Who became a head coach after Flip Saunders died on October 25, 2015?

Sam Mitchell became the Minnesota Timberwolves’ interim head coach after Flip Saunders died on October 25, 2015.

Saunders had been Minnesota’s head coach and president of basketball operations, but illness had already forced him to take a leave of absence. The Timberwolves appointed Mitchell, an assistant coach and former NBA Coach of the Year, to handle coaching duties during the 2015–16 season. After Saunders’ death, Mitchell continued in that interim role while general manager Milt Newton led the team’s personnel department.

Mitchell was a familiar figure in Minnesota basketball. Before joining Saunders’ staff, he coached the Toronto Raptors from 2004 to 2008 and won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2007. He had also played for the Timberwolves from 1996 to 2002, making him one of the few people to serve as both a player and head coach for the franchise.

A common mix-up is calling Mitchell Saunders’ permanent successor. Mitchell was officially the interim head coach for the rest of that season; Tom Thibodeau later became Minnesota’s head coach and president of basketball operations in 2016.