Wolves to fire Wittman if McHale will coach

[cpfsf]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3753352&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of firing Randy Wittman after Saturday night's 23-point home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to NBA coaching sources.

But Wolves owner Glen Taylor, sources say, wants Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale to agree to take Wittman's place on the bench before going ahead with a coaching change.

Yet it's believed that McHale is resistant to coaching again, even on an interim basis, despite the fact that Minnesota's much-maligned vice president of basketball operations has been successful as an interim coach before, guiding Minnesota to a 19-12 record in the second half of the 2004-05 season after firing Flip Saunders with the Wolves at 25-26.

It would appear that Minnesota's in-house options for replacing Wittman would appear to be limited if McHale declines to return to the bench, but sources say another possibility is general manager Jim Stack, who has expressed interest in coaching in the past.

[shrink]

Usually chatty owner Glen Taylor, clearly unhappy, turned me down in a hallway afterward when I asked to talk him, surely knowing I wanted to ask if he planned any management changes. In the team’s locker room, you could look back into the training room and see Kevin McHale hugging both Al Jefferson and Randy Foye, an odd sight indeed.

You’ve got to believe something’s going to happen, probably with coach Randy Wittman, but who knows?…And perhaps as early as Sunday, or Monday, when the team resumes practice, at the latest. The right thing to do if they decide to fire him and still keep McHale is to make McHale coach this group. Asking, say, Jerry Sichting or Fred Hoiberg to do so is the ultimate cop-out.

By Jerry Zgoda

http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/wolves/

[john2jer]

Pretty sure this means McHale's going no where anytime soon. Boo! Clean house Taylor!

[revprodeji]

I agree. McHale should coach this group. He bought the food--now make him cook it. Let him do it while they look for another coach.

[funkatron101]

I will be surprised if he does. He reportedly hated doing it the last time. Honestly, I think Witt should stay on until they do find his replacement. I can't imagine any interim coach making significant strides this season.

[PeeDee]

Honestly, I think Witt should stay on until they do find his replacement. I can't imagine any interim coach making significant strides this season.

I think that is even more unlikely than McHale coaching. Would you want to stay on in a position where you're essentially fired but you're still working until they find a successor? Could anyone do good job in that position? Morale would be awful in the locker room.

On another note:

DING DONG THE WITT IS DEAD!!! WHICH OLD WITT?!?! THE WICKED WITT!!! DING DONG THE WICKED WITT IS DEAD!!!

[john2jer]

Who was the guy in Denver a few years ago when they had a billion rookies and CBA wanna-bes playing for them? Jeff Bzdelik? Just googled it, it was Jeff Bzdelik. Can't believe I remembered that name. Anyways, he did a phenomenal job of motivating and developing guys who were garbage, which allowed them to become competitive when they started bringing talent in.

I've always been a fan of his. Now throw him in with this group which has a little talent and we might see strides this season. I know we shouldn't be concerned about wins and play-offs, but to just see some improvement, development, and hustle out of this group would be great for future success.

[shrink]

I agree. McHale should coach this group. He bought the food--now make him cook it. Let him do it while they look for another coach.

Meh. If Northwest pilots go on strike because of front office moves, its probably not a good idea for the company to ask the VP to start flying planes.

Moreover, McHale already did all this once -- successfully, with the most dysfunctional team in Wolves history. Let me see another GM step up and do it successfully before McHale has to do it twice.

Finally, we're rebuilding here, and we don't have our center yet, and Mike Miller and Corey Brewer are out, so we aren't a full team yet. I still like the moves McHale has made over the last 18 months, and it will take more than a few bad games to make me reverse my opinion. Look what we had then, and look what we have now .. I like "now" a WHOLE lot better.

[Rocky5000]

So McHale is going to get the Isiah treatment it seems.

[jack612]

Looking forward to seeing him coaching with his job on the line

[TMo519]

Looks like it's official now: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/35719409.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

[SpencerBusch]

yes!!

Now off to find a replacment

[C.lupus]

PARTY TIME!!!!!!!

Oh, that's right, I'm at work.