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CHICAGO — Fred Hoiberg saw a deep and talented roster with a chance to contend for a championship — and an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
The long rumored pairing of Hoiberg and the Chicago Bulls became official on Tuesday when the former NBA guard and executive left Iowa State to become the 19th coach in franchise history, replacing the fired Tom Thibodeau.
The Bulls are hoping a new voice is what they need to contend for a title after a difficult 50-win season ended with a loss to LeBron James and the banged-up Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I love this roster,” Hoiberg said. “I absolutely love this roster. I love the versatility of the players, the different lineups that we’re going to be able to play. You can play small, you can play big. You’ve got lineups that I think can really get out and play with pace. You’ve got a great group of veteran players that know how to play. I think Tom Thibodeau is an excellent, excellent basketball coach, and I think he instilled a lot of unbelievable qualities in this team that hopefully I can build on.”
Hoiberg went 115-56 at Iowa State and led the Cyclones to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back Big 12 tournament titles. He had open-heart surgery in April.
He takes over a team that struggled through injuries during the season and bowed out with a listless loss to the Cavaliers in Game 6 of the conference semifinals. By then, Thibodeau’s relationship with management had evaporated and he was let go last week.
The Bulls said at the time that they would begin a search. But it was no secret who they were eyeing.
Hoiberg, who played for Chicago, called the Bulls’ job “an unbelievable opportunity.” He thanked general manager Gar Forman, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, along with his Iowa State players and athletic director Jamie Pollard.
Forman called Hoiberg a “natural leader and great communicator” and said the Bulls “have great respect for who he is as a person.”
The Bulls fired Thibodeau last week, citing a fractured relationship with their most successful coach since Phil Jackson. He led Chicago to a 255-139 record and playoff appearances all five seasons even though Derrick Rose suffered season-ending injuries to each knee.
With Hoiberg, the gap between the front office and the coach’s office should be bridged. He played at Iowa State when Forman was an assistant there to Tim Floyd and is a former Bull who has known vice president of basketball operations John Paxson for years.