Fred Hoiberg's NBA Coaching Career Was Doomed From The Start

Since agreeing to become the Chicago Bulls’ head coach in 2015, Fred Hoiberg has had a rather disappointing tenure thus far in his first two seasons. Unfortunately no one should feel sorry for Hoiberg, because he should have seen this coming miles away before deciding to coach the Bulls.

If only Fred Hoiberg knew what he was getting himself into. When he took over as head coach for the Bulls following the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, Hoiberg inherited a mess. A team that has to this day lacked consistent focus and drive to compete during crucial moments in winnable games.

The warning signs were clearly evident during Tom Thibodeau’s final season as the Bulls’ head coach. Players seemingly would show up to games against top teams ready to play their hearts out. And rather vise-versa when being pitted against bad teams.

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The Bulls’ front office felt the reason for the team’s inconsistent play was largely due to Thibodeau working his players too hard during practices before games. At the time, this notion made some sense. Players complaining about feeling too tired before playing a long stretch of games. It’s also maybe why reports began surfacing later on that Bulls players began intentionally avoiding Thibodeau during off-seasons. He was always around the Bulls’ practice facility day and night. Players just wanted to catch a break from the intensity that he brought on an every day basis. Can’t blame them…it’s the off-season after all.

Realizing the team’s stagnant play was largely due to players being overworked during practices and games, the organization felt a change was necessary. In comes Fred Hoiberg to save the day! Or so it appeared. His laid back coaching style, along with his immense passion for spacing the floor while giving his players the green light to shoot would be uplifting to say the least. Well…not exactly.

Hoiberg’s coaching fantasy to this day has been simply a dream. The reality is that his actual hands-on coaching has been more of a nightmare to many. The Bulls still play with the same lackluster passion on a nightly basis that ultimately cost Thibodeau his job. Even more worrisome is the everyday bickering that seemingly goes around inside the Bulls’ locker room. These were the same problems that were evident before Hoiberg took over as head coach. Except these problems have become even more escalated to a degree as of late.

The uneven, rather dysfunctional play at times from the Bulls is not largely due to players being overworked before practices and games anymore. If anything, it’s more due to questionable leadership. Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo (the three alphas), are the ones insinuating the back-and-forth drama. Hoiberg, for whatever reason, is unable to quell the friction among his players.

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In addition, outside of Butler and Wade, the Bulls don’t have anyone to help implement Hoiberg’s coaching style. The Bulls struggle as a team shooting three’s. They also have trouble at times spacing the floor due to inconsistent ball movement. Hoiberg preaches up-tempo offense. The players often would rather play one-on-one basketball at half-court instead.

Hoiberg’s style of coaching just isn’t sinking in with his players. But it’s not all his fault. Blame the front office for choosing the players to whom Hoiberg coaches. The organization thought that trading Derrick Rose and parting ways with an injury-prone Noah would be beneficial. Thinking that adding Wade and Rondo, two aging veterans past their prime, would be somehow a good thing. Turns out none of those moves are helping the Bulls. Rather, these front office moves have further teared this team apart from the inside-out.

Furthermore, draft picks and role players such as Doug Mcdermott, Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, Michael Carter-Williams, and Isaiah Canaan haven’t panned out as planned. All five of these role players have struggled shooting the ball consistently at times. Portis, Williams, and Canaan hardly even play nowadays. Still, these are the players whom the front office collected over the recent years to play in Hoiberg’s coaching system.

So, to blame the Bulls’ mediocre play over the past two seasons largely under Hoiberg would be entirely misleading. It all comes down to the front office. Their ill-advised decisions over the years have hampered this team, making Hoiberg feel out of place in coaching the Bulls. Sure, he deserves some blame no doubt with his handling of the roster on a nightly basis. But the warning signs of a dysfunctional team…(rather organization) had been made evident well in advance before he took over.

And that is the risk Hoiberg was willing to take in coaching the Bulls less than two seasons ago. How could he not pass up on the offer to be an NBA head coach? Unfortunately for Fred, his opportunity to be an NBA head coach may have came at the wrong time. Because, now all he’ll be remembered for is how lackluster his Bulls teams’ were the past two seasons. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

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Fred Hoiberg’s NBA Coaching Career Was Doomed From The Start

By Brandon Hinrichs | Jan 30, 2017

Since agreeing to become the Chicago Bulls’ head coach in 2015, Fred Hoiberg has had a rather disappointing tenure thus far in his first two seasons. Unfortunately no one should feel sorry for Hoiberg, because he should have seen this coming miles away before deciding to coach the Bulls.

More from Da Windy City