Nebraska’s Hoiberg cites pacemaker as reason for swiping at fan’s phoneAssociated PressMultiple AuthorsFeb 20, 2026, 04:38 PM ET
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LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg stated Friday that there were circumstances surrounding his altercation with a court-storming Iowa fan that people viewing viral social media videos might not fully understand.
The videos showed Hoiberg making a swiping motion at a person pointing a camera toward him during the handshake line after his ninth-ranked Cornhuskers lost 57-52 to the Hawkeyes on Wednesday night. In doing so, Hoiberg accidentally struck a member of Iowa’s staff.
Hoiberg stated he fully relies on a pacemaker. He stated his reaction stemmed from awareness that close contact with cellphones can interfere with the heart device.
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“I am 100% reliant on a pacemaker,” Hoiberg stated. “I’ll never forget a conversation with my doctor. A cellphone can put it off. If anything ever happens, I’m done. I will not survive if something ever happens to a pacemaker. I’m very cognizant of that, so when somebody rushes up on me with a cellphone, of course I’m going to react.”
Hoiberg stated the probability of anything happening was unlikely, but the chance of him developing heart block in his first open heart surgery was also slim.
He recounted the situation and explained that while he doesn’t have a problem with court storms, he’s against putting players and coaches in danger.
“It was a heated moment,” Hoiberg stated. “I was going through the handshake line congratulating Iowa coaches on a hard-fought win, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this kid rushes up on me, and I reacted to it. I think anybody in my position, after a game like that, would’ve reacted in a similar way.”
The seventh-year Nebraska coach stated he apologized to the Iowa staff member whom he struck both in the moment and in the days following. The staff member was understanding and stated he would’ve done the same, Hoiberg stated.
Iowa released a statement apologizing for the lack of security.
“We apologize for this incident and will conduct a review of our procedures and security measures to determine what adjustments may be needed to further strengthen our protocols and help prevent similar incidents in the future,” the statement reads.
Hoiberg stated that he appreciated Iowa’s statement and that it’s a learning opportunity.
Nebraska hosts Penn State on Saturday.
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