Fred Hoiberg reportedly being considered for Ohio State job
Well, this is an interesting development.
Just two days after firing head coach Thad Matta, CBS Sports is reporting that Ohio State’s men’s basketball program is now considering Fred Hoiberg for the job, among a list of other candidates (including Buzz Williams, Jimmy Butler’s coach at Marquette).
Despite having three years and $15 million remaining on his deal with the Bulls, Hoiberg’s tenure in Chicago has been tumultuous. The team’s play has been inconsistent, his handling of egos (see: Joakim Noah) has been poor, and he has frequently appeared flustered at the NBA level. Still, the Bulls front office made a big investment in him after firing Tom Thibodeau in the summer of 2015, and Hoiberg was widely expected to return to the Bulls next season; unless, of course, he doesn’t want to.
Hoiberg would be leaving a significant amount of money on the table by departing the Bulls, but he would immediately take the reins of one of the more prestigious programs in NCAA basketball. There’s some substance to the school of thought that Hoiberg would do better returning to the college level, as he previously took Iowa State to four NCAA tournament appearances in five years with a high-scoring, efficient “pace-and-space” offensive style. Most enticingly, perhaps, he would no longer have to deal with the Bulls’ ill conceived roster of non-shooters. Watching the Bulls is enough of a headache as it is, and it would make perfect sense if Hoiberg didn’t want to deal with it anymore.
Of course, it seems prescient to mention these rumors came out the day after a meeting between Butler and the Bulls’ brass that left both sides “very satisfied with the direction.” Paxson has voiced criticisms of Hoiberg’s coaching on a couple occasions in the past, and the possibility remains that the future they envision doesn’t include him.
Still, this is all just speculation for now. We’ll almost certainly be hearing more in the coming days/weeks. Should Hoiberg depart, look forward to the announcement of Kirk Hinrich’s hiring within 24 hours.
UPDATE:
According to ESPN, Ohio State has reportedly offered their head coaching position to Greg McDermott. Fred Hoiberg also told Bulls personnel that there is no truth to the Ohio State rumors. We will be sure to keep you updated.
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:
Looks like Coach McDermott isn’t going anywhere, and perhaps there is still hope for a Hoiberg exodus. We will do our best to keep you posted, though it’s getting tougher by the minute.
