# Stotts fired/Krystkowiak hired (update)



## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

Speculation is Larry K is getting the job - Larry had interviewed for the Univerisity of Utah's head coach position, and perhaps Senator Kohl didn't want to lose him.




> Terry Stotts was fired as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced this afternoon.
> 
> General manager Larry Harris said in a news release that an interim coach would be named before the Bucks play the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night at the Bradley Center.
> 
> ...


Someone will be hired to be interim coach before the Spurs game tomorrow.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=577805


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## DurantDurant (Nov 12, 2006)

*Re: Stotts fired*

Ugh, yet another example of Larry Harris having no idea what the hell he's doing. Terry Stotts is a great guy, he's never had any problems with the players, but honestly, he's an assistant coach that has been thrown into something he's not really to handle. This all falls on Larry Harris once again. 

There is not a coach out there right now that is going to come in and make this bunch play defense. Considering how Larry Harris has handled head coaches before (He handed Terry Porter the press release announcing his firing and gave him no heads up, f*cking *****).

Larry Harris in my opinion is a slime ball, he has no idea what he's doing, what does he expect out of a group of players that don't play any defense? Mo Williams, Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva are some of the worst defenders at their position in the whole league, and he expects us to win with these players? Charlie Villanueva isn't even getting 25 minutes off the bench anymore...ugh...I'm so f*cking frustrated with everything. 

We have no leadership, no defense, no coaching staff, Del Harris' bratty f*cking son running things...this is a complete mess. Fans knew Stotts was not a head coach, Harris kept him anyway and now we let him go before the seasons ends....ugh...hopefully I find out what happened behind the scenes in the next couple of days.

I'll miss Terry Stotts, a classy guy who had the guts to bench Villanueva. I hope he finds a good job somewhere else as an assistant.

Herb Kohl and others in the organization clearly had too high of expectations.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

*Re: Stotts fired*



DurantDurant said:


> Ugh, yet another example of Larry Harris having no idea what the hell he's doing. Terry Stotts is a great guy, he's never had any problems with the players, but honestly, he's an assistant coach that has been thrown into something he's not really to handle. This all falls on Larry Harris once again.
> 
> There is not a coach out there right now that is going to come in and make this bunch play defense. Considering how Larry Harris has handled head coaches before (He handed Terry Porter the press release announcing his firing and gave him no heads up, f*cking *****).
> 
> ...


I think you can blame Herb for the Coaching issues. He hires coaches, then hires GMs later. The Senator was the one who wanted Stotts, Harris wanted Doug Collins. And Herb was behind the whole Terry Porter thing.


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: Stotts fired*

I don't see how you can simultaneously say Stotts wasn't head coaching material and then criticize firing him.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

And he gets a multi-year contract.



> In a statement late Wednesday, the Bucks said Krystkowiak received a multiyear contract.
> 
> Krystkowiak, who is in his first season as a coach in the NBA, spent the previous two seasons coaching the University of Montana. Before that, he coached in the Continental Basketball Association and in high school in Virginia.
> 
> ...


http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=577805


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

Redd hopes club can regain winning form



> The Milwaukee Bucks signed Michael Redd to a $91 million contract in the summer of 2005, a deal which made him the cornerstone of the franchise.
> 
> Since then, nothing has gone according to plan.
> 
> ...





> Management called me," Redd said of how he learned of the firing. "He (Stotts) didn't know (at practice)."
> 
> Redd admitted the timing of the move caught him a bit off guard.
> 
> "I didn't know it was going to happen, so to say I was surprised, yeah," Redd said. "I'm just focused on supporting him and supporting our team through the tough times. Just bear it out. Obviously the organization made a decision, and I'll support it 100%."


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

Career assistants just not the way to go 



> At least give this much to the Milwaukee Bucks:
> 
> They stayed completely in character Wednesday in the bizarre ways they have gone about their hiring and firing practices during the Herb Kohl era.
> 
> ...


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## bigdbucks (Jun 7, 2002)

Terry Stotts really had no idea what the **** was going on. This whole organization is in shambles right now. Hopefully they do not get moved because I would be devestated. Stotts didn't utilize Bogut to the best of his abilities but there really isn't anything he could do to make this team play defense. Hopefully the organization will realize that Mo Williams should be dumped for a pass first hard nosed defensive player and the 3 should be played by the same type of player. Ruben Patterson is an OK fit for that. If we keep losing and Oden/Durant come out that could help us some. Redd is still the go to guy we want but other then that this group is completely lost. Krystowiak (SP) seems like he'll be here for 2 seasons before he is fired. I really have no idea what kind of coach he is but leading Montana!?! to the tourney two years in a row is quite an achievement....but that is college.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

There's a couple of ESPN Insider articles discussing the firing/hiring. This is from Marc Stein's blog:



> Another factor working against Stotts: I've heard player rumblings that he was struggling to reach not only Andrew Bogut but also Villanueva, two key members of Milwaukee's core. Krystkowiak, by contrast, is said to have a strong rapport with Milwaukee players even though this is his first season on an NBA bench.


