Official Bulls coaching search thread, 6/5/10: Per sources, Thibodeau accepts Bulls 3-year offer Options

[rockren]

The Bulls HAVE to at least exhaust this avenue. In landing Calipari at the helm...we would greatly enhance our chances of landing one of the big three in FA. Considering Calipari shares representation with Wade and Bosh. He's also close friends with LeBron James.

If anyone questions his coaching ability- anyone remember him out-coaching Phil Jackson in that first round series in 97-98? Calipari can flat out coach, with a resume most are envious of.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AkMY...paribulls050410

[Balta1701-B]

So, which one will be the main blacked out name in the recruiting sanctions report. Wall or Cousins?

[Sanitarium]

So, which one will be the main blacked out name in the recruiting sanctions report. Wall or Cousins?

without a doubt wall

[DutheDoduhon21]

now there are reports saying he is talking an extension with Kentucky, which is it?

[Balta1701-B]

now there are reports saying he is talking an extension with Kentucky, which is it?

Probably both, and he's using both to play off each other

[Cowch]

There are two reasons I would love for this to happen. Players would probably rather play for Coach Cal than most of the other candidates, and Coach Cal seems to have ties to every person/player there is. But I don't really care if this DOESN'T happen, so it's win-win for me.

[rockren]

Per Insider:

Calipari told ESPN's Andy Katz he has no interest in the opening.

Kentucky also announced it would look to extend Cal's contract "until he retires" shortly after the Bulls rumors surfaced yesterday.

Yet, as Gary Parrish of CBS Sports writes: "[Calipari] has a history of publicly stating his affection for his current job while maneuvering to try to get another job. Most recently, he did it at Memphis."

[Balta1701-B]

KC believes Calipari's interest is legit.

Calipari and Leon Rose are friends. Calipari coached Derrick Rose at Memphis. And the respected Leon Rose's prize client on a large roster of NBA players is LeBron James.

But with reports emerging that Calipari has interest in the Bulls' job and James will be the most coveted free agent to hit the market July 1, the conspiracy theorists are having a field day

...
Pay no mind to Calipari's denials based on semantics. "I'm not out searching for jobs." or "You won't hear about other colleges because I have the best job." Several NBA sources confirmed Yahoo! Sports' original report that Calipari has interest.

Whether it's reciprocal is unknown. General manager Gar Forman said he won't give updates, and team sources didn't shed any light on the matter.

[rockren]

KC believes Calipari's interest is legit.

I'm sure the Bulls will at least exhaust this avenue reference Caliapari. I'm sure they will and that's all I can ask...but IMHO...A Calipari hire would potentially guarantee us a FA signing of the Big 3. It also greatly enhances our chance at signing LeBron James, which would be the biggest FA signing in all of sports history.

Don't kid yourselves here...it could be any one of us coaching the Bulls with Bron next year and we'd be better off then say landing Phil Jackson and not getting one of the Big 3 FAs.

[Balta1701-B]

This thread has been updated to be the official Bulls coaching search news/discussion thread.

"In my mind, there's not a huge rush," Forman said last Tuesday.

It seemed inconceivable given Del Negro had been reported to be fired since last December. But according to NBA coaching sources, Forman's words appear to be true.

The word around the league, as Forman continues to do background on prospective candidates, is that the Bulls will narrow their list to a certain number of finalists before scheduling interviews.

No known interviews have been scheduled, though it's possible, due to the tight-lipped nature of the Bulls, that they have conducted some privately.

The Bulls began research on prospective candidates back in December, but the process, according to people whom Forman has contacted about candidates, is becoming more comprehensive. The Tribune has confirmed Forman has done research on at least Mo Cheeks, Kevin McHale, Dwane Casey and Lawrence Frank.

That list isn't meant to be comprehensive. And it's unclear where the Bulls stand on the candidacies of Jeff Van Gundy and John Calpari.

"In my mind, the first week or two or several weeks, I want to gather as much information as possible," Forman said last week. "I don't want to be put in a box on what the time frame is. Could we find the right guy in a week? I guess we could. But there's no rush. It could drag into June, into July. There's not going to be a timetable."

The Bulls aren't solely focusing on the coaching search. League sources said they have begun private draft workouts at the Berto Center, though Matt Lloyd, the team's director of college scouting, is the point person for that process.

