Ranking the 5 best Bucks coaching candidates to replace Doc Rivers, from Taylor Jenkins to Tom Thibodeau

Ranking the 5 best Bucks coaching candidates to replace Doc Rivers, from Taylor Jenkins to Tom Thibodeau originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . After a miserable 32-50 season, the Milwaukee Bucks and Doc Rivers have officially parted ways , which should signal a new direction.

Rivers' tumultuous time with the Bucks included the organization's deteriorating relationship with Giannis Antetokounmpo, two first-round exits and now missing both the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament. No team in the NBA is in more flux than the Bucks this offseason, as Milwaukee has a lot to decide during the summer. Therefore, choosing a new head coach is the first step toward moving in the right direction.

After the failed Doc Rivers experiment, there are a number of candidates who make sense for Milwaukee, as the organization's plan moving forward will include the type of coach it hires in the next few weeks. While Michael Malone took the North Carolina job to remove himself from NBA consideration, there's still a strong group of candidates available for the Bucks to consider. Here's a look at the five best candidates for the Bucks' coaching search.

SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule 1. Taylor Jenkins Imagn Images Jenkins, a former Bucks assistant, is the most logical fit to replace Rivers, as he has a solid combination of experience and youth. Jenkins spent parts of six seasons from 2019 to 2025 as the Memphis Grizzlies ' head coach, leading them to three playoff appearances and two 50-win seasons, but is still just 41 years old.