Iowa State 1995
• 1994 Academic All-America®
• 1995 Academic All-America®
Fred Hoiberg was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame at the 2016 convention in Dallas, Texas.
“Being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American at Iowa State was one of the highlights of my career. To be inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame is even more humbling. This honor is very prestigious when you look at the list of outstanding student-athletes who have already been enshrined.” – Fred Hoiberg
Growing up in Ames, Iowa, Fred Hoiberg lived within walking distance of the Iowa State University campus and basketball arena, and that ISU community would become his home during his illustrious college career, both as a basketball student-athlete and head coach.
Hoiberg earned his finance degree from Iowa State University in 1995. He was a first-team Academic All-America
® honoree as a senior, a second-team pick as a junior and a three-time honoree on the Big Eight All-Academic team.
He was a versatile guard/forward for the Cyclones, helping them earn 78 games and play in three NCAA national tournaments during his career. As a rookie, he earned
Associated Press Big Eight Freshman of the Year honors after scoring 12.1 ppg and helped ISU make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1989. As a junior, he was second-team All-Big Eight Conference, averaging 20.2 points per game while ranking in the conference’s Top 10 in seven categories. As a senior and as a second-year captain, he led the Cyclones to a then-school record 23 wins and the NCAA Tournament’s second round. Hoiberg averaged 19.9 ppg on the way to All-America
® and first-team all-league honors and also was selected co-Big Eight Male Athlete of the Year.
A second-round NBA draft pick (52nd overall) by the Indiana Pacers in 1995, he joined the Pacers (where he played four seasons) to begin a decade long NBA career. He also played for the Chicago Bulls (four years) and Minnesota Timberwolves (two years).
Hoiberg then served as vice president for basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves before beginning his coaching career. He was named head coach of his alma mater in April 2010. Hoiberg became the fastest coach in Iowa State history to notch 100 wins (in 148 games). He went 115-56 in five years at Iowa State, leading ISU to four consecutive NCAA Tournament showings, including a NCAA Sweet 16 berth in 2014. He then left his alma mater on June 2, 2015 for the position as Chicago Bulls head coach.
The contributions that Hoiberg made to both his school and home city have been duly recognized. Such familiarity with Ames, has led Fred Hoiberg to be nicknamed “The Mayor” and he even has had people cast write-in votes for him in local elections.
His jersey #32 was retired by ISU in 1997 and hangs in the rafters at Hilton Coliseum. Hoiberg was inducted into the Iowa State Letterwinners’ Hall of Fame in 2005 and recognized as part of the men’s basketball program’s All-Century team in 2008. In 2012, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) inducted Hoiberg into its national Hall of Fame.
Story written 4/7/16 by Barb Kowal, CoSIDA Director of External Affairs