Bulls searching for new coach



  • I’m in Chicago right now and listening to sports talk.

    Several observations. Fred is definitely a maybe!!

    Why would anyone want the Bulls job. It sounded like a pretty petty situation that got Thibs fired.

    Thibs is a heck of a coach. 255-136 I think is what I read, and of course a lot of those wins were without DRose.

    Right now, whoever coaches the Bulls will be like whoever coached the Knicks in the 90’s. They were never going to be good enough to beat MJ, and now the Bulls are not going to be good enough to beat Lebron.



  • @DoubleDD

    I posted before that LeBron promised to bring a Championship to Cleveland.Ohio and he has always been very loyal to his home state. However, once he gets a Championship, he will likely be gone either to the Knicks or the Lakers and their huge markets. Since Kobe has announced that the next season will be his last, I can see LeBron going to the Lakers and becoming the king of La La land.

    As far as Hoiberg’s health, the NBA schedule is twice as long as the NCAA and he has to deal with “divas” that make considerably more money than he does and have a say in decisions and also he has to deal with not only the GM but the owner(s) as well that can add to the level of stress considerably. In college he is the ultimate authority and decider and the only person he has to deal with is the AD. The level of stress in the NBA is orders of magnitude larger than college…ask Pitino and Calipari. The only advantage is that as long as the owner opens the purse strings, he can build the team he wants and don’t have to depend on OAD players or go begging recruits.



  • Iowa state coach is the guy for the job until otherwise



  • Maybe Hoiberg, being a former NBA player, would command more respect from NBA players than, for example, some roooookie like Brad Stephens…

    Look at Hoiberg’s playstyle, and how he has opened it up–he let’s them play a freer style. It is an NBA style, that works when your “post presence” is non-traditional and weak. Or “soft”, as a certain okie coach may say…

    I say Hoiberg gets big respect by NBA players. He’s the real deal. He is the only thing I respect about IowaState, in addition to a few of his players. Class individual, I wish him success with Da Bulls, if he chooses them.





  • @wrwlumpy

    I understand Hornacek and Fraschilla are the two leading candidates, although some places claim that current assistant T.J. Otzelberger could be it.



  • @JayHawkFanToo Fran loves the clones, especially naz long!



  • I’m going out on a huge limb (tiny branch) and betting the ranch that the Bulls didn’t fire Thibodeau until they had a verbal agreement with Fred.

    This makes sense because it isn’t like Thibodeau didn’t produce this year and they didn’t want to be forced into hiring just anyone.

    The timing fits. Connect the dots. Fred’s recent surgery was a success. The Bulls were in “wait and see” mode, and Fred confirmed he would be their next coach. It says wonders that his relationship is so tight with the front office that moves can be made on just a verbal commitment and handshake.

    Bye-bye El Mayor! Thanks for bringing us plenty of tough games and a refreshing coaching style and offense!



  • Chicago bulls already has a contract write up for him



  • Bulls confident Fred Hoiberg will accept coaching offer, sources say

    CHICAGO – The Bulls are quietly confident that Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg will accept an offer to become their next head coach, according to multiple league sources.

    Fred Hoiberg played four seasons for the Bulls and has ties to Chicago’s front office. Matthew Holst/Getty Images News of mutual interest between Hoiberg, who played for the Bulls for four of his 10 NBA seasons and is a close friend of general manager Gar Forman, and Chicago isn’t a surprise. He has close relationships with several people in the Bulls’ front office and is well regarded for his success in Ames.

    The Bulls fired Tom Thibodeau on Thursday after five years as their coach. Thibodeau had two years and almost $9 million left on his contract.

    The timetable on exactly when Hoiberg, 42, might formally sign a contract is still being hammered out. While the feeling within the organization continues to be that a contract and introductory news conference could come as early as next week, the Bulls, according to sources, are giving extra consideration to the time frame because Hoiberg underwent open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve last month.

