Timberwolves Hire Chris Finch as Coach, After Firing Ryan Saunders

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have finalized the hiring of Toronto assistant Chris Finch as their new head coach. The move came hours after the firing of Ryan Saunders.

President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas worked with the 51-year-old Finch in Houston. Finch was an assistant for six seasons there while Rosas was in the front office.

Finch has 24 years of coaching experience, roughly half of that in Europe. He also has been an assistant with Denver and New Orleans.

You can read the full release by the Minnesota Timberwolves HERE.

Finch will coach his first game as the head coach of the Timberwolves Tuesday night against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Minnesota Timberwolves Remaining February Games

• TUE 2/23: Timberwolves at Milwaukee
• WED 2/24: Timberwolves at Chicago
• SAT 2/27: Timberwolves at Washington
• SUN 2/28: Phoenix at Timberwolves

Chris Finch becomes the fourteenth head coach in the team's history.

Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coaching History

1. Bill Musselman (1989-1991)
2. Jimmy Rodgers (1991-1993)
3. Sidney Lowe (1993-1994)
4. Bill Blair (1994-1995)
5. Flip Saunders (1995-2005) and (2014-2015)
6. Kevin McHale (2005) and (2008-2009)
7. Dwane Casey (2005-2007)
8. Randy Wittman (2007-2008)
9. Kurt Rambis (2009-2011)
10. Rick Adelman (2011-2014)
11. Sam Mitchell (2015-2016)
12. Tom Thibodeau (2016-2019)
13. Ryan Saunders (2019-2021)
14. Chris Finch (2021-present)

Of the fourteen coaches, Flip Saunders (1995-2005 and 2014-2015) had the best winning percentage at .521. Jimmy Rodgers (1989-1991) had the worst at .189. Kurt Rambis (2009-2011) was close behind with a winning percentage of just .195.

Sidney Lowe (1993-1994) is the only person in Minnesota Timberwolves history to have been both a player on the team and served has head coach.