Father of Duke basketball One-And-Done Set to Become NBA Head Coach
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According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks have decided to hire Adrian Griffin, the father of 2021-22 Duke basketball forward AJ Griffin, as their next head coach.
Adrian Griffin, who starred for Seton Hall in the mid-1990s and later played nine seasons as a journeyman wing in the NBA, has been an assistant coach with five franchises. The 48-year-old's first assistant gig was with the Bucks (2008-10), and he spent the past four years on the Toronto Raptors bench.
His return to Milwaukee will mark the defensive-minded strategist's first time being a head coach at any level.
And he'll be the third father of a former Blue Devil to ever serve as a head coach in the league, joining Doug Collins (father of Chris Collins) and Doc Rivers (father of Austin Rivers).
Barring a trade this offseason, Adrian Griffin's first roster in Milwaukee will include 2015 Duke basketball national champ Grayson Allen, a full-time starting guard for a 2022-23 Bucks squad that finished atop the Eastern Conference standings but fell to the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
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Meanwhile, Adrian Griffin's son, last year's No. 16 overall draft pick, is fresh off a somewhat promising rookie campaign with the Atlanta Hawks. AJ Griffin saw time in 72 regular-season games, averaging 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds and coming up clutch on several occasions.
However, after Duke basketball alum Quin Snyder became Atlanta's head coach in late February, the 19-year-old Griffin encountered a significant dip in playing time. He received zero minutes of action across the Hawks' 4-2 first-round series loss to the Boston Celtics.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Adrian Griffin someday find a way to get his son to join him in Milwaukee.
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