Story by Jacob Holmes
The Chicago Bulls have introduced Fred Hoiberg as their new head coach. Hoiberg, who was long rumored to be the Bulls’ top choice, replaces Tom Thibodeau, who was fired last week after five seasons with Chicago.
Hoiberg leaves his position at Iowa State as head men’s basketball coach, where he has achieved a record of 115-56 since he started in 2010. Hoiberg played for the Cyclones from 1991 to 1995, where he was described as an all-around player, and was in the top seven positions for almost every statistical category.
After college, Hoiberg went on to play in the NBA for close to ten years. Hoiberg was selected 52nd overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1995 NBA Draft. He played with Indiana until 1999, when he signed with Chicago as a free agent. During his first two years with the Bulls, Hoiberg averaged a career-high 9.1 points per game.
Prior to the 2003-2004 season, Hoiberg once again became a free agent and signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he received recognition as a three-point shooter. During his last season with the Timberwolves, he led the league in three-point shooting percentage, but was not invited to the All-Star event that year.
Hoiberg had open heart surgery in 2005, and joined Minnesota’s coaching staff that year. In 2010, he returned to Iowa State to coach the men’s basketball team. Hoiberg took the Cyclones to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011-2015, and became the fastest coach to earn 100 wins in the program’s history.
