The Milwaukee Bucks took their time before they finally announced Doc Rivers as their new head coach. However, that doesn’t mean that Rivers and the front office had not been working behind the scenes to form his coaching staff in Milwaukee.
According to multiple reports, the Bucks are now on the verge of signing former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger as an assistant in Rivers’ coaching staff.
Milwaukee Bucks to Bring In Dave Joerger
It was first reported last week that Joerger was “under consideration” as an assistant coach for the Bucks. It was ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski who dropped the news:
One high-level assistant coach available and under consideration to rejoin Doc Rivers in Milwaukee: Dave Joerger, sources tell ESPN. Joerger — former head coach with Memphis and Sacramento— spent three seasons with Rivers in Philadelphia.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 24, 2024
Shams Charania of The Athletic then followed it up with a follow-up report stating that Joerger was already in the final stages of his contract negotiations with the Bucks:
Former Grizzlies and Kings head coach Dave Joerger is finalizing a deal to join Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Hb8d5kN4tu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 26, 2024
Joerger spent three seasons as the head coach of the Grizzlies between 2013 and 2016. This was after he served as an assistant coach for the team for six seasons.
After his stint in Memphis, Joerger was hired as the head coach of the Kings, where he spent three seasons at the helm. He was then hired as an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020, where he served under Doc Rivers over the past three years.
It is also worth noting that apart from Joerger, the Bucks are also bringing in veteran assistant coach Rex Kalamian to the team. This report comes via Woj:
Doc Rivers is hiring longtime NBA assistant Rex Kalamian for his Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff, sources tell ESPN. Kalamian has been working as a scout with the Nets this season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 26, 2024
The Bucks are wasting no time building Rivers’ coaching staff as they look to go for broke in the second half of the campaign.
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