New Tulsa 66ers Coach Eager To Learn, Lead
Aug 20 2009 4:56PM
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New Tulsa 66ers head coach Nate Tibbetts spent the last four years with the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce.
The house is on the market. A new one waits in Tulsa, sometime in the not-so-distant future. For now, his bags are packed for a summer to be spent in Oklahoma City, where he will work the first few months of his new job.
Nate Tibbetts has never experienced anything like this.
On May 7, Tibbetts became the head coach of the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League after spending the previous four years with the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce and his entire life, all 31 years, living in South Dakota.
“I’m excited to be moving south,” Tibbetts said.
But Tibbetts has been on the Thunder’s radar for some time.
He befriended Thunder Director of Pro Player Personnel Bill Branch about a year ago, and the two kept in touch. A week ago, the Thunder came calling with a job offer. After talking to head coach Scott Brooks, Tibbetts said it was an easy decision.
“He kept talking about how we wanted to see the guys get better,” Tibbetts said. “He wanted someone in the position who was energetic and a guy who was going to help the Thunder build through Tulsa. He seems like he really has a plan and that’s part of the reason why I’m coming there, and to continue to learn from being around him.”
Tibbetts will spend most of the summer with the Thunder in Oklahoma City. He’ll help with pre-draft workouts, mini-camps and summer leagues. He’ll absorb as much as he can from Brooks and his coaching staff before heading north to lead a 66ers squad coming off a 15-35 season.
“I just think the big thing with Tulsa is the development and teaching these young guys how to be pros, just as far as work ethic and preparation,” Tibbetts said. “In the D League, guys come and go a lot but the thing we can control is getting good guys and getting guys who can work.”
Tibbetts has always fit that mold, whether as a player or coach.
The son of the all-time winningest girls basketball coach in South Dakota history, Tibbetts grew up around a whistle and clipboard. A career point guard, Tibbetts played at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High, where his late father, Fred, coached. Tibbetts then jumpstarted a memorable career at the University of South Dakota, where he helped the program win three straight conference championships. He also ranks second all-time in career assists and steals.
Shane Murphy, who recruited Tibbetts to USD, hired Tibbetts as an assistant coach at the University of Sioux Falls, where they coached the team to two trips to the NAIA Division II national tournament.
Murphy always thought that Tibbetts fit the coaching mold.
“I think the biggest thing that stuck out to me was just his ability to relate to the players,” Murphy said recently. “He always had that ability to relate to them, to talk to them, and just his desire to be our on the floor. Rebounding, working on foot work, you name it – skill development and relationships are always going to be strengths of his.”
Tibbetts cracked the professional ranks shortly thereafter, when the Skyforce was a member of the Continental Basketball Association. He had played against the brother of the Skyforce’s then-head coach and current Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach, David Joerger, and developed a relationship with the Heineman family, which owns the Skyforce.
Tibbetts spent the first two seasons as an assistant coach under Mo McHone before taking over the head coaching reigns for the previous two seasons.
“They felt like giving me a chance,” Tibbetts said of the Heineman family, “and I owe a lot to those guys because I had had no professional experience before that.”
Tibbetts gained plenty.
And he’s eager to learn more with the Thunder and 66ers.
“I think the growth is just in your confidence with dealing with big decisions,” he said. “I know I’ve still got a lot to learn and I want to continue to keep working at it.”
Right now, Tibbetts is trying to make as smooth a transition as possible.
He’ll turn 32 on Friday, when he will leave the only place he’s ever called home to report for his first day of work in Oklahoma City. His wife, Lyndsey, will remain in Sioux Falls until they can sell the house they’ve lived in the last four years.
Tibbetts will mostly be living out of a suitcase for the next few months, but that’s the least of his concerns.
“I’m a young coach and I feel like they’re really an up and comer,” he said of the Thunder organization. “I like everything about their staff and their front office. I think they’re really focused on the community and getting good guys and having a positive organization. I’m really excited to be a part of that.”
Contact Chris Silva
Nate Tibbetts has never experienced anything like this.
On May 7, Tibbetts became the head coach of the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League after spending the previous four years with the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce and his entire life, all 31 years, living in South Dakota.
“I’m excited to be moving south,” Tibbetts said.
But Tibbetts has been on the Thunder’s radar for some time.
He befriended Thunder Director of Pro Player Personnel Bill Branch about a year ago, and the two kept in touch. A week ago, the Thunder came calling with a job offer. After talking to head coach Scott Brooks, Tibbetts said it was an easy decision.
“He kept talking about how we wanted to see the guys get better,” Tibbetts said. “He wanted someone in the position who was energetic and a guy who was going to help the Thunder build through Tulsa. He seems like he really has a plan and that’s part of the reason why I’m coming there, and to continue to learn from being around him.”
Tibbetts will spend most of the summer with the Thunder in Oklahoma City. He’ll help with pre-draft workouts, mini-camps and summer leagues. He’ll absorb as much as he can from Brooks and his coaching staff before heading north to lead a 66ers squad coming off a 15-35 season.
“I just think the big thing with Tulsa is the development and teaching these young guys how to be pros, just as far as work ethic and preparation,” Tibbetts said. “In the D League, guys come and go a lot but the thing we can control is getting good guys and getting guys who can work.”
Tibbetts has always fit that mold, whether as a player or coach.
The son of the all-time winningest girls basketball coach in South Dakota history, Tibbetts grew up around a whistle and clipboard. A career point guard, Tibbetts played at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High, where his late father, Fred, coached. Tibbetts then jumpstarted a memorable career at the University of South Dakota, where he helped the program win three straight conference championships. He also ranks second all-time in career assists and steals.
Shane Murphy, who recruited Tibbetts to USD, hired Tibbetts as an assistant coach at the University of Sioux Falls, where they coached the team to two trips to the NAIA Division II national tournament.
Murphy always thought that Tibbetts fit the coaching mold.
“I think the biggest thing that stuck out to me was just his ability to relate to the players,” Murphy said recently. “He always had that ability to relate to them, to talk to them, and just his desire to be our on the floor. Rebounding, working on foot work, you name it – skill development and relationships are always going to be strengths of his.”
Tibbetts cracked the professional ranks shortly thereafter, when the Skyforce was a member of the Continental Basketball Association. He had played against the brother of the Skyforce’s then-head coach and current Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach, David Joerger, and developed a relationship with the Heineman family, which owns the Skyforce.
Tibbetts spent the first two seasons as an assistant coach under Mo McHone before taking over the head coaching reigns for the previous two seasons.
“They felt like giving me a chance,” Tibbetts said of the Heineman family, “and I owe a lot to those guys because I had had no professional experience before that.”
Tibbetts gained plenty.
And he’s eager to learn more with the Thunder and 66ers.
“I think the growth is just in your confidence with dealing with big decisions,” he said. “I know I’ve still got a lot to learn and I want to continue to keep working at it.”
Right now, Tibbetts is trying to make as smooth a transition as possible.
He’ll turn 32 on Friday, when he will leave the only place he’s ever called home to report for his first day of work in Oklahoma City. His wife, Lyndsey, will remain in Sioux Falls until they can sell the house they’ve lived in the last four years.
Tibbetts will mostly be living out of a suitcase for the next few months, but that’s the least of his concerns.
“I’m a young coach and I feel like they’re really an up and comer,” he said of the Thunder organization. “I like everything about their staff and their front office. I think they’re really focused on the community and getting good guys and having a positive organization. I’m really excited to be a part of that.”
Contact Chris Silva
