Tom Thibodeau Has Laid Groundwork for Fred Hoiberg to Succeed

Apr 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau yells during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Thibodeau created a culture centered around toughness, internal belief in oneself, and grit. His players reflected these qualities on the court with the “us against the world” mentality.

Last season, there was a deviation from this culture as other teams outworked, out-hustled and outplayed the Bulls on a much more frequent basis than in past seasons. In his introductory news conference, Hoiberg acknowledged that Thibodeau created an important precedent with the culture that he instilled on this team.

While certain culture changes are inevitable with the insertion of a new head coach, Hoiberg must figure out how to get his players to play with the passion and energy that defined this group prior to last season. Hoiberg is a level-headed individual who will likely back off when he feels he is pushing his players towards their breaking point, however; the Bulls can’t afford to become soft or lackadaisical, even during the regular season.

Thibodeau instilled in his team a championship approach and mentality. Unfortunately, some snags in the process prevented the championship expectations from becoming a reality. In terms of team culture, Hoiberg needs to worry about maintaining a positive relationship with the Bulls front office. That is something that Thibodeau was unable to do well.

A large portion of the Bulls current roster has spent most or all of their careers playing for Thibodeau. Hoiberg needs to walk the fine line between maintaining the current culture while eliminating some of the destructive elements of Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy. If he is able to do this, it will ease the transition between head coaches and possibly expedite the process of earning the trust of the veteran players.

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