Bill Self: If He Left, Who Could Replace Him?

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Nov 24, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg gestures from the sidelines in the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

Fred Hoiberg – Chicago Bulls

The former Iowa State head coach likely wouldn’t leave his current position for the Jayhawks, but the lack of job security in the NBA means it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to be available if Bill Self were to ever leave.

Pros

Hoiberg proved he was an elite college coach in his time at Iowa State. He took a middling Cyclones program and elevated to the national spotlight by playing fast, high-scoring basketball. Hoiberg’s teams were known for their 3pt shooting, something modern basketball appears to be trending toward more and more.

While Hoiberg was not a traditionally strong recruiter in that he didn’t bolster his team primarily through the high school ranks, he did show a great eye for talent. Iowa State made headlines with transfers like Royce White, Deandre Kane, Chris Babb, Korie Lucious, and quite a few others. Hoiberg proved he could take kids with potential offcourt issues and effectively harness their talents while keeping them out of trouble. When he did dip into the high school ranks, he found guys like Georges Niang, Monte Morris, and Melvin Ejim.

Cons

There wouldn’t be too many cons to bringing in Hoiberg, as he has the charisma and ability to lead a program like Kansas. The biggest issue would likely be his availability, as the word around him during his time in Ames was that he wanted to be in the NBA. If he did take over Kansas at some point, the constant year-to-year worry of him leaving for the NBA would be a problem Kansas would have to deal with.

There’s also the issue of him not being able to rely heavily on transfers like he did at Iowa State. In Lawrence, he would be expected to recruit with the best of the best for top high school recruits. There’s no track record of that in his career, so it would be a concern.

Verdict

While unlikely, Hoiberg would probably be a top option for the Kansas athletic department and donors. As with any coach in the NBA, timing would ultimately decide just how interested and available Hoiberg would be. With the short shelf-life of most NBA coaches, there’s no telling where Hoiberg will be if and when Self were to leave Kansas.

Next: The Best Replacement

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