Scott Skiles Reportedly Fired By Milwaukee Bucks

Joseph ZuckerJan 7, 2013

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly decided to part ways with head coach Scott Skiles.

Sam Amick of USA Today broke the news, tweeting:

"
The Milwaukee Bucks and coach Scott Skiles have agreed to part ways immediately, USA Today Sports has learned. Story to come.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 8, 2013"

TOP NEWS

This shouldn't come as a surprise to Bucks fans. Milwaukee finished below .500 the past two seasons, but things were clicking a little more this year, as the team is holding on to the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with a 16-16 record.

Monta Ellis has been having a career season, and Brandon Jennings has been looking good as well. It was a combination that had the potential to blow up in the Bucks' faces, but the two have done very well together.

Regardless, NBA.com earlier reported (via Amick) Skiles did not want to come back to Milwaukee after this season, but "the team had asked him to keep an open mind and that they might be willing to offer him about another deal."

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweeted that Skiles had become extremely fed up with the team and job:

"
Close coaching friend of ex-Bucks coach Scott Skiles tells Y! Sports: "Scott hated his team."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 8, 2013"

This was Scott Skiles' fifth season in Milwaukee after a coaching stint with the Chicago Bulls during the 2007-08 season. In his four full seasons, he managed to get the Bucks to the playoffs once, in 2009-10, when the team lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

Wojnarowski is also reporting that the team has named Jim Boylan interim coach:

"
Milwaukee has made assistant Jim Boylan its interim coach, league source tells Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 8, 2013"

Boylan was an assistant under Skiles in Chicago and followed him to Milwaukee. Coincidentally, it's the second time that Boylan has been named interim coach after a Skiles firing, having ended up in the same situation at the end of Skiles' tenure with the Bulls.