After being fired by the Chicago Bulls today, word leaked about Tom Thibodeau’s newest endeavor. He will not be the coach of the Orlando Magic or the New Orleans Pelicans, but instead shocked the basketball world by becoming the newest trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser.
“Dave [Broome] and I were sitting around wondering if we’d ever get someone to push the contestants to the limit like Jillian [Michaels]. The show hasn’t been the same since she left and we needed a bulldozer. Dave threw out Coach Thibs’ name and we both stopped and knew we had to have him. Once the season was over we hired him immediately,” said NBC executive producer, Ben Silverman. “When we brought Coach Thibs on he had one requirement. He wanted his team to be televised for all 48 minutes of the 60 minute show. We told him you can’t go 48 minutes. We suggested 44 minutes and he stormed out. Coach is intense.”
Kevin D’Ambrosio from Boston was selected to be on the team and found the coach’s bark to be as sharp as his bite.
“Coach is everything you’d imagine. Tough, relentless. The workouts are near death experiences. He keeps yelling ‘Jimmy’ at me while I’m on the treadmill. He really misses Butler.”
Veteran trainer Bob Harper was especially displeased with Thibodeau joining the trainers.
“From day one he’s been on my case. He keeps yelling at me, ‘Harper, you Pax’s boy?’ Then he makes comments about Ron Adams. Honestly, I don’t know what he’s talking about,” said a befuddled Harper.
“Yesterday I pulled my hamstring and coach was livid I went to Dr. Huizenga,” said contestant Monica St. Hutchens form Lake Placid. “He got up in my face, screaming, ‘Has Gar gotten to you too?’ He kept calling me Dunleavy the rest of the night.”
“I’ve lost 17 pounds this week thanks to coach. I must admit, though, he confuses us at times when he randomly yells out ‘pick and pop’ or ‘from the elbow,'” said contestant Barbara Adele from Shreveport. “The weigh-ins are tough on him. He keeps pacing and screaming at Allison [Sweeney] for a call. I think he called her Bavetta last week. He refers to all the eliminated players as Boozers. That’s our coach.”
Thibodeau issued a brief statement only saying he wanted the fans to tune in but had one wish. “Get Gar’s fat butt in here.”
Brian Berns contributed to this piece.
