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Former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg has been announced as Nebraska’s next head basketball coach. He will be paid $25 million dollars over 7 years. Hoiberg is the replacement for seventh year head coach Tim Miles, who was fired by NU Athletic Director Bill Moos on Tuesday.

“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 in a press release. “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 explained his decision to hire Hoiberg as the 28th head coach of the men’s basketball program in a press release.

“We are excited to welcome Fred Hoiberg, his wife Carol, and their family to Nebraska. He will be an outstanding representative of the University of Nebraska, and a great leader for our men’s basketball program,” Moos said.

“When you look at Coach Hoiberg, you see an individual who has had success as a player, a coach and served in an NBA front office,” Moos said. “Fred’s background sells itself on the recruiting trail, and will help us bring in the type of student-athletes needed to compete at the highest level. The style of play he will bring will not only appeal to prospective recruits, but will provide our great fans an entertaining brand of basketball.”

Hoiberg, who was born in Lincoln, began his college coaching career at his alma mater, Iowa State, in 2010. He led the Cyclones to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011 until 2015, including a run to the Sweet 16 in the 2013-14 season. Hoiberg left in 2015 to assume head coaching duties with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. In December of 2018, Hoiberg was let go by the Bulls midway through the season after he made just one playoff appearance with Chicago, losing in the first round in the 2016-17 season.

Hoiberg,who picked up the nickname of “The Mayor,” during his playing days at ISU, was one of the hottest college coaching candidates available. Hoiberg also has loads of Lincoln ties. He was recruited to play football by Tom Osborne. His grandfather, Jerry Bush, was the head Nebraska basketball coach from 1954 until 1963. Also his niece, Emma Hoiberg, works in the basketball office at Nebraska.

“Bill Moos has made an exceptional choice to lead Husker basketball into the future,” University Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green said in a press release. “I look forward to welcoming Coach Hoiberg and his family to Nebraska and am excited to see where he takes the program.”

Hoiberg had long been rumored to be the frontrunner for the position, over other possible candidates such as former Nebraska basketball guard and Cleveland Cavaliers head coach, Tyron Lue and former Creighton and current Oregon head coach, Dana Altman.