    Bleacher Report and the Chicago Tribune also reported that a deal between Hoiberg and the Bulls is expected. The Orlando Sentinel reported Friday that Hoiberg also interviewed with the Magic for their head-coaching vacancy, but Orlando has named Scott Skiles its coach.

    Earlier this week, the Ames Tribune, citing sources with knowledge of the situation, reported that Hoiberg has told at least one recruit that his future at Iowa State is uncertain. (that would be Diallo)

    All I’ve got to say is darn…



  • Just got this off the ticker about 5 min ago"

    Fred Hoiberg: Bulls are still expected to hire Fred Hoiberg

    Fred Hoiberg - G - MIN - May. 30 - 11:54 am et

    “According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls are still expected to hire Fred Hoiberg, and the two sides could have a deal done prior to the NBA Finals on Thursday. There have been reports that Hoiberg and the Chicago’s front office already have a “gentleman’s agreement” in place for him to become the next head coach of the Bulls, so it seems like a deal is imminent. However, if Hoiberg takes the job the Bulls may delay the announcement for “family schooling considerations.” On a side note, we also learned on Friday that Hoiberg also interviewed with the Magic, so it seems like his eyes are set on the NBA.” May. 30 - 11:54 am et Source: The Chicago Tribune



  • @JRyman Hoiberg told Diallo there was a chance he wouldn’t be coach at Iowa State when Fred was recruiting him, so 99% certain he goes to the Bulls.,



  • @KUSTEVE I don’t believe that is exactly right, jmo.



  • look for something to be done Tuesday or Wednesday they wanted to get this done so it won’t affect the NBA Finals





  • @dylans CBT posted earlier today that ISU may target Jeff Hornacek as a possible replacement but he’s now HC of the Suns. Unless he’s on thin ice I can’t see him going back to the college game. Don’t follow it enough to know.



  • @globaljaybird he is going to stay in Phoenix as there coach



  • I will just say what I’ve said before. Fred has always been a class act and he is/was a huge asset to the Big 12. I posted months ago he wasn’t leaving NCAA ball because he left the NBA after heart issues. I guess I was wrong as it looks like Fred is going back to the NBA now.

    Anyway, Fred IS a class act and I will be a fan of his wherever he lands.

    If I am an ISU fan I am bummed out about him leaving.



  • @JayhawkRock78

    Many of us thought that it was unlikely that he would go back to the NBA, to a more stressful position than the one he left due to health issues and stress…go figure.

    If he indeed goes to the NBA it will be a big loss for the conference. Of course if Hornacek goes back to ISU it will definitely offset the loss. There are fans in Phoenix not happy that the Suns missed the playoffs, so his position there is not necessarily secure.





  • @JRyman Well, I guess I underestimated Freddy’s desire to be an NBA coach. Current news on Espn says they are working on a 5 year contract.

    Well done Mr Mayor. Good luck in the League and best of health to you as well. The Big 12 and Iowa St will be missing a great coach and representative.



  • @JayHawkFanToo I thought it was his NBA playing career that was cut short by his heart condition. The NBA office job should be less stress than CBB head coach. Coaching in the NBA is only marginally more stressfull that CBB, but that stress is all to succeed. I say this because Thibbs was fired after making the playoffs 5 years running with his star player injured half of the time. Fred never won a regular season conference title and was god-like in ISU.

    I wish him success, but also wish he’d stay. He’s a worthy advisary for Bill.



  • he’s going to finalize his contact Monday



  • @dylans

    Some BA office positions such a GM can be extremely stressful as the individual has to deal with huge financial issues as well as manage the personalities and egos of owners, coaches and players.

    As far as coaching itself. the college season even with post season rarely gets to 40 games, the NBA season, in the other hand, is 82 games that with playoffs can extend to over 100 games. When you consider that NBA games are 48 minutes or 20% longer than college games, 100 NBA games is the equivalent of 120 college games or 3 time as many. Also, in college the HC has absolute power over what goes on with program; in the NBA the star players make considerably more than the coach, have egos to match their salaries and in many case have lot more say in personnel decision than the coach has. The NBA HC job is considerably more stressful than the college HC job; it is not even close.



