Nebraska Basketball: What is Tim Miles’ future with the Cornhuskers?

What next for the program?

If Nebraska does elect to go a different route with the program, how is the program viewed nationally? Within coaching circles some view Nebraska as a sleeping giant ready to awaken if the right person is hired. The Huskers facilities are some of the best in the country and their fan base is rabid. The home arena the Pinnacle Bank Arena is a tremendous homecourt advantage. It is always sold out and it can get extremely loud in that arena. Nebraska should be able to use their facilities, and their play in the Big Ten. All of these have been cited as reasons to why Nebraska is a sleeping giant.

Other coaches have been on record as saying coaching at Nebraska is career suicide. Many successful coaches have come to coach here and have not been successful. Up until the last six years the facilities were not near what they are. The lack of administrative support may also be a reason why every coach seems to fail. Barry Collier fresh off a successful run with Butler came to coach at Nebraska, he had such a bad experience here that he retired and returned to be the AD at Butler. Doc Sadler was the coach whom Tim Miles replaced. Sadler had a successful run at UTEP before bombing out at Nebraska.

No matter what side of this fence you fall on the fact remains the job at Nebraska is tough. The fan base is hungry for a winner and everyone wants to get the NCAA tournament off their back and finally get the first tournament win in program history. The fans are going to get restless if Nebraska goes the safe way and hires this years flavor of the month mid major coach. The Husker fans deserve better than that and that is why Bill Moos should shoot for the Stars and bring in a home run hire. His own guy who everyone in the administration supports.

One name who continues to pop up in the Husker media is former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg does make sense here, as he is from Lincoln, his parents and family still reside in the city and he is currently out of work with the NBA. The former NBA head man has noted before how much he disliked recruiting. Recruiting is a huge part of being a College Basketball coach, as they are responsible for finding their own players.

Hoiberg is a huge name who is a great coach. No doubt, he would be able to get the Husker program where it needs to be. Some things to be wary of if this is the route the Huskers choose to go is: does Hoiberg even want this job?  He has mentioned that he loved the NBA and would like to stay in the NBA. If your Nebraska would you trade 3-4 great years of a program for a coach to leave for the NBA as soon as given the opportunity?  Would Hoiberg be able to surround himself with enough recruiters? TJ Otzelberger was on his staff at Iowa State and he was responsible for most of the talent that was acquired. Otzelberger is now a head coach of his own. Is Nebraska willing to pay?

If the former Bulls coach does decide that he would like to take on the Nebraska job, he will not come cheap. Are the Huskers ready to make a competitive offer that would place Hoiberg among the highest paid in the coaching fraternity?  Many of these questions will be answered shortly.