Iowa State's bid for a Sweet 16 spot was squashed by Ohio State today, but Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg has caught the eye of several NBA teams looking for a head coach, multiple front office executives told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
"If I had to make a hire this year, [Hoiberg] would be one of the first calls I'd make," one NBA general manager said. "He is a natural for our league."
Wojnarowski contacted seven GMs earlier today and there wasn't a single one who was skeptical about Hoiberg's ability to make an immediate leap to an NBA coaching job. Two GMs who expect to have openings say they plan to gauge Hoiberg's interest in the NBA once they begin search processes.
However, prying Hoiberg away from Iowa State won't be easy as he grew up in Ames, graduated from the school, and has shown a strong inclination to coach there for the long term. One assistant GM who stays in contact with Hoiberg says that it'll take a long-term commitment to get him to leave the Cyclones for an NBA job.