Nick Van Exel, Bob Bender to Join Milwaukee Bucks’ Coaching Staff

During Larry Drew’s first pre-draft workout as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach, some familiar faces were seen. Members of Drew’s staff with the Atlanta Hawks, assistant Bob Bender, and Player Development instructor Nick Van Exel were in Milwaukee helping Drew run his first workout.

While nothing is official, both are likely to follow Drew to Milwaukee and join his staff there.

Van Exel spent 13 seasons in the NBA as a player for six different teams including the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks. Before joining the staff in Atlanta, he served as an assistant coach at Texas Southern University.

Bender spent the last two seasons under Drew in Atlanta. Prior to that, he spent eight seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant and seven years under coach Mike Krzyewski at Duke University.

There is no timetable for when Drew plans to have his staff in place, but Bucks assistants Sidney Moncrief, Anthony Goldwire, Bill Peterson, Chris Gilmartin, and Joe Wolf were all notified that they will not be brought back next season.

Lester Conner, another assistant under Drew in Atlanta, is also likely to join the Bucks new staff and reunite with Van Exel and Bender.