Thibodeau Fired As Chicago Bulls Coach

The Chicago Bulls fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Thursday.

Thibodeau spent the past five seasons as the team's head coach and
led the Bulls to a record of 255-139. Chicago reached the playoffs
in each of his five seasons and advanced as far the conference
finals in the spring of 2011 at the conclusion of his first year.

However, the Bulls suffered a pair of first-round exits and two
second-round losses over the next four seasons, and friction
between the coach and front office apparently developed.

"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,"
said Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in a statement Thursday.
"Unfortunately, there has been a departure from this culture. To
ensure that the Chicago Bulls can continue to grow and succeed, we
have decided that a change in the head coaching position is
required."

Thibodeau had been an assistant for 21 years in the NBA before the
Bulls hired him in June 2010. Chicago, with league MVP Derrick Rose
leading the way, earned the top seed in the 2011 playoffs and beat
Indiana and Atlanta before losing to Miami in the conference
finals. Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2011.