The Chicago Bulls have officially appointed Fred Hoiberg as their new head coach, with the former Iowa State coach replacing Tom Thibodeau.
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It has been no secret that the former Cyclones coach has been considered the front-runner for the post ever since it became available last month.
Thibodeau and the Bulls finally ended their working relationship after a contentious five years together, after he had gone through numerous run-ins with the front office during his five years in charge.
Although he owns one of the best regular season winning records in Bulls history, Thibodeau’s failure in the post-season was ultimately his undoing as he fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals this year.
What made the loss even more difficult was that it came with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving sidelined, and the Bulls eventually surrendered a 2-1 series lead to lose to LeBron James yet again.
Their offensive struggles were a key factor in making the change too, but the organisation detailed a departure from their culture as another reason for the decision in a bitter statement released to confirm the firing.
However, Hoiberg will be expected to bring fresh impetus and ideas to the team in the coming years, and he is particularly known for working well with management, getting the best out of his players and drawing up efficient offensive plays.
With the likes of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol and others at his disposal next season, Hoiberg will be confident of bringing success to the United Center with many suggesting he is the ‘anti-Thibs’ in his approach and can be compared to the likes of Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Bulls name Fred Hoiberg Head Coach. Watch the live press conference now at http://t.co/rFOXT3uv5p. pic.twitter.com/bJDI7flxd6
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 2, 2015
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