The Milwaukee Bucks are bringing one of their former first-round picks back to the franchise as part of head coach Taylor Jenkins’ first staff.
Milwaukee announced on August 7 that former Bucks point guard T.J. Ford is among six new assistant coaches joining Jenkins for the 2026-27 season. Darvin Ham will return as an assistant, while Pat St. Andrews, Vince Legarza, Brad Jones, Johnny Carpenter, Ford and Schuyler Rimmer are joining the staff.
The additions give Jenkins a staff filled with familiar faces — both from his previous coaching stops and from Milwaukee’s recent past — as the Bucks begin their first season under their new head coach.
T.J. Ford Returns to Bucks in New Role
Ford’s addition is particularly notable because this will be his first NBA assistant-coaching job and his first position in the league since retiring as a player in 2012.
The Bucks originally selected Ford with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He appeared in 127 games for Milwaukee, averaging 10.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
His relationship with Jenkins also predates their reunion in Milwaukee.
After retiring, Ford worked as a volunteer assistant alongside Jenkins with the Austin Toros during the 2012-13 season. Ford subsequently coached at the youth, high school and AAU levels in Texas and worked as a television analyst for Longhorn Network and the San Antonio Spurs.
That background makes Ford more than simply a nostalgia hire. His years working with younger players also fit a staff that includes several coaches with extensive player-development experience.
Taylor Jenkins Surrounds Himself With Familiar Coaches
The larger theme of Milwaukee’s staff is familiarity.
Brad Jones spent five seasons as an assistant under Jenkins with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019 through 2024, including two years as Jenkins’ lead assistant. Jones brings more than 30 years of coaching experience and also won the 2012 NBA G League championship as head coach of the Austin Toros.
Pat St. Andrews has connections to both Jenkins and Milwaukee. He previously spent five seasons with the Bucks from 2018 through 2023 and was part of their 2021 championship staff before later working under Jenkins in Memphis.
Vince Legarza is also returning to Milwaukee after serving as a Bucks assistant during the 2022-23 season. Milwaukee went an NBA-best 58-24 that year. Legarza previously worked in Atlanta’s organization while Jenkins was also on Mike Budenholzer’s coaching staff.
Johnny Carpenter offers another Memphis connection. He spent the 2024-25 season as a player development coach and assistant with the Grizzlies before working for the Indiana Pacers in 2025-26.
Bucks Keep Pieces of Their Championship Past
Jenkins isn’t completely starting over.
Ham is returning for his third straight season as a Bucks assistant and his seventh overall with the franchise. He was Milwaukee’s lead assistant from 2018 through 2022 and was on the staff when the Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship. He later went 90-74 during two seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rimmer also has championship-season ties to Milwaukee. He worked for the Bucks from 2018 through 2022 in video and player-development roles before becoming an NBA assistant with the Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
Jack Herum will remain in an assistant coach/player development role, while former Virginia player Isaiah Wilkins joins in the same capacity. Nshan Kenjoian will serve as head video coordinator after previously working under Jenkins in Memphis.
Taken together, Jenkins’ first Milwaukee staff isn’t built around one coaching tree. It combines people he trusts from Memphis with coaches who already understand the Bucks organization and several assistants whose résumés lean heavily toward player development.
Ford’s return gives that overhaul its most recognizable Milwaukee name. But the deeper takeaway from the Bucks’ announcement is just how much familiarity Jenkins will have around him when his first season begins.
Bucks Add Former Top-10 Pick as Taylor Jenkins Finalizes Coaching Staff