Flip Saunders Won't Coach Minnesota Timberwolves This Season

Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders will not be returning this 2015-2016 NBA Season.

Last June, Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, is a cancer in the lymphatic system of the immune system that weakens the capability of the body to fight infection.

The Wolves Organization announced Saunders' health status last August wherein he was already undergoing cancer treatment. The Coach was then hospitalized last September.

In an interview by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wolves owner Glen Taylor shared that he does not expect Saunders to return this year given the serious condition and complications that the Wolves Coach experienced from his chemotherapy treatment.

"Not this year. I just think his illness, I mean, it's serious. At this point, if he came back I still think he'd have a hard time to recover all his energy and all that because he has been in the hospital for a long time," Taylor said in the interview.

As cited by the report, Doctors attending on Saunders said that the disease is "treatable" and "curable" while adding that Saunders could return by mid-season. However, as it turns out, the 60-year-old coach recovery has again hit a speed bump.

Taylor shared that what is happening to the franchise's winningest coach is an "unbelievable situation" that they did not expect as the season begins. However, the owner cited that he already talked to the team and the players about the status of Saunders who has a great influence on the whole Timberwolves organization.

On the other hand, Taylor mentioned that he and Saunders have already established a "blueprint" to follow last summer, pointing that buying out Anthony Bennett is part of that plan they made.

Associate Head Coach Sam Mitchell has been promoted as the interim coach of the Timberwolves and has been coaching the Wolves this preseason. Meanwhile, Milt Newton will be expanding his duties as General Manager, taking over the duties of President of Basketball Operations.

"We haven't put anything on hold. Milt's handling it just the way I'd expect him to. He tells me what he thinks, and we talk about things, just the same as I did with Flip. Milt's just stepped in. Sam has to be his own coach. He won't do things exactly as Flip does, and I wouldn't expect him to," the Wolves owner furthered

Saunder's has previously coached Minnesota from 1995 until 2005 before taking the helm in Detroit and Washington. He returned to the Timberwolves last 2014.

The NBA Season Opens this October 31, 2015.