Ames Tribune sports editor Travis Hines wrote a story this week detailing what Fred Hoiberg has been up to since being let go by the Bulls in early December. And from the picture painted in Hines' piece, Hoiberg has been adjusting quite well to life after basketball but still has his mind on an NBA job, whether it be in the front office or on the sidelines.
Hoiberg has been linked to many different coaching jobs since his exit from the Bulls, including UCLA and the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. And while past reports have indicated that he would only be interested in coaching jobs, Hoiberg stated the exact opposite in his interview with Hines, saying "If the right front office opportunity did come around, I would potentially look at that" and further elaborating that the idea of returning to the front office crossed his mind as soon as he was let go by the Bulls.
When breaking down how non-basketball things are going, it seems that Hoiberg is enjoying being in the day-to-day groove of family life.
These days you can catch Hoiberg taking his kids to and from events, watching and discussing the Real Housewives reality TV series with his wife and her friends and occasionally dabbling in some yoga. So while a return to basketball seems likely, Hoiberg is certainly in no rush.
In recent weeks, Hoiberg has been active on the basketball scene, reflecting on his career while learning the methods of others along the way. He was welcomed back to Iowa State by new head coach Steve Prohm and spoke to the Cyclones on Monday, then attended their game against Baylor on Tuesday. This specifically was an awesome experience for "The Mayor", who said that the last time he watched an Iowa State game as a fan before Tuesday was "probably when I was being recruited by Iowa State", in the late 80s.
Outside of his time in Ames, Hoiberg has spent time with the Golden State Warriors coaching staff and with Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. This is all a part of Hoiberg taking his "opportunity to grow as a coach".
NBA
Throughout his first extended break from basketball, Hoiberg has gotten to do things that were hard to make time for, such as take multiple trips to see his son Jack at Michigan State or taking his wife on (what would normally be) a midseason vacation. So despite the disappointment of things not working out in Chicago, Hoiberg is optimistic about the future.
We only have a short amount of time before the NCAA basketball tournament/NBA Draft cycle is in full swing, and if all these reports are any indication, we could be seeing Fred Hoiberg back in the mix, making important decisions for an organization very soon. But there is no need for anyone to worry about Hoiberg for now, "I’ve never really had this time, especially this time of year to be able to spend quality time and be able to watch the boys play all their games.....it’s been nice spending quality time with the family.”