Report: Timberwolves interviewed Thibodeau; Van Gundy next
The Minnesota Timberwolves have ramped up their efforts to find a new head coach, and a pair of experienced bench bosses are the leading candidates.
Timberwolves ownership reportedly interviewed former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau over the weekend, and plans to interview former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy on Monday, sources told Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.
Van Gundy's interview is expected to take place in Cleveland, as he's in town for work with ESPN. The expectation is that Minnesota will hire one of the candidates to serve as both head coach and team president.
Thibodeau has drawn the interest of numerous teams with a head coaching vacancy, but he's very interested in the Timberwolves job and wants final say on player personnel, organizational philosophy, and hirings, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
The 2011 Coach of the Year led the Bulls to a 255-139 record over five seasons, reaching the playoffs each year. Van Gundy last coached in 2006-07, and owns a 430-318 career record across 11 seasons.
Timberwolves interim head coach Sam Mitchell was relieved of his duties last month.