‘This is a passion project’: Alberts counting on Hoiberg’s willingness to change to resurrect Husker hoops | Men’s Basketball

The exact plan Fred Hoiberg has for reviving Nebraska men’s basketball is yet to be revealed one day after NU athletic director Trev Alberts announced the coach would be back on the sideline for the 2022-23 season.

But the fact that Hoiberg was willing to take a hard look at why things haven’t worked in his first three years at the helm in Lincoln was a good starting point, Alberts said Friday.

“I was mostly interested in, A, does Fred want to be here, which it’s very clear to me he does,” Alberts told the Journal Star. “He’s also not naïve to the fact that what’s previously been done is not good enough. But he’s willing to take a look at the hard areas. And perhaps even make himself uncomfortable. And that’s a starting point.”

It’s likely the full details of the changes coming to Husker hoops won’t be clear for some time. Nebraska, after Friday night’s matchup with Iowa, still has at least four games remaining — three in the regular season and at least one Big Ten tournament game — before an important offseason arrives.

Hoiberg as of Friday afternoon hadn’t commented publicly on his return outside of a statement released Thursday night.

And any changes that happen will be at Hoiberg’s discretion after he agreed to a restructured contract that reduced his salary next season to $3.25 million and lowered his buyout to $11 million, in addition to the coach giving up a $500,000 stay bonus.

“I don’t think it’s my place, nor is it healthy, if the athletic director is dictating to a coach who they hire on their staff, what style they play,” Alberts said. “I might have my own personal opinions, but at the end of the day, I don’t think that’s healthy.

“And Fred’s got season left. So Fred’s going to be very careful. I have a general idea of what he’s planning on doing, and I’m interested in it.”

Allowing Hoiberg to make changes is in itself a change in course for Nebraska as an athletic department, Alberts said. For far too long, NU has been quick to pull the trigger on change when things weren’t going well, whether with a coach or in administration.

Certainly, Nebraska’s unsightly record complicated things. And Hoiberg’s large buyout played a role in the decision. But too often, Alberts said, Nebraska has tried to solve its issues by spending.

“In large part — not the entire decision — but part of the decision-making administratively is, we’ve done a lot of the same things (in the past),” Alberts said. “We’ve thrown a lot of money at things. And it hasn’t worked. 

“So throwing more money at buyouts and other things, we’re going to try a different course.”

In less than eight months on the job, Alberts has already played a role in Nebraska football coach Scott Frost implementing major changes in his own program. And while NU has yet to play, or win, a game after those changes, there has if nothing else been a shot of positive momentum for the Athletic Department’s flagship program.

Men’s basketball may never be the flagship at NU. But that doesn’t mean a similar approach couldn’t provide a shot of positive momentum if executed properly.

“I would anticipate that Fred, the extent of the changes will be his, but I think there will be some significant change,” Alberts said. “And there’s no reason why he couldn’t experience the same type of momentum that football has.

“At the end of the day, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

If it does work, Hoiberg’s willingness to change and Alberts’ willingness to allow those changes will have been the catalyst. While he doesn’t often show it outwardly in terms of emotions, Hoiberg does care about wins and losses. A legendary college career followed by 10 years as an NBA player doesn’t happen because of complacency.

Now, it will be up to Hoiberg to apply those principles to trying to bring Nebraska basketball back from the dead.

“I just think, athletics at the University of Nebraska, whether it’s administration or anything else, this is a grinder deal. This is a passion project,” Alberts said. “If it doesn’t mean something to you, it’s going to be hard here.