[rockren]

This thread has been updated to be the official Bulls coaching search news/discussion thread.

Good work on this

[Balta1701-B]

But an NBA source has said Bulls general manager Gar Forman has settled on the model for his ideal candidate -- someone who has had not only head-coaching experience, but also postseason experience in the league.


...
Another reason for not rushing is that it is possible new candidates -- perhaps even coaches whose teams still are in the playoffs -- could emerge in the coming weeks.

Waiting could be the prudent move, especially since the current list of candidates with postseason experience is underwhelming. The Bulls are not concerned about the possibility of losing candidates when other vacancies are filled.

The premium on playoff experience seemingly would eliminate a few candidates -- Kevin McHale, Dwane Casey and Eric Musselman -- linked to the Bulls' search. It wouldn't eliminate Kentucky coach John Calipari, who made the playoffs with the New Jersey Nets in 1998.

Sun-Times

[Sanitarium]

Wtf? Coaches currently in the playoffs:

SVG
Alvin Gentry
Doc Rivers
Phil
Jerry
Mike Brown
Mike Woodson

Popovich was booted last night... and I think its pretty obvious that no one is leaving that list except for maybe Woodson, and I wouldn't want him.

I know there are rumors about Phil but I just don't buy into that

As for Spoelstra, McMillon, and Carlisle? No thanks

[DutheDoduhon21]

i think we can cross off JVG, he basically slammed the bulls for firing VDN

Jeff Van Gundy isn't the only member of his family who thinks the Chicago Bulls handled the end of the Vinny Del Negro era poorly.
Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy does not believe the recently fired Del Negro was given the proper backing from the Bulls front office, and Stan doesn't think Jeff will return to the coaching ranks next season for the Bulls or any other team.
“
I thought Vinny [Del Negro] did a great, great job developing the young guys, and I think it will be very hard for anyone to come in and do a better job than he did.

” -- Stan Van Gundy
"I was shocked by the coaching change," Van Gundy told ESPNChicago.com after the Magic's shootaround on Monday morning. "I thought Vinny did a great, great job developing the young guys, and I think it will be very hard for anyone to come in and do a better job than he did."
The Magic will try to complete a four-game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Jeff Van Gundy, working as an ESPN analyst, was critical of the Bulls' handling of Del Negro during a nationally televised broadcast several weeks ago, and his brother agreed.
"From midseason on, I don't think Vinny got much support from their organization," Stan said. "I didn't understand -- you never know the inner-workings, and so maybe there was some stuff behind the scenes -- but from a coaching perspective, Vinny did a very, very good job with that team.
"They gave up their two best wing scorers in [Ben] Gordon and [John] Salmons, and they were a great defensive team that struggled to score. I don't think that's shocking when you give up two guys like that. The front office makes the decision to make those trades [Gordon left via free agency], and then Vinny's the scapegoat for it. [It's a] hard thing to understand."
As for speculation that Jeff is a possible candidate for the Bulls opening, Stan was skeptical.
"I don't think he will coach again next season," he said. "I think there's other priorities in his life. I'd be surprised, in fact, I'd be very, very, surprised if he were back coaching next year."

When asked specifically if he thought his brother would listen if a team like the Bulls came calling, the Orlando coach went a step further.
"I don't even think he would have a willingness to interview," he said.
Van Gundy was complimentary about the Bulls' future led by All-Star point guard Derrick Rose, but he disagreed with the notion that the team had to focus on coaching candidates who had success with point guards in the past.
"I thought Vinny had great success with him," he said. "I thought he developed great and Vinny had great success with him, so if you want a guy who's had success with point guards I would think Vinny would be at the top of your list."
Is there a particular coaching candidate who Van Gundy thinks would be a better fit for the Bulls right now?
"Yeah," he said. "Vinny Del Negro."

[Wanne]

tell ya what...this is THE ONLY reason why I would court Calipari...if and a big IF the Cavs crap down their pantlegs this series I think he's gone from Cleveland. Do you really think he'd end up with that sewer of a team in NY?!? IMO it's only between the Bulls and the Knicks...and I don't think NY is a consideration from a BB standpoint. Does Lebron really want to be on a rebuilder? Who knows....