CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- A union between the Chicago Bulls and Fred Hoiberg that began with the glowing romance of offensive innovation fueling championship dreams ended in an unceremonious breakup Monday.
Owners of a 5-19 record that's the second-worst in the NBA, the Bulls fired Hoiberg, ending his tenure in Chicago in its fourth season. The team made the announcement in a press release Monday morning in which it simultaneously announced associate head coach Jim Boylen had been promoted to the head coach position.
The Bulls didn't give Boylen the "interim" label in announcing the move. Boylen is under contract through the 2019-20 season at just less than $1 million annually, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Hoiberg finished with a 115-155 record in his three-plus seasons leading the Bulls, good for a .426 winning percentage. The Bulls made the playoffs just once in his tenure, squeaking in as the eighth seed in 2016-'17 before being eliminated in the first round.
"Decisions like this one are never easy to make, however I felt this was the right choice for our organization at this time," executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said in a statement. "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 successful five-year reign at his alma mater of Iowa State, Hoiberg was officially hired by the Bulls on June 2, 2015. He entered the NBA coaching ranks being hailed for his space-and-pace system and his offensive acumen, praise backed by Warriors coach Steve Kerr later admitting that he stole plays from Hoiberg to use for his championship teams.
The trouble was Hoiberg's vision never consistently blended with the personnel he had, nor did his message become ingrained in Bulls culture. In Hoiberg's three full seasons as coach, the Bulls ranked 23rd, 20th and 28th in offensive rating, respectively. That dreary trend continued amid this trying season, as the Bulls were dead last in the league in offensive rating through Sunday night. Save for 2017-'18, Chicago never played particularly fast under Hoiberg either, ranking in the bottom half of the league in pace.
It remains to be seen what's next for the 46-year-old Hoiberg, whose competitive fire still burns. His coaching stock has taken a hit on the NBA scene, but he still garners strong respect within the Minnesota Timberwolves organization. Hoiberg worked in Minnesota's front office from 2006-'10, and the franchise could be looking for a new coach soon after prolonged tensions with Tom Thibodeau.
Hoiberg will likely garner interest from some high-major programs if he considered going back to the college ranks, but he had a disdain for the recruiting scene when he left Iowa State in 2015.
