Skiles agrees to coach Bucks

[DJT]

Report: Skiles has verbal agreement to coach Bucks

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.

I like this move by the Bucks...hopefully he will do a good job.

 

[Pugz]

Good hire, I think this could help. But they still need to move some players like Redd. Once they start rebuilding around Cahrlie V, Bogut and Yi they'll be alright.

 

[DJT]

Nah, Redd is one of their main players and scorers. I think they need to play Sessions more, when Mo Will is back and healthy, and also play Charlie V as PF over Yi, and have Yi come off the bench. They need to get some bench help though, maybe trade Mason and Simmons for something better, or draft something.

C- Bogut
PF- Charlie V
SF- Mason
SG- Redd
PG- Mo Will
bench: Yi, Sessions, Simmons, Bell.

 

[Pugz]

Nah, Redd is one of their main players and scorers. I think they need to play Sessions more, when Mo Will is back and healthy, and also play Charlie V as PF over Yi, and have Yi come off the bench. They need to get some bench help though, maybe trade Mason and Simmons for something better, or draft something.

C- Bogut
PF- Charlie V
SF- Mason
SG- Redd
PG- Mo Will
bench: Yi, Sessions, Simmons, Bell.

Redd's good no doubt. But they need to trade him while he still has a lot of value, he has a huge contract and really isn't a leader. They need to keep Mo, Bogut, Yi and Charlie V. Try to trade Redd for a starting SG some bench help and a pick.

 

[DJT]

Eh...I don't know, I just think the Bucks organization is sold on him. And he is a leader, he is one of the teams captains.

 

[DJT]

Its official.

Bucks name Scott Skiles head coach

April 21, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- General Manager John Hammond announced today that Scott Skiles has agreed to a multi-year contract to become the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. Skiles becomes the 11th head coach in the history of the franchise and comes to Milwaukee with eight seasons of NBA head coaching experience.

“Scott is a proven NBA head coach who has shown an ability to win,” said Hammond. “He was a passionate player at all levels of the game and that thirst for success has served him well as a coach. We look forward to what he will bring to this franchise and we welcome him and his family to Milwaukee.”

Skiles, 44, has amassed an overall record of 281-251 (.528) as an NBA head coach, which includes stints with the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. He was hired as head coach of the Bulls on November 28, 2003, and inherited a 4-12 team. Following that season, he went on to guide the team to three consecutive seasons of better than 40 wins (45.7 average) and three postseason appearances, which followed a six-year playoff drought for Chicago. The Bulls won 49 games in 2006-07, their most since they went 62-20 in ’97-98, and swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat 4-0 in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs.

“Scott Skiles is at the very top of the coaching profession,” said Bucks President Herb Kohl. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the decision and I know our fans will join me in welcoming Scott as our new head coach.”

The Plymouth, Indiana native received his first NBA head coaching assignment with the Phoenix Suns in 1999 when Danny Ainge resigned 20 games into the 1999-00 season. Skiles guided the Suns to a 40-22 mark the remainder of the year and his squad went on to upset the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2000 NBA playoffs. The following year, he guided the Suns to a 51-31 record and again made the postseason. In his eight seasons with the Suns and Bulls, Skiles has coached in five NBA postseasons (35 games, 15-20 record). He was originally hired as an assistant coach to Danny Ainge in Phoenix, a post he held for two-plus seasons. Prior to that he served as the head coach of PAOK in Greece. Overall he has coached in professional basketball for 11 seasons, 10 in the NBA as a head coach or assistant coach and one season in Greece.

“I want to thank Senator Kohl and John Hammond for giving me this opportunity,” said Skiles. “There is an enormous depth of young talent on this team and the future is promising. I’m ready to work with John and the entire organization to bring a winning team back to Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and its passionate fans.”

Skiles enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career and appeared in 600 career games (371 starts) with Milwaukee, Indiana, Orlando, Washington and Philadelphia. He was drafted by the Bucks in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft and played 13 games in Milwaukee during his rookie season. He maintained career averages of 11.1 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds over those 10 seasons. He set an NBA single-game record (that still stands) when he passed for 30 assists on December 30, 1990 while with Orlando, and his 88.9 career free throw percentage is the 6th-best in NBA history. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved player following the 1990-91 campaign when he averaged a career-best 17.2 points and 8.4 assists with the Orlando Magic.

The former Spartan was an All-American at Michigan State University under Jud Heathcote. He left as the school’s all-time leading scorer when he graduated in 1986 (2,145 points, which currently ranks 3rd) and had his number 4 jersey retired and was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in September of 2007.

Skiles had his number 22 jersey retired at Plymouth High School (Indiana) in 1992. As a senior, he scored 39 points in the state finals to lead Plymouth to the Indiana State Championship in 1982. Scott is married to his wife, Kim. He has two sons, Scott, Jr. and Sean, and one daughter, Shelby.

 

[AirForceFlash_3]

Great choice by the Bucks! Skiles did well with the Bulls, IMO, shouldn't have been fired. If he can do with the Bucks what he did with the Bulls, they would be ecstatic! Hopefully, he does well with that struggling franchise, IMO, he will.

 

[Sabbath]

Was hoping the Bulls would resign him......