After firing Monty Williams this week, the New Orleans Pelicans are searching for a new head coach. There are a number of viable candidates for the position which has the added incentive of coaching Anthony Davis. But similar to the Orlando Magic, the Pelicans may take their time to hire a head coach because as CBSSports' Ken Berger first reported and John Reid of the Times Picayune later confirmed, New Orleans has their eye on Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.
League sources confirmed on Wednesday that the Pelicans are waiting to see if the Chicago Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau are going to part ways. If Thibodeau is let go by the Bulls, he could possibly emerge as a candidate for the Pelicans' job.
In June 2010, Thibodeau was a finalist for the then-named New Orleans Hornets head coaching job with Williams. But the franchise turned its attention to Williams after Thibodeau, who was a Boston Celtics assistant at the time, indicated he planned to pursue the vacant Bulls job, which he took.
Thibodeau is currently coaching the Bulls in the second round but with rumors about management's dissatisfaction with him, it wouldn't be suprising if the former Coach of the Year will join a different team next season. With Davis emerging as one of the best players in the league, it is smart of the Pelicans to carefully take their time picking their next head coach. They need the right coach to maximize Davis' potential. If Thibodeau does become available, he could be a great fit.
New Orleans general manager Dell Demps could have been speaking to Thibodeau in his recent comments about the the Pelicans' open head coach position. By referring to New Orleans as "stable," Demps may have been giving a veiled shot at Chicago's management.
From Reid:
''Hopefully, we can find someone to take us to the next level,'' Demps said.''Obviously, I think we're just going to find a coach that we feel is good for us. We want to get to the point where we can compete for championships. I feel it's very stable here right now.''
If Thibodeau becomes available, the Pelicans won't be the only team interested in his coaching expertise. The Magic and the Denver Nuggets have already expressed interest in him. All three teams should pick a new coach before the NBA Draft in June, so they have at least a month to see how Thibodeau's season ends in Chicago.
