Nebraska Basketball: Head Coach Fred Hoiberg has been dealt a bad hand
By Erik Mauro
When Fred Hoiberg was hired by Nebraska Basketball to run the basketball program, it was seen by many as a coup in the coaching industry. However, the results so far have been far from what you want.
In Tim Miles’ last season, the Huskers went 19-17 and made it to the second round of the NIT. In seven seasons with Nebraska, Miles made two NIT’s and one NCAA Tournament. At a place like Nebraska, that’s yeoman’s work. However, consider the fact that his last team was supposed to make the tournament and was perhaps the most talented team Nebraska has ever had.
They were 13-4 at one point, ranked, and in great position to make the tournament. They lost seven in a row and ended the regular season at 16-15. A 3-11 end to a season doesn’t help your cause as a coach or a team.
It was time for Miles to go. He wasn’t ever going to be able to get over the hump, and everybody on that team was either graduating or going to the NBA. Furthermore, name me one program in the country that won’t take Fred Hoiberg over Tim Miles. I’ll wait………………………
After all, Miles has had such great success finding another job, right?
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Hoiberg took the job, and had to throw together a team in three months, replacing 13 players off last year’s team. If Miles stayed, he would have had to do the same thing. All of the main contributors were seniors, and then some younger players such as Thomas Allen transferred. Miles may have lucked out and some of the transfers would have stayed.
Nonetheless, having to replace your top four scorers would have set any team back, as Hoiberg had to do with Isaiah Roby, Glynn Watson, James Palmer, and Isaac Copeland.
Predictably, Hoiberg’s first year was rough, the Huskers won just seven games, and only two conference games. If that wasn’t bad enough, then COVID hit. There were more transfers, and more replacements, but not a normal off season or season, and once again Hoiberg is behind the 8-ball in terms of development and putting his system in place.
The Huskers also had a shutdown of 28 days and are now finishing up a stretch of seven games in 12 days to make up some of the games. This COVID year is so weird that even teams like Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke are all in danger of missing the tournament. Name me a coach that can win under Hoiberg’s circumstances these last two years. I don’t think the list is very long.
Recently, there was some good news at least, as the Huskers ended a 26-game conference losing streak defeating Penn State last Sunday. There is talent on this team, with Trey McGowens and Teddy Allen leading the way. Dalano Banton is also a nice contributor.
Next year, with hopefully all of this team returning and the additions of Trey’s brother Bryce McGowens, the first five-star recruit in program history, as well as big man Wilhelm Breidenbach who reportedly has a play style resembling that of Luka Garza.
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Something can be said for a team that continuously gets their faces beat in and their hearts repeatedly broken, yet they continue to show up and play 100 percent every night. Even on Miles’ teams that won games there will still players dogging plays and games throughout the season.
That speaks to a culture shift that Hoiberg is implementing. The offense he wants to run has even been seen in spurts this season. But, it’s a fair question to ask that if he can’t do it next year with all this talent, is Nebraska just a cursed program?