NBA
Bulls Fire Fred Hoiberg, Top Assistant Jim Boylen Promoted to Head Coach
On Monday morning, the Chicago Bulls decided to fire head coach Fred Hoiberg. This was Hoiberg’s fourth season with the Bulls. Currently, Chicago is second to last in the Eastern Conference with a 5-19 record, and are coming off a 121-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
The Bulls finished 13th in the Eastern Conference last season. The way things are looking, they’re going to be heading in the same direction this year. They are currently on a six-game losing streak and have lost 10 of their last 11.
Hoiberg’s four year stint with the Bulls hasn’t all been for the worst. He coached Chicago to the playoffs in the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately, the Boston Celtics, who are coached by one of the best in the game Brad Stevens, ended their post-season early by knocking them out in the first round.
Bulls Statement On The Fred Hoiberg Firing
“Decisions like this one are never easy to make, however I felt this was the right choice for our organization at this time,” head of basketball operations Jim Paxson said in a statement on Monday. “After a thorough evaluation, I elected to make this move with the overall development of our team in mind. As a team, I believe it is imperative that we make unfaltering strides in the right direction and build the right habits to help put our players in the best position to evolve not only now, but into the future. I want to thank Fred for his dedication and efforts, as well as for his enduring commitment to our team.”
“After a thorough evaluation, I elected to make this move with the overall development of our team in mind. As a team, I believe it is imperative that we make unfaltering strides in the right direction and build the right habits to help put our players in the best position to evolve not only now, but into the future. I want to thank Fred for his dedication and efforts, as well as for his enduring commitment to our team.”
Boylen Takes Charge
The Bulls have stated that associate head coach Jim Boylen will takeover as the head coach for now. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that it’s unclear if Boylen will serve as an interim or the new head coach for the remainder of the season. Boylen has a contract that pays him almost $1 million annually that runs through next season.
As far as Boylen’s head-coaching experience in the NBA, there isn’t any. But on the college level, Boylen led Utah to one NCAA Tournament appearance in four years with the Utes.
Boylen has spent over 20 years in the NBA, and he’s been an assistant in Houston, Golden State, Milwaukee, Indiana and San Antonio.
The Indiana Pacers host the Bulls on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET — stream it on fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension). Then they return home for a back-to-back playing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Photo Credit
David Berkowitz Chicago via Flickr
