Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg cited medical issues as the reason for smacking an Iowa fan’s phone after they upset the Cornhuskers earlier this week.
Hoiberg, who went viral after swiping toward a fan while they were recording him following the Hawkeyes’ 57-52 win over Nebraska on Tuesday, said he relies on a pacemaker and that close contact with cellphones could interfere with the device.
“I am 100 percent reliant on a pacemaker,” Hoiberg told reporters on Friday, per ESPN. “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 — a 10-year NBA veteran — said that although a pacemaker disruption was unlikely, the chances of him even needing the device in the first place were also low.
During the tense interaction, Hoiberg also accidentally hit a member of Iowa’s staff, for which the seventh-year Nebraska coach said he apologized.
“It was a heated moment,” Hoiberg said. “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.”
Hoiberg added that although he does not particularly have an issue with storming the court, he does not want to see players and coaches put in danger.
Iowa also released a statement in which it apologized 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 read.
Nebraska is set to host Penn State on Sunday.