  • @JayHawkFanToo I agree NBA coaching is marginally more stressful than coaching college. I’m aware that they play more games in the NBA, but only the playoffs matter. There is little to no stress to win any regular season game as long as you are playoff bound.

    Luckily, he doesn’t have a job with real stress involved, like his heart doctors. Or perhaps a farmer (or Jamari’s family) struggling to feed his family. Pay me a few million a year and the stress becomes superficial, I would no longer need to work after one year, it’s all ego and stress you put on yourself at that point. Sorry, that’s not a fair comparison we are just taling about b-ball stress.

    Personally I wish Fred would’ve stuck around the Big12. I don’t imagine Fred thought it would be too stressfull or maybe he can’t stand that cry baby kid and beautiful wife and just wants to blow a gasket on the sideline…



  • I’ve never coached CBB or NBA…do you even have to have a winning record to make the NBA post-season?



  • @JayHawkFanToo Plus add in the incessant travel thru krappy airports & congested traffic in major cities 6-7 months of the year. A few smaller ones like OKC or Memphis may not be that bad, but Detroit-Atlanta-LA-NY ??? No rest for the weary…only MONEY !!!



  • @globaljaybird maybe he got sick of all his players being arrested in Ames!



  • @dylans said:

    @JayHawkFanToo I agree NBA coaching is marginally more stressful than coaching college. I’m aware that they play more games in the NBA, but only the playoffs matter. There is little to no stress to win any regular season game as long as you are playoff bound.

    I would respectfully disagree, @dylans. While there may not be stress to win any particular regular season game in the NBA, there is stress to win in the NBA regular season. Take Scott Brooks or Monty Williams, for example. Those guys were the coaches of the 8 and 9 teams in the Western Conference this year. Emphasis on were because both have been fired. There is always pressure to demonstrate progress in the NBA and most franchises expect a steady progression from lottery to playoffs to title contender. Much of that progress is on display in the regular season, where you are moving from roughly 30 wins into the mid 40’s and finally into the high 50s. It doesn’t matter which games you win, but ownership expects you to win 55+ games as a contender. So if you are sitting at 40-25 and ownership expects you to be a title contender, there is real pressure on you.

    There’s also the matter that, at ISU, Hoiberg probably never would have been in danger of being fired. In the NBA, he would have no such guarantee. That changes the dynamic and adds some pressure as well.



  • @justanotherfan

    I agree with your post about NBA pressure. I believe it far exceeds that of college coaching.

    There are so many additional factors involved with the NBA over college. The first factor is the structure behind the teams. Looking at pros first, you have the GM and a team of management wonks. Most of their job is focused on winning basketball. The pressure is intense, and that pressure feeds right into the head coach. College ball you have an AD, that also manages aspects of all the sports programs at the university. Typically, football equals or exceeds importance to basketball. Even at a basketball school like Kansas… if we slough off football, good chance our AD comes under huge pressure, every bit as much as if something went wrong with basketball. The duties of a college AD are very different from the GM of a pro team. Fundraising has become the largest focus in recent years.

    Outside of the inner team structure… a NBA team reaching the playoffs, when you consider all the extra games they play each year (like exhibitions) will play over 100 games a year… about 3 times that of most college teams. With every additional game added, so adds the pressure. No question that NBA players are in much better shape than college players. Not even close. But they also face more stress to their bodies and more opportunities for injuries. In any given year you can take the healthiest NBA team and compare it to one of the most-injured college teams and the NBA team will still have to deal with more injuries. An NBA season is truly a “game of attrition” and very different from college basketball.

