The Milwaukee Bucks are going to hire Adrian Griffin. Here's everything to know about the new head coach of the team.
Nick Nurse backed out of the race, and the Milwaukee Bucks were down to Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin. They quickly moved toward Griffin and are closing in on hiring the head coach according to Adrian Wojnarowski, pending an agreed-upon deal.
Griffin immediately steps into one of the highest-pressure roles in the league. The Bucks have recently won a title with a core of players similar — if not identical depending on what happens with Khris Middleton — to the one Griffin inherits.
While there is pressure, he also steps in to one of the most well-equipped teams to win in his first head coaching gig. The Bucks turn to Griffin, a brand new face to the head coaching ranks, instead of Atkinson who previously coached the Brooklyn Nets.
Here's everything you should know about Griffin as he steps into a new role with the Bucks.
Adrian Griffin college playing experience and stats
Adrian Griffin played four years at Seton Hall, making the All Big-East team twice. Over the four years he averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
In his senior year, he averaged 19.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
Did Adrian Griffin play in the NBA?
Adrian Griffin played nine years in the NBA, including three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, three with the Chicago Bulls, two with the Boston Celtics, a season with the Houston Rockets and a partial season with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Career-long, he averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
Adrian Griffin's previous coaching experience before Bucks
Adrian Griffin most recently was an assistant head coach with the Toronto Raptors. Many may not remember that Griffin started his coaching career with the Bucks, however, working two seasons under Scott Skiles just after his NBA playing career ended.
Griffin also worked as an assistant for the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic and OKC Thunder, serving as a top assistant in many of those stops. He also won a gold medal in 2014 on the FIBA USA team as a coach.
Who is Adrian Griffin's son?
Adrian Griffin's daughter is Aubrey Griffin who played college basketball at UCONN.
Griffin's sons are Alan Griffin, who played college basketball for Illinois and Syracuse, and Adrian Jr. who goes by AJ, who was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022.
Who is Adrian Griffin's ex-wife?
Adrian Griffin's wife, Audrey Sterling was a track star at Seton Hill. Sterling accused Griffin of domestic abuse in 2020. Later, Griffin sued Sterling for libel and the suit was settled out of court in 2022.