The athletics department at Iowa State, which was supposed to make an objective and reasoned decision on whom to hire as its next men’s basketball coach, decided to make a nostalgic decision seemingly based on this magic.
I trust that you’re too smart to actually believe in “Hilton Magic.” You’re too smart to hire a popular ex-player as your head coach, despite the fact that he has no coaching experience whatsoever and no experience in the college game since his playing days.
You’re too smart to hire Fred Hoiberg. But apparently, the Iowa State brass are not.
Hoiberg, who played from 1991 to 1995, will be a popular hire in Ames. He didn’t earn the nickname “The Mayor” without a positive standing there. Hoiberg’s popularity is because of his fantastic career playing at Iowa State , which he parlayed into a solid NBA run. With Hoiberg, Iowa State is almost certain to sell more tickets this coming season.
Increased ticket sales can be used to improve a program that has suffered through five straight losing seasons. If Iowa State had a destitute fanbase, that might be reason enough to justify the hire. But Iowa State fans are passionate, and they pack Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones still finished last season third in the conference in attendance — behind only Kansas and Texas.
Yes, Hoiberg will guarantee increased interest from some nostalgic fans. But you know what really increases ticket sales? Consistently winning. And do you hire someone who has never been a coach, on any level, if winning games is your goal? Apparently you do — but only if you’re Iowa State.
Before you point to Frank Martin’s success at Kansas State as a justification for hiring a coach with no college experience, remember that Martin had been a head coach years before he took the Kansas State job in 2007, albeit at the high school level. He also had experience as an assistant, working under Bob Huggins. Finally, and most importantly, Martin had numerous ties to Amateur Athletic Union circles, and thus could recruit top-tier players.
Hoiberg, on the other hand, hasn’t been any kind of a coach, on any level. Nor does he have any known connections in the AAU. Since his playing days, Hoiberg has served in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ front office, now one of the worst franchises in the NBA.
A better comparison than Martin would be Clyde Drexler, the early ’80s University of Houston star who returned to coach his alma mater in 1998. After two years and a 19-39 record, Drexler decided to “spend more time with his family” and resigned.
Which, barring some Gandalf-like wizardry, is how Hoiberg’s stint at Iowa State is likely to end.