NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from 2010 offseason

5. Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State)

This Cyclones program had a proud history but had been mostly dormant by 2010. They had finished the last four seasons under .500 and hadn’t been much of a competitor since the turn of the century. This Iowa State team needed a new voice; someone to put the program back on the map in a tough Big 12, and they got just that and more.

Nicknamed “The Mayor,” Fred Hoiberg starred at Iowa State in the early 90’s and remains one of the Cyclone’s most beloved players. He spent over a decade in the NBA and was known as one of the best three-point shooters in the league during his career. After his playing career, he joined the front office of the Minnesota Timberwolves, though he didn’t have any coaching experience when Iowa State called him home.

Hoiberg got right to work, back at Ames, and got these Cyclones buzzing in only a few years. He led Iowa State back to the NCAA Tournament in his final four seasons with the school, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2014. Each of those four years also included a top 4 finish in Big 12 play. Hoiberg was lured back to the NBA to take over the Chicago Bulls in 2015, but it’s easy to say that he left this Iowa State program in incredible shape for the near future.