Skiles to coach Bucks

[SoCalwarrior]

Scott Skiles has verbally accepted an offer from the Milwaukee Bucks to be their new head coach, the New York Post reported Monday, citing a league source.

Skiles, who was thought to be a candidate for the New York Knicks' vacancy, would replace Larry Krystkowiak in Milwaukee. The Bucks fired Krystkowiak on Thursday, one day after finishing 26-56 in his one full season as coach.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel characterized Skiles' hiring as imminent, saying the team and coach were making significant progress in contract negotiations. "The search is continuing. We're making progress and our goal, as stated before, is to react quickly," new Bucks general manager John Hammond told the newspaper Sunday, adding, "We will not discuss individual names of candidates at this time."

Hammond is attempting to mold the Bucks, one of the NBA's worst defensive teams, into a championship contender.

"The bottom line on this decision is that this is a results-driven league," Hammond said last week, when Krystkowiak's firing was announced. "Sometimes it comes down to wins and losses. Once again, the man that Larry was and the effort he put forth had little to do with the decision."

Skiles was fired by the Chicago Bulls last December after telling management he thought the team needed "a new voice." He was 165-172 during his time in Chicago, which began in November 2003 when he replaced Bill Cartwright.

The Bucks drafted Skiles in the first round of the 1986 draft, but he played only 13 games that season because of a neck injury. He played 10 seasons in the NBA.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Gwaki]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3356713

link

[Dish]

Boylan will be back in Milwaukee with him.

[ATWizJr]

good hire. now, if the Senator will just allow the GM to run the operation.......

[Hards Alumni]

good hire. now, if the Senator will just allow the GM to run the operation.......

Hammond has a promise from Kohl that he will be hands off.

[mosarsour]

Hammond has a promise from Kohl that he will be hands off.

That would be nice. Now it's time to blow up that roster...but keep Bogut.

[MUCrew]

Have fun with Skiles....I know we did :-p  I always thought he was a good coach, but apparently the players didn't think so this year (I'd like to into the Bulls and rip them a new one, but I won't).  I've never seen such high expectations come crashing down so hard, so fast like this year. 

OT - love the banner, gwaki.  Hilarious.

[Pakuni]

He'll be great for two seasons then his players will get fed up and quit on him. Happened that way in Phoenix, happened that way in Chicago, will happen that way in Milwaukee.
But enjoy the next two years, cause he will make them a better team for at least a little while.

[MU Chi_IL]

Does Marquette have a good relationship with the Bucks, do the players know each other (are they allowed to interact?)?

I am just wondering if Boylan coming to Milwaukee makes a good relationship better, or maybe helps build a relationship.

Also, Gwaki...Excellent signature!

[spiral97]

nice sig gwaki.. here's one that's gotta be from the same shoot:

[jficke13]

As for relationship b/w MU and the Bucks, they would play pick up games in the summer every once in a while. Ray Allen went one-on-one w/ Wade and is said to have remarked "watch out for this kid" afterwards.

As for Skiles, there are only two things that would have saved the Bucks:
1. Larry Brown
2. Sell the team to the public ala Green Bay Packers

Anyway I could care less, Pro basketball sucks, that's why I watch Warrior basketball.