Tom Thibodeau Fired by Bulls: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

In a move seemingly years in the making, the Chicago Bulls fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after getting ousted in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The team announced the news Thursday with a statement from owner and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf:

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The Chicago Bulls have a history of achieving great success on and off the court. These accomplishments have been possible because of an organizational culture where input from all parts of the organization has been welcomed and valued, there has been a willingness to participate in a free flow of information, and there have been clear and consistent goals. While the head of each department of the organization must be free to make final decisions regarding his department, there must be free and open interdepartmental discussion and consideration of everyone's ideas and opinions. These internal discussions must not be considered an invasion of turf, and must remain private. 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. 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. Days like today are difficult, but necessary for us to achieve our goals and fulfill our commitments to our fans. I appreciate the contributions that Tom Thibodeau made to the Bulls organization. I have always respected his love of the game and wish him well in the future.

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Thibodeau took the reins prior to the 2010-11 season in Chicago. The 57-year-old Salem State alum proceeded to make five consecutive playoff appearances, but the Bulls never managed to reach the NBA Finals with him at the helm.

That ultimately led to Reinsdorf and the Bulls organization making a change—a decision that ultimately may not sit well with some of the team's top players.

Vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said, "We wouldn’t be sitting here if we won a championship. I feel like we had a real chance," per Vincent Goodwill of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

Following their playoff-ending Game 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, superstar point guard Derrick Rose made it clear he wanted Thibs to return, according to CNN's Rachel Nichols:

Forward Taj Gibson also suggested Thibodeau was the right coach for the team moving forward, per Sean Highkin of ProBasketballTalk.

"If you want to be coached and pushed, Thibs is the coach for you," Gibson said. "If you don't want to get better, this isn't the team for you."

Center Joakim Noah said, "I just want to thank Thibs for all the hard work he put in and I wish him the best," according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.  

President Barack Obama also commented on the decision on Twitter: "[L]ove thibs and think he did a great job. Sorry to see him go but expect he will be snatched up soon by another team."

While Thibodeau clearly had supporters in the locker room, this was ultimately a managerial decision. The Bulls couldn't get over the hump in the playoffs—in part due to some untimely injuries—and management felt as though a coaching change was the best way to reverse those fortunes.

It shouldn't be long before Thibodeau finds another coaching job, however. With a regular-season winning percentage of .647 over the past five years, the 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year knows how to get his teams to the postseason. Though he still hasn't proved he can push a squad over the title hump, qualifying for the playoffs is half the battle.

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans are two teams that could look into hiring the New Britain, Connecticut, native:

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported Thibodeau taking a year off is another possibility:

Everything aside from playoff performance suggests Thibodeau is an excellent coach, but sometimes quality teams have to part with quality coaches in order to reach the next level.

Firing him could ultimately come back to bite the Bulls and cause their regular-season success to drop off, but they have a desirable vacancy that many of the top head coaching candidates would undoubtedly love to fill.

Thibodeau and the front office never seemed to be on the same page, which led to constant rumors regarding his demise. It couldn't have been easy to coach under those circumstances, but he still managed to accomplish some great things in Chicago.

If and when he joins a new team, it figures to be a liberating experience for him since he'll likely have the same ideologies as the higher-ups—at least initially.

Until that happens, though, Bulls fans are left to wonder what could have been for Thibodeau and the organization had they been a cohesive unit.

The Bulls had all the pieces in place to win a championship, but they never truly came together. Now that Thibodeau has a chance at a fresh start, he should have an opportunity to prove just how good of a coach he really is.

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