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Boston Globe: Fred Hoiberg a potential target for the Celtics job

Fred Hoiberg

Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg waves to fans after the announcement that his team will play Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, during a selection-show party, Sunday, March 11, 2012, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

AP

Back in May, when all of up college hoop heads were looking for something -- anything -- to write about, ESPN.com’s Myron Medcalf penned a piece on Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg.

Hoiberg had just signed a new contract with the Cyclones, one in which he has a $2 million buyout if he leaves for another college but just a $500,000 buyout if he bolts for the NBA.

I agreed with Medcalf’s premise that Hoiberg’s collegiate buyout was pointless. He’s a native of Ames and a graduate of Iowa State. He’s not leaving that program for another college program. Period.

But Hoiberg is also an NBA guy. He was the assistant GM and the VP of basketball operations with the Minnesota Timberwolves after a ten year NBA career came to an end with open-heart surgery. Eventually, most people believe, he is going to end up back in the NBA somewhere, be it on a bench or in a front office.

With Boston entering full-on rebuilding mode, Doc Rivers has jumped ship and taken the job as the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. On Wednesday, the Boston Globe put out a list of potential replacements for Rivers, and guess who found their way on there:

Fred Hoiberg — Head coach at Iowa State, his alma mater. Played in NBA from 1995-2005, for Indiana (under Larry Brown and Larry Bird), Chicago (under Tim Floyd), and Minnesota (under Kevin McHale). NBA career ended at age 33 after undergoing open-heart surgery. Former vice president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves and also the team’s assistant general manager. Analysis: “The Mayor” is a strong candidate from the college ranks who has NBA experience in several areas. Unclear how his coaching style would translate, but a safe, potentially stable pick.

This doesn’t mean that Hoiberg is going to get the Celtics job, but it is yet another indication that the NBA is probably where his future lies.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.