    Fan attitudes are completely different when comparing college and NBA. There is no recruiting in the NBA. Players are bought and sold continually throughout the year. There are team caps and management in place that only focuses on the financials. But when a team stinks in the NBA fans want an immediate fix. They start screaming for trades. College is recruiting, drawn out over years. Sometimes fans scream that a coach can’t recruit (i.e. Bruce at KSU) but the pressure differs. The “shot clock” in the NBA is shorter, not only on the court, but off the court. Everyone is expected to produce, with the ultimate result being more victories.

    NBA is corporate, D1 is “family-operated.” You’ll see a lot more guys stand up for a coach at the college level. The NBA is corporate, and every wonk is there to save their own skin and will throw a coach under the bus quickly if it is what the team owners want.



  • Money! No ncaa! Valves don’t last forever, maybe he’s going in, make lots of money and get out and retire. Do you think he has to have medical clearance? Correction! He had a mechanical valve put in, should last a lifetime. I read that he quit wearing ties last year, due to dizziness. Scary, he put off that surgery during the season.



  • @dylans

    I respectfully disagree with you. the NBA HC position, IMHO, is “considerably” (rather than marginally) more stressful and physically demanding than a college HC position.



  • @globaljaybird

    Yep. Travel is a killer and a big disruption of family life.



  • @Crimsonorblue22

    …then he goes back to Ames on his knees asking for his old job back?

    Fred will die with a basketball in his hands. He wouldn’t have it any other way. I respect that in him.

    But seriously… no one has mentioned that topic yet:

    HOW LONG BEFORE FRED RETURNS TO ISU?!

    I know the fans there are pissed… like when LeBron left Cleveland. Notice the short memories in Cleveland?

    “Desperate fans have short memories.” Someone famous said that. Can’t remember who.

    Fred is very capable and I’m certain the last thing he wants to do is fail in the NBA. And basketball is his life, so he considers the NBA home, not Ames.

    I hope the answer to my question is NEVER!

    Good luck pursuing your dreams, Fred! You only live once, and no one knows that more than Fred…



  • @justanotherfan ok we disagree. My stress scale PoUS with finger on button to nuke foreign nation stress level 10; crossing the street stress level 1; CBB coach 4; NBA coach 4.5.

    Entertainers talking about the stress there under is utterly laughable. College students complaining about the stress there under his early laughable. It was both right between a three and five on my stress scale. Real stress that occurs in the real world rinks far higher. That’s all I’m saying. I know we disagree because you think that coaching in the nba is stressful. I think it’s an honor and a privilege.

    Put another way I have rich friends who will become physically ill due to stress of planing a vacation. I have poor friends who handle the stress of not knowing how to pay the bills. The wealthy guy has more stress in his eyes. Who really is at a disadvantage? Coaching is not real stress. My brother in-law getting shot at in Afghanistan is!



  • @Bwag Nah, the Celts made it in, something like 5 games under .500



  • @dylans

    Agree completely that the stress of some things in the real world is much different than the stress of coaching basketball at any level. I am sure many high school teachers face higher stress on a day to day basis than any pro or college basketball coach.

    @Bwag, @Lulufulu

    Conference imbalance makes it hard to predict exactly what you need to make the playoffs. As @Lulufulu pointed out, Boston made the playoffs under .500 (40-42) while Milwaukee was .500 exactly. But that was the East. In the West, OKC missed the playoffs at 45-37. Only 3 teams in the East won at least 50 games. 7 teams in the West won at least that many. The Clippers, Spurs and Grizzlies all would have been the 2 seed in the East by record - they were the 3, 5 and 6 seeds out West (Portland had the 6th best record in the West, but was a division winner, so they got the 4 seed).



  • The only surprise to me in the end is that he ended up in Chicago and not Minnesota, where he worked in their front office before ISU.

    I felt his time in Ames was always an audition for the League.

    He will get charter flights, top notch hotels and other travel accommodations, he will be more of a supervisor than a teacher for a head coach in the NBA over college.


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