From the second he began searching for Larry Krystkowiak's replacement, Bucks general manager John Hammond had his sights set on Scott Skiles.

It was that dedication and perseverance -- along with the challenge of turning around an underachieving team and restoring a franchise to respectability -- that made things an attractive fit for Skiles, who was introduced as the team's head coach at a Monday afternoon press conference.

Skiles, 44, joins the Bucks following a three-year stint with the Chicago Bulls. He led Chicago to three consecutive 40-victory seasons, but was fired in December after the Bulls stumbled out to a 9-16 record.

Still, he was highly regarded by several teams and was believed to be a candidate to replace Isiah Thomas of the New York Knicks.

"Scott Skiles is at the very top of the coaching profession," Bucks president Herb Kohl said. "I couldn't be more pleased with the decision and I know our fans will join me in welcoming Scott as our new head coach."

Skiles owns a 281-251 record as a head coach, a tenure that includes slightly more than two seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Five of his teams have qualified for the playoffs, where he is 15-20.

Skiles is known as a hard-nosed, intense coach who demands accountability from his players. That's something that is sorely needed on the current Bucks roster, which was plagued by individual play and a lack of chemistry or cohesiveness almost from the season's start.

He's also been said to be hard on his players, something that Skiles doesn't consider to be a fault.

"I always feel like I'm supposed to apologize for that," Skiles said of his reputation as a tough guy. "And I'm not sure that's the tack I want to take. Anybody that is going to come to work with enthusiasm, concentrate and play hard will never have a problem with me. I don't care if they throw the ball in the seats 25 times a game."

Skiles paused for a moment after that comment before clarifying.

"They'll be pulled out of the game before they get to 25, of course, but they will never have a problem with me."

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Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by diesel1976 on April 23, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (report)

I hope he can bring life back into a dead franchise. Now they need to get rid of the useless players and replace them with players that play like they are getting paid millions.

Posted by dickdave on April 22, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (report)

I think this is a good move. Scott was a good scrappy player and a winning coach. He understands the NBA and has great spirit. Now the Bucks need another proven starter and some bench help. Playoffs are a possibility but a world championship will not be a reality ever? Optimistic about a fun team though.