The Minnesota Timberwolves brought an end to the speculation Wednesday night, announcing that Tom Thibodeau is now their head coach and team president.
#Twolves agree to terms with Tom Thibodeau as President of Basketball Operations & Head Coach, & Scott Layden as GM. pic.twitter.com/7aBrN1uYCp
— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2016
Prodigal son returning. pic.twitter.com/INGZqd2zRX
— Steve Aschburner (@AschNBA) April 20, 2016
Minny also hired Scott Layden away from the San Antonio Spurs as their new general manager.
Thibodeau, 58, has a .647 winning percentage, good for seventh among NBA coaches in League history.
From the press release:
“We are extremely excited to welcome Tom Thibodeau back to the Timberwolves,” said Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. “Through this process we quickly identified Tom as the best leader to shape our talented team and help them realize their full potential. Tom’s resume speaks for itself. He is a proven winner, leader and one of the most well-respected NBA head coaches over the last decade. His teams have annually been among the league leaders in defense and we are excited about the approach and mentality he will bring to that side of the ball. The future of the Minnesota Timberwolves has never been brighter and we are very pleased to have Tom as our basketball operations leader moving forward.
“Scott Layden brings over 30 years of experience in the NBA to his new role within our organization, including several years in basketball operations leadership positions with Utah, New York and most recently San Antonio. His decades of front office experience will be integral as we head into an extremely exciting time for our organization. In getting to know Scott, he has impressed me with his not only his basketball acumen, but also his character and integrity. Tom and Scott will work in concert together in shaping our roster moving forward. We are confident this partnership gives us the best chance possible of winning an NBA title.”
A veteran of over 25 seasons as an NBA head coach and assistant coach, Thibodeau’s teams have advanced to the postseason in 19 seasons, including three trips to the NBA Finals (1999, 2008, 2010). Most recently Thibodeau was head coach of the Chicago Bulls, leading the Bulls to a 255-139 record over five seasons from 2010-15. Under his tutelage, the Bulls reached the playoffs in all five seasons, including holding the best record in the NBA in both of his first two seasons (2010-12). Thibodeau is one of two coaches in NBA history to win the most games in the league in each of his first two seasons.
