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Fred Hoiberg Officially Leaving Iowa State

By Daniel Tran

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After days of reports and rumors, Fred Hoiberg will be leaving the comfort of Iowa State for the bright lights of Chicago.

Iowa State Cyclone fans have been preparing for this day since the Chicago Bulls head coaching job opened up. That doesn’t mean that it hurts any less.

After a steady stream of reports from sources within the Bulls organization and the lack of denial of those reports by Iowa State, Fred Hoiberg was officially announced at the Chicago Bulls head coach today at a press conference. He will be taking over a Bulls team that was one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals this past year.

Almost as soon as Tom Thibodeau was officially let go by the Chicago Bulls, Hoiberg became the center of speculation on who will be next in line to take the job. Hoiberg’s openness about his goals to coach in the NBA and his close relationship with Bulls General Manager Gar Forman made him the primary candidate for Chicago.

Before the press conference, Hoiberg informed the student-athletes on his team and his staff of the decision, causing current Iowa State players began tweeting their support for Hoiberg in his new journey in the NBA, all but signaling the inevitable exit of Hoiberg out of the NCAA.

Fred Hoiberg leaves behind a winning legacy at Iowa State that will not be forgotten any time soon. “The Mayor” returned to coach at his alma mater in 2010 and led the Cyclones back into the national spotlight, winning two consecutive Big 12 Conference Tournaments and going as far as the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.

He also leaves an elite team behind for the school to work with in the upcoming season. In College Basketball Talk’s Preseason Top 25 as of May 1, Iowa State is slated to be the third best team in the nation behind North Carolina and Kansas. They aren’t the only ones high on Iowa State as CBS Sports has them ranked No. 5 in their preseason top-25 list.

The main priority now for Iowa State will be securing a new head coach. Athletic director Jamie Pollard has publicly supported Iowa State assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger to take over the program despite having zero head coaching experience, but other administrators have also been looking at Iowa State alum, and current Phoenix Suns head coach, Jeff Hornacek.

The writing was on the wall long before the announcement was made, but the hurt of losing their best shot at a Final Four in the upcoming season does not sting any less for Cyclone fans. Hopefully, the talent they have accumulated and developed can carry them.

Next: 2015 NBA Mock Draft: Towns or Okafor to Take Top Spot?

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