Chicago Bulls hire Vinny Del Negro as new head coach
By K.C. Johnson | Tribune reporter
12:58 PM CDT, June 9, 2008
The Bulls have offered their head coaching job to Vinny Del Negro, which the Suns' assistant general manager is prepared to accept, sources said Monday.
A deal still needs to be finalized, but a news conference officially announcing Del Negro as the 17th coach in franchise history is expected this week.
Del Negro, who has no previous coaching experience, first interviewed for the job on Thursday and quickly shot ahead of Kings assistant Chuck Person and former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey.
Those two candidates had second interviews with Bulls management, including team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, last week. When Doug Collins withdrew from consideration for the job on Friday, signs started pointing to Del Negro.
His hiring ended a 52-day search that began with Jim Boylan's firing on April 17 and featured interviews with 13 known candidates, including high-profile dalliances with Mike D'Antoni and Collins.
D'Antoni spurned the Bulls for the Knicks on May 10. Collins surprisingly changed his mind about not wanting to coach and contacted the Bulls on May 23, appeared to have the job and ultimately changed his mind again on Friday.
Del Negro, 41, played for five teams over an 11-year NBA career after Sacramento made him an early second-round pick in 1988. The point guard averaged 9.1 points and 3.2 assists in 771 career games.
Del Negro, who played collegiately for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, also spent parts of three seasons playing professionally in Italy.
After a two-game stint for Phoenix in 2001-02, Del Negro later became the Suns' radio analyst before being promoted to director of player personnel in 2006. A year later, Del Negro assumed his current position, where he handled scouting for Suns general manager Steve Kerr.
Del Negro was born in the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, Mass. His father, Vince, played basketball at Kentucky for the legendary Adolph Rupp.
Little is known about his basketball philosophy since he never has coached before. Del Negro interviewed for the Suns' coaching job that Terry Porter landed on Saturday, but failed to make Kerr's list of four finalists.
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By K.C. Johnson | Tribune reporter
12:58 PM CDT, June 9, 2008
The Bulls have offered their head coaching job to Vinny Del Negro, which the Suns' assistant general manager is prepared to accept, sources said Monday.
A deal still needs to be finalized, but a news conference officially announcing Del Negro as the 17th coach in franchise history is expected this week.
Del Negro, who has no previous coaching experience, first interviewed for the job on Thursday and quickly shot ahead of Kings assistant Chuck Person and former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey.
Those two candidates had second interviews with Bulls management, including team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, last week. When Doug Collins withdrew from consideration for the job on Friday, signs started pointing to Del Negro.
His hiring ended a 52-day search that began with Jim Boylan's firing on April 17 and featured interviews with 13 known candidates, including high-profile dalliances with Mike D'Antoni and Collins.
D'Antoni spurned the Bulls for the Knicks on May 10. Collins surprisingly changed his mind about not wanting to coach and contacted the Bulls on May 23, appeared to have the job and ultimately changed his mind again on Friday.
Del Negro, 41, played for five teams over an 11-year NBA career after Sacramento made him an early second-round pick in 1988. The point guard averaged 9.1 points and 3.2 assists in 771 career games.
Del Negro, who played collegiately for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, also spent parts of three seasons playing professionally in Italy.
After a two-game stint for Phoenix in 2001-02, Del Negro later became the Suns' radio analyst before being promoted to director of player personnel in 2006. A year later, Del Negro assumed his current position, where he handled scouting for Suns general manager Steve Kerr.
Del Negro was born in the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, Mass. His father, Vince, played basketball at Kentucky for the legendary Adolph Rupp.
Little is known about his basketball philosophy since he never has coached before. Del Negro interviewed for the Suns' coaching job that Terry Porter landed on Saturday, but failed to make Kerr's list of four finalists.
[email protected]
