Bulls coach Hoiberg returns to Ames, meets for final time in Hilton Coliseum

AMES - Feelings on nostalgia crept into Fred Hoiberg's mind as he made his way down the tunnel into the underbelly of Hilton Coliseum.

The former Iowa State coach walked into the arena he's called home for much of his life and was immediately brought back to when he first arrived as the new coach of the Cyclones. Maybe his recent heart surgery had him feeling more sentimental than usual, but he was aware of everything around him.

'I still remember when I talked in here as a coach for the first time it smelled the same as I when I came here,” Hoiberg said. 'It still kind of had that popcorn aroma going through this building. I had it again today. That's something I'll miss a lot.”

Besides the sights and smells Hoiberg was reminded of, the situation Iowa State finds itself seems familiar.

The new coach of the Chicago Bulls was a senior-to-be in 1994 when Johnny Orr retired and Tim Floyd was hired with six seniors on the roster and an experienced team. The 2015-16 Cyclones will have four seniors, a preseason top-10 ranking and aspirations of a national championship.

'There are four seniors on this team who are all going to be a huge part of the success of this group next year,” Hoiberg said. 'That gave Tim an opportunity to come in and have success with our group and continue to recruit at a high level. That gives the next guy who comes in here a great opportunity. That I'm at peace with.”

During the last three years, Hoiberg said 11 NBA teams and one college team had contacted him about coaching jobs. Each time, with the way his buyout was structured in his contract and his level of comfortability in Ames, he turned them down.

'I've never really let it get to the point of negotiations with the exception of this last one in Chicago,” Hoiberg said. 'We just looked at it as an incredible opportunity to eventually want to coach in that league that would have been very difficult to pass up.”

Hoiberg returned to Ames from Chicago on Friday morning to meet with Cyclones players, who are returning to campus for summer workouts and classes. He said he's kept in constant contact with them throughout the process, and has also had a number of discussions with Iowa State Athletics Director Jamie Pollard about who his successor will be.

Although Hoiberg preferred to keep specifics of the conversations private, he was adamant in his faith in Pollard and ISU President Steven Leath to find the right fit. Just like when Iowa State made the transition from Orr to Floyd, Hoiberg acknowledged styles of play could vary with the next coach.

'I think whoever is hired obviously will look at, ‘What is the best way to use this group? How are we going to use the talents of this particular team and put them in the best position to be successful and how do we utilize their skill sets,'” Hoiberg said. 'With this group, yeah I think playing fast is a great way because of the athletes and because of the different mismatches you can use with Georges as the playmaker and that type of thinking.”

Hoiberg did not openly advocate for his replacement, but spoke highly of ISU assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger. He touched on Otzelberger's X's and O's knowledge, ability to build relationships and recruiting power. Hoiberg added Pollard wouldn't hesitate to hire a person with no head coaching experience, citing himself as an example.

'I'm going to keep going back to the fact I'm 100 percent confident Jamie Pollard and Steven Leath will make the right choice,” Hoiberg said, 'and get the right guy in here to lead this program long term.”

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