Fred Hoiberg has been one of college basketball’s most successful coaches of the last decade.
His Iowa State teams have been amongst some of the best units in the nation. However, with Hoiberg now joining the NBA ranks, a new leader must emerge for the Cyclones. The man for the job is Steve Prohm, and he is more than ready to take on the challenge.
Prohm has proven to be quite a successful coach in his own right. While he hasn’t had experience coaching in a power conference such as the Big 12, Prohm has been on the National stage many times before.
Prohm’s Murray State teams have sneakily been some of the most consistent teams in the country. He led the Racers to a school-tying 31 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth during his four-year tenure at the school. He has also coached two NBA draftees in Isaiah Cannon and Cameron Payne.
The challenge of coaching a well assembled Iowa State team shouldn’t be a problem for Prohm, as there is quite an abundance of talent on the roster.
Preseason All-American, Georges Niang, is primed for a huge senior season. The 6’8 forward can play from a multitude of positions on the court, and will be spearheading a Cyclones offense that led the Big 12 with 77.8 points last season.
“He has the ability to to pass and shoot from anywhere on the floor,” Prohm said about Niang. “He’s such a personality and ambassador for this university.”
It’s not just Niang that Prohm will have at his disposal. Junior, Monte Morris, who led the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio, will handle the bulk of the ball handling duties. In addition, Jameel McKay will also return for his senior season.
There is a lot of competition in the Big 12 this upcoming year. Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Iowa State are all potential juggernauts. And while Prohm is no stranger to success, the challenges he will face joining a power conference are unlike anything he has endured at Murray State.
Atleast Prohm can go into the 2015-16 season knowing his players have full confidence in his coaching ability. When speaking at Big 12 media day, Niang had the following to say about his new coach.
“Coach (Prohm) is in here earning our trust and our respect every day,” said senior forward Georges Niang. “Even though he’s not trying to cross any of our toes, he puts his foot down when he needs to and lets us know that stuff needs to get done. I think he has a great combination of how to keep us motivated…and still be stern and be able to get the most out of us.”
It’s not going to be a simple task to replace Fred Hoiberg. Iowa State thrived under his guidance, and not having his presence on the sidelines will undoubtedly leave a huge void. But Steve Prohm has a track record of winning. It doesn’t matter if it came at a small school such as Murray State, the Cyclones are his team now, and he plans on keeping it that way for a long time.