Vinny Del Negro fired Options

[Sanitarium]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/bask...writethru.0818/

Joakim Noah, who enjoyed a breakout season, said Del Negro "did a lot for me as a player.''

"He lets you be who you are, he expects you to go out there and work hard and compete every night and that's what we tried to do,'' Hinrich said.

Forward Taj Gibson praised Del Negro, saying, "Any other coach, I don't know if they could have weathered that storm.''

"He let me have my freedom, but still coached me and let me make mistakes,'' he said after the loss to Cleveland. "I watched film with him almost every day. He taught me a lot on defense and offense and what I'm supposed to do. The decision isn't really up to me. It's up to the front office, so I'm not going to worry about it and just deal with it.''

[Balta1701-B]

"Any other coach, I don't know if they could have weathered that storm.''

Then VDN shouldn't have been such a part of creating it.

[DutheDoduhon21]

lebron votes for vinny as well.

[Chicago Bulls Fr...]

Wouldn't care at all if Vinny was back as our coach next year. In fact I'd probably rather have it that way. It's always better to have continuity as opposed to change. The Bulls have made the playoffs the last two years under Vinny and I wouldn't mind seeing how he does with new talent. With a Dwyane Wade added to the roster or even a Chris Bosh, Vinny's job becomes a little easier. The problem is to get rid of John Paxson. You cannot have a member of your front office act so disrespectful and unprofessional like he did in their altercation and get away with it. It's time for the Bulls to send Paxson home.

[Balta1701-B]

I seriously doubt any of the big 3 sign here if VDN is still in place.

[Chicago Bulls Fr...]

The NBA coaching pool is not even that good, and imo none of the coaches out there are better candidates than Vinny. The fact of the matter is, there are no Greg Popavich's, Phil Jackson's, Pat Riley's, or Jerry Sloan's out there. Those guys are hard to come by. I honestly can't see anyone coming in here that's such a humongous upgrade over Del Negro. Coaching is always easier with more talent. I just don't want a new coach here that's not going to be a big upgrade. The players seem to like Vinny, even though the front office does not, I think he should be given atleast another year to take the Bulls past the first round.

[Balta1701-B]

Ok, I think it's clear this is going to last at least a little while, so I made the thread title more general here and here's some new info to keep us rolling.

As Bulls management continues muddling through end-of-season evaluations with Vinny Del Negro’s status still unresolved, sources close to the process told CBSSports.com that one aspect of the decision on the coach’s future has been decided: Del Negro won’t be needing a lawyer, because the team has decided not to dismiss him for cause over a late-season confrontation with executive John Paxson.

The matter has gone all the way to the top of the organizational chain of command, with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf weighing in with assurances to Del Negro that he will not be fired for cause, one of the people involved said. Reinsdorf is said to be pleased with the way Del Negro has handled the fallout from the incident, in which Paxson confronted the coach after he allegedly ignored a minute-limit on injured center Joakim Noah.

A second source confirmed that the confrontation between Del Negro and Paxson would have no bearing on a potential coaching change, which would instead hinge on the idea that the team would have a better chance of improving with a new coach.

Exit interviews and internal evaluations are expected to reach a climax next week, when Reinsdorf will weigh in on all aspects of the offseason plan. Del Negro, who has presided over two first-round exits in two years on the job, is said to be quietly pushing for a quick and graceful exit if the team decides to make a change.

People close to the process are wondering how the fallout will affect the combatant who will be staying with the team – Paxson. Sources say the confrontation between Del Negro and Paxson did not mark the first time things got heated between them, a pattern that ultimately could begin to erode support for Paxson within the organization. Bulls officials are not publicly speculating on how Paxson’s status will be affected, saying only that the matter has been “handled internally.”


....
If and when the Bulls make a change, it is anticipated that Dallas assistant Dwane Casey would receive serious consideration. Casey was a finalist for the job when Del Negro was hired and has more of a defensive background – an area that Del Negro didn’t develop as thoroughly as management had hoped when he was hired.

