Bulls Fire Coach Tom Thibodeau
Former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau encourages his players during the second half of Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Monday, May 4, 2015, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
The Chicago Bulls have fired coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau led the Bulls to a 255-139 record and playoff appearances in each of his five seasons. But friction with management led to the change.
General manager Gar Forman says Thibodeau was the right fit for the Bulls when he was hired in 2010, but a "change in approach was needed'' to improve.
Thibodeau's .647 winning percentage ranks seventh in NBA history among coaches with at least 200 games.
He led the Bulls to the top seed in the playoffs his first two seasons and was the NBA's Coach of the Year in 2011 - the same year Derrick Rose became the league's youngest MVP.