5 Head coaches who could replace Willie Green if Pelicans fire him
By Tyler Watts
2. Mike Budenholzer
The coaching world can be cruel. Budenholzer led the Bucks to the championship in 2021 and was fired just two years later after Milwaukee’s first-round exit as the top seed. New Orleans would have to be willing to pay him handsomely, but a championship-winning coach with experience maximizing a young and unique talent is available.
Coach Bud got his NBA start with the Spurs in 1996 and spent 17 years working next to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before taking over as the Hawks head coach in 2013. Budenholzer’s teams have missed the playoff just once in his ten years leading the way and made three conference finals appearances.
It was a rough end of last season. Budenholzer lost his brother (subscription required) during the playoffs as his team was bounced in the opening round. The Suns showed some interest in their vacancy before hiring Frank Vogel this summer. Expect Bud to stay connected to the league and get another head coaching opportunity in short order.
There were complaints from Bucks fans about Mike Budenholzer’s halfcourt offense and rotations, but they won 69.3 percent of their regular season games over the last five seasons. They were annually an elite team, and coach Bud would bring championship experience to the Big Easy as the Pelicans look to become an annual contender.