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Milwaukee Bucks agree to hire Larry Drew as new head coach

The Milwaukee Bucks have reached an agreement in principle for Larry Drew to become the team’s new head coach, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Drew becomes the 13th head coach in the history of the franchise and comes to Milwaukee with three seasons of NBA head coaching experience.

“We are pleased to reach an agreement with Larry Drew to become head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Hammond. “After a thorough search and interview process, it is clear to us that Larry’s track record in Atlanta, along with his experience as an assistant coach and player, make him the right choice to lead our club. We look forward to what he will bring to this franchise and we welcome him and his family to Milwaukee.”

Drew, 55, most recently served as head coach in Atlanta where he guided the Hawks to three consecutive postseason appearances that included a First Round series victory over Orlando in 2011. In total, his record as the head coach with Atlanta was 128-102 (.557). Prior to becoming a head coach, he was the lead assistant coach with the Hawks for six seasons (2004-2010).

Before arriving in Atlanta, Drew was an assistant with the New Jersey Nets and Byron Scott after spending the previous three seasons with the Washington Wizards in a similar capacity (2000-03) under Doug Collins. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach in 1999-2000 with Detroit under Alvin Gentry. His coaching career began in 1992-93 when he broke into the ranks with the Los Angeles Lakers, whom he played for from 1989-91.

An 11-year professional, Drew averaged 11.4 points and 5.2 assists in 714 career games for four NBA teams. After one season in Detroit, he played the next five years with the Kings, in Kansas City and Sacramento (1981-86), and his final four in Los Angeles (1986-91), for the Clippers and the Lakers. Drew also played one season internationally, 1988-89, with Scavolini of the Italian League.

He was a first round selection in the 1980 NBA Draft – 17th overall by the Pistons – and he reached postseason play four times in his professional career (31 games). Drew recorded his best season during the 1982-83 campaign, when he averaged 20.1 points, 8.1 assists and 1.7 steals for Kansas City.

Born April 2, 1958 in Kansas City, Kan., Drew played four seasons at the University of Missouri, where he averaged 12.0 points and 2.8 rebounds after a stellar high school career locally at Wyandotte High. He and his wife Sharon have three children, Larry, Landon and Lindsey.

Clifford, Sampson, Drew are finalists for Milwaukee Bucks coaching job

Three coaching candidates will return for second interviews this week with the Milwaukee Bucks, a league source confirmed Sunday.

Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford is scheduled to interview again Tuesday, while Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson and Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew will return Wednesday as finalists for the Bucks head coaching position.

No other candidates are currently in the running, according to the source.

The Bucks also previously interviewed former Portland and Seattle coach Nate McMillan and 34-year-old Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff. Bucks officials also met with former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

Clifford has close ties to former NBA coaches Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy and worked last season as an assistant with the Lakers.

A 1983 graduate of Maine-Farmington, Clifford worked five seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s staff in Orlando and was with the Magic when it reached the 2009 NBA Finals.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks compete in a crowded NBA coach search

The Milwaukee Bucks are searching for a coach in a crowded marketplace.

Other NBA teams are in the hunt for a coach, too, and this summer it’s likely at least one-third of the league’s head coaching jobs will change hands.

One team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, already has hired a new coach. The Cavs moved quickly to hire Mike Brown, who coached Cleveland once before, from 2005-’10, before a brief stint leading the Los Angeles Lakers.

Coaching jobs are now open in Milwaukee, Detroit, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, and Phoenix is likely to replace interim coach Lindsey Hunter.

Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew was in Milwaukee on Monday to meet with Bucks officials. His contract with the Hawks runs out June 30, and he and general manager Danny Ferry have agreed that both parties can explore their options in the meantime. It is expected the Hawks will change coaches.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Larry Drew to interview for Bucks head coach job

Larry Drew is preparing to part ways with the Hawks and will interview for the head coach position with the Bucks Monday.

Drew told the Atlanta Journal Constitution Friday that in a meeting with general manager Danny Ferry earlier this week the two came to an amicable agreement to allow the coach to interview for other vacant positions in the league. The Bucks called Ferry about speaking with Drew, who is still under contract until June 30, and they were granted permission.

“I’ve moved on from the situation,” Drew told the AJC. “We had a very professional talk just trying to get things in order since I’m still under contract.”

— Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Steve Clifford interviewing for Bucks head-coaching job

Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford is interviewing with the Milwaukee Bucks for their head-coaching job on Monday, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Milwaukee has interviewed Nate McMillan and Houston Rockets assistants Kelvin Sampson and J.B. Bickerstaff for its head-coaching job.

When Bucks general manager John Hammond reached out to gauge Stan Van Gundy’s interest in the job, Van Gundy declined but delivered a strong recommendation for Clifford, league sources said. Clifford spent five years on Van Gundy’s Orlando Magic staff before joining the Lakers in the summer of 2012.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Milwaukee Bucks not keeping Jim Boylan as head coach

The Milwaukee Bucks will begin a search immediately for a new head coach after informing Jim Boylan that he will not be offered a new contract, General Manager John Hammond announced. The decision was made after Hammond met with Boylan Wednesday morning at the Bucks Training Center in St. Francis, Wis.

“At this time we feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to seek a new coach to lead our team,” said Hammond. “We appreciate Jim’s efforts not only in his time as head coach, but in his entire tenure as a coach in Milwaukee. On behalf of the Bucks organization, I thank Jim for his five years here and his many contributions on and off the court. We wish Jim and his wife, Jane, the best.”

