Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg was 'a little scared' during COVID-19 bout

Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed on Jan. 17 that he tested positive for COVID-19, and his team hasn't competed since Jan. 10 because of coronavirus-related setbacks. 

The 48-year-old who was born with an abnormal aortic valve and who underwent heart surgeries in 2005 and 2015 admitted on Tuesday that his bout with COVID-19 left him worried.

"I got a little scared, to be honest with you, just with everything I've had in my past with two open-heart surgeries and being fully dependent on a pacemaker," Hoiberg explained on Tuesday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It concerned me. And I did have chest pains. That was the scary thing."

Hoiberg was never hospitalized, and he said that he hasn't yet considered ending his team's season early as have some programs following positive tests and pauses. Nebraska fell to 4-8 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play via the loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 10 and has had five total games postponed during the campaign. 

Subsequent tests on Hoiberg's heart revealed nothing concerning. He did, however, lose 10 pounds, is still without his sense of smell and is battling fatigue daily.

The Cornhuskers are scheduled to resume the season at the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. From there, Nebraska could attempt to complete 15 contests in 32 or 33 days to account for the previously postponed games.