Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg shares mixed emotions on Greg McDermott’s retirement

Greg McDermott holds a special place in Fred Hoiberg’s coaching career, which is why he was emotional when learning of the Creighton head coach’s retirement. The Nebraska head coach got his first big gig in college basketball at Iowa State in 2010, when the role opened because McDermott left to coach the Bluejays. Even 16 years later, Hoiberg still owes everything to McDermott.

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg on the news that Greg McDermott announced his retirement:

“Without Greg I’m not in this business. I don’t know if I should thank him for that or be pissed off at him.”

Hoiberg’s full response:

@HuskerMBB pic.twitter.com/YdZotBnWN6

— 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽 𝓓𝓮𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓼 (@mjdemarinis) March 23, 2026

After five years at Iowa State, Hoiberg returned to the Chicago Bulls for his first head coaching gig in the NBA, 12 years after playing with the organization. Hoiberg made the playoffs for the first time in his second season with the Bulls, but the team fired him the following year after a slow start to the season. He joined Nebraska in 2019 and has been there ever since.

The Cornhuskers had four unsuccessful seasons under Hoiberg, but made the NCAA Tournament in 2024, losing in the first round. After missing out again last season, Hoiberg now has his team in the Sweet 16, a breakthrough after the university lost its first eight games in tournament play. Fred Hoiberg’s win in the first round over Troy was the first March Madness victory in the school’s history.

It has been a bit of a different story for McDermott since handing over the reins to Hoiberg. Creighton has been the picture of consistency in the Big East, making the tournament 10 times under McDermott. They made an Elite Eight run in 2023 and a Sweet 16 run in 2024, but bowed out in the second round in 2025 and failed to make the tournament this season.

While his last few seasons didn’t go as planned, McDermott retires as the winningest coach in the school’s history.

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