Fred Hoiberg Issues Statement After Influenza Diagnosis

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg issued a statement the morning after he was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with influenza A (common cold). Hoiberg was seen in discomfort on the Cornhuskers' bench.

Hoiberg left the game in the second half and was taken to the hospital. After his test results, he was released from the hospital.

The timing of Hoiberg's illness came shortly after the NBA suspended its season due to the coronavirus outbreak. A Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. The player is reportedly Jazz center Rudy Gobert. The World Health Organization declared a pandemic on Wednesday. The virus has infected more than 127,000 people in at least 111 countries.

Hoiberg released the following statement on Thursday morning:

"Please let it be known that I would never do anything that would put my team, family or anyone else in harm's way. I was feeling under the weather on Wednesday and we felt the right thing to do was to get checked by a tournament doctor prior to our game in the Big Ten Tournament against Indiana. Once that medical official cleared me, I made a decision to coach my team. I would like to thank event staff for their care and professionalism. Also, thank you to everyone who has reached out for your support. This is a scary time for all of us. Let's offer our thoughts and prayers directly to those affected with Coronavirus."

Nebraska dropped to 7–25 with the 89-64 loss to Indiana on Wednesday.