NU assistant Matt Abdelmassih to take medical leave of absence

As Nebraska works to rebound from back-to-back road losses, it will have to do so without the assistant coach primarily responsible for orchestrating its 2021-22 roster.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg announced on Monday that Matt Abdelmassih, who had been the lead recruiter for nearly every Husker over the past three recruiting classes, will take a medical leave of absence to address some issues related to his health.

It’s unclear right now how long Abdelmassih, 36, will be away from the program.

“Matt informed me that he is taking a leave of absence to deal with health-related issues,” Hoiberg said in a statement. “As both a colleague and friend, his health is our priority, and we will support him throughout this process. Everyone in our program looks forward to when he is healthy enough to return to the sideline.”

In the meantime, Hoiberg said special assistant to the head coach Doc Sadler would continue to have an active coaching role on the bench, scouting, and game planning.

As for recruiting, Hoiberg will continue to hit the road as much as possible, while other full-time assistants Nate Loenser and Armon Gates would take on even larger roles in contacting and evaluating prospects.

Abdelmassih sent a statement to HuskerOnline.com via text message on Monday morning:

“I am going to be taking a break to focus on my health. I’ve had serious health issues that have come up and have not gone away, and I cannot neglect them anymore. I have to focus on me and, most importantly, my family, and the only way to achieve this is by stepping away for the time being.

“The timing is never right, but I cannot neglect this any longer. I have no idea how long that will be, but once I can get into a better place where I have my personal health under control with answers and a plan, then I will return.”