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The Nebraska Cornhuskers announced late Thursday afternoon that men’s basketball head coach Fred Hoiberg would in fact be returning next season as head of the program. Hoiberg will soon finish his third season at the helm in Lincoln and currently holds a 21-65 record at Nebraska.
Statement from @TrevAlberts & @CoachHoiberg. pic.twitter.com/x8UPudSPpp
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) February 25, 2022
The Husker head coach has never won more than three conference games in a season, has not won more than seven games thus far in his tenure at UNL, and has finished in 14th place his first two seasons. Nebraska is also likely to again finish last this season unless his team wins out and Minnesota fails to win another game on its schedule. That would tie the teams at four league wins apiece.
Hoiberg signed a contract extension at the end of his first season that increased his buyout to $18.5 million and his tenure through the 2026-2027 season while adding a $500,000 retention bonus for 2024 and again in 2025. Hoiberg’s salary remained $3.5 million. It was announced that Hoiberg has agreed to a salary reduction of $3.25 million and a buyout reduction to just $11 million as part of the retention.
Plenty of Husker media and fans shared a range of takes on the announcement, along with opponents’ fans of Nebraska.
It would have cost $20 million to fire Frost after this year and $18.5 million to fire Hoiberg.
— Parker Gabriel (@HuskerExtraPG) February 25, 2022
Including salary and buyout, firing Frost after 2022 now would cost $11.5 mil ($4 mil salary + $7.5 million buyout) and Hoiberg $14.25 mil ($3.25 mil salary + $11 mil buyout).
I hope Fred Hoiberg gets it turned around. pic.twitter.com/UOcdk1LgLS
— Mike'l Severe (@MikelSevere) February 25, 2022
"This must be one of the greatest plans in college basketball history."
— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) February 25, 2022
Thus begins @tomshatelOWH
skepticism of Trev Alberts being willing to bring back Fred Hoiberg for a fourth year. https://t.co/puq9xJcK9O #huskers pic.twitter.com/cIx8va5w4L
While some folks were quite critical of the move, particularly the Nebraska media, others seemed to take a fairly pragmatic look at the decision. Some of that had to do with giving Hoiberg a pass for a rough start and others merely reflecting on the dollars and cents of it all at a school with a historically bad basketball program.
It’s obviously about the buyout. If you want to be extremely generous, year 1 was a rebuild, year 2 Covid, this year really no excuse. But its been awful. Team isn’t really good at anything. And the players clearly aren’t buying into the staff. He’s had 2 NBA players too!
— Brian Wilson (@Brian85Wilson) February 25, 2022
We have never been a basketball school so to pay a $18.5M buyout to continue to be mediocre would have been insane. Get to where it makes financial sense and then start over.
— Connie Cook (@conniescook) February 25, 2022
I am fine with Fred Hoiberg returning.
— CornNation (@CornNation) February 25, 2022
I don’t really see anything else as an option. Most people who think he should be fired haven’t a clue as to who would replace him.
And 3 years isn’t enough for the lousiest basketball program in a Div1 power conference.
Others just wanted to make fun of the Huskers and the struggling hoops program.
Scott Frost and Fred Hoiberg getting another year in Lincoln despite winning less than 30% of their Big Ten games. pic.twitter.com/V9BvJMHc9w
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) February 25, 2022
Conference wins fun fact of the day:
— ️☪️ (@CatEverlasting) February 24, 2022
Creighton in February 2022- 7
Nebraska in 3 years under Hoiberg- 6
That’s it. That’s the tweet.
Bo Pelini got fired for winning 9 games a year. That’s almost double the amount of B10 wins Hoiberg has in 3 years…
— Zane Hinkel (@Z_Hinkel) February 25, 2022
Hoiberg after the “plan” pic.twitter.com/PAiVyrE2YZ
— FakeBlueCrew (@FakeBlueCrew) February 25, 2022
Nebraska tips off against No. 25 Iowa tonight for the home season finale.