Report: Skiles has verbal agreement to coach Bucks
ESPN.com news services
Updated: April 21, 2008, 11:43 AM ET
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.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ESPN.com news services
Updated: April 21, 2008, 11:43 AM ET
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.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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