Milwaukee Bucks fire head coach Adrian Griffin

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Bucks have parted ways with head coach Adrian Griffin, after starting the 2023-24 NBA season with a 30-13 record.

“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Joe Prunty will be named interim head coach, a position he last held in the 2018 season when he replaced Jason Kidd on an interim basis. Prunty went 21-16 during that season and the Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the playoffs.

Griffin was hired in June to replace Mike Budenholzer who was fired after the 2022-23 season following the Bucks first round loss to the Miami Heat. The Bucks were Griffin's first head coaching job in the NBA following 15 years as an assistant and a nine-year playing career in the NBA.

Hired as a defensive minded coach, the Bucks have not always performed up to their championship expectations to start the season. Even at 30-13 and holding onto second place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Bucks have been near the bottom of the NBA defensively all season.

In the month of January, the Bucks are currently 6-5 following two wins over the now 4-39 Detroit Pistons over the weekend. At the time of Griffins dismissal, the Bucks are 28th in the league points allowed per game in the month of January at 124.9 points per game. For the season, the Bucks are 25th in the NBA allowing 120.5 points per game.

The Bucks have 39 games remaining this season starting with a three-game homestand against the Cleveland Cavaliers twice on Wednesday, Jan. 24 and Friday, Jan. 26 followed by a game with the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, Jan. 27.