The Latest with Hoiberg, Possible Replacements

We interrupt your Sunday to bring you the latest news on the Fred Hoiberg saga, which appears to be coming to an end. While nothing has been made official, the details are becoming clearer and in a matter of a day or two, The Mayor will likely be moving on to the NBA. Chances are you've already caught some of this news from Twitter, but we wanted to bring everything together in one central location for discussion and any updates that continue to trickle in.

Hoiberg News

The New York Daily News reported that an apparent deal is in place between the Chicago Bulls and Hoiberg for a 5-year, $25 million deal and that Hoiberg could be introduced as the new head man in Chicago as early as Tuesday. The Bulls had long thought to have been the only NBA destination that Hoiberg was considering, but news has surfaced in the last 48 hours that Hoiberg also interviewed with the Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Whether or not Hoiberg had any actual interest in those other two jobs or if he was just doing his due diligence to help drum up the monetary offer from the Bulls, it suggests that he was dead set on going to the NBA regardless.

Uncle Randy at The Des Moines Register pretty much confirmed what we've all suspected, indicating that the earliest we'll hear an official announcement will be Tuesday. He also had an interesting note, stating that Hoiberg has not returned any calls to media, but also that the Iowa State players were instructed not to talk to any media as well. Many fans have clamored for some type of statement from either Hoiberg or the athletics department, but given how delicate the situation is, the media black out is understandable.

Possible Replacements

The news on this front continues to be fluid and in constant flux depending on whom you're talking to. T.J. Otzelberger has long been rumored to be the replacement-in-waiting and Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported late last week that Otz had the full support of Jamie Pollard, but there continues to be news out of Phoenix suggesting that Jeff Hornacek might be both available and interested in the position.

Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops believes that Hornacek could be on the way out with the Suns as he enters the final year of a 3-year deal. The Arizona Republic is also advocating for action from the Suns' front office, stating that the team either needs to pick up the 4th year option, or cut Hornacek loose.

Hornacek himself didn't exactly shoot the idea down of returning to his alma mater should Iowa State come calling and may have even lobbied for interest from Ames when asked about the rumors which included his name as a possible Hoiberg replacement.

"It would be an honor, and it'd be fun, to coach your alma mater, but (general manager) Ryan (McDonough) and I came here with a purpose and the purpose is to get the Phoenix Suns back on track," Hornacek said on Friday at US Airways Center, where the Suns are holding pre-draft workouts.

Not to get anyone's hopes up, but if Hornacek truly is interested in the position and if Pollard has reached out to gauge interest, Iowa State fans would be borderline ecstatic (all things considered) about bringing the former Cyclone back to Ames.

Finally, going back to Rothstein, he also suggested on Sunday morning  that Iowa State could be in for a harsh dose of reality with the coaching search as the gig in Ames is not "an elite job in college basketball". While Rothstein is correct, rarely does a coach get to step into a job where he'll inherit a top ten team and a fan base as passionate about their basketball as Iowa State.

We'll continue to provide updates as information becomes available and if you see or hear anything, please feel free to post in the comments section below.