T-Wolves Criticized For New Coach Hiring Process

MINNEAPOLIS, MN —The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) released a statement Wednesday criticizing the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves for the hiring process that yielded new head coach Chris Finch, who was formally introduced Monday.

"It is our responsibility to point out when an organization fails to conduct a thorough and transparent search for candidates from a wide range of diverse backgrounds," the NBCA wrote in a statement from President Rick Carlisle, the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, and Executive Director David Fogel.

Finch, who had been an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, was hired one day after the Wolves fired Ryan Saunders. The latter had been in charge since 2019 and had an overall record of 43-94, including a 7-24 mark this season. Both Finch and Saunders are white.

According to the Associated Press, Finch was hired instead of current Wolves assistant David Vanterpool, who had the support of several NBA players, including Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns. Vanterpool is Black, as are two other Minnesota assistant coaches: Joseph Blair and Kevin Burleson.

Gersson Rosas, the Timberwolves president of basketball operations, told the Associated Press the organization had considered other candidates.

"There were other candidates, minority candidates we considered at this time," Rosas said. "Unfortunately, when you're in the middle of a season, you're really at the mercy of teams in terms of who can become available and who's not available. That was a challenge for us as we went through the process."

Rosas, who is Latino, further defended his hiring practices.

"Anybody that knows me knows how important diversity is to me and it's a big part of who I am and what I'm about," Rosas told the Associated Press. "Our staff and the diversity we have speaks for itself."

The NBCA said it had been pleased with many recent coaching searches in the NBA, and that it continues to work to ensure a level playing field for all coaching candidates.

"During this past offseason, we saw many NBA head coaching vacancies where teams led searches that were both diverse and transparent. This must be the standard," the NBCA's statement read. "The NBCA has been working closely with the League Office on a wide range of initiatives that will improve future coaching searches."

Read the full NBCA statement here.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.