In a move that many predicted, Tom Thibodeau’s days with the Chicago Bulls are over as he was dismissed on Thursday after five seasons.
Bulls General Manager Gar Forman announced the firing via the team’s website.
Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf also released a statement which read in part, “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.”
ESPN noted that Thibodeau had a winning percentage of .647 and a regular season record of 255-139 during his tenure. Many of those wins came in injury-plagued seasons without star point guard Derrick Rose. The Bulls also ranked first in the league under Thibodeau in PPG and FGP and finished as the No. 3 seed this year. He was also named Coach of the Year in the 2010-11 season.
None of that though was enough to save his job as his differences with the front office and the team’s early exit from the playoffs made his exit imminent.
Furthermore, some reports suggested that a few Bulls players did not want the 57-year-old coach returning and in a superstar league that can certainly play into the decision of firing a coach.
Now, the Bulls will have an entire offseason to look for someone to replace Thibodeau and try to bring a winning culture back to Chicago.
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