In Hoiberg, Nebraska has Another Native Son to Believe In

(Photo – Kenny Larabee)

Two years ago, a bleary eyed Scott Frost strode out of the elevator and onto the third floor of Memorial Stadium to greet the media for his introductory press conference. After NU Athletic Director Bill Moos introduced Frost, the room burst out into applause. It was a celebration. Lincoln’s promised son had returned home.

Tuesday afternoon, a similar scene played out at Memorial Stadium. Scott Frost again stepped out of the elevator and onto the third floor for a press conference, but this time, he was flanked by Fred Hoiberg, another Nebraska native hired by Moos to resurrect a program.

Born in Lincoln, Hoiberg ‘s family left for Ames at the age of two, the town Hoiberg would become so beloved in, he would eventually earn the nickname of “The Mayor.” From 1991 until 1995, Hoiberg played at Iowa State, before making the leap to the NBA, where he spent the next decade of his career. Hoiberg retired in 2005, and joined the Minnesota Timberwolves’ front office shortly thereafter.

In 2010, Hoiberg returned home to coach his alma mater, Iowa State. He led the Cyclones to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2014, but ultimately left to take the Chicago Bulls head coaching job in 2015. After getting fired in December of 2018, Hoiberg found himself without a basketball home. That all changed on Saturday, after Hoiberg inked a seven year, $25 million deal with NU to become Nebraska’s next basketball coach.

Ames might be his hometown, but his ties to Nebraska are nearly endless, as Hoiberg explained on Tuesday. “I know a lot has (been) written about my Grandpa (Jerry) Bush, who coached here back in the 50s and 60s. But my other grandfather, Otto Hoiberg, was a history professor here for almost 30 years,” Hoiberg said. “…My parents, who are here today, Eric and Karen, both went to Nebraska. They are alums (1966). Dad went on to get his Master’s in ’69 and his Ph.D. in ’72.”

Like Frost, he was recruited by Tom Osborne to play football. Despite the fact that Hoiberg was actually a Husker football fan, Hoiberg settled on his first love – basketball.

“I am actually really convinced that he (Osborne) would’ve put 50 pounds on me and made me a tight end,” Hoiberg said. “I probably wouldn’t be here today. I could’ve been Gronk (former New England Patriots tight end Robert Gronkowski) before Gronk was Gronk.”

Hoiberg could’ve seeked out greener pastures, but he settled on Nebraska. Why? To Hoiberg, it simply feels natural. “One thing my wife and I talked about was we want this to be our last stop and we’re excited about this,” Hoiberg said. “Again, a lot of it is because of our family history here, but maybe as import are the facilities and the resources that you have and the fan support. It’s going to be second to none.”

A rebuilding year awaits the Huskers, but that’s nothing they can’t overcome, according to Hoiberg.

“I challenged them (the players) with the amount of work it takes. I was fortunate enough to play 10 years in the NBA, and I didn’t play because I was the most athletic. I didn’t play because I was the most gifted. The reason I played was because I was the hardest worker.

Nobody was going to out-work me. That’s how I got to that level, and that’s what I’m going to demand and expect out of our players, is to go out every day and give everything we can and put an exciting product on the floor that will make our fans proud. And that’s what we’re going to strive to do.”

When Moos introduced Hoiberg, he announced him as the 28th head coach of the Nebraska basketball program. As head coach, Hoiberg will be tasked with nothing less than achieving what every single one of his 27 predecessors failed to do – win an NCAA Tournament game.

It would appear to be a Sisyphean task, something that only the dumb or delusional would take on. But with Hoiberg at the helm, for the first time, anything seems possible with the Nebraska basketball program, much like it seemed for football on that December day when Frost returned in 2017.