Lutz lured back into coaching by ISU, Hoiberg

AMES – Not just anybody – or any place -- could have lured Bobby Lutz back into coaching this quickly.

Fred Hoiberg and Iowa State were the perfect storm for the former Charlotte coach, fired at the end of last season after 218 wins over 12 seasons at his alma mater, eight of which ended with some sort of postseason play.

Lutz – pronounced Loots -- was offered the job last month, and after meeting with Hoiberg and visiting campus fell in love with the idea of being in the Midwest in a place like Ames. Lutz grew up in rural North Carolina.

“I'm a small town guy,” he said. “It's a great fit. It's going to be fun to be a part of a community that lives and breathes (basketball).”

The chance to work alongside Hoiberg also was appealing.

Lutz , 52, was set to take the next year off from coaching.

“That was the way I was leaning,” he said, “but the situation with Fred was uniquely perfect for what I needed. I was intrigued. Ultimately I wasn't going to go to work for just anybody. I wanted to work for someone I had tremendous respect for.

“Fred is going to be a really good basketball coach. That's the kind of guy I want to work for at this point in my life. It felt right.”

Hoiberg did his homework in finding a lead assistant.

The rookie head coach needs a guiding hand on the bench, someone who has been through the wars. Lutz certainly has during his career, which started out at Clemson, moved to Pfeiffer University -- an NAIA school in Misenheimer, N.C. -- and finally Charlotte, where he was an assistant to Melvin Watkins for three years before taking over as head coach.

At Pfeiffer Lutz had a 181-91 record and qualified for six straight NAIA Tournaments, including three Final Four appearances.

“It surprised me,” Lutz said of Hoiberg's contact. “Some of the guys he called evidently put my name out there to him.”

Charlotte was a member of Conference USA in the late 1990s and early 2000s before basketball powers Louisville, Cincinnati and Marquette were snatched up by the Big East.

The 49ers eventually moved over to the Atlantic 10, also a strong hoops league.

Lutz paid great attention to the conference shake-up involving the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-10. After some uneasy days, ISU and nine other schools decided to stay strong as members of the Big 12. The departure of Nebraska and Colorado – and the switch to an 18-game schedule – makes the conference even stronger for men's and women's basketball.

“Obviously I was concerned, and am extremely happy with how it turned out,” Lutz said. “I'm excited about challenge… I know the folks in Ames love their basketball. I can't wait to be in Hilton Coliseum and experience that.”

Lutz will be on the job officially on July 1 and will spend most of the month on the road recruiting.

He'll be trying to lure players to ISU with the promise of playing time, fan support and an exciting brand of basketball under a coach with NBA connections. Next year, however, the Cyclones are essentially starting from scratch with just three returning scholarship players.

“That's not a bad thing in our business,” said Lutz, who captured three league titles at Charlotte and five times finished with 20 or more wins. “What's most important is to establish the way Fred wants to play and then you recruit to that style. That's the way you start a foundation.

“Everything is in place. It's up to us to upgrade our talent level.”