That fits with those rumors about Bogut and Stotts relationship.

The article is here: http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=stein_marc

And this from John Hollinger:



> If you ask anyone who worked with Terry Stotts in Atlanta or Milwaukee, about the first thing they'll say is "what a nice guy." They mean it, too. He really was unfailingly nice -- even when he disagreed with something I wrote, he was nice about it. This was noteworthy in a profession where several of his peers are -- how can I put this? -- challenging.
> 
> Yet one wonders if, at the end of the day, Stotts was a little too nice for his own good. The same qualities that made him greatly admired as an assistant may have set him back once he got in the big chair, as the Bucks never showed any defensive grit to go with their offensive prowess.


http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2798857&name=hollinger_john


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## bigdbucks (Jun 7, 2002)

any updates on how he has/will utilize villy and bogut are welcome. Thanks


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

bigdbucks said:


> any updates on how he has/will utilize villy and bogut are welcome. Thanks


Strategies weren't gone into much in the post game interview room. Although Larry K did say he's going to let the younger players play through mistakes. 

Bogut and Patterson seemed very animated tonight, and Patterson gave Larry a big hug at the end of the game, and Bogut gave him a medium hug. CV was out with shoulder problems. Thought those were behind him.

25 team assists in the game. That's a pretty amazing.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

Krystkowiak jumps right in 



> Larry Krystkowiak believes he's ready for his snapshot.
> 
> Wait a minute, scratch that. Let's make it a feature-length video, a long-running presentation.
> 
> ...





> Bucks general manager Larry Harris praised his new coach's toughness, competitiveness and ability to connect with the team's players. Harris had seen enough of those traits this season to make a leap of faith, granting Krystkowiak a four-year contract rather than waiting to see what the Bucks' options would be this summer.
> 
> The Journal Sentinel learned the first two years of the deal are guaranteed, with the final two years at the team's option, and that the contract averages about $2 million per season.





> "One of the strengths he has right now is his energy level and his ability to get up and down the floor," Krystkowiak said. "The style we're going to play initially, where we're not getting too carried away with a bunch of sets, but we're going to ask people to make basketball plays, puts him in a position of strength."
> 
> "I'm really curious to see the numbers he puts up through that. We'll put the ball in his hands. Andrew knows he's a piece of the puzzle. He's not expecting any extra attention. I respect all 15 guys, and the bar is going to be held high for all of them."
> 
> ...


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

A bit of insite into what Larry K may want to be as a coach in the Bobcat game report:



> MAGIC MEN: Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak says he could see himself evolving into a coach in the Scott Skiles mold. Skiles, now coach of the Chicago Bulls, and Krystkowiak were teammates on the 1993-'94 Orlando Magic team that won 50 games and also included Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson.
> 
> "I can only hope so, really," Krystkowiak said. "Scott and I have been friends for quite awhile. I've watched a lot of his games. I'd like to think we're kind of cut from the same cloth in terms of the way we played. . . and kind of some core values and stuff. I've picked his brain (a lot)."
> 
> ...


If he ends up as good as Skiles, I'd be happy. 

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=578962


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## bigdbucks (Jun 7, 2002)

narek said:


> A bit of insite into what Larry K may want to be as a coach in the Bobcat game report:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No doubt about that. I've heard bulls fans complain about Skiles but his teams are almost always competitive hard working teams. I would love this fit.


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## greatbar (Nov 20, 2006)

Ok, I can certainly understand the frustration a lot of you are going through regarding management of the team and their hiring proceedures. On face value it appears to be a bit of a silly decision going for someone so inexperienced.

However, keep in mind that Harris has far more inside knowledge than any of us. MikeDC is spot on. Why spend the last few months complaining about Stotts, and then continue to be unhappy once he's been fired? Firstly be satisfied we're rid of that wrecker, and give Coach K a chance before undermining him as a replacement.

I also note with interest the continued ragging of Mo. Sure, he's got no defense, and in times past was what one would consider a "selfish" player. However, just look at his stats. He averages the most assists per game (6.4), 18 points per game, and has a fair shooting percentage. In my opinion he's become a valuable contributor to the team.

It has certainly been a frustrating season, predominantly due to injuries and Stott's coaching abilities (or lack thereof). Due to such, a bit of backlashing can be expected, but bide your time lads because Bucks could very well surprise a few now.


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