Bulls Rumors: Chicago Grants Hornets Permission to Interview Jim Boylen

The Chicago Bulls reportedly granted the Charlotte Hornets permission to interview assistant Jim Boylen for their vacant head coaching job on Thursday, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Boylen has been Chicago's associate head coach for the past three seasons on the heels of stints with the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as an assistant.

The 53-year-old Boylen also has collegiate head coaching experience. He went 69-60 in four seasons at Utah, including an NCAA tournament berth in 2008-09.

Boylen is a three-time NBA champion as an assistant coach, winning championships with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995 and the Spurs in 2014.

Per Johnson, Boylen has a link to the Hornets since general manager Mitch Kupchak is close with former Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

Boylen served under Tomjanovich in Houston for more than a decade.

Charlotte fired Steve Clifford last month after he went 196-214 in five seasons as the team's head coach. Clifford led the Hornets to the playoffs twice, but he finished 36-46 in each of the past two seasons.

As part of their head coaching search, the Hornets have also made contact with David Fizdale, Ettore Messina, Jerry Stackhouse, Ime Udoka, Jay Larranaga, David Vanterpool and James Borrego.