Maybe It's Time for Tom Thibodeau to Get Another Shot at a Head Coaching Job

When Tom Thibodeau was fired by Minnesota midway through the 2018/19 season, many in the NBA wondered if we had seen the last of the irascible "Tibs" as a head coach.

Thibodeau battled with the Bulls front office in Chicago; and among the issues in Minnesota was a frosty relationship with the business side of the Timberwolves front office.

The sense I got at the time was that it would take a special situation for Thibodeau to rejoin the coaching ranks. Well, two of those situations have emerged and both happen to be in New York.

The Knicks, are reportedly interested in Thibodeau. And Tibs, an assistant with New York from '96 to 2003, is interested too. Thibodeau has a strong relationship with Leon Rose, whose former agency CAA has represented him.

Then there is Brooklyn, a veteran team in need of an experienced coach to lead a team that should contend for a championship next season.

Thibodeau was ill-equipped for the dual duties of head coach and GM, that he had Minnesota. But his coaching skills are undeniable. He's a defensive disciplinarian who was instrumental in the Bulls' success and who had Minnesota trending upward before things fell apart in his final season.

Thibodeau will never be a GM again, but as a head coach, he certainly has the resumé to warrant another opportunity. I talked to Thibodeau a few times in this last year. He seemed happy, rested and eager to get another shot. And he may get one. A little more than a year removed from the ugly end in Minnesota, Thibodeau could find himself back on the sidelines again.

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