The Minnesota Timberwolves tragically lost head coach Flip Saunders, who passed away in 2015, but they are keeping the Saunders name atop their team, The T'Wolves finalized a deal on Monday to make Flip's son, Ryan Saunders, their next head coach. Saunders receives a multiyear deal for the new gig, as he got the job after their new president of basketball operations, Gersson Rosas, met with other candidates at the NBA Draft Scouting Combine last weekend. The 33-year-old finished as the Timberwolves' interim head coach this past season after they parted ways with Tom Thibodeau mid-season.
In that short time of leading the team that missed the playoffs, he won over the approval of many of the Minnesota players, including their star, Karl Anthony-Towns. Rosas was recently named the team's new president, and has since spent hours meeting with Saunders. Ryan's father, Flip, passed away at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer, but his son has stuck around the organization in his dad's honor.
Him sticking around has paid off in the long run, as he gets his dad's old job, and will be joined by Gianluca Pascucci as the new assistant general manager. Pascucci comes over from the Brooklyn Nets, and previously worked with Rosas in the Houston Rockets organization. The Timberwolves were expected to fight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference this past season, but instead, finished 36-49 after a tough start where their stars, outside of Towns, struggled to produce. The team can now only hope that the mood will change under a coach that the players are majorly fond of.
In that short time of leading the team that missed the playoffs, he won over the approval of many of the Minnesota players, including their star, Karl Anthony-Towns. Rosas was recently named the team's new president, and has since spent hours meeting with Saunders. Ryan's father, Flip, passed away at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer, but his son has stuck around the organization in his dad's honor.
Him sticking around has paid off in the long run, as he gets his dad's old job, and will be joined by Gianluca Pascucci as the new assistant general manager. Pascucci comes over from the Brooklyn Nets, and previously worked with Rosas in the Houston Rockets organization. The Timberwolves were expected to fight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference this past season, but instead, finished 36-49 after a tough start where their stars, outside of Towns, struggled to produce. The team can now only hope that the mood will change under a coach that the players are majorly fond of.
