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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Get breaking news and SI\u2019s biggest stories instantly. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS&amp;nbsp;or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Minnesota Timberwolves have hired Tom Thibodeau as their coach and president of basketball operations, the team announced Wednesday.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager Scott&amp;nbsp;Layden&amp;nbsp;will be the team\u2019s general manager.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Vertical\u2019s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the two sides were in serious talks earlier Wednesday.&amp;nbsp;Thibodeau\u2019s contract with Minnesota could be worth around $10 million annually,&amp;nbsp;reports&amp;nbsp;ESPN\u2019s Marc Stein.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CWe are extremely excited to welcome Tom Thibodeau back to the Timberwolves,\u201D said Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor in a statement. \u201CThrough this process we quickly identified Tom as the best leader to shape our talented team and help them realize their full potential. Tom\u2019s resume speaks for itself. He is a proven winner, leader and one of the most well-respected NBA head coaches over the last decade. His teams have annually been among the league leaders in defense and we are excited about the approach and mentality he will bring to that side of the ball. The future of the Minnesota Timberwolves has never been brighter and we are very pleased to have Tom as our basketball operations leader moving forward.\u200B\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thibodeau expressed his excitement to return to the team that he was once a member of.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CI started my career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and it is an incredible opportunity to rejoin the organization at a time when they have what I believe to be the best young roster in the NBA,\u201D Thibodeau said in a statement. \u201CTogether with a great owner in Glen Taylor and a terrific basketball partner in Scott Layden, I look forward to building a winning culture that Minnesota sports fans can be proud of.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Timberwolves finished 29\u201353 this season under Sam Mitchell, who was fired earlier this month. Mitchell was the team\u2019s head coach on an interim basis after the death of Flip Saunders.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 &lt;strong&gt;HARRIS: Dwyane&amp;nbsp;Wade Q&amp;amp;A: Fashion, branding and Harvard&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thibodeau&amp;nbsp;went 255\u2013139 in five seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2009-2015. He led the Bulls to the playoffs five straight years, including a conference finals appearance in 2011. He has been to the NBA Finals three times as an assistant coach and won a title with the 2008 Celtics.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He inherits the past two No. 1 overall draft picks in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, in addition to Minnesota\u2019s upcoming lottery selection and a host of young players.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Layden spent the past four seasons with the Spurs, and has also worked with the Jazz and Knicks in front office capacities.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em &gt;\u2013 Rohan Nadkarni&lt;/em&gt;\r\n&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/nba/2016/04/20/minnesota-timberwolves-tom-thibodeau-coach-president>