CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls fired Tom Thibodeau on Thursday, saying a change was needed from the strong-willed coach who took his team to the playoffs in each of his five seasons.
Thibodeau was 255-139 with the Bulls, good for a .647 winning percentage, which puts him seventh in N.B.A. history among coaches with at least 200 games. He led the Bulls to the top seed in the playoffs in his first two seasons and was the N.B.A.’s coach of the year in 2011 — the same year Derrick Rose became the league’s youngest most valuable player.