After a season that ended with five straight losses that took Nebraska basketball off the bubble and made sure they didn’t get into the NCAA Tournament, it’s not a surprise that Fred Hoiberg seems to be on the hotseat. At least with quite a few fans.
However, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen went on the air on Thursday night and tried to tamp down talk that Hoiberg’s job was really in any kind of jeopardy. In the process, he laid out some of the things he’s well aware might be standing in the way of the Huskers’ success.
Nebraska basketball coach gets support from AD
🔊 Hoops talk with the AD on his conversations with Coach Hoiberg following the Men's Basketball season pic.twitter.com/eZlBtCpF2U
— Huskers Radio Network (@HuskersRadio) March 27, 2025
“It’s funny, you get on social media and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, fire everybody!'” Dannen said during his monthly appearance on the Huskers Radio Network. “The reality is that when things don’t go well, you have to be introspective and ask yourself why. My response to Fred is, ‘Tell me what you need me to do. How can I help you? Here are the things I see, but tell me how I can help you.’
“We all get emotional, but when you’re working here – when you’re Fred Hoiberg or in my chair – you can’t act emotionally,” Dannen continued defending the Nebraska basketball coach. “You’ve got to be rational and you’ve got to figure out what we need to do to get to the place we want to get.”
Dannen coming to Hoiberg’s aid isn’t a total shock. Despite the best the Cornhuskers could do this season is winning the CBC, his job is safe this year.
The bigger issue is what happens next year. If the Nebraska basketball team struggles for the sixth time in seven seasons, does Dannen still offer these supportive words? We’re gonna have to play the wait and see game for another year.