Doc Rivers out as Milwaukee Bucks head coach after one season, ESPN reports

Doc Rivers has been fired as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN reported Sunday, citing sources.

Rivers left his broadcasting job to return to the NBA sideline as coach of the Bucks shortly after Adrian Griffin was fired 43 games into the 2023-24 season. Now Rivers has left Milwaukee after Sunday’s 126-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending a 32-50 season that ended with them failing to make the NBA playoffs.

Rivers coached the Bucks to the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

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The Bucks will now embark on their third coaching search in the last three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty about the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks will now embark on their third coaching search in the last three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty about the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The NBA trade deadline ended in February without a deal involving Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP saw limited action in the 2025-26 season, appearing in a career-low 36 games.

Antetokounmpo has been dealing with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise throughout the season. He was later sidelined for a number of games, fueling speculation that the Bucks were shutting him down even though he was healthy and prompting an NBA investigation into the star forward’s handling.

Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers talk before the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 28, 2025. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Antetokounmpo’s frustration was compounded when he insisted he was healthy enough to play when Milwaukee faced the Boston Celtics on April 3, despite being sidelined for the 10th consecutive game.

“I have never seen a player at my level say – I say this publicly – I want to play. Do you understand what I say?” he said, via The Athletic. “I don’t think I’ve seen that. So if there needs to be an investigation, great. There has to be. I don’t know. There has to be. Until we find something.”

He later said he was “ready to play”.

Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo’s comments following the team’s 133-101 loss.

“The hardest part of all this is that I’m out there and I had nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “None of this is decided by the coaches. The problem in our league is that the coaches sit up front.

“And we have to sit here and answer those questions. I think there are two sides to this – I’ll tell you about that – but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”

Rivers added that he didn’t like the feud becoming “public.”

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers leads his team against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at Fiserv Forum on April 5, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)

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Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds this season. He was named NBA Finals MVP as he helped the Bucks win the franchise’s first championship since 1971.

Rivers led the Celtics to the NBA championship in 2008. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1983. After retiring as a player, Rivers moved into broadcasting, broadcasting NBA games. He was appointed head coach of the Orlando Magic in 1999 and remained in this position until 2003.

Before returning to the coaching ranks, Rivers was part of ESPN’s premier NBA broadcast team.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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