The Milwaukee Bucks just spent a ton of money on their coaching staff.
“According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Milwaukee is signing head coach Doc Rivers to a four-year, $40 million contract.
The four-year deal runs through the 2026-2027 season and is fully guaranteed. Technically, it’s less than four years, as he’ll take over in the middle of the season, meaning Rivers will make more than $10 million per year.
Milwaukee already fired head coach Mike Budenholzer last offseason and fired new head coach Adrian Griffin during the season. With those contracts still on the books, Rivers’ deal adds up, meaning Milwaukee is spending more than $10 million a year to retain the head coach.
With this substantial contract, Rivers has found a new home. He landed in Milwaukee after stints with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers, who hasn’t taken a full season off since he began coaching in Orlando, joined ESPN’s broadcasting staff, only to return to the head coaching ranks before the season was over.
The deal makes Rivers one of only four head coaches in the league to earn more than $10 million. He joins Gregg Popovich (San Antonio), Erik Spoelstra (Miami), and Monty Williams (Detroit). With the exception of Williams, they are the only three double-winning coaches to earn more than $10 million.
Milwaukee, however, rehired a coach who is significantly weaker in handling big games. They let Budenholzer go and brought in Rivers. Add the unproven Griffin to the mix, and the primary success of the Rivers hire will be how well Milwaukee performs in the playoffs.
For reference, Rivers hasn’t won a championship since 2007 and hasn’t won a Finals appearance or conference title since 2010. Not only that, but he hasn’t reached the conference finals since 2012. That’s a disappointing result for a man who has worked with a number of superstars in both the Clippers and Philadelphia. Throw in the inability to close out series and blowing series leads, and the sample size is large.
Still, Milwaukee chose to coach Rivers. Considering they spent over $10 million a year to bring back a coach who was weak in big games, and their previous coach’s contract wasn’t up, Milwaukee has spent more than the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat on coaching.