MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks have fired Larry Krystkowiak after his first full season as an NBA head coach.
“Larry and I met this morning, and came to the decision that he would not return,” new Bucks manager John Hammond said Thursday.
The move has been expected since Larry Harris was dismissed as general manager last month. Bucks owner and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl hired Hammond to replace Harris, and Hammond had promised to quickly deal with the coaching situation and make it a top priority.
The Bucks finished last in the Central Division with a 26-56 record.
Krystkowiak worked out at the Bucks’ practice facility Thursday morning, but had left the building without comment by the time players gathered at 11 a.m. for a final team meeting.
In an interview with the Racine Journal Times newspaper, Krystkowiak said, “I am not the coach anymore. I am going to sit at home the next couple of days and decompress.”
Hammond has ties to several veteran coaches without top jobs, including Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle and Alvin Gentry. Former Bulls coach Scott Skiles also could be considered for the job.