In the worst-kept secret in Chicago sports, the Chicago Bulls made it official on Tuesday and named Fred Hoiberg as their new head coach.
"I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to coach the Chicago Bulls," Hoiberg said. "Being a head coach in the NBA has always been a goal of mine and to be able to do it at this time with the Bulls was the right fit for me. I am ready to begin this next phase of my career and help this team win an NBA championship."
Hoiberg will replace Tom Thibodeau at the helm of the organization after the coach was fired by the Bulls in late May. The Bulls reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011 under Thibodeau, but they were thwarted by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in that series.
A similar fate in 2015 is what ultimately confirmed Thibodeau’s demise, as the Bulls lost in six games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the postseason. Rumors of a fractured relationship between Thibodeau and the front office accelerated the process, but Bulls G.M. Gar Forman is confident that Hoiberg will do a better job of communicating with them and with the players.
"In Fred, we feel that we've got a guy who has a terrific package of skills: a winning coach, a natural leader, and a great communicator," he said. "There is no question that we think he's the right fit and that he will maximize the potential of this team."
According to reports, Hoiberg will be paid $25 million over five seasons to leave Iowa State, where he has been the coach since 2010. He will be the second coach of recent vintage to come to the Bulls from Iowa State, following in the footsteps of Tim Floyd, who replaced Phil Jackson way back in 1998.
As for what Hoiberg will bring to the city and the organization, it’s clear that the Bulls wanted to go with a coach that does a better job of emphasizing offense. Hoiberg runs an up-tempo offense at Iowa State, with plenty of screens and quick passing around the perimeter of the floor to keep teams off-balance.
That could mean big things for both Derrick Rose and for outside shooters like Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott, so they should be thrilled at Hoiberg’s arrival.
