Some call him a genius. Others call him eccentric. But no one can deny that Tom Thibodeau is one of the most passionate coaches in the league. For over three decades, he has devoted himself entirely to his profession. While his unconventional methods occasionally draw criticism, Thibs has never wavered in his approach. But what about his personal life? If most of his time is consumed by basketball, how does he find time for his wife and children? Well, he doesn’t.

Yes, as shocking as it may sound, the Knicks head coach has never been married and also has no kids. But that does not mean there was never a woman in his life. As per a report by The New York Times, Thibodeau was once engaged to a woman named Debbie while he was an assistant at Salem State. And his college teammates even revealed that she was one of the two Debbies that the coach was dating at the same time.

Unfortunately, Tom never tied the knot with his then fiancé as they broke up their engagement merely six weeks prior to the big day. But why? According to his boss at the time John Galaris, Thibs said to him, “There’s no room in my life for a woman if I’m going to be a basketball coach.” Yes, his passion for the game was too big for him to let anything else distract him. As expected, the wedding gifts were already in from several guests due to the break up happening so close to the date of the ceremony. But Tom’s mother, Ann, made him return all the presents.

While Thibodeau stood by his decision of choosing basketball over marriage, he was heartbroken after the wedding got called off. “Tommy was devastated. That entrenched him so much into his devotion to basketball. It took his mind off it.” His former roommate, Dennis Grube remarked. But the head coach never looked back and focused on pursuing his NBA dream.

Tom Thibodeau fulfilled his father’s dream by taking on the Knicks job

Like father like son. While Thibodeau never got married, his decision did lead to him achieving his goal of making it to the NBA. And for the kid from Connecticut who grew up watching, discussing, and going to games with his father, it was surely a dream come true. Apart from sharing the same name, Thibs also shared the passion for basketball with his dad, “Basketball was his passion, and he passed that passion down to me.” In a family of seven, with his parents and four siblings, Tom had a special bond with his father.

Despite working six days a week, Tom Sr. always made it to his son’s games and they would even drive to New York to watch the Knicks play live. So, when Thibodeau got his first gig with the Knicks in the 90s as their assistant coach, he understood that it was a moment of pride for his father, “because of what it represented. It was his team that he followed, and it was the way our team competed.” Unfortunately, Tom Sr. passed away eleven years ago after dealing with Alzheimer’s for years. “It was sad to see. But he handled everything as well as you could handle it.” Thibs said about his father’s condition.

But here we are years later, and Thibs is thriving as the head coach of his father’s favorite team. Sure enough, his passion for the game has not reduced one bit as Jalen Brunson recently revealed, “This man has been in the gym since 6 A.M. this morning and when I come back from night shooting before a game, which is around 7 or 8, he’s still in the gym. So, he’s there all day. And he has a beautiful house!… If I was him, I would live there. But this man is just dedicated to what he wants to do. And it’s win. He is a competitor. He loves to compete, even as a coach. It’s amazing to see.” So, despite his single status, it’s safe to say that Tom Thibodeau is married to his job.