Fred Hoiberg: New Iowa State Basketball Coach

Fred Hoiberg will be the new Iowa State men's basketball coach. In just a couple day's time, one coach packs his bags and leaves the University and the state of Iowa. Just a wink of the eye later, a new coach is hired. But this guy is not a stranger to Iowa, Iowa State or the ISU men's basketball team.

When Hoiberg, as a student who played basketball at ISU, made headlines with his leadership and controlled shooting at Iowa State, the fans loved him. His coaches and team mates also respected his authority and his dedication to hard work. They worked well with "The Mayor", the nickname for Hoiberg, as he sort of ran things signifying the manner in which the team would move ahead.

Hoiberg said he couldn't sleep the other night, tossing and turning and thinking about the job of coaching the ISU men's basketball team. He decided to stroll downstairs and check the internet to see what was up. Little did he know, but his wife hadn't been able to sleep either and she was already sitting in front of the computer. This will be a tough job as the expectations of the ISU men's basketball coach and Fred Hoiberg will be elevated to the top. We wonder just what is going through the minds of Fred and his wife.

Will this new partnership work? Well, of course, no one knows for sure, but being the top dog of one of Iowa College basketball teams can be a stressful job. The three state colleges of Iowa that include Iowa State, The University of Iowa and The University of Northern Iowa are all very competitive in men's basketball. The universities, the people of Iowa and the fans have great expectations of their coaches and sports leadership personnel.

They want winning teams - Hoiberg, are you up to this? They also want and almost demand coaches who show great leadership skills both on and off the basketball court. The head coach also must know people and convince them to support the local programs. Thereby the personality of Hoiberg is extremely important to the whole winning role of Iowa State University. We don't like to think of sports as money, but the whole arena of sports has become big business.

Then there is the team. Most of them know Hoiberg only by what they've heard and not so much by what they've seen. Dads, Moms, Grandpas, Grandmas and little kids were tuned to their TVs during the era that Fred Hoiberg played basketball. They watched him shoot free throw shots, as well as perfect shots from anyplace on the court at Hilton. They tell great stories of great basketball games.

For now, we will all watch and wait. ISU basketball players have to be somewhat in confusion because of all that's taken place the past week. It's difficult to believe your leaders when they change their mind so quickly and often. Everyone needs things to settle down and for some stability to take its course. They want to believe in this man, Mayor Hoiberg, and they want this basketball team to excel. Educated risks must be employed and changes must be made so that our young people of today can be successful in life. That means we want the best of everything for the coach, his team and for those kids who are outside practicing hoops in hopes they'll play college ball.

We ask you Fred, take care of our basketball players. Make Hilton Magic come alive as it did in the days you were shooting the shots at ISU. We are rooting for you. Don't let us down.