Tom Thibodeau is keeping his eyes peeled for his next coaching opportunity.
The former Knicks coach, who took them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, said SiriusXM’s “The Starting Lineup” that he wants to be back in the NBA ranks.
“I love the game. Obviously I’m preparing for the next opportunity, so hopefully I’ll be ready,” Thibodeau said.
It shouldn’t be much of a revelation that Thibs wants to get back into the game after being fired by the Knicks and replaced by Mike Brown.
Thibodeau was head coach of the Knicks for five seasons, leading the team to a 226-174 record during that time.
The Knicks reached the playoffs five times during his tenure, including last season’s Eastern Conference Finals trip.
Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2021 and the Knicks had 40-plus win seasons in four of his five seasons in the Big Apple.
Thibs previously coached the Bulls from 2010 to 2015 and the Timberwolves from 2016 to 2019, compiling an all-time record of 578-420 as head coach.
The former head coach was in the Windy City for Derrick Rose’s jersey presentation.
Rose, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago, praised his former coach and pushed back on the story that he was responsible for his ACL tear.
“They look at Thibs as the injury part, but I’m here to say that,” Rose told the audience at his retirement ceremony. “There’s a reason why, everything is meant to be that way, brother. Thibs was the first coach who made me feel special when we watched film. I used to do plays in games to make sure he saw me on tape.”
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