In a likely surprise to Chicago Bulls fans, coach Tom Thibodeau will not earn his second straight Coach of the Year award -- that honor will belong to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News:
Popovich to be named Coach of Year at 2 pm
— Mike Monroe (@Monroe_SA) May 1, 2012
Both Popovich and Thibodeau led their teams to the best record in the NBA at 50-16. While Thibodeau navigated significant injuries to SG Richard Hamilton and PG Derrick Rose, Popovich overcame a 26-13 start to post a 24-3 record through the end of the season with two double-digit winning streaks.
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