Boylan compiled a 22-28 record (.440) after replacing Scott Skiles as head coach on Jan. 8. The Bucks were swept by Miami in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, 4-0.

Boylan, 58, had been the lead assistant coach for the Bucks the past four seasons, joining the team after finishing the final 56 games (24-32, .429) of the 2007-08 season as the interim head coach of the Chicago Bulls. His NBA coaching career began in 1992 with Cleveland, and he has also served as an assistant with Vancouver (1997-2000), Phoenix (2000-02), Atlanta (2003-04) and Chicago (2004-08).

The starting point guard of the Marquette Warriors 1977 NCAA Championship team, Boylan led the team in assists during his junior and senior seasons before being selected by the Buffalo Braves in the 1978 NBA Draft. Boylan’s coaching career began as a player/coach in Switzerland (1982-86) where he led the Vevey Basketball club to the first championship in its 30-year history. He also coached in the CBA (Rochester Renegade), with Michigan State (1986-89) and served as the head coach at the University of New Hampshire (1989-92).

According to ESPN.com, “Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, who is already a candidate for the Charlotte Bobcats’ opening, will be among the candidates considered to replace Boylan, a source told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Boylan took over as interim coach in January after Scott Skiles was fired and went 22-28 for the rest of the season. Milwaukee was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.”

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Mike Dunleavy open to staying with Bucks

Mike Dunleavy has served as a valuable sixth man for the Bucks during the past two seasons.

And the 32-year-old guard-forward said Monday he would be open to returning.

Dunleavy scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in Milwaukee’s 88-77 loss to Miami in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday as the Heat completed a four-game sweep.

“My contract’s up so I’m just going to have to figure out where that leaves me,” Dunleavy said. “Honestly I haven’t given a lot of thought to it.

“I like being here; I grew up here. I signed as a free agent here. I’m willing to come back. I’ve got to talk to the team and see what they want to do and go from there.”

Dunleavy signed a two-year, $7 million deal with Milwaukee in the summer of 2011. He averaged 12.3 points and provided a spark off the bench in 55 games during the lockout-shortened season, then averaged 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 75 games during the past season.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Bucks eliminated from playoffs, swept by Heat

LeBron James can cross another item off his to-do list.

James scored 30 points, Ray Allen had another big game against his old team and the Miami Heat got their first playoff sweep in the Big Three era, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 88-77 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

”It was our next big step as far as our growth,” James said. ”It’s so hard to win on the road in the playoffs, in someone’s building – especially when someone is playing for their last life. It’s a big step for us.”

And now the Heat have some much-needed time to rest. Dwyane Wade sat out Sunday’s game, only the second postseason game he’s missed in his career, because of his aching right knee. But with Miami not playing until next Saturday, at the earliest, he’ll have plenty of time to treat the three bone bruises that caused him to miss six games near the end of the regular season.

Miami plays the winner of the Brooklyn-Chicago series. The Bulls lead that series 3-1, with Game 5 on Monday night in New York…

Monta Ellis led the Bucks with 21 points, and Larry Sanders had 11 rebounds to go with seven points.

But Milwaukee got almost nothing again from Brandon Jennings, who didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. Jennings, who had guaranteed the Bucks would win the series in six games, finished with three points on 1-of-7 shooting.

After scoring 26 points in Game 1, Jennings had 27 total in the final three.

— Reported by Nancy Armour of the Associated Press

Heat pull away late, beat Bucks for 2-0 lead

Everyone in the Miami huddle was bracing for a grind to the finish. On the other end, the sense around the Milwaukee bench was that an upset was there for the taking.

Then the Heat landed a swift knockout punch.

Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, LeBron James finished with 19 and the Heat used a frantic start to the fourth quarter to pull away and beat the Bucks 98-86 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series on Tuesday night.

It was 68-65 entering the fourth. With James and four backups on the court, the Heat needed only 2 minutes, 22 seconds to outscore Milwaukee 12-0 and stretch the lead to 80-65 – ensuring the reigning NBA champions would take a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 on Thursday night.

”We held court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ”We protected it for two games. We did what we’re supposed to do. And that’s it.”

Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen all scored 10 points for the Heat. James’ postseason streaks of 22 straight games with at least 20 points, and 16 straight games of at least 25 points, both came to an end.

Ultimately, none of that mattered.

”We didn’t get into our game like we wanted to in that third quarter,” James said. ”But we went into the fourth with a (three-point) lead and we were able to jump on them.”

Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which got 16 from Mike Dunleavy and 14 from Larry Sanders. The Bucks’ starting guards, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, combined for only 15 points – after teaming up to score 48 in Game 1.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Frustrating playoff debut for Bucks center Larry Sanders

The third-year pro was in foul trouble throughout the game and never found a rhythm in the Bucks’ 110-87 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday night in Game 1 of the teams’ Eastern Conference playoff series.

“I kept having to press the reset button to get myself loose,” Sanders said of his foul woes.

Sanders finished with six points, five rebounds and five fouls while being limited to 19 minutes. He drew his fourth foul with 9 minutes 31 seconds left in the third quarter and had to go to the bench.

After returning to the court, he missed two short-range shots in the fourth quarter and picked up a fifth foul on a drive by Dwyane Wade.

At that point Sanders exited and gave one thumb up to referee Sean Corbin.

“Just tell him to stay confident,” Bucks guard Brandon Jennings said of his advice for his teammate. “I mean, we’ve got one Tuesday (Game 2) and it’s going to be another hostile environment.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel