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Twelve-year NBA veteran coach Terry Stotts has signed a multi-year contract to become Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, General Manager Larry Harris announced today. He is the ninth head coach in the 37-year history of the franchise. Stotts will oversee the Bucks practices next week and work with the team during Summer League play in Minneapolis.

Stotts, 47, spent the 2004-05 season as the lead assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors under first-year NBA head coach Mike Montgomery. With the youngest roster in the NBA (25 years, 225 days), the Warriors closed out the season with an 18-10 record, including a franchise best 14-4 finish over their final 18 games.

“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Terry Stotts as our head coach,” Harris said. “Terry has a tremendous knowledge of the game developed over his years as a player, scout, an assistant coach in the CBA and NBA, and as an NBA head coach. Terry is familiar with our organization and our fans, and brings the energy, commitment and passion it takes to be a successful NBA head coach.”

Prior to the 2004-05 campaign, Stotts spent two seasons in Atlanta, the last year and one-half as head coach of the Hawks after he replaced Lon Krueger on December 26, 2002. Before joining the Hawks in August of 2002, Stotts enjoyed a highly successful stint as an assistant coach for nine seasons - five with the Seattle SuperSonics and four with the Bucks. During that stretch, his teams concluded each season with a .500-or-better record and qualified for the playoffs in eight of nine seasons.

“I’m extremely excited to return to Milwaukee as head coach of the Bucks,” Stotts said. “I have experienced the thrill of being an NBA head coach and am very grateful to Senator Kohl and Larry Harris for the opportunity and responsibility to lead this talented team. I look forward to the continued growth of veteran players like Michael Redd, Desmond Mason and Joe Smith, and the development of young players like Andrew Bogut, T.J. Ford and Mo Williams.”

In four seasons as lead assistant in Milwaukee, Stotts helped the Bucks amass a 163-133 mark, punctuated by three appearances in the playoffs, a Central Division Championship and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001. While in Seattle, the Sonics posted a 357-135 record, captured four Pacific Division titles, reached the Western Conference Finals twice and appeared in the 1996 NBA Finals.

“I’m confident in the direction that Terry will take our franchise both on the court and in the community,” President Herb Kohl said. “He is a fine coach and leader who is well-respected in NBA circles. His work ethic and his desire to succeed will help our players excel and our organization flourish. We’re happy to have Terry and his wife, Jan, with us in Milwaukee.”

Stotts was a second round choice of the Houston Rockets in the 1980 NBA Draft and began his professional playing career in Italy before joining the Montana Golden Nuggets of the CBA. He returned to Europe for several seasons, playing in Spain and France, before returning to the United States to join the coaching staff of the CBA’s Albany Patroons in 1990-91. During his first year on a professional coaching staff, he helped lead the Patroons to an all-time CBA-best 50-6 record. Stotts remained in the CBA for one more season with the Fort Wayne Fury before moving on to the Sonics.

A four-year starter at the University of Oklahoma, Stotts earned All-Big Eight honors as a senior and was named Academic All-America in each of his final two collegiate seasons. He was named the university’s outstanding senior student-athlete and was one of three individuals chosen nationally to receive an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Stotts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and in 1988, earned his Masters of Business Administration from his alma mater.

Stotts was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and raised in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Guam. His parents were both teachers and his father was a basketball coach.