FLOYD IN AS CHICAGO COACH; WILL JORDAN NOW TAKE LEAVE? : SPECULATION IS FLYING AS BULLS USHER IN NEW ERA.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. The Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They play in the National Basketball Association. The team was founded in 1966, and has won six NBA Championships since. are calling Michael Jordan's bluff, hiring the coach he said he wouldn't play for: Tim Floyd Tim Floyd (born February 25, 1954) is the current head coach of the University of Southern California men's college basketball team. Floyd is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA. . The next move is up to Jordan. Floyd will join the Bulls for a news conference today. A source told The Associated Press he is coming as coach, and ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network also reported that, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= source, Floyd would become coach. WMAQ WMAQ We Must Ask Questions (Chicago NBC Affiliate) radio reported that Floyd will be named director of basketball operations, with the coach to be determined later. Floyd arrived in Chicago on Wednesday morning, a few hours after resigning at Iowa State. ``I really can't comment any further right now,'' Floyd said. The Bulls also refused to confirm Floyd's hiring. Iowa State athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Gene Smith said Floyd was leaving ``to pursue another opportunity with the Chicago Bulls.'' Asked if Floyd would be the coach, Smith said: ``You're going to have to ask the Chicago Bulls about that.'' Floyd met with three players Wednesday morning, speaking with the others by phone. ``He just said I'm resigning to take another job, it's the opportunity of a lifetime and I can't pass it up,'' said Tony Rampton, a redshirt junior center and one of the players whom Floyd met with personally. As the Bulls' coach-in-waiting the past two years, Floyd's hiring hardly comes as a surprise. But Jordan's dislike of Floyd is no secret, either, saying just last week that he wouldn't play for him. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. Tim. I don't have anything against Tim Floyd,'' Jordan said July 16. ``To (play for him) is like starting all over again, and that's what I don't want to do. He may want to do that, but I don't. ``I don't condemn him. I don't condemn (the Bulls) for hiring him,'' Jordan added. ``But I just don't feel that I want to start with someone who doesn't really know me and doesn't know the way I play the game of basketball.'' Jordan won't make an official announcement about his future until the NBA lockout lockout, intentional closing up of a company, factory, or shop by an employer to prevent employees from working during a strike or labor dispute. The term lockout ends, and Floyd's hiring won't change that, said David Falk David B. Falk (born 1950)[1][2] is an American sports agent who primarily works with NBA players. He is best known for representing sports icon Michael Jordan for the entirety of Jordan's career. , Jordan's agent. The NBA lockout bars the Bulls - and their new coach - from having any direct contact with Jordan. Jordan did not react publicly to news of Floyd's hiring. ``Michael needs to take his time to see how all of the pieces fall into place,'' Falk said. ``We only have one piece of the picture. It may be that piece is of sufficient weight to outweigh everything else. Only time will tell.'' A fishing buddy of general manager Jerry Krause Jerry Krause was a longtime professional basketball scout and General Manager for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year award. , Floyd was the top candidate to replace Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. long before Jackson left. That alone was enough to earn the scorn of Jordan, who derisively de·ri·sive adj. Mocking; jeering. de·ri  sive·ly adv.de·ri calls him ``Pink,'' as in the rock group Pink Floyd. Jordan made it clear he didn't want to play for anyone but Jackson. But relations between Jackson and the Bulls' management were strained, at best, and Jackson announced his resignation a week after Chicago won its sixth NBA title in eight years. ``I think he needs to step back from all the events of the season and all the political events surrounding the team and decide what he wants to do,'' Falk said of Jordan. ``He's earned the right after what he's brought to the team and the city and the game of basketball to do whatever brings him joy and satisfaction.'' The Bulls also interviewed NBA assistants Scott Skiles, Ron Rothstein, Paul Silas and Rick Carlisle, but the job was thought to be Floyd's to turn down. Though he has no NBA coaching experience, the 44-year-old has a solid track record on the college level. Iowa State's 12-18 record last year was his first losing season in 12 years as a head coach. Floyd is 243-130 overall with five NCAA tournament appearances. He was 81-47 in his four years at Iowa State and was runner-up for the AP's national coach of the year in 1995-96, when the Cyclones finished 24-9, despite losing four starters. ``I think it would be a shock to anyone close to the scene had Tim Floyd not been hired,'' Falk said. ``This was a decision that was made a year ago.'' What will happen to the rest of the Bulls' staff isn't clear. Krause told Frank Hamblen and two other assistants that whether they stay on or not will be up to the new coach. IS TIM FLOYD UP TO THE TASK? Tim Floyd, who resigned as Iowa State's men's basketball coach, is expected to be named coach of the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls. At left, is Floyd's career coaching record: Year Team W L Pct 1986-87 Idaho 16 14 .533 1987-88 Idaho 19 11 .633 1988-89 New Orleans 19 11 .633 1989-90 New Orleans 21 11 .656 1990-91 New Orleans-x 23 8 .742 1991-92 New Orleans 18 14 .563 1992-93 New Orleans-x 26 4 .867 1993-94 New Orleans 20 10 .667 1994-95 Iowa St.-x 23 11 .676 1995-96 Iowa St.-x 24 9 .727 1996-97 Iowa St.-x 22 9 .710 1997-98 Iowa St. 1218 .400 Totals 243 130 .651 x - qualified for NCAA Tournament Born: February 25, 1954 Education: B.S. in Health and Physical Education, Louisiana Tech, 1977 Did you know?: Floyd's father, the late Lee Floyd, was the head men's basketball coach at Southern Mississippi for 14 years (1949-54 and 1962-71), recording a 246-147 mark. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) Tim Floyd Associated Press (2) Tim Floyd, right, resigned Wednesday as Iowa State's basketball coach and apparently will be named coach of the Chicago Bulls. John Gaps III/Associated Press (3--Color) MICHAEL JORDAN The Bulls are awaiting word from their superstar about his future. BOX: IS TIM FLOYD UP TO THE TASK? (see text) |
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