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Forman's search starts and ends with Thibodeau

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Jun 23

It turns out the first call Bulls General Manager Gar Forman made to start his coaching search could have been his last. Just five to six days into the process, Forman reached out to Tom Thibodeau, who on Wednesday was named the team’s 18th head coach in franchise history.

“All of us know about his defensive credentials, but as we went about the process and we talked with other people who have worked with Tom, the thing that really became apparent to us is that he’s got a very, very creative offensive mind,” said Forman. “We really liked some of the ideas that he presented as far as using the talent we have on the offensive end of the floor.”

Forman cited two players specifically who had developed quite successfully under Thibodeau—Houston center Yao Ming and Boston point guard Rajon Rondo.

“The feedback that we got is that Tom is a terrific communicator and a terrific teacher of the game,” said Forman.

Forman called Thibodeau a “perfect fit” for the Bulls, something which became evident after several conversations with other candidates for the job.

“The biggest thing that we got out of it as we met with Tom and visited with him and a number of people he has worked with and around the league is that Tom Thibodeau is a winner,” added Forman.

Audio — General Manager Gar Forman and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau meet the media at the Berto Center (Parts I & II – 06.23.10):


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