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INDIANAPOLIS – Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year on Friday, April 3 in Indianapolis.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Hoiberg has longstanding ties to the University of Nebraska. Jerry Bush, Hoiberg’s grandfather on his mother’s side, brought the family to Lincoln when he coached the Huskers from 1954 to 1963. Hoiberg’s grandfather on his father’s side was a professor in the university’s sociology department for 30 years. Hoiberg’s mother and father met at Nebraska and stayed in Lincoln, where Hoiberg and his wife, Carol, would eventually meet and begin dating in high school.

At Iowa State University, Hoiberg earned AP Big Eight Freshman of the Year honors as he was a contributor to the Cyclones’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in four years. A popular figure on and off the court, Hoiberg earned the nickname “the Mayor,” which consequently made him a write-in for the 1993 Ames mayoral election.

The 52nd pick in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft, the first four years of Hoiberg’s decade-long NBA career began with the Indianapolis Pacers, where Hoiberg played under legends Larry Brown and Larry Bird. “Those teams were so much fun to play on. And if not for the Bulls dynasty, I think we would have won a couple world championships here with the Pacers,” Hoiberg said at the AP Coach of the Year press conference held on April 3.

Hoiberg said being in the Circle City is “what makes this cool, to receive this award in Indianapolis where it really started.” For Hoiberg, fatherhood began alongside a decade-long NBA career. His two eldest children, Jack and Paige Hoiberg, were born in Indianapolis during Hoiberg’s Pacers career.

Hoiberg played the next four years of his professional career with the Bulls. He then spent his final two seasons as a player with the Timberwolves. An aneurysm necessitated open-heart surgery and halted Hoiberg’s playing career. Hoiberg began his post-playing career in the Timberwolves’ front office as assistant general manager for three seasons, and was promoted to vice president of basketball operations for his final season with the Timberwolves before beginning his coaching career.

Hoiberg’s coaching career began with a return to the Cyclones. From 2011 to 2015, Hoiberg earned a 115-56 record and four straight NCAA tournament appearances beginning in 2012. There, he earned the top winning percentage by any coach in Iowa State history.

Hoiberg then returned to the Windy City in 2015 to coach the Chicago Bulls for three seasons with a 115-155 record. With 42 wins, Hoiberg was the fifth coach in franchise history to post a winning record in his first season.

Named the 28th head coach in program history at the University of Nebraska, Hoiberg returned to Lincoln in 2019. Hoiberg inherited a team with just one returning letterwinner. Four seasons later, Hoiberg led the team to a 23-11 record, including the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

Of those 23 wins, one was over the No. 1 team in the country, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1982. Jerry Bush was the last Huskers coach to do so.

This season, Hoiberg’s eighth at Nebraska, concluded with a 27-8 record and the first Sweet Sixteen appearance in the program's 130-year history. “Never has the program seen success experienced this past year under Coach’s leadership,” said Barry Bedlan from the Associated Press before presenting the award to Hoiberg.

“This is as much fun as I’ve ever had coaching the game,” Hoiberg said of the season. “I’ve been in it now 15 years at the college and NBA level. And this group of guys, I knew from day one they had a chance to be special.”

Hoiberg’s historic season was a family affair. Charlie, a graduate manager for the program, pushed his twin brother Sam to succeed in his final season playing for his father. Hoiberg noted that Charlie “was really good for Sam and his confidence. His game really took a jump.” Hoiberg said that Sam saw the program “at its lowest and… to see him have such a key role in being the leader of this group was really special for our family.”

“Thanks to everybody, my mom and dad, who started it all with the journey in Lincoln,” Hoiberg said. “To have my life come full circle means a lot.”