Bringing in a veteran assistant coach helped Golden State win the NBA championship, as Alvin Gentry’s experience and expertise aided first-year head coach Steve Kerr transition from the TV booth to the bench.
Faced with a similar situation, Fred Hoiberg made the biggest addition to his staff as a soon-to-be first-year head coach, bringing in Jim Boylen as an associate head coach, snagging him from the San Antonio Spurs.
“I am very excited to add Jim to our staff as our associate head coach. His track record speaks for itself with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and three NBA championships on his resume,” said Hoiberg in a statement released by the Bulls. “His work ethic and attention to detail will help our team every day, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”
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Many observers said Hoiberg’s first task was to hire an associate head coach and Boylen is possibly the best on the market, despite not being a hot name for future head coaching openings, at least not yet.
Boylen was the No. 2 assistant in San Antonio for Gregg Popovich, on the staff for the last two years, and next season will be his 30th year of coaching experience, 18 in the NBA.
Boylen had stints with Houston, Golden State, Indiana and Milwaukee, mixing in some college experience for several seasons, most notably at Michigan State as an assistant to Tom Izzo. He was also head coach at Utah from 2007-10.