So coach Fred Hoiberg reached out to John Goodwin, executive director of the Malone Center, which is dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial equality in Lincoln. Hoiberg met with Goodwin for coffee, then invited him and his wife, Chassidy — the only black female police officer in Lincoln — to speak to the team.
Afterward, Goodwin said, multiple players asked how they could donate time to the center. Now the men’s basketball program and the Malone Center plan to partner up for future community service opportunities. When coronavirus restrictions are loosened, players plan to start serving as mentors to youth at the center.