Tom Thibodeau Fired As Chicago Bulls Coach, Fred Hoiberg To Take Over
Recently, Tim Thibodeau was fired as coach of the Chicago Bulls, while Fred Hoiberg is set to take his place. Thibodeau coached the Bulls for five seasons, winning 51 games every season. Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the Chicago Bulls, issued a statement:
“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," he said.
"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.”
In this website, Pau Gasol wrote a tribute post thanking his former coach. "I am sure that his departure was a very difficult decision for the organization of the Bulls, but I am convinced that they have a solid plan for the success of the franchise. We all have high expectations for the coming season and will do anything to bring the ring to Chicago. Go Bulls!"
General manager Gar Forman and Hoiberg will be picking the new staff. Hoiberg is reportedly close to Ed Pinckney, the current Bulls assistant. Pinckney’s contract will expire on June 30, 2015. Forman said that Hoiberg would determine Pinckney’s future with the team, as well as those of Mike Wilhelm and Adrian Griffin.
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