Time For NU AD to Treat Basketball Like it Should

It is time for the Nebraska Athletic Department to start caring about the Nebraska basketball program. For too long, it has simply been ignored and not treated like volleyball and football at the administrative level. Back when the Huskers were playing at the Devaney Center, it had a little fan base, it made since. But the dark days of Collier and Sadler are over, and Nebraska has a new arena, new facilities, and plenty of new fans. It’s time for the athletic department to realize that. 

Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos is not totally innocent when it comes to the disaster that was the last two months for Husker Hoops. He was never visible at games, and Moos never gave former Nebraska coach Tim Miles, the support he deserved. It seemed Moos wanted to fire Miles last year, but did not have an excuse, so he made it as hard as possible on Miles this year, so he could have a reason for firing him. That is not what a good Athletic Director does. 

Miles is certainly not blameless in this either, and his firing was the right move, but now Moos must make the most important hire in Nebraska basketball history. If this hire is not successful, the new arena will no longer feel new, Nebraska will dive even further into the Big Ten basement, and most importantly, the fans that have supported this program through so much loosing will eventually give way. That is why it’s time to open the checkbook, and it’s time for the administration to get serious about basketball. 

Nebraska has never made a splash hire in basketball, and they need to do it now. Moos needs to shoot big and pay big. This means calling Tony Bennet, who only makes $2,100,000 a year at Virginia, and offering him $5,000,000 a year and see if he says yes. It is unlikely, but at least worth a call. Of the more realistic options, Moos needs to pay Fred Hoiberg as much as he wants if he is interested in coaching at Nebraska. Pay Frank Martin if he is interested, or pay Eric Musselman, or pay whoever is the best coach you can get. Money should not be the issue. Nebraska has enough, and it needs to spend it. If Moos goes out and hires another mid major coach for $2,000,000, it will be another slap to the face for a program that needs to slap the administration in the face.  

The Huskers have better fan support and passion for the program than 75% of the Big Ten. Nebraska gets better support than programs like Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Maryland. It’s time to start acting like those programs on the administrative level too.