The Chicago Bulls may have had two head coaches, which is the real reason they had to let Tom Thibodeau go.
The New York Daily News reported that the Bulls already were discussing contract terms of a deal with Fred Hoiberg before the news conference earlier this week announcing the dismissal of Thibodeau.
Pro Basketball Talk posted a quote from the Daily News' Frank Isola on the situation:
"According to a source, Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg already has a deal in place to become the Bulls' next head coach," Isola said. "The parameters of the deal were discussed while Thibodeau was still employed by the Bulls.
"Hoiberg's deal is believed to be in the $25 million range over five years. Hoiberg, who recently needed a second heart surgery, is merely waiting to be cleared by doctors before officially accepting the job."
Bulls players told Tom Thibodeau will be gone at the end of the year
Ironically, that part of the article was missing from the online Daily News as Saturday passed into Sunday.
Still, an Ames Tribune article reported earlier in the week that Hoiberg, the coach at Iowa State, told a prospective recruit that he couldn't comment to being the Cyclones' coach in 2015-16.
Several media outlets reported that Hoiberg and the Bulls were closing in on a deal late Saturday night.
"A source in the coaching circuit told the (Chicago) Sun-Times on Friday that any search the Bulls were pretending to actually be participating in was 'a charade,' and that it was just about Hoiberg giving the final yes. A yes that was expected as early as Monday, so the Bulls can get him in town and his contract signed before the start of Thursday's NBA Finals."
Hoiberg has a long-time relationship with Bulls general manager Gar Foreman from Hoiberg's playing days at Iowa State.
But the Bulls will have to pay the remainder of Thibodeau's $9 million they owe him over the next two years. Maybe they wanted a jump on feeling what it was going to be like to pay two head coaches.
Do you think the Chicago Bulls negotiated with Fred Hoiberg before firing Tom Thibodeau, and if that happened, was that wrong? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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