Fred Hoiberg knows there are no guarantees of success with the Bulls, but he has answers for those who question whether he's ready to make the jump from the college ranks and wonder if he can work with Chicago's front office in a way Tom Thibodeau couldn't.
The former Iowa State coach touched on a number of subjects in a Q&A with the Chicago Tribune, including his response to those who might pigeonhole him as a "college guy."
"I was a college athlete for four years and a college coach for five," Hoiberg told the Tribune. "That's nine years of my life as opposed to 10 years as player and five years in the (Timberwolves) front office. Everything that I did at Iowa State was thought of as an NBA-type system, from the way we played, from the way we tried to approach things. My bench was set up like an NBA bench. I'm confident my transition will be smooth."
The 42-year-old said it would take a "really special situation" to get him to leave his hometown of Ames, Iowa, where he previously starred as a player for the Cyclones and where his parents and in-laws still live.
The Bulls job qualified. Hoiberg spent four seasons with Chicago as a player and is taking over a team that won 50 games last season. Certainly, the friction Thibodeau had with general manager Gar Forman and others in the front office could be seen as a red flag, but Hoiberg is confident his experience will help him smooth out any lingering issues.
"The fact I worked in a front office, I understand how important it is to have positive relationships with the coaching staff and the front office," Hoiberg said. "Everybody has to be on the same page and have the same organizational goals. So I do think that's a very important component."
Hoiberg has drawn comparions to Warriors coach Steve Kerr and said he admires his fellow former guard's approach. That includes traveling to meet with his new players during the summer, an example Hoiberg plans to follow by visiting Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah in California and taking a trip to see Pau Gasol in Spain.
"I look forward to spending quality time with these players and really building those relationships," Hoiberg said.