[Sanitarium]

i'm not familiar with dwayne casey. anyone know anything about him?

[scs787]

The NBA coaching pool is not even that good, and imo none of the coaches out there are better candidates than Vinny. The fact of the matter is, there are no Greg Popavich's, Phil Jackson's, Pat Riley's, or Jerry Sloan's out there. Those guys are hard to come by. I honestly can't see anyone coming in here that's such a humongous upgrade over Del Negro. Coaching is always easier with more talent. I just don't want a new coach here that's not going to be a big upgrade. The players seem to like Vinny, even though the front office does not, I think he should be given atleast another year to take the Bulls past the first round.

I read the other day on an espn ticker that jeanie bus (i think thats her name) said phil will coach next year whether it be here or somewhere else. How awesome would it be to have Phil come back and sign Lebron. I think it makes us an instant title threat and itd make for a great story. Here Lebron is changing his number in honor of MJ (he did say hes doin it because of mj right) going to chicago to play for MJs old coach that lead him to all those titles.

[Chicago Bulls Fr...]

I read the other day on an espn ticker that jeanie bus (i think thats her name) said phil will coach next year whether it be here or somewhere else. How awesome would it be to have Phil come back and sign Lebron. I think it makes us an instant title threat and itd make for a great story. Here Lebron is changing his number in honor of MJ (he did say hes doin it because of mj right) going to chicago to play for MJs old coach that lead him to all those titles.

Yeah I saw that too. My only question is, how would Rose do in the triangle? Imo I think it limits his freedom on the court which is what makes him such a dynamic player.

[rockren]

i'm not familiar with dwayne casey. anyone know anything about him?

He's been an assistant under some terrific coaches in George Karl and Nate McMillan...currently an assistant under Rick Carlisle in Dallas. http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/wolve...ies_070123.html

He was the HC at Minnesota for a year and a half, which was an absolute sinking ship when he walked in... http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2006.html ...as you can see he had the pleasure of coaching malcontents such as Eddie Griffin, Rickie Davis and Kevin Garnett....he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Casey is a great candidate and will get a shot somewhere.

[Balta1701-B]

He was the HC at Minnesota for a year and a half, which was an absolute sinking ship when he walked in... http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2006.html ...as you can see he had the pleasure of coaching malcontents such as Eddie Griffin, Rickie Davis and Kevin Garnett....he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What you're saying is...he's the kind of guy who's adapted to this kind of mess.

[Balta1701-B]

Tribune

Vinny Del Negro met with Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Sunday, but the embattled coach's 11th-hour argument to keep his job won't change what the Tribune has reported since December 2009:

Del Negro is expected to be dismissed with one year and roughly $2 million remaining on his guaranteed three-year contract. Barring a snag, the Bulls will make this news official Tuesday.

At that point, executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman will embark on a search focusing on candidates with previous NBA head-coaching experience.

Doug Collins, Lawrence Frank, Kevin McHale, Maurice Cheeks, Byron Scott and Dwane Casey are some of the many names who fit that description and could receive interviews. Management is waiting to contact prospective candidates until Del Negro officially is dismissed.

[Sanitarium]

Cheeks might be an interesting choice.. He did some pretty good things with Russell Westbrook this year

[Chicago Bulls Fr...]

Such B.S! I hate the management on this team. How John Paxson still has a job is downright comical. We just let go of the best coach out there in the pool. Nobody else out there is attractable at all and VDN knows the team better than anyone else, + he had good relationships with the players. I hope Joakim and Rose get pissed and say something to management when he's fired because I would if I were them.

I'm sure deep down Vinny really wanted to get out of there after the disrespectful way he's been treated since he's been here. One thing is for sure, he will be back. I just don't understand the firing at all. He, just like his players will get better. It takes time for someone to be a good coach after not having much experience, just ask Doc Rivers..