The Milwaukee Post

May 25, 2018 • Milwaukee County Post • 11 Bucks fans. One of the other amenities for the facility will be a hopeful steady stream of concerts and other events. The main fan atrium will have enough space to host weddings, cor- porate events, etc. "I want this to be a desti- nation," Feigin said. He believes that will hap- pen. Upcoming performances highlighted Feigin said the venue's design will provide a high- end experience not just for fans, but also for the incom- ing entertainers, crediting world-class acoustics. The first scheduled act is comedian Kevin Hart on Sept. 13. Typically, the NBA doesn't open until late October or early November. The NBA hasn't released the 2018-19 schedule yet. There are nine events or concerts planned for the arena before then. Also scheduled between Sept. 13 and late October are Maroon 5 (Sept. 16), Justin Timberlake (Sept. 21), come- dian Jim Gaffigan (Sept. 22), the Professional Bull Riders tour (Oct. 5-6), J Balvin (Oct. 11), Metallica (Oct. 16), Foo Fighters (Oct. 17) and The Eagles (Oct. 18). Fleetwood Mac is scheduled for Oct. 28. On Nov. 3, Josh Groban will perfor m with Idina Menzel. The Harlem Globetrotters will play Dec. 31. Then, in 2019, Elton John stops in during his farewell tour Feb. 19 and Pink per- forms May 2. Feigin said he's excited for Pink, adding the Milwaukee date was the fastest-selling stop on Pink's tour. He added a dozen more acts are waiting in the wings that will soon be announced. He admitted he's had to bite his lip in order to keep it all a secret. "We are really excited for people to start navigating the building because we think this will be a very big wow," Feigin said. When asked what it is like to be this close to the proverbial finish line, Feigin said, "unimagin- able." "Everyday something changes," Feigin added. It's equally thrilling for the workers on site. "It's truly amazing to be a part of this," said Jayme Couch, project manager. Couch has been a part of several other arena and sta- dium projects, including the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. and SunTrust Park in Atlanta, the home of Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves. She said the Bucks arena has been one of the most satisfying jobs in her 10- year career. "It's amazing. I love my job. No day is the same," Couch said. "There's always something new." One question does still linger: The name of the arena. Feigin said he knows what the name of the arena will be, but wouldn't dis- close it. But an announce- ment is hoped to be made soon. Post Staff MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks have named NBA veteran coach Mike Budenholzer as the team's new head coach. His reputation includes having good game manage- ment skills as well as the abil- ity to communicate well with his players. He replaces Joe Prunty, who was named interim coach after the firing of Bucks head coach Jason Kidd on Jan. 22. "There are terrific people throughout the organization and together we have a t r e m e n - d o u s oppor tu- nity to take the Bucks to the next l e v e l . I look for- ward to wo rk i n g with our group of y o u n g and exciting players and helping us evolve in many ways to succeed on the court," Budenholzer said. Those young players include 23-year-old All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, with whom Budenholzer met, along with Khris Middleton, before his hire, apparently receiving a thumbs-up from the two Bucks stars. Budenholzer, 48, most recently served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, where he guided the team to a 213-197 (.520) record over the last five seasons, includ- ing four playoff appearances and a franchise-best 60-22 record in 2014-15. He was named NBA Coach of the Year following the 2014-15 campaign that saw the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals. In a rebuilding mode in the 2017-18 season, the Hawks fin- ished 24-58. Budenholzer spent 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs, serving the first two years as a video coordinator, then 17 years as an assistant coach under head coach Gregg Popovich, winning four NBA champi- onships during that time. "Mike has played a key role in building successful teams throughout his career. He's widely respected and has shown a special ability to teach and develop players. His leadership, basketball intellect, championship-level experience and communica- tion skills make him the right fit to take our team to the next level," Bucks General Manager Jon Horst said. "After a thorough coaching search, it was clear that Mike was the ideal choice as we enter into a new era of Bucks Basketball," said Bucks own- ers Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan in a news release. "This move puts our organization in a terrific position as we work together toward our collective goal of sustained success and win- ning championships." A native of Holbrook, Ariz., Budenholzer is a 1993 graduate of Pomona College, where he received a bache- lor's degree in politics, phi- losophy and economics and was a four-year letterman in both basketball and golf. Following college, he played professionally in Denmark for the Vejle Basketball Klub, averaging a team-high 27.5 points per game during the 1993-94 season and getting his start in coaching, serving as the head coach for two differ- ent teams in the Vejle system. Bucks: 'We think this will be a very big wow' Mike Budenholzer named Bucks head coach SPORTS Budenholzer continued from Page 10 Nicholas Dettmann/Conley News Staff The main fan atrium is seen inside the new Milwaukee Bucks arena May 18 in Milwaukee. Nicholas Dettmann/Conley News Staff The new Milwaukee Bucks arena is seen May 18 in Milwaukee. To the left is the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

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