Tom Thib Staying?

[SquishPCfriar]

Tom T is the reason for the celtics success this year.  I just love watching whenever the celtics are defending on the same side of the court that our bench is on and how Tom manages to help the defense the entire time by standing up and yelling to the players which way to slide and where to position themselves on defense.  I really hope he stays for atleast 1 more year or else we will have some trouble without him!

[nickagneta]

I'm not so sure any team is going to go after Tom Thibodeau as a head coach any time soon. There has to be a reason he's been a assistant so long and it might, might be that he doesn't have what it takes to  succeed at some of the aspects of a head coaching position that is required of a head coach.

Also, the recent trend toward hiring guys as first time head coaches is to give former players the nod and not longtime assistants.

Sam Vincent
Marc Iavaroni
Reggie Theus
Michael Curry
Terry Porter- back with the Bucks not now even though his resume in Milwaukee wasn't exactly stellar
Avery Johnson

And going back there's
Byron Scott
Scott Skiles
Rick Carlisle
Nate McMillan
Doc Rivers

I think the last two guys to become head coaches as life long assistants were Stan Van Gundy and Lawrence Franks. It isn't the way the league works necessarily. I don't think that means that Coach T doesn't deserve it or would not succeed at it but I do think it's something that should be considered when talking about what  front office people in the NBA think about before hiring a head coach.

Coach Thibodeau might just be a lifelong assistant and never get his chance at a head coach position. If so, he sure has a good gig going on here that maybe he shouldn't mess up.

[Ricky75443]

 

[jay_jay54]

I'm not so sure any team is going to go after Tom Thibodeau as a head coach any time soon. There has to be a reason he's been a assistant so long and it might, might be that he doesn't have what it takes to  succeed at some of the aspects of a head coaching position that is required of a head coach.

Also, the recent trend toward hiring guys as first time head coaches is to give former players the nod and not longtime assistants.

Sam Vincent
Marc Iavaroni
Reggie Theus
Michael Curry
Terry Porter- back with the Bucks not now even though his resume in Milwaukee wasn't exactly stellar
Avery Johnson

And going back there's
Byron Scott
Scott Skiles
Rick Carlisle
Nate McMillan
Doc Rivers

I think the last two guys to become head coaches as life long assistants were Stan Van Gundy and Lawrence Franks. It isn't the way the league works necessarily. I don't think that means that Coach T doesn't deserve it or would not succeed at it but I do think it's something that should be considered when talking about what  front office people in the NBA think about before hiring a head coach.

Coach Thibodeau might just be a lifelong assistant and never get his chance at a head coach position. If so, he sure has a good gig going on here that maybe he shouldn't mess up.

Nick,i have been thinking alone those same lines for awhile.He might not be as interested in a head coaching job,as some may think,and he might be a lifelong assistant as you stated.With the turnover rate of head coaching jobs in the NBA,these days,i think i would rather be an (well paid)assistant,somewhere i was comfortable. TP for your post.

[nickagneta]

Dick Harter was and is considered a coaching genius. He's probably the reason behind Larry Bird's coaching record and Rick Carlisle's tutoring as a coach. He made a great living as a lifelong assistant and is one of the most respected non head coaches in NBA history.

If Coach T can attain that type of rep and resume and still make tons of green, there's nothing wrong with that. Besides maybe he likes big giant rings and he'll feel Boston is the best place to get more, at least I hope so.

[EJPLAYA]

Tom T is the reason for the celtics success this year.  I just love watching whenever the celtics are defending on the same side of the court that our bench is on and how Tom manages to help the defense the entire time by standing up and yelling to the players which way to slide and where to position themselves on defense.  I really hope he stays for atleast 1 more year or else we will have some trouble without him!

Funny, I thought it was KG, Ray, Posey, House, and PJ (purposely didn't include the Ball Hog) being added while subtracting a bunch of inexperienced less talented players...

[Who]

Dick Harter was and is considered a coaching genius. He's probably the reason behind Larry Bird's coaching record and Rick Carlisle's tutoring as a coach. He made a great living as a lifelong assistant and is one of the most respected non head coaches in NBA history.

If Coach T can attain that type of rep and resume and still make tons of green, there's nothing wrong with that. Besides maybe he likes big giant rings and he'll feel Boston is the best place to get more, at least I hope so.

