Rolled Milwaukee

Karl out as Bucks' coach as rebuilding continues

Karl won't need to beg the Bucks to play defense any longer. AP

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- George Karl is out as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, a team in turmoil.

The Bucks wouldn't say whether they fired Karl or he resigned, but general manager Larry Harris made it clear Sunday the team didn't want the coach back.

"It was pretty clear on both sides that this was the way to go," Harris said. "We felt we needed to get someone in there this year and for years to come."

The move is the latest in a series completely revamping a club that reached the Eastern Conference finals just two years ago. The Bucks finished 42-40 this year, losing to conference champion New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs.

Star guard Ray Allen? Gone -- traded to Seattle for Gary Payton during last season.

SI.com's Marty Burns Add George Karl to the list of big-name NBA coaches who have been gassed this season. Unlike Rick Carlisle, Rudy Tomjanovich and Paul Silas, however, this one was not a big surprise. Not only has Karl suffered through two rather poor seasons in Brew Town, but the Bucks are clearly in rebuilding mode. The trades of Ray Allen and Sam Cassell were strong indicators that the organization is cutting payroll and lowering costs, probably for a potential future sale. It doesn’t make much sense to pay a coach $7 million in such a situation. In the final year of his contract, Karl did not want to go into next season as a lame duck. Even if Milwaukee wanted to keep him, it wasn't about to extend his deal at such big numbers. Unless Karl was going to be willing to take a massive pay cut, the marriage was going to have to end sometime. Karl, one of the game’s winningest coaches, will almost certainly be back eventually. He might have to sit out a year (only the Hawks job is open right now), but he could probably use the rest anyway. As for the Bucks, look for new GM Larry Harris to go with a young coach with a low price tag. That pretty much rules out his father, Mavs assistant Del Harris. Hawks interim coach Terry Stotts, Karl’s former top assistant, could get a call.

Payton? He's gone, too -- he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.

Sam Cassell, another key cog? He was shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves last month.

Plus, general manager Ernie Grunfeld left two weeks ago to become president of basketball operations with the Washington Wizards. And the uncertainty even extended to ownership. Sen. Herb Kohl was negotiating a possible sale of the team during the year to Michael Jordan but since said he will keep the team for now.

Now Karl is out the door. He had one year left on a two-year contract and was expected to make an NBA-record $7 million. Harris said the team will honor that deal.

"Personally and professionally, I have enjoyed five good years here," Karl said in a statement released by the Bucks. "I'm grateful for the opportunity that [Bucks owner] Sen. Kohl gave me to come to Milwaukee."

Karl's agent, Bret Adams, declined to comment and said Karl was unavailable.

Harris called Karl "a tremendous coach whose achievements speak for themselves."

Karl went 205-173 with Milwaukee, taking the team to the playoffs in four of his five seasons. The only coaches to win more games with Milwaukee are Don Nelson (540) and Larry Costello (410).

"We are a better organization for having worked with George," team owner Herb Kohl said. "Now we'll start a new chapter and will seek to stay competitive and improve with a new coach."

Karl is the 13th-winningest coach in NBA history at 708-499. He also coached Cleveland, Golden State and Seattle.

He spoke in the past about wanting to take a year off to watch his son, Coby, play college basketball at Boise State.

Harris said he began seriously reviewing the team's coaching situation after replacing Grunfeld.

"It was really difficult," Harris said. He added that he and Karl did not discuss whether Karl could coach another team this coming season.

Karl said after the season that he was looking forward to working again with such emerging players as Michael Redd, Dan Gadzuric, Marcus Haislip and Desmond Mason.

But Karl had some personnel matters to straighten out, notably repairing his relationship with forward Tim Thomas, who was benched over the final month after refusing to re-enter a game in March.

When Karl signed his two-year, $14 million extension in 2001 -- the richest contract in pro sports for a coach who doesn't also serve as general manager -- he said he hoped it would raise the pay scale for coaches.

Instead, it made him a lightning rod for criticism.

 

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