A native of Holbrook, Arizona, Budenholzer attended Pomona College, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball and golf and was named the Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1993. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. After college, he spent the 1993–94 season in Denmark, playing professionally for Vejle Basketball Klub, where he averaged a team-high 27.5 points per game while also serving as head coach for two teams of the club's youth system. At the start of the 1994–95 season, Budenholzer was hired by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association as a video coordinator. He held that position for two years before being named an assistant coach under head coach Gregg Popovich at the beginning of the 1996–97 season. Budenholzer was part of a staff that won four NBA championships while with the Spurs. Budenholzer left San Antonio at the end of the 2013 NBA Playoffs to begin his new career as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks would qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs as the 8th seed in his first season as head coach but would lose to the one-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round. Budenholzer was named the December 2014 Eastern Conference Coach of the Month after leading the Hawks to a 14–2 record in the month. He was named the head coach of the Eastern Conference team at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game by virtue of Atlanta being in first place in the conference by the break. Budenholzer won the January 2015 Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award after leading the Hawks to the first 17-0 record in a month in NBA history. He went on to lead the Hawks to a franchise record 60 wins, as well as their deepest playoff run in 48 years. On April 21, he was named the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2014–15 NBA Coach of the Year. On June 30, 2015, Budenholzer was promoted to president of basketball operations in addition to his duties as head coach. While Wes Wilcox was promoted to general manager, Budenholzer had the final say in all basketball matters. On August 1, 2015, Budenholzer served as Team Africa's assistant coach at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game. On September 19, 2015, Budenholzer was inducted into the Pomona PitzerHall of Fame. On April 25, 2018, Budenholzer and the Hawks agreed to part ways, having been removed as president of basketball operations for the Hawks on May 5, 2017. On May 17, 2018, the Milwaukee Bucks announced Budenholzer as their head coach. On January 31, 2019, the NBA announced Budenholzer as the head coach of the East All-Star team in 2019. On April 13, 2019, Budenholzer was named the 2018–19 Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Head coaching record
Personal life
Budenholzer is the youngest of seven children born to Vince and Libby Budenholzer. He is of German descent. His father was also a basketball coach and spent 25 years coaching high school and college teams in Arizona before retiring in 1997. Budenholzer has four children: William Vincent, Savoia Elizabeth, Hanna Louise and John Bent. Budenholzer was arrested in Atlanta for suspicion of driving under the influence on August 28, 2013. He was found not guilty of the charge 34 months later by a Fulton County State Court jury on June 27, 2016.
