Nebraska Cornhuskers shake up staff, Matt Abdelmassih and Doc Sadler gone

Earlier this month, the Nebraska Cornhuskers announced two major staff departures from the program. Assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih and former assistant turned Special Assistant to the Head Coach Doc Sadler both announced departures from the men’s basketball program.

Abdelmassih came to Nebraska from St. John’s, but has worked as an assistant coach for Hoiberg before his three seasons at Nebraska. He’s a graduate of St. John’s and worked as a student manager for the Red Storm basketball team during his time in undergrad there. After graduating, he assisted the director of basketball operations until moving to the Minnesota Timeberwolves staff in 2008 as an operations intern. He was promoted to operations assistant in 2009, and worked with Coach Hoiberg there. Abdelmassih then worked on Hoiberg’s Iowa State staff for five seasons.

While with Nebraska, Abdelmassih has been an important recruiter for the Huskers. He has played a role in recruiting Bryce McGowens, Jr. and Wilhelm Breidenbach, among others. McGowens was the first five-start recruit to commit to Nebraska out of high school in program history and the highest rated recruit in the modern era for the Huskers.

Abdelmassih took a brief medical leave of absence from the team back in December.

Doc Sadler returned to Nebraska with Hoiberg back in 2019 after serving as the head coach of the program in Lincoln from 2006-2012 before being let go following a 12-18 season. Sadler joined Hoiberg’s staff at Iowa State from 2013-2014 and later went on to become head coach of Southern Miss. He led the Golden Eagles to a 20-13 record and CBI Tournament bid in his final season with the program.

Sadler was an assistant coach on the roster for the first two seasons with Hoiberg before transitioning last season to a more administrative role when he replaced outgoing Special Assistant to the Head Coach Bobby Lutz.