The Chicago Bulls have fired their former Coach of the Year winner Tom Thibodeau after five successful regular seasons. After another loss in the playoffs again to Eastern Conference rival LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls made the decision to go in another coaching direction with dismissing the defensive-minded coach. Thibodeau had been criticized for his team's lack of offense throughout his tenure and his inability to communicate and work with management.
The Bulls had been a struggling and inconsistent team before Thibodeau took over the reins. Thibodeau gave the team an identity with hard-nosed defense and discipline. ESPN has General Manager of the Bulls Gar Forman explaining the team's weirdly-timed firing of Thibodeau:
"When Tom was hired in 2010, he was right for our team and system at that time, and over the last five years we have had some success with Tom as our head coach. But as we looked ahead and evaluated how we as a team and an organization could continue to grow and improve, we believed a change in approach was needed."
Even with the loss of the often injured star Derrick Rose, Thibodeau was able to bring the Bulls to the playoffs each year he was at the helm. But his disputes with management and his alleged lack of communication brought the decision for termination. The New York Times tells of the statement released by Bulls' team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf concerning the Bulls decision to move forward:
"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."
Did the Bulls make the right move in getting rid of Tom Thibodeau? Where will Thibodeau end up next? Tell us your thoughts below.
