Chicago Bulls have coaching candidate in Adrian Griffin
By Troy Foster
Chicago Bulls are looking at Adrian Griffin as candidate for head coach.
Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau seems to be all but out after the Bulls were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. With conversation swirling around that Thibodeau is already gone with the Bulls, candidates are already starting to emerge to replace him.
The favorite to assume the role is Fred Hoiberg, head coach for the Iowa State Cyclones. Hoiberg already runs a system at Iowa that is similar to a modern NBA offense, making the transition seamless. The buzz phrase everyone uses for this offensive system is space and pace.
‘The Mayor’ also has a history with the Bulls, having played four years with the team from 1999-2003, and put up fantastic shooting numbers during his professional career. He has also had a long-lasting friendship with the Bulls organization, exemplified by Gar Forman buying Hoiberg’s old home in Chicago.
The real issue with Hoiberg will be removing him from Ames, Iowa, where he is so loved. He has a storied history as a player there along with being a hometown kid. Hoiberg also underwent his second heart surgery recently.
This is important, because it appears that the Bulls are reacting to what he decides. If Hoiberg says no, the next candidate to step up would be Adrian Griffin.
But don't discount Adrian Griffin as contender to succeed Thibs if Bulls' widely expected efforts to import Hoiberg from college ranks fail
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 15, 2015
Griffin played for the Bulls for two seasons (2004-2005) and has been assistant coach for five years. He seems to be primed for a head coaching job. It is widely believed that Griffin is poised to be a head coach in the NBA, this particular situation aside.
Adrian Griffin has worked under Thibodeau for several years, and this feels to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, he has worked under one of the better coaches in the NBA over the last few seasons while growing familiar with players and the front office. On the other hand, you could have more of the same.
It all depends on what the front office believes. Do they want radical change in hopes of stirring up enough to cause the leap they desire into championship territory? Or do you want a unified voice, but the same coaching principles? The hope in hiring Griffin would be that you receive the winning ways of Thibodeau in a more malleable and drama-free package.
Whomever it may be, the Bulls are in line for a shake-up that many have said they desperately needed for the past couple of years.
h/t ESPN
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