Fred Hoiberg Officially Hired As New Bulls Head Coach
The worst kept secret in the world is now official. I’ll be the first to admit that I was skeptical at first. Fred Hoiberg is getting this job at least in some part due to his relationship with Gar Forman, and the last thing the Bulls need is a “Yes Man” that will ballwash the Front Office. But, with that said, the more I’ve read and the more I’ve talked to people, the more I’ve become sold on this hire. I still think the spotlight is squarely on Gar/Pax because no Front Office should get to hire FOUR head coaches, but I have optimism for Hoiberg. The Bulls will play better offense. This is good, I’m not a basketball expert per se but I know that in order to win you need to score (crazy concept here). Fred Hoiberg is an offensive coach. In his 5 years at Iowa State he never had a team finish lower than 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Bulls will push the pace and play a lot more wide open game, which as a fan will be a lot of fun to watch and a departure from the maddening end of shot clock chuck ups the Bulls became well known for in the Tom Thibodeau era.
Fred Hoiberg will also be the anti-Thibs in terms of player management. He played in the NBA for some great basketball minds (Larry Brown, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale) and he understands what it is like to be a professional basketball player as well as a head coach. If you were a person who said Tom Thibodeau was too much of a taskmaster, well Fred Hoiberg will be a breath of fresh air in that department. Lastly, Fred Hoiberg is going to give some of these guys a shot. Niko is the perfect piece in his offense, Doug McDermott who he knows very well will have a chance to prove himself as an NBA player, and Tony Snell might get more playing time than “just when Jimmy is hurt” duty. No more Kirk, no more closing rotations that can’t score even when open, no more veterans over young guys no matter what. Overall I’m excited. I’m realistic in that I know the limitations this roster has, the Bulls will have to figure out something in the Front Court, no way they go into next year with all 4 big guys, and they also still need a shooter or two, but Fred Hoiberg is going to let the players play a fun and exciting brand of basketball. I still think Tom Thibodeau is a fantastic coach, but as we’ve said the past week, it was time for a change, and Fred Hoiberg is a pretty decent change when you look at it with an open mind. And remember, I have never ever been wrong about an offensive minded head coach taking his first pro job in Chicago, so you know you can trust me.
PS
This unfortunately is probably the truth.
