Who will be the next coach of the Timberwolves?
The Timberwolves made a stunning move Sunday when they fired head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau. Here's a look at candidates who might replace Thibodeau permanently:
January 7, 2019 at 11:45AM
He was named interim head coach after Thibodeau's firing and will be given a chance to prove he deserves the job on a permanent basis. The son of late Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, Ryan joined the Wolves' staff in 2014 under Flip and has stayed on as an assistant under both Sam Mitchell and Thibodeau. Saunders, 32, has earned high praise for his work and relationships with some of the younger Wolves players.
Fred Hoiberg
He played for the Wolves and was a former assistant GM with the organization. Hoiberg had success as a college coach at Iowa State before taking a job with the NBA's Bulls — replacing Thibodeau — but he was fired from that job in December after compiling a 115-155 record, including 5-19 this year. ESPN reported that Hoiberg could be considered for either a head coaching or general manager job with the Wolves.
Monty Williams
He's an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and was head coach in New Orleans for five seasons, where he compiled a 173-221 record and made the playoffs twice.
Cheryl Reeve
If owner Glen Taylor wants a proven winner, he doesn't have far to look. Reeve has won four WNBA titles with the Lynx and has said she would listen to NBA offers. Could she become the first woman to be an NBA head coach?
Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy
Two names to also consider are Jackson, the former Warriors coach, and Van Gundy, the former Knicks and Rockets coach. Both are working as ESPN analysts.
The Wolves fell apart in the fourth quarter and have not won in Toronto in two decades.
