Laimbeer, Theus to join Wolves coaching staff

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

Bill Laimbeer quit as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock to get a coaching job in the NBA; he appears to have landed that as an assistant to Kurt Rambis with the Wolves.

Kurt Rambis is adding two peers from his playing days to the Wolves staff.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: August 31, 2009 - 12:39 AM

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New Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis will add former Detroit Pistons bad-boy center Bill Laimbeer and former Sacramento Kings coach Reggie Theus to his staff, according to a league source.

Those two notable names will join Boston assistant general manager Dave Wohl, a former Los Angeles Lakers assistant and New Jersey Nets head coach in the 1980s who will become Rambis' No. 1 assistant.

Laimbeer, 52, resigned as the Detroit Shock's head coach and general manager in June after winning three WNBA titles in seven seasons as its coach. He did so in a surprise move presumably to pursue a coaching career in the NBA, where he won two NBA titles with the Pistons displaying an agitating playing style that earned him the nickname "His Heinous."

He has never coached in the NBA.

Theus, 51, coached the Kings to a 44-62 record before being fired last winter 24 games into his second season as coach. He previously coached New Mexico State for two seasons and was an assistant coach to Rick Pitino at Louisville before that.

He played shooting guard for five franchises in his 13-season NBA playing career.

Current assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff might be retained from the team's former coaching staff. Jerry Sichting and Dean Cooper likely will be reassigned to the front office until their contracts expire.

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