Bucks lock in coaching staff for Taylor Jenkins’ second look at Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Bucks have finalized their coaching staff for the 2026-27 season under new head coach Taylor Jenkins, and the picture is clear: a limited number of holdovers remain, while the majority of roles are being filled by new hires or returning personnel coming back to the organization. The staff announcement, reported by Yahoo Sports on Friday, follows the coaching transition and indicates how Milwaukee intends to build continuity while also installing Jenkins’ preferred structure.

According to the report, only two members of the Bucks’ previous coaching group are set to remain with the team for 2026-27. Darvin Ham returns, and Jack Herum, listed as head of player development, is also staying in place. For a franchise that has emphasized player development and role clarity in recent years, keeping a player-development lead and one veteran assistant offers a potential bridge between the prior staff’s processes and Jenkins’ system.

The rest of the staff is described as new or previously departed and now returning. That includes Summer League head coaching responsibilities, where Pat St. Andrews is included as part of the new staff construction for the upcoming season. Summer League roles matter to NBA organizations because they shape how young players are integrated, how playcalling and defensive principles are taught, and how quickly prospects can adapt to an established coaching identity.

The Bucks’ decision to limit returning personnel also suggests Milwaukee is trying to reduce friction during the first full offseason under Jenkins. Even when coordinators and assistants share core defensive and offensive principles across the league, the day-to-day details often differ, from film emphasis to practice structure to how rotations are taught. A coaching staff reset can accelerate that alignment, particularly in the months leading into the regular season.

The announcement comes at a time when the NBA has continued to raise the importance of development roles within coaching staffs. With teams frequently relying on a mix of established rotation players and younger contributors, organizations have increasingly staffed dedicated player development positions and tasked them with everything from individual skill work to in-game scouting preparation. Keeping Herum as head of player development indicates Milwaukee intends to preserve that vertical, even as the rest of the coaching hierarchy changes.

Because the public reporting focuses on who is returning versus who is new, the finer details of the staff composition, such as the full list of assistants and their specific remit, were not fully established in the available summary. The most important takeaway from the reported information is the direction Milwaukee is taking: Jenkins’ staff is being staffed to match his approach, not to replicate the prior staff’s configuration.

Looking ahead, the Bucks will likely be judged on how quickly this coaching group can translate its plan into on-court execution once the 2026-27 season begins. Fans and observers will also be watching whether Milwaukee’s young players show clearer progression, particularly in areas tied to coaching emphasis such as decision-making in the half court, defensive communication, and consistency in role-based minutes.