Hoiberg: Planning on return to ISU next season

Fred Hoiberg gave the same line he always gives Tuesday when asked about NBA speculation that once again is circulating, this time among people linking him to the Chicago Bulls.

Will you be Iowa State's coach next season?

"Planning on it," he said during a telephone conversation.

Hoiberg, who has been coach at his alma mater the past five seasons, made that comment in the wake of assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih returning to St. John's, his alma mater, where he will become an assistant for new head coach Chris Mullin.

"It's a dream job for Matty," Hoiberg said. "He's going home. He's going back where his family is."

Abdelmassih, 30, was born in Brooklyn.

"Even when we go recruiting together, he's always giddy when we're in the city," Hoiberg said. "This was his opportunity to go back home. I wasn't going to hold him back."

Hoiberg said he hoped to have a replacement in place shortly. He will have heart surgery this month to replace a valve. Abdelmassih was the Cyclones' primary recruiter at least the past two seasons.

"I'll look at the best possible candidate," Hoiberg said. "I'll look at someone that can recruit at a high level, and someone with knowledge on the floor."

Hoiberg said that even could include former assistants like T.J. Otzelberger, now an assistant at Washington, and Doc Sadler, the head coach at Southern Mississippi.

"We'll see how that plays out in the next couple days."