Floyd To Coach Chicago Bulls

In a move that could push Michael Jordan to retire, the Chicago Bulls have chosen Iowa State's Tim Floyd as their new head coach, The Associated Press has learned.

The announcement will be made Thursday, a Bulls source said today, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said he could not confirm that Floyd was hired to succeed Phil Jackson. Floyd and his family arrived in Chicago from Ames, Iowa, late this morning, but would not comment.

Floyd resigned today, said Iowa State spokesman John McCarroll. The school scheduled a 4 p.m. news conference.

Jordan has made no secret of his unwillingness to play for the 44-year-old Floyd, who has no NBA coaching experience and compiled a 243-130 career record with five NCAA tournament appearances. He has been at Iowa State for four years and his team went 12-18 last season -- his only losing season in 12 as a college coach.

In his most recent public comments, Jordan reiterated that he won't play for any coach but Jackson, who left at the end of the season after the team won its sixth championship.

Jordan said he wouldn't announce a decision on his future with the Bulls until after the NBA's lockout ends.

He has ridiculed Floyd by calling him "Pink" -- as in the rock group Pink Floyd. Dennis Rodman also has called the possible hiring of Floyd "a joke."

David Falk, Jordan's agent, said today that Floyd's hiring was not a surprise.

"I think it would be a shock to anyone close to the scene had Tim Floyd not been hired," Falk said. "This was a decision that was mae a year ago."

He wouldn't say where Jordan was or if he had made a decision on next season.

"It's safe to say the only thing that motivates (Jordan) as far as playing is to win championships. He's not playing for money, he's playing because he loves the game of basketball," Falk said.

"We only have one piece of the picture. It may be that piece is of sufficient weight to outweigh everything else. Only time will tell."

Floyd, a good friend of Bulls vice president Jerry Krause, interviewed with the team July 13 and was considered the leading candidate for the job. NBA assistants Scott Skiles, Ron Rothstein, Paul Silas and Rick Carlisle have also interviewed for the vacancy.

Iowa State forward Klay Edwards said Floyd called the team together around 7 a.m. CDT Wednesday to break the news of his resignation.

"We kind of expected it but the moment it happens, it's kind of shocking," Edwards said. "It's just like being a player. You work to go to high school to college and so on."

There had been reports earlier this week that Floyd was having cold feet over accepting the Bulls job, perhaps because Jordan said he wouldn't play for him. That would mean Floyd could be characterized as the man -- fairly or unfairly -- who drove the superstar to retirement.

Floyd has wavered in the past. He accepted the Iowa State job in the spring of 1994, then called a news conference at New Orleans where he was the head coach to announce he was staying. He said at the time he'd rather go bass fishing in Louisiana than ice fishing in Iowa.

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