Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg acknowledges the fans as he leaves the court after a game against Vanderbilt in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

By Nebraska Athletics

University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg capped the Huskers’ historic 2025-26 season Friday afternoon, as he was named National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press.

Hoiberg, who will receive the award later Friday in Indianapolis at the Final Four, becomes the first Husker men’s coach to earn the award in the 59-year history of The Associated Press men’s college basketball coach of the year award. He is the 10th Big Ten coach to win the award since the award was first presented in 1967 and just the second in the last two decades. The award is determined by voting conducted by a national media panel that picks the AP Top 25 during the season.

Hoiberg guided Nebraska to its best season in program history in 2025-26, as the Huskers finished with a 28-7 record and the school’s first NCAA Sweet 16 finish in school history. Nebraska set season records for wins (28), conference wins (15) and conference road wins (seven) while opening the year by winning their first 20 games as part of a school-record 24- game win streak dating back to last season.

After being picked 14th in the Big Ten during the preseason, Nebraska posted a 15-5 mark in Big Ten play to tie for second, the program’s best conference finish in more than three decades. Nebraska’s 20-0 start helped NU earn its highest AP rank in school history (fifth) and spend eight weeks in the top 10 during the season. The breakthrough season was culminated by wins over Troy and No. 16 Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament, marking the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament wins. Of Nebraska’s seven losses in 2025-26, six came to teams that reached the Elite Eight.

Friday’s honor marks only the second time a Husker coach has received an AP National Coach-of-the-Year honor, as Women’s Basketball Coach Connie Yori was honored in 2009-10.