Paul Westphal, who coached the Phoenix Suns against the Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals, interviewed Wednesday for an assistant's job on Vinny Del Negro's first staff, sources said.
Westphal went 267-159 in stints with the Suns and SuperSonics over five full seasons and parts of two others. He worked on Avery Johnson's staff last season in Dallas.
At his introductory news conference, Del Negro said he would seek the most qualified staff but stressed previous head coaching experience wasn't mandatory.
Nevertheless, Westphal's interview follows one for Bob Hill, who went 310-293 in head coaching stints with the Knicks, Pacers, Spurs and Sonics. Hill last coached in 2006-07, going 31-51 in Seattle.
Both Hill and Westphal are considered creative offensive minds who could serve as the lead assistant for that area. As for defense, the Bulls are considering making a run at Tom Thibodeau, whose one-year contract with the Celtics is expiring.
Thibodeau received the lion's share of credit for orchestrating the Celtics' league-leading defense this season. Given that his efforts helped Boston secure an NBA championship, prying him loose could be difficult—and pricey.
Yet Thibodeau is someone who intrigued the Bulls enough that he landed on the original list of candidates for the head coaching job that went to Del Negro.
Veteran head coaches Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff also could be interviewed for positions on Del Negro's staff.
Bickerstaff, currently the Bobcats' general manager, went 414-512 in stints with the Sonics, Nuggets, Washington Bullets/Wizards and Bobcats. Harris, who made noises about retiring after last serving as an assistant in Dallas, owns a career record of 556-457 in stints with the Rockets, Bucks and Lakers.
General manager John Paxson has said organizational jobs will exist for holdovers Pete Myers and Ron Adams if Del Negro chooses not to have them on his bench.
Mike Wilhelm will return to his role as the Bulls' advance scout.
Del Negro needs to add as much experience as he can to the coaching staff. Any of the three players mentioned in the subject title would be a solid addition to the staff.
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