Do you know if Dick Harter wanted to be a head coach? I didn't think he did but I'm not altogether certain.

Rick Carlisle is the opposite. Long career as an assistant, big time rep, and then finally a GM took a shot on him. All it took was a woeful roster, a lost franchise, a fresh GM in Joe Dumars. Also worth noting Dumars was and is a very good GM. It wasn't some Rob Babcock taking a shot in the wind. So there's hope for Tom T yet.

[Mr October]

it does seam like opportunities are drying up.... I'll be soooooo happy if TT stays with the Cs!! He can always take over when Doc burns out in a year or 2.

[celtics2]

Danny and Owners have to do everything necessary keeping Thibodeau. He's the brains, heart and inspiration of defense on the C's. We would never be where we are without his monumental inptut.

[Triboy16]

Weird as this might sound i think Atlanta is going to make an offer to thib he might not be able to resist as a head. Thib is perfect for a team like atlanta who are young and athletic and could play strappling defense like the celtics.

You can't put thib in any team and expect them to be all of a sudden good defensively. Celtics are composed of some of the best defensive players making life easy on thib.

I dearly hopes he comesback(i rather have him than doc) as an assistant(3 year 5.5 million deal for example, highest paid in the league) and it would make his life easy having a group of guys like rondo, kg, posey, pierce but if he leaves i wish him the best just like al jefferson.

He is such a capable coach that any nba team would be dumb not to consider him as a head

[nickagneta]

Dick Harter was and is considered a coaching genius. He's probably the reason behind Larry Bird's coaching record and Rick Carlisle's tutoring as a coach. He made a great living as a lifelong assistant and is one of the most respected non head coaches in NBA history.

If Coach T can attain that type of rep and resume and still make tons of green, there's nothing wrong with that. Besides maybe he likes big giant rings and he'll feel Boston is the best place to get more, at least I hope so.

Do you know if Dick Harter wanted to be a head coach? I didn't think he did but I'm not altogether certain.

Rick Carlisle is the opposite. Long career as an assistant, big time rep, and then finally a GM took a shot on him. All it took was a woeful roster, a lost franchise, a fresh GM in Joe Dumars. Also worth noting Dumars was and is a very good GM. It wasn't some Rob Babcock taking a shot in the wind. So there's hope for Tom T yet.

If I remember the stories right when Larry hired him after taking the Indiana job and then again when he came to the C's under Obie, I think you are correct. I seem to remember him saying he never wanted to be a head coach but I can not remember if it was ever mentioned as to whether he was ever offered a head coaching job and then declined it or not.

Still, he was a brilliant defensive coach and got high praise from O'Brien, Dr Jack Ramsay and Larry. That says a lot in my book.

[Brickowski]

Harter was an NBA head coach (in Charlotte) but was fired in 1990.  He preferred being an assistant after that.

[Kuberski33]

Dick Harter was and is considered a coaching genius.

Harter, like Thibodeau is a good coach -- probably better than good --but the term 'coaching genius' in basketball is incredibly overused. Very good players make coaches geniuses.  In fact in basketball as a whole, there has been very little innovation over the years.  Most of the trends kind of evolve over time from coaches pulling ideas from what they see other teams doing.

Point being that talent wins, first and foremost and the best coaching in the world won't make you win with lousy talent. 

Give Thibodeau last year's Celtics crew and they'd have still been the worst defensive team in the NBA.

That all being said, I would definitely pony up some extra cash to keep him here.

[Bankshot]

For the good of his own career I think Tom T should move on. If he won't get enough recognition here. He needs to keep moving to strengthen his case for a promotion. Keep increasing his reputation around the league.

He's killed his career so far by working so long under JVG. He can't make the same mistake twice. It's not like he's working for Popovich or someone with connections around the league here, it's bloody Doc Rivers and a front office that I don't think is likely to sprout off any more future GMs in the immediate future (like SAS - Ferry, Presti). He needs to go somewhere else and make more friends in the league.

The fact that he hasn't been offered a head coaching job isn't a surprise. I thought it was a long shot that anyone would hire him as a head coach.

But he is getting the recognition here.  Haven't you noticed that most give him credit for the great defense and not Doc?  His being recognized is the reason he's being mentioned for a coaching job.

[WBrownTrophy]

That would b great if TT stayed, but there are no guaranteed head coach jobs in the NBA, and if TT gets a chance at a job, he should take it. He deserves it.