Hoiberg Fired, Boylen Takes Over Bulls

Add another coach with Maine ties to the NBA head coaching ranks. Former UMaine Black Bears captain Jim Boylen will take over the Chicago Bulls after the team fired Fred Hoiberg this morning.

Boylen has been the associate head coach.

The Bulls are off to a 5-19 start in Hoiberg's fourth season as head coach.

Boylen and the Maine connection joins Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford (UMaine Farmington player, Woodland HS coach), Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown (South Portland HS player) and Dallas Mavs coach Rick Carlise who played two years at UMaine before transferring to Virginia.

Jim Boylen was a guard for then UMaine coach Skip Chappelle in the 1980s. He was captain of the Black Bears in his senior year of 1987 and was named conference Player of the Year.

He started his coaching career at Michigan State under Jud Heathcote. He was the head coach of the Utah Utes for four years.

His NBA career includes three title teams, twice with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995 and one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.

Boylen has also been an assistant with Golden State, Milwaukee and Indiana.