Phil “Flip” Saunders, the Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and head coach, passed away at the age of 60 on Sunday, the Timberwolves announced.
Flip Saunders passes away at age 60, Timberwolves announce
The Minnesota coach passed away after a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
USA TODAY Sports Images
A minority owner of the Timberwolves, Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June and had been hospitalized since late September. He was not going to coach the Timberwolves this season.
After a brief hiatus from coaching after a coaching stint with the Washington Wizards from 2009 to 2012, Saunders coached the Timberwolves during the 2014-15 season. He had coached the Timberwolves from 1995 to 2005 and the Detroit Pistons from 2005 to 2008.
Saunders won 654 games in his career. He led Minnesota to the conference finals in 2004 and led the Pistons to three consecutive conference finals from 2006 to 2008.
When defensive rules changed in the early 2000s, Saunders was one of the first coaches to play an extensive zone. He turned the Timberwolves into a great team with Kevin Garnett in those years, and appeared to be leading a resurgence in Minnesota, with Garnett returning, too.
Garnett honored Saunders by posting this picture to Facebook:
Touching pic.twitter.com/Tm9UeeBkGL
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) October 25, 2015 The Timberwolves released the following statement on Saunders:
T-Wolves statement on the passing of Flip Saunders pic.twitter.com/Ila6yNpvR2
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) October 25, 2015 The Minnesota basketball community will miss Saunders.
Flip Saunders was such a huge part of our basketball culture in Minnesota. No words for this too early passing. Condolences to his family.
— canishoopus (@canishoopus) October 25, 2015 See More:
