Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg exits game visibly ill, diagnosed with common cold at hospital
As news was breaking that the NBA had suspended its season after one of its players tested positive for the coronavirus, another potential scare was growing around Nebraska basketball coach Fred Hoiberg.
Hoiberg was looking visibly ill on the bench during Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament game against Indiana in Indianapolis.
Jesus, Fred Hoiberg looks awful. This is scary. pic.twitter.com/mhyzDEaW7W
— Robin Washut (@RobinWashut) March 12, 2020
Eventually, Hoiberg had to exit the game early and was taken to a hospital, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg been taken to the hospital, source told @Stadium. Was sick, left the game early and was told to go to be checked out immediately. https://t.co/OPs1nmNTZg
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 12, 2020
Obviously, it is impossible to know what illness Hoiberg might have at this point — the coach does have a heart condition — but his condition was impossible to ignore as the fear of the coronavirus became real across the sports world. A highly contagious illness has officially reached the highest level of professional sports, and there’s no telling where else it could be.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with Hoiberg. Nebraska later announced that Hoiberg had been diagnosed with the common cold and has been released by the hospital with no quarantine.
Update on Head Coach Fred Hoiberg pic.twitter.com/sbe2pACeJE
— Nebraska Basketball (@HuskerHoops) March 12, 2020
Hoiberg released a statement about his condition on Thursday morning.
— Fred Hoiberg (@CoachHoiberg) March 12, 2020
Nebraska players were still quarantined
Nebraska ended up losing 89-64 to Indiana. Players did not shake hands after the game, and Nebraska players and coaches did not speak to media after the game.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, security at the arena were tasked with blocking off a hallway for a "sick coach." Later that hallway was cleared for Nebraska players to walk to the locker room. The team was briefly quarantined in the locker room, however it was eventually cleared to leave the arena. Indiana returned to its hotel.
The Nebraska basketball team just got the OK to leave the locker room and load onto the bus.
— Christopher Heady (@heady_chris) March 12, 2020
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