Mike Woodson vs. Fred Hoiberg: Ex-NBA Coaches Trending in Different Directions

Over the past decade, we've seen more NBA coaches receive opportunities in college basketball. Two of them — Fred Hoiberg and Mike Woodson — will be coaching against each other Wednesday night as Nebraska visits Indiana at Assembly Hall.

At the moment, the two coaches are trending in different directions.

Hoiberg took over in Lincoln in 2019 and had a bumpy start. The Huskers were well below the .500 mark in each of his first three seasons, posting a 24-67 record in that span.

Hoiberg's seat was a little warm entering the 2022-23 campaign. But Nebraska saw a big leap in success, ending the year with a 16-16 record and finishing with a 9-11 record in Big Ten play. In the previous three seasons, the Huskers never won more than four conference games.

This season, Nebraska has taken an even bigger leap. It enters Wednesday's game against Indiana with an 18-8 record and an 8-7 mark in Big Ten play. The Huskers have pulled off upsets over then-No. 1 Purdue and then-No. 6 Wisconsin.

It took a few years to get the ball rolling, but Hoiberg has figured out the recipe for success in Lincoln. The same cannot be said for Woodson at Indiana.

Indiana is struggling mightily in the third year of Woodson's tenure in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are 14-11 and have yet to add a signature win to their resumé. They've been blown out by Purdue twice, UConn and Wisconsin. They’ve dropped home games to Penn State and Northwestern and have only one Quad 1 win – against Ohio State a week before the Buckeyes fired their coach. To say Year 3 under Woodson has been ugly would be an understatement.

Woodson got off to a strong start when he took over in 2021. He led the Hoosiers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and went 3-1 against Purdue in his first four meetings. Early on, it looked like athletic director Scott Dolson struck gold with the hire.

But as the 2023-24 season progresses, it appears more of that success has to do with an experienced and talented roster. Trayce Jackson-Davis carried a lot of the weight. He got help from teammates Race Thompson and Miller Kopp for two seasons. Jalen Hood-Schifino was a huge addition to last year's squad.

For that success, Woodson deserves credit. But are we seeing a temporary or long-term change of direction this season? Indiana has spiraled downward, kissing any March Madness hopes goodbye and just hoping to avoid a Day 1 game in the Big Ten Tournament.

Perhaps the 66-year-old former NBA coach did not transition as easily to the college game as it first appeared. But he's not alone.

Former NBA coaches struggle in college

Woodson isn't an outlier when it comes to former NBA coaches struggling in college basketball. Right now, Michigan's Juwan Howard is going through a similar experience.

Howard started his career off strong in Ann Arbor, leading Michigan to a Big Ten title and two Sweet Sixteen appearances in his first three years. But the last two years have been rough. The Wolverines went 18-16 last season, settling for an NIT bid.

This year has been even worse. Michigan is 8-18 and last in the Big Ten with a 3-12 record.

Whisperings of a potential coaching change have already surfaced.

Other recent NBA coaches who have failed at the college level include Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Mike Dunleavy Sr. (Tulane) and Mark Price (Charlotte). If you want to go back a little further, you can add former Indiana standout Isiah Thomas (FIU) to the mix, as well.

Here are the records for each of those names:

• Ewing (Georgetown, 2017-23): 75-109
• Dunleavy (Tulane, 2016-19): 24-69
• Price (Charlotte, 2015-17): 30-42
• Thomas (FIU, 2009-12): 26-65

What's the difference for Hoiberg?

Let's not pretend like this is a simple answer, OK? There's not one single factor that makes a coach successful in college basketball. But there is one interesting trend, and it might explain why Hoiberg is trending in a better direction than Woodson, Howard and other previous NBA coaches.

Hoiberg actually began his coaching career at the college level. He got his start at Iowa State in 2010, where he enjoyed a plenty of success. In five seasons with his alma mater, the Cyclones went 115-56 with four NCAA Tournament appearances and one trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

It was Hoiberg's success in college that landed him a gig with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. So, even though things didn't go well in the Windy City, he understood how to run a college program upon his hiring at Nebraska.

The other coaches mentioned? All of them had a combined one (!) year of experience coaching at the college level before taking over a program. Here's the rundown:

Mike Woodson

• First coaching job: Milwaukee Bucks (assistant, 1996-99)
• Other stops: Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant, 1999-2001), Philadelphia 76ers (assistant, 2001-03), Detroit Pistons (assistant, 2003-04), Atlanta Hawks (head coach, 2004-10), New York Knicks (assistant, 2011-12; head coach, 2012-14), Los Angeles Clippers (assistant, 2014-18), New York Knicks (assistant, 2020-21)
• First college coaching job: Indiana (2021-present)

Juwan Howard

• First coaching job: Miami Heat (assistant, 2013-19)
• Other stops: None
• First college coaching job: Michigan (2019-present)

Patrick Ewing

• First coaching job: Washington Wizards (assistant, 2002-03)
• Other stops: Houston Rockets (assistant, 2003-07), Orlando Magic (assistant, 2007-12), Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (assistant, 2013-17)
• First college coaching job: Georgetown (2017-23)

Mike Dunleavy Sr.

• First coaching job: Milwaukee Bucks (assistant, 1987-1990)
• Other stops: Los Angeles Lakers (head coach, 1990-92), Milwaukee Bucks (head coach, 1992-96), Portland Trail Blazers (head coach, 1997-2001), Los Angeles Clippers (head coach, 2003-10)
• First college coaching job: Tulane (2016-19)

Mark Price

• First coaching job: Georgia Tech (assistant, 1999-2000)
• Other stops: Denver Nuggets (assistant, 2007-08), Atlanta Hawks (assistant, 2008-10), Golden State Warriors (assistant 2010-11), Orlando Magic (assistant, 2011-12), Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (assistant, 2013-15)
• First college coaching job: Charlotte (2015-17)

Isiah Thomas

• First coaching job: Indiana Pacers (head coach, 2000-03)
• Other stops: New York Knicks (head coach, 2006-08)
• First college coaching job: FIU (2009-12)

Final thought

Again, there are a lot of factors involved in coaching success at any level. But there's something challenging about making the transition from the NBA to college basketball with no prior college experience.

That seems to be Hoiberg's secret to success — and potentially the downfall for coaches like Woodson and Howard.

Nebraska also deserves credit when it comes to Hoiberg's trajectory. In today's world, it's easy to cut ties with a coach after three unsuccessful seasons. The Huskers gave him time to have success.

The verdict is still out when it comes to Woodson. Perhaps this is just a down year. Maybe this season is an aberration and he can turn the Hoosiers back into Big Ten contenders.

Or, perhaps this season in the Big Ten has shown us that moving from coaching in the NBA to college is harder than we thought.

Related stories

• TOM BREW COLUMN: Mike Woodson is going to be 66 years old in a few weeks, and the Indiana basketball coach can't keep doing this forever. He was asked Tuesday how long he wants to coach and he said ''I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, guys.'' CLICK HERE
• HOW TO WATCH: Indiana continues the 2023-24 season on Wednesday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. Here's how to watch, game time and TV information, the point spread and over/under, the coaching matchup, series history, predicted score, stats, rankings and more. CLICK HERE
• MEET THE OPPONENT: Nebraska heads to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the return game against Indiana on Wednesday. The Huskers won the first meeting in Lincoln 86-70. The Hoosiers are looking for revenge on their home court while the Huskers are searching for their first Big Ten road win. CLICK HERE