After months of speculation and the last few weeks full of drama on whether or not the team will let their head coach Tom Thibodeau go, the Chicago Bulls have finally made it official.
This past week the team and Thibodeau have been in a small back and forth with each other in regards to his departure. There were teams possibly willing to send compensation to get Thibodeau but despite that, Thibodeau was willing and ready to hold out and not let the Bulls get anything in return.
It now appears the team reached their breaking point and let it be known for all to see.
Following from an official Chicago Bulls press release.
Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman announced today that Tom Thibodeau will not be retained as the team’s head coach.
Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, “The Chicago Bulls have a history of achieving great success on and off the court. These accomplishments have been possible because of an organizational culture where input from all parts of the organization has been welcomed and valued, there has been a willingness to participate in a free flow of information, and there have been clear and consistent goals. While the head of each department of the organization must be free to make final decisions regarding his department, there must be free and open interdepartmental discussion and consideration of everyone’s ideas and opinions. These internal discussions must not be considered an invasion of turf, and must remain private.
Teams that consistently perform at the highest levels are able to come together and be unified across the organization-staff, players, coaches, management and ownership. When everyone is on the same page, trust develops and teams can grow and succeed together. Unfortunately, there has been a departure from this culture. To ensure that the Chicago Bulls can continue to grow and succeed, we have decided that a change in the head coaching position is required. Days like today are difficult, but necessary for us to achieve our goals and fulfill our commitments to our fans. I appreciate the contributions that Tom Thibodeau made to the Bulls organization. I have always respected his love of the game and wish him well in the future.”
The 2011 NBA Coach of the Year compiled an overall record of 255-139 which is good for a .647 winning percentage as Chicago’s head coach. The Bulls advanced to the playoffs five times during Thibodeau’s tenure, where he had a postseason record of 23-28 which is good for a .451 winning percentage. The Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the 2015 NBA Playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers and that’s when all the rumors became more rampant and colorful.
Now everyone wants to know what’s next for Tibs. The Orlando Magic job is Scott Skiles’ to lose at this point and the New Orleans Pelicans are courting a couple other former head coaches as suitors. That really leaves two options for Tibs. He can either go to a rebuilding Denver Nuggets team and start over or does he take an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Clippers under Doc Rivers, much like the situation with the Boston Celtics from 2007-2010.
He could ultimately let the rumors swirl and just sit out a year, much like former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks is doing. The coaching world is in Thibodeau’s hands right now.
What’s next for the Bulls? All accounts point towards Chicago bringing in current Iowa State head coach and former member of the Chicago Bulls, Fred Hoiberg.
