Story by NU Athletic Communications
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg was named one of four finalists for the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year award, presented to college basketball’s most outstanding coach, on Friday.
Hoiberg joins Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), Dusty May (Michigan) and Jon Scheyer (Duke) as finalists for the award. Lloyd (2022) and Scheyer (2025) have each been finalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year award. This is the first time Hoiberg and May have been named finalists for the award.
Hoiberg guided Nebraska to its best season in school history 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), conference road wins (seven) and won its first 20 games as part of a school record 24-game win streak dating back to last season. The Huskers earned a second-place finish in the Big Ten, the program’s best finish in more than three decades.
The winner will be announced Sunday, April 5, at the Naismith Awards Brunch presented by Jersey Mike’s during the Men’s Final Four at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.
Once again this year, fans will have a say in determining the winner through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s. Starting March 27, fans can visit www.naismithfanvote.com to cast their ballot for one of the finalists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy and the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year. Voting ends at 12 p.m. EDT on April 1, and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote.
The four finalists in each category were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's national voting academy, composed of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners, and conference commissioners, all of whom based their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2025-26 college basketball season.