Fred Hoiberg Named Big Ten Co-coach Of The Year

Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg has been named co-Big Ten Coach of the Year, the conference announced today.

After being picked in the preseason to finish 12th in the Big Ten, Hoiberg guided Nebraska to a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and a 22-9 overall record that includes a 12-8 mark against Big Ten competition. It’s Nebraska’s first double-bye since the 2017-18 season.

The 22 wins ties for second on the Huskers’ all-time single-season list while the 12 conference victories ties for second all-time. Nebraska is a near lock to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years. The Huskers are the only power conference program to never win a game in the Big Dance.

After a pair of seven-win seasons in his first two campaigns at Nebraska, the Huskers have steadily gotten better, winning 10 games in 2021-22, 16 in 2022-23 and now 22 and counting in 2023-24.

This is the second time Hoiberg has earned this accolade as he was the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2011-12 while the head coach at Iowa State. In five seasons at the helm of the Cyclones, Hoiberg made the NCAA Tournament four times.

Hoiberg was tasked with replacing key players and leaders off the 2022-23 team in Sam Griesel, Derrick Walker and Emmanuel Bandoumel. The coach took to the transfer portal and found Brice Williams (Charlotte), Rienk Mast (Bradley) and Lincoln native Josiah Allick (New Mexico), all of whom are starters, major contributors and strong fits to the program and culture Hoiberg has created.

Hoiberg knew the roster he and his staff had built over the offseason had potential for a special season.

“We did have the luxury of getting some practices in, and I saw then that we had a really hard-playing team that was going to be unselfish and play together,” Hoiberg said a couple weeks ago during a press conference. “And that’s what this group has done every day pretty much, is found a way to stay together and battle through adversity.”

Bringing in players who fit what Hoiberg was looking for, not just on the court, but off it, was a key trait Hoiberg and his assistants were looking for in the portal.

“That’s a luxury as a coach,” Hoiberg said, “when you have a group that can go out there and do all the little things and not ever have to worry about, what’s their attitude going to be like when they walk through the door? What is their agenda? Is everybody going to be here on time? I don’t think we had anybody late all year. And I’ve never had that, ever.”