The Minnesota Timberwolves, founded in 1989, are headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Target Center, the Timberwolves’ home, has seen 14 coaches in just 36 years, and only one has stayed with the team for more than five years.
Here’s a list of every Timberwolves head coach throughout NBA history as the franchise still seeks its first NBA Championship.
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Early Struggles
- Bill Musselman (1989–1991): Musselman led the team during its NBA debut. The Wolves picked up their first win in their third game, beating the 76ers at home. Musselman finished with a 51-113 record.
- Jimmy Rodgers (1991–1993): Rodgers took over after a 29-53 season. However, the Timberwolves went 15-67 under him, tied for the worst record in franchise history. He won just 21 games overall, losing 90.
- Sidney Lowe (1993–1994): A former NBA point guard, Lowe achieved a 33–102 record in parts of two seasons.
- Bill Blair (1994–1995): Blair lasted less than two seasons. He managed a 27-75 record, failing to give consistent results with a struggling and weak roster.
First Taste of Success
- Saunders remains the longest-tenured coach in team history. He led Minnesota to eight straight playoff runs, going 411-326 in the regular season and 17-30 in the playoffs. The 2004 team reached the Western Conference Finals. He returned in 2014, posting a 16-66 record before passing away in 2015.
- Kevin McHale (2005, 2008–2009): McHale had two interim stints and managed a 39–55 combined record.
More Lows and Struggles
- Dwane Casey (2005–2007): Casey posted a 53–69 record during his tenure. He was the Timberwolves’ second-ever head coach to register 30+ wins in a season. Casey was dismissed midseason in 2006–07 despite a solid 20–20 start.
- Randy Wittman (2007–2008): Wittman went 38-105 during his tenure. The Timberwolves returned to winning only 20+ games a season under him. A 4–19 start in 2008 led to his dismissal.
- Kurt Rambis (2009–2011): Rambis brought the triangle offense from the Lakers’ system to Minnesota, but it failed to make a difference. He went just 32–132 in two seasons.
- Rick Adelman (2011–2014): The Timberwolves came very close to the playoffs during Adelman’s tenure. The veteran coach posted a 97-133 record.
- Sam Mitchell (2015–2016): As interim coach following Saunders’ death, Mitchell led a young roster to a 29–53 record.
Return to Playoffs and Rebuild
- Tom Thibodeau (2016–2019): Thibodeau ended the team’s 14-year playoff drought in 2018. Although he posted a commendable 97-107 record, internal conflicts, including the Jimmy Butler Saga, resulted in his departure.
- Ryan Saunders (2019–2021): Flip’s son, Ryan Saunders, went 43–94 while managing a rebuilding roster.
The Chris Finch Era
- Chris Finch (2021–present): Hired midseason in 2021, Finch has become one of the most successful coaches in team history. He has managed a 209-160 record in the regular season and a 20-21 record in the postseason. Finch has led the Timberwolves to the playoffs every season of his tenure.
Chris Finch is now the Timberwolves Head Coach franchise leader in postseason wins
▪️ Chris Finch — 18
▪️ Flip Saunders — 17
▪️ Tom Thibodeau — 1 pic.twitter.com/xqqq4Voaho— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) May 12, 2025
The Timberwolves have been doing an incredible job under Finch. If they continue to perform like that, we might not be far from seeing the NBA Championship coming to Minnesota.
