Nebraska extends Fred Hoiberg through 2028-29 after record season
This season has been one of the best seasons in Nebraska basketball history. That’s why the Huskers made sure to lock up head men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg for the foreseeable future.
Hoiberg, wrapping up his fifth season in Lincoln, had his contract extended through the 2028-29 season on Tuesday.
The 2024 Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year also had his salary bumped to $4.25 million beginning next season. He’ll receive annual increases through the subsequent years of his new deal, which runs through March 29, 2029.
At roughly $4.45 million per year, Hoiberg is now the nation’s 12th-highest-paid college head coach nationally. Only Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($6.2 million, 3rd) and Illinois’ Brad Underwood ($4.7 million, 8th) are higher among Big Ten coaches.
“I’m appreciative of the confidence our administration has shown in our staff’s leadership of the Husker basketball program,” Hoiberg said in a press release. “With our history at the University of Nebraska, this is a special place for our family. We want to continue to build a program that our fans can embrace and one that represents the values of Nebraskans.
“With the phenomenal facilities and fan support in place, we are positioned to do things that have never been accomplished by the Husker men’s basketball program.”
Under Hoiberg’s direction, NU has improved its record by at least six wins each of the past two seasons. This year’s 22-9 record and first NCAA Tournament berth in a decade has been the highlight.
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Nebraska’s interim leadership made sure to keep Hoiberg at NU
The extension came despite Nebraska not having a full-time university president or athletic director in place. That didn’t stop interim president Chris Kabourek and interim A.D. Dennis LeBlanc from securing Hoiberg for five more years.
“I have had the opportunity to work closely with five men’s basketball head coaches in my four decades in Nebraska Athletics, and I am more confident than ever in the direction of our men’s basketball program,” Leblanc said in the release. “Coach Hoiberg is a great representative of the University of Nebraska, and our program has shown great progress and improvement over the past two seasons.
“Fred has shown that he is committed to leading a program that succeeds on the court, in the classroom and in the community. We look forward to watching him and our team play on Friday in the NCAA Tournament.”
Added Kabourek:
“I’m thrilled that we are keeping Coach Hoiberg a Husker. He’s all-in on Nebraska and I love what he’s doing to help our team compete on and off the court. Coach Hoiberg is an outstanding representative of the University of Nebraska and I know he will continue to lead the young men in our basketball program to great success, both as players and as leaders in the classroom and in the community.”
