Flip Saunders will be named the new Pistons coach at a news conference Thursday at The Palace, The Detroit News has learned.

Saunders will sign a four-year contract with the club that will pay him between $4 and $6 million per season.

Saunders was considered the first choice to replace Brown, who was fired Tuesday.  He had been a candidate for several over vacancies.

Saunders coached the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past 961/27 years before being fired last season. His went 411-326 with the Timberwolves.

Despite Saunders' success during the regular season, his teams got past the first round of the playoffs only once. His playoff record with Minnesota was 17-30.

In his two seasons with the Pistons, Brown won the title in 2004 and led the team to the seventh game of the NBA Finals this season.