In the NBA, having the best players will always give you the best chance of winning a championship, but the value of high-level coaching can never be overstated. The Minnesota Timberwolves are grateful that they have one of the best head coaches in the association patrolling their sideline in Chris Finch.
Throughout their history, the Wolves have employed several big-name coaches that brought plenty of experience to the table. The most notable of which being Flip Saunders, who was part of every playoff run in Minnesota during the Kevin Garnett era.
In this article, we will take a look at the history of head coaches in the Timberwolves organization. Read on to learn more about these coaches and their individual records, playoff achievements, and other notable contributions.
Bill Musselman
- Years coached: 1989 - 1991
- Overall record: 51-113
- Playoff record: 0-0
Jimmy Rodgers
- Years coached: 1991 - 1993
- Overall record: 21-90
- Playoff record: 0-0
Sidney Lowe
- Years coached: 1993 - 1994
- Overall record: 33-102
- Playoff record: 0-0
Bill Blair
- Years coached: 1994 - 1995
- Overall record: 27-75
- Playoff record: 0-0
Flip Saunders (1st stint)
- Years coached: 1995 - 2005
- Overall record: 411-326
- Playoff record: 17-30
- Notable achievements:
- 2003-04 Midwest Division championship
- Most playoff wins in franchise history
Kevin McHale (1st stint)
- Years coached: 2005
- Overall record: 19-12
- Playoff record: 0-0
Dwane Casey
- Years coached: 2005 - 2007
- Overall record: 53-69
- Playoff record: 0-0
Randy Wittman
- Years coached: 2007 - 2008
- Overall record: 38-105
- Playoff record: 0-0
Kevin McHale (2nd stint)
- Years coached: 2008 - 2009
- Overall record: 20-43
- Playoff record: 0-0
Kurt Rambis
- Years coached: 2009 - 2011
- Overall record: 32-132
- Playoff record: 0-0
Rick Adelman
- Years coached: 2011 - 2014
- Overall record: 97-133
- Playoff record: 0-0
Flip Saunders (2nd stint)
- Years coached: 2014 - 2015
- Overall record: 16-66
- Playoff record: 0-0
Sam Mitchell
- Years coached: 2015 - 2016
- Overall record: 29-53
- Playoff record: 0-0
Tom Thibodeau
- Years coached: 2016 - 2019
- Overall record: 97-107
- Playoff record: 1-4
Ryan Saunders
- Years coached: 2019 - 2021
- Overall record: 43-94
- Playoff record: 0-0
Chris Finch
- Years coached: 2021 - present
- Overall record: 160-127
- Playoff record: 12-15
- Notable achievements:
- Second-most playoff wins in franchise history
Notable coaching achievements in Timberwolves history
Record-setting coaches
- Flip Saunders led the Timberwolves to their most wins in a season in franchise history during the 2003-04 season, in which Minnesota took home 58 regular season victories.
- The longest regular season winning streak in Timberwolves history occurred in 2001, when the team won 11 games in a row under Flip Saunders. The streak began on January 17, 2001, and ended on February 13, 2001.
The current head coach
Future outlook under Chris Finch
Since taking over as head coach in February 2021, Chris Finch has had Minnesota on the fast track to a championship. After a decade as an assistant in the NBA, Finch took the reigns as the Timberwolves' leader and has played a big part in them becoming a Western Conference power.
Chris' innovative coaching has helped maximize the star power of Anthony Edwards, as well as made playing three big men heavy minutes more than viable. The players and the rest of the coaching staff have the utmost trust in Finch, and he gives this group an excellent chance of achieving their ultimate goal.