Adrian Griffin admitted feeling ‘extremely humbled’ to become Milwaukee’s new head coach – Basketball Insiders

You could say Adrian Griffin’s life has just taken a most-unexpected twist into an opportunity for greatness, as the former Toronto Raptors assistant coach is set to lead the Milwaukee Bucks in his first-ever role as head coach in the NBA. 

Yep, you read it correctly. The former basketball player must now fill in Mike Budenholzer’s shoes and take on the responsibility that comes with training a title-contending franchise.

“Let’s be real,” Griffin said during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “What first-time head coach gets to coach the Milwaukee Bucks, with all the special talent on this team? I’m extremely humbled.”

However, as he retired as a basketball athlete for the Wisconsin franchise back in 2008, he can’t help but think that this was meant to be. “It’s funny how life works,” Griffin said. “Everything has come full circle.”

If you would like to check out the entirety of this Tuesday’s presentation interview, you can click in the video below:

Griffin will have to live up to the highest standards, after the Bucks fired Budenholzer even after leading the NBA with the best regular-season record, but then got eliminated in the firstround of the playoffs by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.

Up to this point, six franchises have already made coaching changes after suffering eliminations this season. Milwaukee are the first club to choose a new trainer without any head coaching experience.

The Houston Rockets, for example, picked ex-Celtics Ime Udoka, Monty Williams left the Suns to be a part of the Detroit Pistons, while Frank Vogel took his spot in Phoenix, and the Philadelphia 76ers hired Nick Nurse who was fired from the Toronto Raptors, who are the only NBA team yet to find a new trainer.

Bucks general manager Jon Horst explained how Griffin’s past as an NBA player and two-decade experience as an assistant made him the perfect fit.

Horst then cited his assistant general manager who first saw the potential in Griffin. “Milt Newton said throughout this process after we met with Adrian, ‘Adrian’s a head coach. He just hasn’t gotten the opportunity yet,’” the GM recalled.

49-year-old Griffin is well-aware of his lack of experience, and is already making decisions to fill in these gaps. That same Tuesday he announced that his staff will have the presence of Terry Stotts, a 13-season career NBA head coach who knows Milwaukee very well.

“To get a guy like Terry is a home run,” Griffin admitted. “He brings unbelievable experience.”

Griffin dismissed his ex-wife’s accusations of abuse and assured that he filed a defamation suit against her

During the press conference, Griffin had to address an uncomfortable situation he had to endure back in August 2020 when his ex-wife Audrey Sterling posted on social media saying that he physically abused her and failed to pay child support.

Griffin proceded to file a defamation suit a year later that was finally settled last September, as their two children showed support for their father and denied their mother’s allegations.

“It was clear and determined the accusations were just unfounded,” Horst said. “I can tell you beyond that, just the multiple conversations I’ve had with Adrian and others had with him, in each case his comments were just really heartfelt and sincere.

“Ultimately, we believe him and believe in him, and the person of high character that he is. Everyone that we spoke to felt the same. It gave us a ton of excitement and confidence in making the hire, even though we were aware of those allegations.”