Bucks Reward Mike Budenholzer With Three-Year Contract Extension

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was rewarded for a run to the championship with a three-year contract extension, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Milwaukee made the announcement Tuesday night, though did not reveal specifics. Budenholzer is entering the final year of his contract, which will now run through the 2024-25 season.

“The appreciation I have for being a part of the Bucks organization is hard to express,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “The players make the success happen on and off the court. We have the best players and to them I am grateful. They’ve grown and we’ve grown together during the last three seasons.

“We all can’t wait to get back to work and face the great challenge of competing again for an NBA Championship. … Let’s keep getting better and building great teams and doing great work on and off the court.”

Budenholzer appeared to be on the hot seat for much of the regular season and even into the playoffs. There had even been rumors of his potential replacement.

Instead, Budenholzer, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks turned it around, winning the franchise’s first championship in 50 years.

“Bud is a great coach and a fantastic partner to work with every day as we build a team that consistently competes for championships,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “We’re extremely grateful for the leadership Bud provides, and we look forward to building on the success we’ve had over the last three years and congratulate Bud on this well-deserved extension.”

Budenholzer has compiled a 172-65 record with the Bucks in the regular season, and is 31-17 in Milwaukee in the playoffs.

Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Budenholzer spent five years as coach of the Hawks, leading them to the playoffs in four of those seasons.