It wasn't a huge surprise that the Bucks fired head coach Terry Stotts this afternoon, but it did seem a little odd when they didn't name an interim coach right away. Well, the wait is over: Milwaukee's Sports Radio 1250 AM (WSSP) is reporting that assistant coach Larry Krystkowiak has signed a two-year deal. Krystkowiak, 42, was in his first year on Milwaukee's bench after serving as the head coach of the University of Montana from 2004-2006.Why didn't they announce Krystkowiak's hire sooner? Perhaps because there was some competition for his services. University of Utah officials were in Milwaukee on Tuesday interviewing Krystkowiak for their vacant head coaching position. The Utes were believed to be on the verge of hiring Krystkowiak ... that is, until Milwaukee's job "coincidentally" became available.
But this can't be a coincidence, right? I mean, in hindsight it seems obvious to me like the team fired Stotts now rather than wait until the end of the season because they didn't want to risk losing their prized assistant. They must have already decided they wanted Krystkowiak, who spent four of his nine years as a player in the NBA with the Bucks, to be Stotts' successor considering they gave him a two-year contract instead of having him finish out the year wearing the "interim" tag.
And with a plush college job apparently his for the taking, Krystkowiak suddenly had the leverage to force Milwaukee's hand into making a coaching change now. It's pure conjecture, of course, and I don't intend for it to sound so devious -- it's possible that he simply wasn't comfortable having a secret agreement with the front office while ostensibly working under a lame duck boss. But either way, this had to have been in the works before Stotts got the call this afternoon.
(via Larry Brown Sports)
