Timberwolves fire Thibodeau

The Minnesota Timberwolves have fired president and head coach Tom Thibodeau, the team announced Sunday night.

"I said let's let it go and see how things worked," Wolves owner Glen Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Chris Hine. "I think now, we've gone up through halfway through the season and I don't think we're where we thought we would be or where we think we should be.

"I'm just looking at the results," he added. "The results are that I don't think we should've lost against Phoenix or Detroit or New Orleans or Atlanta."

Fred Hoiberg, who replaced Thibodeau as head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2015, is under serious consideration by Taylor to become either general manager or head coach in the future, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lead assistant Ryan Saunders, the son of late Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, will serve as interim coach. The team also confirmed that Scott Layden will remain the team's general manager for the time being.

Layden and team CEO Ethan Casson walked into Thibodeau's office and fired him after the Wolves' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, sources told Wojnarowski. Thibodeau was reportedly surprised by the timing.

Despite the win, Minnesota is 6-9 since Dec. 8 and has dropped to 11th in the Western Conference.

Thibodeau was named president and head coach of the Wolves in April 2016. He went 97-107 as head coach, leading Minnesota to a first-round playoff exit last spring.