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Fred Hoiberg Would Be Terrible Fit As Chicago Bulls Head Coach

By Dave Daniels

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You know the saying that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone? I’m thinking that it might apply this summer to the Chicago Bulls and their fan base. It is becoming more and more clear that Chicago has a Jim Harbaugh-esque dilemma emerging in their current campaign, and Tom Thibodeau will likely be out of a job (though not for long) once his team is eliminated from the playoffs.

Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting that the Bulls have already picked out their top target, and it is Fred Hoiberg, current head coach at Iowa State.

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Stein wrote that “it is widely — and I mean widely — believed throughout the league that Fred Hoiberg, whose Iowa State Cyclones were bounced in the first round of the tournament Thursday by UAB, is the top choice of the Chicago Bulls to replace Tom Thibodeau in the event that the Bulls and Thibs indeed part company at season’s end.”

That double “widely” should be very concerning to hear, because there have been other national columnists who are predicting this will happen. Grantland’s Bill Simmons called out the Bulls in a tweet recently as well.

Hoiberg has had an impressive resume (115–56) while with Iowa State, but that does not mean he would make a great NBA head coach. Why do I write that it would be a “terrible” fit? Well, it has nothing to do with him being inherently terrible, but he is just not the right fit. Chicago needs a coach who will cover up for a lot of mistakes made by management and head a roster that needs to be ready at all times. Injuries are obviously a problem on this team, and the Bulls need someone who can weather many storms. Thibs has his weak points, but you will be hard pressed to find a coach who prepares his team better for regular season basketball.

Hoiberg worked previously with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they were more of a foot in the door for him than a success project. His time with the Cylones has been a bit different. They have had a winning season every year except for his rookie one in Iowa State, but they have also never gotten past the Sweet Sixteen.

Would Hoiberg do a better job with stretching minutes out and not overworking players during the regular season? Probably yes, but that is mainly because he would have to proclaim that in any job interview with the Bulls. It seems like Chicago’s management wants more of a puppet than a head coach, and I would advise Hoiberg against taking this job. Because everyone is just going to think about what life would be like with Thibodeau still at the helm.

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