Despite Iowa State being featured in the top ten of nearly every preseason college basketball ranking, the Cyclones lost their head coach to the Chicago Bulls this week, as Fred Hoiberg reportedly signed a $25 million contract with the NBA franchise.
Over the course of his five seasons in Ames, the former ISU shooting guard led the program a 115-56 record, including four NCAA Tournaments, and a Sweet 16 run in 2013-2014.
The move came amid rabid speculation regarding Hoiberg’s future, as the coach had reportedly told a 2015 recruit that he couldn’t guarantee being able to actually coach the player should he pick Iowa State and enroll next fall.
Now, the Iowa State administration must find a replacement for their head coach who had become a local icon, earning the nickname, “The Mayor”, thanks to his long-standing ties to the area.
For an idea about who might be a candidate, check out our Hot List below.
T.J. Otzelberger, assistant coach at Iowa State: With such a critical year on tap for the Cyclones, one where they could dethrone Kansas atop the Big 12, the administration might feel that it is too big od a risk to turn the program over to someone on the outside, who doesn’t know the chemistry of the roster on hand. Otzelberger is a big-time recruiter, and charismatic enough to sell step into the spotlight and feel comfortable with it.
The risk here is that this move would not be, under any circumstance, sexy. Iowa State is a good job, not a great one, so generating national buzz with this hire would help them further their visibility and get a buzz going heading into the summer AAU circuit, where the new staff will be on the road evaluating prospects. Hiring from within might not excite a new generation of fans, but could help keep the relationships that the staff has, no doubt, built with recruits, coaches, and those that help transfers find a new home.
Ben Jacobson, head coach at Northern Iowa: Jacobson is familiar with ISU and the Big 12, as well as the region, thanks to the time he has spent with Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. Jacobson has established himself as one of the top minds in the game, and has UNI moving full steam ahead as a Missouri Valley powerhouse, alongside Wichita State.
The big question here is whether or not Jacobson’s style of play can work in the Big 12. It is a completely different kind of system from every other program in the conference, and hasn’t been shown to have consistent results when schools like Nebraska, Colorado, and Texas A&M tried it years back.
Larry Eustachy, head coach at Colorado State: How fun would this be? The former Cyclones head coach was fired due to off-court issues he experienced with alcohol, but has since rebuilt his life, image, and career at Southern Miss and now CSU. Eustachy’s ability to win cannot be questioned, as he’s done it everywhere he’s coached. His ability to get teams to defend, rebound, and compete at absurdly high levels will give every program he leads a chance to win.
The two questions that pop up the most here seem to be the willingness of either party to return to a former engagement. Rehiring a head coach is a lot like getting back together with an ex-girlfriend from years passed. You’re still attracted to each other, but you still remember how she broke your heart and she still remembers how loud you snore and how often you actually do laundry.
Steve Prohm, head coach at Murray State: Prohm has seen his name come up with several openings recently, and much of it has been due to the fact that he was able to find an under the radar star like Cameron Payne, develop him, and (presumably) help him get drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. There’s a difference between a senior like Isaiah Cannon finding a way into the League, and a coach recruiting someone like Payne, who clearly could have played at just about any school in the country.
Bryce Drew, head coach at Valporaiso: Drew has enjoyed tremendous success during his time in the Horizon League, leading Valpo to three of the last four conference championship games. He’s also young, energetic, and has flashed a keen eye for under the radar talent, something that must often be done to have consistent success at Iowa State. The risk here is handing over the keys of a (possibly only one-year) Ferrari, to someone as young as Drew.
