Hoiberg looks back at leaving Bulls, new role with Nebraska
When Nebraska opened the season with losses to UC-Riverside and Southern Utah, it looked like Fred Hoiberg's first year as head coach would be one to forget.
But since then, the Cornhuskers have had some impressive moments, with quality conference wins over Purdue and Iowa. They're playing Hoiberg's preferred up-tempo style and will take a 7-8 record into Saturday's game at Northwestern.
We caught up with Hoiberg this week to talk about his new job and the three-plus seasons he spent coaching the Bulls.
Q: How satisfying has it been to cobble together a team with 14 new players and get this far already?
A: "We had two points and one rebound back from last year's team and only one player that had any experience and that's Thor (Thorbjarnarson, a 6-6 guard from Iceland). So much of this season is about taking steps in the right direction and getting better. When 14 of your 16 players are new and have never played with each other, every situation's different.
"Also, that game at Indiana (Dec. 13) was one of the best games we played all year when we took them to overtime, so we could very easily be 3-1 in the league right now. We're still going to have ups and downs with the youth we have, there's no doubt about that. But we're getting better and that's what this season's all about."
Q: Obviously, Nebraska doesn't have a great history in basketball. What drew you to this job?
A: "I'll say this, everything you need is in place here. We have as good of facilities as any in the country. Our arena, I saw it firsthand when I was coaching with the Bulls, we played an exhibition game against the Mavericks in (Lincoln). I was just blown away by the facility. We have an unbelievable arena and we fill it every night. There's not an empty seat in that building, even though the expectations aren't very high for our team this year. Hopefully we can get this moving in the right direction and take this program where it's never been before."
Q: Coaching at Nebraska is actually a family tradition, right? Your maternal grandfather Jerry Bush was head coach from 1955-63.
A: "Probably the best win in the history of the school was when they beat Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain back in 1958. The guy that hit the game-winning shot stopped by our practice a couple weeks ago and it was just so cool to catch up with him and hear the stories about my grandfather and what he did to help shape his life. It's really neat to hear those kind of stories from my grandfather's former players. There's a lot of them that are still in the area."
Q: When you were at Iowa State, coaching in the NBA was in the back of your mind, obviously. Now, it's in your rearview mirror. How are you different?
A: "It hasn't changed me. I really enjoyed my time in Chicago, very thankful I got that opportunity from the Reinsdorfs. I think every experience you go through is a learning opportunity. I know I'm a better coach because of the three-and-a-half years I spent in Chicago. But everywhere I've been, from my playing days to working in the front office (for the Timberwolves), coaching at Iowa State, coaching the Bulls and here now, I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every step along the way."
Q: Getting let go by the Bulls in the middle of the season had to be a strange experience. You go from being totally immersed in the job to having essentially nothing to do overnight.
A: "It is. I'd never been through anything like that. You spend a lot of sleepless nights. Then you wake up and you're kind of like, 'What am I supposed to be doing right now?' You go through so many different emotions. I think it was Kevin McHale who told me, 'Give it time. You're going to be fine and you'll realize how much you're going to enjoy spending time with your family.' And that's what happened. You force yourself to get over it, with support from your family. It is a tough thing to go through, but again, I'll always look back fondly on those years."
Q: Was it awkward sitting in the stands at Hinsdale Central watching your sons' games after what happened?
A: "Believe me, people would chant at me, they'd chant at the kids (twins Sam and Charlie). It toughened them up, there's no doubt about that, with some of the things they had to go through. But that's part of being a coach's kid is you have to go through that kind of stuff. We were in a very supportive community. We developed a lot of great friendships with people in that area. I'll always look back at that time as three-and-a-half great years in our lives."
Q: What about your former Bulls players? Again, it had to be tough leaving those guys.
A: "Lauri (Markkanen) is one of my favorite guys I've ever coached. I loved coaching him. And Denzel (Valentine) was a guy I think the world of. He's such a great kid and showed good leadership that year he was out. Kris Dunn, who had such a great stretch of games when we were playing so well that third year. Zach (LaVine) is just a wonderful kid. It's great to see the success he's having as a player. You do miss it. You spend so much time with those guys and try to build relationships. When it's over, you miss that quality time you had together."
• Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls