Bulls fire Hoiberg, name Boylen head coach

The Chicago Bulls fired head coach Fred Hoiberg on Monday after a 5-19 start to the season and immediately named associate head coach Jim Boylen his replacement.

Boylen is taking over as permanent head coach and won't have an interim title, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

"After a thorough evaluation, I elected to make this move with the overall development of our team in mind," Bulls vice president John Paxson said in a statement.

"... I believe it is imperative that we make unfaltering strides in the right direction and build the right habits to help put our players in the best position to evolve not only now, but into the future."

The 46-year-old Hoiberg coached the Bulls to a 115-155 record and one playoff appearance. He was in the fourth season of a five-year, $25-million contract - all of which is guaranteed, notes the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.

Hoiberg had great success as a coach at Iowa State and is expected to be a top candidate for coaching jobs in the college ranks, according to Wojnarowski.

Boylen is signed through the 2019-20 season and will earn just under $1 million per year, sources told Wojnarowski. It's still not known if his contract will be restructured as a result of his promotion.

He joined the Bulls in June 2015 and is well-traveled, with more than 30 years of combined coaching experience at the college and pro levels.

"He's a coach that has paid his dues in this league," Paxson told reporters Monday. "He has a passion and energy to him that I think our players will respond to."

Paxson added, "We think he's got the intangibles to be a really good head coach. He has a philosophy and we're going to give him every opportunity to exceed."