Sam Mitchell Fired by Timberwolves: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Sam Mitchell took over as the Minnesota Timberwolves' interim head coach shortly after the tragic death of Flip Saunders, but the front office decided to part ways with the 52-year-old Wednesday following one season at the helm.

According to the team's official public relations Twitter account, the Timberwolves announced after their season finale that Mitchell had been relieved of his head coaching duties following a 29-53 season.

"We will always be grateful to Sam for his contributions this season and wish he and his family the best in the future," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said, according to the team's official Twitter account.

Timberwolves PR added that search firm Korn Ferry has been hired to aid in the selection of the team's next head coach. General manager Milt Newton will also remain with the club "while the new leadership team is assembled."

The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported that the Timberwolves' coaching search will include former Houston Rockets head coach and current ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy, former Chicago Bulls boss Tom Thibodeau and ex-Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks.

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst pegged Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger as another potential option that intrigues the Timberwolves.

While that list may seem a tad ambitious at first glance, Wojnarowski offered some insight into the hiring process. "Minnesota has the potential to be the most attractive job opening on the market, largely because of the presence of presumptive Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns and a core of young talent," he wrote.

Mitchell propelled the Timberwolves to an 8-8 start that seemed to indicate the franchise's rebuild was accelerating at a solid clip, but they ultimately stalled following that brief honeymoon period.

And once the wins stopped rolling in at a steady rate, tension began to build.

On Jan. 26, the Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski (h/t USA Today) wrote:

"

There is a battle of wills going on in Minnesota between an old-school coach and a roster built around new-school talent.

...

Nearly half the roster of 15 players privately expressed concerns to The Associated Press about Mitchell that centered on three basic tenets: His outdated offensive system, his tendency to platoon his rotations and a lack of personal accountability for the struggles.

"

That generational divide was evident when the team's young and old stalwarts spoke to reporters.

"It's not fun. Sometimes unfair," Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine said of Mitchell's old-school approach, per Krawczynski. "But he's the coach, I'm the player and sometimes that's what you have to deal with. You can't really do anything about it but play good on the court."

However, Kevin Garnett supported Mitchell in early February amid rumblings of the youngsters' displeasure.

"I feel real good about the progression of this team since day one and I think it needs to be said and needs to be understood that I'm endorsing [Sam] Mitchell and our coaching staff and this organization," Garnett said, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda.

Mitchell's struggles with such a raw group didn't come as a terribly big surprise considering he entered his first year at the helm with a single winning season (2006-07 with the Toronto Raptors) to his name.

However, it wasn't exactly a position that Mitchell had prepared himself for. The 13-year NBA veteran who spent the bulk of his playing days in Minnesota assumed the gig under trying circumstances just before the start of the season, and he had limited time to get the team acclimated to his philosophy.

There Timberwolves made undeniable strides after mustering just 16 wins during the 2014-15 campaign, but it wasn't always a smooth ride despite the team boasting talent like Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and LaVine.

Now that Mitchell is out of the picture, though, Minnesota is free to scour the market for an established coach who will jibe more with one of the NBA's most compelling foundations.

Should ownership settle on a leader who embraces a more modern, space-oriented offense, the Timberwolves could be in line for a serious developmental jolt when next season gets underway.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.