Thibodeau believes he's a good fit with Bulls
He was born in Connecticut, attended college in Salem, Mass., and spent the past three years as an assistant with the Boston Celtics.
Despite those New England roots, new Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau considers himself an expert on the Chicago sports scene, thanks to his former Celtics boss Doc Rivers, a Maywood native who actively supports the Bears and the White Sox.
"Some of our toughest practices (with the Celtics) were on Monday after the Bears lost," Thibodeau joked. "I think Chicago is a terrific sports town. (Rivers) made me well aware of the Bears in the '80s, the Bulls in the '90s. I'm glad to be part of it."
Thibodeau agreed to join the Bulls back on June 5, but the hiring wasn't official until the Celtics finally wrapped up the Finals with a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last week. The 18-year NBA assistant formally was introduced Wednesday at the Berto Center.
Thibodeau has been waiting most of his professional life for a head-coaching opportunity. Sitting at the head table holding a letter-sized page filled with notes, he seemed well-prepared when asked about expectations for next season.
"I think there are five things we have to establish right away in terms of who we are," he said. "We're going to be a defensive team, we're going to be a rebounding team, we're going to be a low-turnover team, we're going to be an inside-out team, and we're going to be an unselfish team. I think that has to be clear and you have to establish that right from the start.
"Secondly, I think you want to build championship habits right from the start. So how you practice, how you prepare yourself - I think you should conduct yourself in a certain manner. I think being part of this organization is very special and you have to take it seriously."
Thibodeau's only previous head-coaching experience was one season at Salem (Mass.) State, his alma mater, in 1984-85. While working as an assistant at Harvard, Thibodeau was invited to join the staff of Bill Musselman with the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989.
"Before landing in Boston, Thibodeau spent several years working under Jeff Van Gundy in New York and Houston.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Thibodeau was the first coaching candidate he spoke to when the process began in early May. They had several phone conversations and finally met face to face in Los Angels on the eve of the Finals.
"The thing that really became apparent to us is he's got a very, very creative offensive mind," Forman said. "We really liked some of the ideas he presented as far a using the talent we have on the offensive side of the floor."
The Bulls obviously are hoping to land a high-profile free agent in the coming weeks and made a calculated risk that LeBron James, Chris Bosh and the other top players on the market will be eager to play for Thibodeau.
"What I believe is players want to get coached," Forman said. "They want to know they're being prepared, they want to know they're being utilized to the best of their abilities.
"If you have a staff that communicates, teaches, holds guys accountable and puts a plan in place on the floor, that's what players want, that's what they respond to."
Thibodeau grew familiar with many of his new players during the epic seven-game playoff series between the Bulls and Boston in 2009. Asked what kind of coach the Bulls are getting, Thibodeau was specific.
"I'd like to think I'll be well-prepared," he said. "I'll give this team a new plan. I think I'm fair. I believe in having great relationships with players. I want to build an environment that they feel very comfortable with.
"They know when they come to work, it's going to be serious, but it's going to be enjoyable. They're going to feel when they take the court, they're going to have a plan that they can be very successful."