, but they still haven't gotten out of the first round since 2001.

As a franchise, the Bucks believe they have more room to grow and have tapped Budenholzer as the coach to help lead them to a higher level of success. While he might not have the entire plan ironed out yet — he's only been on the job for a day — he knows generally what he wants the Bucks to look like under his tutelage.

“Hopefully a hell of a team," Budenholzer said. "Hopefully really good defensively, playing fast and moving the ball and great spacing and playing together offensively.”