Phew: Doug Collins is still the Bulls’ coach

June 2nd, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

Hey, remember when the Bulls were going to hire Doug Collins? Not so fast: over the weekend, the Bulls tried to lie and say they maybe weren’t going to hire Collins, even though everyone knew differently anyway:

Like an auto race official worried about a mishap up the track, Bulls officials were waving a figurative caution flag Friday, warning media to slow down on anointing Doug Collins as the team’s next coach. Still, sources insist the only way Collins will not be on the Bulls’ bench next season is if he gets cold feet and takes a pass on what is his job for the taking.

Nothing quite like reportage to douse a story in cold water before it even gets going. Well done, Mssr. Hanley. Of course, today we can rest assured that those sources are correct, and that Doug Collins will, in fact, be bringing his boring half court nonsense back to Chicago. Yay:

The Bulls’ six-week-plus coaching search will end this week, and all signs still point to Doug Collins returning for the most surprising of second chances. But a source said Collins and general manager John Paxson have discussed which assistants would land on Collins’ staff, another indication Collins is nearing a return to the franchise that fired him in 1989 after three successful seasons.

The excitement is palpable. Doug Collins, man. Phew. So good he’ll make you pine for Flip Saunders.