Hoiberg is in
Fred Hoiberg has been hired as the 28th head coach of Nebraska men’s basketball. A seven-year, $25 million deal was announced Saturday afternoon.
Hoiberg, 46, was an all-Big Eight player for Iowa State in the mid-1990s and was head coach there for five seasons (2010-2015), followed by three-plus seasons as head coach of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls (2015-2018). His ISU teams earned four NCAA Tournament berths and one trip to the Sweet 16. He was born in Lincoln, and his grandfather Jerry Bush coached Nebraska from 1954 to 1963.
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The announcement
Hoiberg to Lead Nebraska Men’s Basketball Program
A proven winner as both a coach and player at the collegiate and professional levels, Fred Hoiberg has been named the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Nebraska. Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos will officially introduce Hoiberg as Huskers’ new head coach at a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Lincoln.
Hoiberg, who was born in Lincoln, is the 28th coach in the history of Nebraska men’s basketball. He joins a fraternity of Husker head coaches that includes his grandfather, Jerry Bush, who guided the Husker program for nine seasons from 1955 to 1963.
“First, I want to thank Bill Moos, Chancellor Green and President Bounds for the opportunity to lead the Nebraska men’s basketball program,” Hoiberg said. “I can’t express how excited I am to be back on the sidelines and to be coaching at a university that means a lot to my family and me.
“Lincoln is a special place for our family. I was born in Lincoln, my grandfather Jerry Bush was the head coach at Nebraska, my other grandfather was a long-time professor there, and my parents are proud graduates of the University of Nebraska. Nebraska has always felt like a second home.
“I had the opportunity to coach at Pinnacle Bank Arena with the Bulls, and I have seen first-hand that the facilities are as nice as any in the country. When you couple that with a loyal and passionate fan base, you can see there is great potential for the future of Nebraska basketball.”
Moos said the diverse and accomplished resume Hoiberg brings to Nebraska provides the Huskers a great opportunity to reach new heights in the Big Ten Conference.
“We are excited to welcome Fred, his wife Carol, and their family to Nebraska. He will be an outstanding representative of the University, and a great leader for our men’s basketball program,” Moos said.
“When you look at him, you see an individual who has had success as a player and a coach,” Moos said. “Fred’s background will sell itself on the recruiting trail, and help us bring in the type of student-athletes needed to compete at the highest level. His style of play not only will be appealing to prospective recruits, but will also provide our great fans an entertaining brand of basketball.”
Hoiberg has five years of experience as a college head coach, guiding his alma mater, Iowa State, to four NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance, in five seasons from 2011 to 2015. The Cyclones also won two Big 12 Tournament titles. He served as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls for parts of four seasons from 2015 to 2018. He also worked in the front office of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves from 2006 to 2010.
“Bill Moos has made an exceptional choice to lead Husker basketball into the future,” University Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green said. “I look forward to welcoming Coach Hoiberg and his family to Nebraska and am excited to see where he takes the program.”
Before his success as a head coach, Hoiberg made his name as a player at the collegiate and NBA levels. Hoiberg was a four-year starter for the Cyclones and was a third-team All-American as a senior. He was a two-time All-Big Eight pick and a two-time Academic All-America selection. He is a member of the ISU Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired following his playing career.
A second-round draft pick in 1995, Hoiberg played 10 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Hoiberg led the NBA in 3-point percentage in his final year in the league.
The University of Nebraska and Hoiberg have agreed to a 7-year, $25 million deal.