Jim Boylen fired as head coach of Bulls

Jim Boylen will not be returning as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls next season.

The Bulls issued a statement on Friday announcing that they have fired Boylen. New executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said the decision was “very difficult” and thanked Boylen for his service.

“After doing a comprehensive evaluation and giving the process the time it deserved, I ultimately decided that a fresh approach and evolution in leadership was necessary,” Karnisovas said.

Boylen took over as head coach of the Bulls in Dec. 2018 when Fred Hoiberg was fired. He went 39-84 with the team in parts of two seasons, and recent reports indicated the Bulls were likely to keep him around.

The dismissal is hardly shocking, however. Boylen’s old-school style did not sit well with many Chicago players, and one player recently had some things to say about the coach that were not very flattering. Players were also reportedly unhappy with Boylen’s offense in addition to his coaching methods.

Now that Boylen has been fired, Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka will be one of the early names to watch for Chicago’s head coaching vacancy.