The Milwaukee Bucks and head coach Doc Rivers parted ways this week after a disappointing 32-50 season. During a recent appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” just a few days later, Rivers said his NBA coaching career is likely over.
"I think it was time."@BillSimmons asks Doc Rivers if he believes he's done with coaching after stepping down as head coach of the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/NzjkAZ2VPU
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— The Ringer (@ringer) April 17, 2026
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and ownership. We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.'”
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers sits at sixth on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list with an overall record of 1,194-866. Across 27 seasons, Rivers coached for the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. He coached the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008.
James Parker contributed to this story.
