Nebraska announced the hiring of Fred Hoiberg as its 28th men's basketball coach in school history on Saturday.
Chris Heady of the Omaha World-Herald was the first to report the news.
Hoiberg will be officially introduced as Nebraska's new coach at a press conference on Tuesday. His contract with Nebraska will be a seven-year deal worth $25 million.
Hoiberg replaces Tim Miles, who was fired on Tuesday after seven seasons as Nebraska's head coach.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Hoiberg grew up in Ames, Iowa and went on to play at Iowa State, followed by 10 seasons in the NBA. Hoiberg returned to his alma mater in 2010 and coached the Cyclones for five seasons, including four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, before becoming the head coach of the Chicago Bulls – one of three NBA teams he played for – in 2015.
Now, after losing his job with the Bulls this past December following a 5-10 start to his fourth season with the team, Hoiberg is returning to the college ranks and to his birthplace to lead the Cornhuskers – who were previously coached by his grandfather, Jerry Bush, from 1955-63 – as they set their sights on becoming increasingly competitive in the Big Ten.
“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,” Hoiberg said in a statement released by the university. “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.”
