Nebraska is not close to hiring a new basketball coach, said Athletic Director Bill Moos.
Moos fired Tim Miles on Tuesday after seven seasons and a 116-114 record. Prior to Miles’ firing, The World-Herald learned Nebraska was targeting Fred Hoiberg as a candidate to replace Miles.
Moos confirmed that he has reached out to Hoiberg, but the deal is not done, he said, contradicting widespread speculation that has trickled out in the final weeks of the Huskers’ season.
The timetable for a new hire would be seven to 14 days, Moos said. He’d be surprised if a new coach were named in less than a week.
“I’m no young pup standing here, and I’d be the first to admit that,” Moos said. “I do have a network and I do have connections, and those have already been tapped in to.”
Moos said he has a list of three coaches he is interested in hiring. All have been contacted. No one is the front-runner.
Nebraska native Dana Altman — who coached Creighton for 16 seasons and has Oregon in its third Sweet 16 in four years — wasn’t on that list. The 60-year-old Altman recently signed an extension with the Ducks through the 2026 season.
“I think Dana’s happy where he’s at and they like him,” Moos said. “He’s a heck of a coach. I think he’s comfortable there. I didn’t talk to him.”
Hoiberg, though, is on the list.
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Moos reached out to Hoiberg to gauge interest last month. Moos said he’s not sure he if has a “true answer” on Hoiberg’s interest in the job, and the former Iowa State coach has not flown to Lincoln for an interview.
Hoiberg, 46, was born in Lincoln and is the grandson of Jerry Bush, who coached Nebraska from 1954-63.
Hoiberg, who faced the Huskers many times as a player for Iowa State, went 16-16 in his first season coaching the Cyclones. ISU then made four straight NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2014. Iowa State won the Big 12 tournament in his final two seasons before he left for the Chicago Bulls in 2015.
Hoiberg went 115-155 with the Bulls before being fired in December.
Hoiberg or not, Moos said he thinks Nebraska can attract a top coach and pay a competitive salary. Miles made $2.375 million this season, which was eighth in the conference.
“We have the ability to pay the going rate for top coaches,” Moos said.
Nebraska remains the only Power Five school never to have won an NCAA tournament game. But Moos doesn’t think a turnaround in Lincoln is that far away.
There’s less turnover in basketball than football, Moos said, so the right hire and the right point guard could change everything.
“I hear, ‘Well, Nebraska’s a football school, and we’ve never gotten it done in basketball, and when we have it hasn’t been consistent, and what’s it gonna take?’ ” Moos said. “I look at Nebraska and people say, ‘Why Nebraska?’ And I say, ‘Why not?’ ”
Moos said he wants someone with integrity, who does things right, who runs an exciting offense and, simply, can win.
“No. 1 objective and goal here at the University of Nebraska, under my leadership, is to win a Big Ten Conference championship,” Moos said. “We can move this program up to competing consistently in the Big Ten.”
https://www.omaha.com/huskers/mens-...cle_5f3c7ce5-6beb-540c-8b76-742bcfe0ee57.html
Moos fired Tim Miles on Tuesday after seven seasons and a 116-114 record. Prior to Miles’ firing, The World-Herald learned Nebraska was targeting Fred Hoiberg as a candidate to replace Miles.
Moos confirmed that he has reached out to Hoiberg, but the deal is not done, he said, contradicting widespread speculation that has trickled out in the final weeks of the Huskers’ season.
The timetable for a new hire would be seven to 14 days, Moos said. He’d be surprised if a new coach were named in less than a week.
“I’m no young pup standing here, and I’d be the first to admit that,” Moos said. “I do have a network and I do have connections, and those have already been tapped in to.”
Moos said he has a list of three coaches he is interested in hiring. All have been contacted. No one is the front-runner.
Nebraska native Dana Altman — who coached Creighton for 16 seasons and has Oregon in its third Sweet 16 in four years — wasn’t on that list. The 60-year-old Altman recently signed an extension with the Ducks through the 2026 season.
“I think Dana’s happy where he’s at and they like him,” Moos said. “He’s a heck of a coach. I think he’s comfortable there. I didn’t talk to him.”
Hoiberg, though, is on the list.
Subscribe to the Half-Court Press podcast for the latest on Nebraska and Creighton hoops
Moos reached out to Hoiberg to gauge interest last month. Moos said he’s not sure he if has a “true answer” on Hoiberg’s interest in the job, and the former Iowa State coach has not flown to Lincoln for an interview.
Hoiberg, 46, was born in Lincoln and is the grandson of Jerry Bush, who coached Nebraska from 1954-63.
Hoiberg, who faced the Huskers many times as a player for Iowa State, went 16-16 in his first season coaching the Cyclones. ISU then made four straight NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2014. Iowa State won the Big 12 tournament in his final two seasons before he left for the Chicago Bulls in 2015.
Hoiberg went 115-155 with the Bulls before being fired in December.
Hoiberg or not, Moos said he thinks Nebraska can attract a top coach and pay a competitive salary. Miles made $2.375 million this season, which was eighth in the conference.
“We have the ability to pay the going rate for top coaches,” Moos said.
Nebraska remains the only Power Five school never to have won an NCAA tournament game. But Moos doesn’t think a turnaround in Lincoln is that far away.
There’s less turnover in basketball than football, Moos said, so the right hire and the right point guard could change everything.
“I hear, ‘Well, Nebraska’s a football school, and we’ve never gotten it done in basketball, and when we have it hasn’t been consistent, and what’s it gonna take?’ ” Moos said. “I look at Nebraska and people say, ‘Why Nebraska?’ And I say, ‘Why not?’ ”
Moos said he wants someone with integrity, who does things right, who runs an exciting offense and, simply, can win.
“No. 1 objective and goal here at the University of Nebraska, under my leadership, is to win a Big Ten Conference championship,” Moos said. “We can move this program up to competing consistently in the Big Ten.”
https://www.omaha.com/huskers/mens-...cle_5f3c7ce5-6beb-540c-8b76-742bcfe0ee57.html
