Fred Hoiberg Extends Four Nebraska Staffers on Multi-Year Deals

fred hoiberg locked in four key Nebraska basketball staffers on multi-year contract extensions Tuesday, keeping assistant coaches Nate Loenser, Ernie Zeigler and Pat Monaghan, along with general manager Luca Virgilio, in place after a season of major progress. The move follows a year in which Nebraska posted school-record success and reinforced the staff structure behind it.

Loenser, Zeigler, Virgilio

Loenser received a new title as associate head coach. He just finished his fifth season on the Husker staff and continues to coordinate the defense while leading the individual skill development programs.

Nebraska’s defense gave the extension another layer of meaning. Last season, the Huskers ranked eighth nationally in defensive efficiency and led the Big Ten in scoring defense at 66.2 points per game.

Zeigler is finishing his fourth season on the Husker staff and works with the offense, game planning, scouting and recruiting. He has also been part of 10 NCAA Tournament teams as an assistant coach during his career. Virgilio, the longest-tenured member of Hoiberg’s staff, serves as general manager and oversees roster composition and player acquisition, including high school and international players, transfer portal recruiting, player evaluation and retention.

Monaghan’s Rise

Monaghan joined the staff in April of 2025, and Hoiberg said he stepped in seamlessly. He assists in player development, game planning and recruiting, and his work was tied to Nebraska winning a school-record 28 games and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history in 2025-26.

Hoiberg said the program’s success this year was “really a testament to the efforts of our entire staff,” and added that the work they pour into the players is visible in their development. He also said Loenser, Zeigler and Virgilio have been vital over the last four years in helping Nebraska build a winning culture and sustained success that the program had not seen in a long time.

Nebraska Continuity

The extensions arrive after Nebraska reached the postseason in three straight seasons for the first time in over a quarter of a century. Keeping the same core in place gives the staff that produced that run a chance to keep building on it without interruption, with Loenser handling defense, Zeigler working the offense and scouting, Monaghan adding recruiting and development support, and Virgilio managing roster construction.

Hoiberg also said Monaghan is “a rising star in the coaching field.”