The Chicago Bulls relieved head coach Fred Hoiberg of his duties Monday morning after a poor 5-19 start. The franchise also announced his permanent replacement immediately: Jim Boylen.
“Decisions like this one are never easy to make, however, I felt this was the right choice for our organization at this time,” the statement released by John Paxson, the executive vice president of basketball operations, read.
“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.”
Hoiberg, a former NBA player with over 20 years’ experience in the league, was hired by the Bulls in 2015 after a successful career at Lowa State as a college basketball manager. He was signed to a five-year, $25 million contract and went on to lead Chicago to 115 wins against 155 losses.
However, Hoiberg’s performance this season has been dismal. In the 24 NBA games the Bulls have played so far, they’ve only won five. Before his firing, there had been reports the coach would stay through December after a few of his injured players returned to play.
Evidently, the Bulls had already made a decision about the coach’s future at the club. Immediately after firing him, the team hired associated head coach Jim Boylen as Hoiberg’s permanent replacement.
