In five seasons under Tom Thibodeau, the Chicago Bulls soared to heights they had not reached since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were collecting championships.

They never got to the top with him and now he is out.

The Bulls fired Thibodeau on Thursday, parting ways with the strong-willed coach who took the team to the playoffs in each of his five seasons only to have his success overshadowed by his strained relationship with the front office.

“It is our strong belief that there needs to be a culture of communication that builds a trust throughout this organization from the players to the coaches to the management and to the front office, a culture where everyone is pulling in the same direction,” general manager Gar Forman said. “When that culture is sacrificed, it becomes extremely difficult to evolve and to grow.”

Thibodeau went 255-139, a .647 winning percentage that ranks seventh in NBA history among coaches with at least 200 games. He led the Bulls to the top seed in the playoffs his first two seasons and was the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2011, the same year Derrick Rose became the league’s youngest MVP.

He thanked Chicago fans, his players, staff and their families “who have honored me and the Bulls by their effort, love, dedication and professionalism.”