The Minnesota Timberwolves have officially fired head coach Sam Mitchell. The team released a statement relaying the news after a 144-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in their final game of the season.
The Wolves also announced they are looking for a new Head of Basketball Operations although Milt Newton will continue to serve as the general manager of the franchise.
Mitchell became the interim head coach of the Wolves in the summer after the sudden passing of Flip Saunders.
The head coach was unable to win many games as the Wolves finished the season at 29-53. Some of that was of course due to the youth of the roster.
However, Mitchell ran an outdated system and was unable to get the most out of some of his young players. His insistence on playing veterans over his younger and more talented players was in all likelihood the greatest cause of his dismissal.
Wolves’ owner Glen Taylor had the following to say:
“The future of the Minnesota Timberwolves has never been brighter,” said Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. “It’s important that we find the best leaders to shape our talented team and help them realize their full potential. We owe it to our fans, our community and to our players to ensure our team has the best chance possible of winning an NBA title.
“I would like to thank both Sam and Milt for a good job under very difficult circumstances in guiding our team this season,” said Taylor. “They were put in a historically challenging position as no team in NBA history has had an active head coach pass away. Both men provided our team with continuity and direction for the 2015-16 season. We will always be grateful to Sam for his contributions this season and wish him and his family the best in the future.”
The Wolves will have a slew of candidates to look at for the head coaching job, but will also likely have competition for the top coaches. Nevertheless, their immensely promising young talent means they will be a great destination for many potential head coaches.
