Barta has an Ace up his Sleeve

jsmhawk

jsmhawk

Well-Known Member
Can you imagine being Gary Barta, having fired Todd Lickliter and then 2 weeks or so later calling a press conference and announcing your next coach as Doug Wojcik?? Jim Boylen? Or Billy Kennedy??? Can you really picture Barta presenting one of these three to the state of Iowa as the best guy he could find to make $1million+ as the head basketball coach?

I know Iowa is NOT a great job right now. Yes we are VERY down right now. However, Barta knows he has to please some very big donors and thousands of FORMER Iowa basketball fans who have literally left the building(CHA). I am not saying we are going to get Bruce Pearl(NOT HAPPENING) but I am confident that Barta has someone up his sleeve who will be good for PR and a great fit for the job. Lickliter came out of nowhere last time as the hire and was the wrong choice.
I have a feeling the guy Barta hires this time may be surprising, but in a good way. Remember, Barta knows this hire has to work, or he too will be out of a job. He knows how unhappy the present and former PAYING CUSTOMERS are. The fans of Iowa have spoken by not showing up and you better believe Barta wants to make darn sure he wins them over with this hire. We know Barta has the $ from the Big Ten Network and the donors to pay the new coach a very attractive salary. Sure he has interviewed some underwhelming names and that is fine.

He may interview 8-10 coaches before making the hire and not all the names will be leaked. Again, if you are Barta, can you face the Hawkeye BBall players, the fans, and media with another mid-major coach after the last two have failed???
 
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I would say it is much more likely he fired Lick because he couldn't win, recruit talent and more players were going to transfer than he had a "secret" big time coach ready to take the job.

I would expect either Gregory, Wojcik or Keno...any of the three would be excellent choices and major upgrades to Alford or Lick eras.
 
Yes I can imagine that jsm. The reason why is Barta wasn't prepared to let Lickliter go when he did. This wasn't a planned event with some ACE up his sleeve hire.

People need to let it go. Barta wasn't expecting to be in this position.
 
Wojcik shouldn't be in that group. He was a great recruiter as an assistant at multiple stops, inherited a Tulsa program that was in the gutter and has made them a consistent 20 game winner. He also has recruited well and has a 1st round pick on his team this year.

He would be a very solid choice.
 
I agree. Push came to shove when it looked like May and Gatens could both leave, which would have meant Fuller would probably jump ship as well. I am sure Barta wanted to let Lick's first good recruiting class get on board and get the practice facility further along before making this move. It would have made the program look alot more stable to give Lick 4 years. That would have shut up the Izzo's of the world.

The players made this happen, particularly because the players under question didn't have the extenuating circumstances of family issues or that they were signed under a prior regime.

Speculating that some secret an of Barta's was in play is just another instance of someone taking their spot in the blind circle jerk of Hawkeye fans on the message boards during this process.
 
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Just a tip, most people wont read your original post without some paragraph breaks - too hard to read. I started on the 2nd sentence and was already getting a headache.
 
I hope he has an Ace or he may lose the arm. You only get one mistake like the last one in todays world.
 
BlackGold57 said:
I hope he has an Ace or he may lose the arm. You only get one mistake like the last one in todays world.
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Only one; unless you're Jamie Pollard/ISU:
1. fired Wayne Morgan to hire Greg McDermott who will quit or get
fired.........................................................................FAIL
2. fired Dan McCarney to hire Gene Chizik who quit...............FAIL
3. fired Douglas to hire Sanderson who quit.........................FAIL
 
nilkin said:
Only one; unless you're Jamie Pollard/ISU:
1. fired Wayne Morgan to hire Greg McDermott who will quit or get
fired.........................................................................FAIL
2. fired Dan McCarney to hire Gene Chizik who quit...............FAIL
3. fired Douglas to hire Sanderson who quit.........................FAIL
Click to expand...

Come on nilkin, we all know there's always an exception to the rule...x3...and counting...

:D

As for the OP, I don't believe GB has an ace up his sleeve, but I do believe he's checking other candidates while waiting to talk to coaches who are still in tournament play.
 
2boys said:
I would say it is much more likely he fired Lick because he couldn't win, recruit talent and more players were going to transfer than he had a "secret" big time coach ready to take the job.

I would expect either Gregory, Wojcik or Keno...any of the three would be excellent choices and major upgrades to Alford or Lick eras.
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I am Not saying he had a secret big time coach ready to take the job at the time he fired Lick. I am saying I think it will be someone other than the names being floated around as the ones interviewed(Boylen, Wijcik,etc). Example: Gottfried formerly of Alabama, or Hewitt of GTech. Someone from a BCS conference school. Maybe even a Steve Lavin.
 
jsmhawk said:
I am Not saying he had a secret big time coach ready to take the job at the time he fired Lick. I am saying I think it will be someone other than the names being floated around as the ones interviewed(Boylen, Wijcik,etc). Example: Gottfried formerly of Alabama, or Hewitt of GTech. Someone from a BCS conference school. Maybe even a Steve Lavin.
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Why not Verne Lundquist? He has more broadcasting experience! :rolleyes:
 
FlyHawkJoe said:
Why not Verne Lundquist? He has more broadcasting experience! :rolleyes:
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Flyhawk, Go take a look at Lavin's resume. He would be a huge step up from Lick and Alford. Also a PR splash. Took UCLA to many sweet 16's and really wants to get back into coaching. Lavin is not my top choice...but better IMO than the names mentioned as having been interviewed.
 
jsmhawk said:
Flyhawk, Go take a look at Lavin's resume. He would be a huge step up from Lick and Alford. Also a PR splash. Took UCLA to many sweet 16's and really wants to get back into coaching. Lavin is not my top choice...but better IMO than the names mentioned as having been interviewed.
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I've looked at it, along with some other info out there about him. Obviously you've missed a few things. The PR splash would be in the area of ridicule.
 
FlyHawkJoe said:
I've looked at it, along with some other info out there about him. Obviously you've missed a few things. The PR splash would be in the area of ridicule.
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Ridicule? Really? Ridicule is what happens when you go 10-22 and lose to Duquesne and Texas San Antonio at HOME. The average fan at least knows who steve lavin is and he has a very good coaching record and ties to the big Ten. Like I said, not my top choice...but his hire would NOT be met with ridicule.
 
I have no idea who our next coach will be nor do I have any ideas about whether or not Barta had something up his sleeve. I seriously doubt he planned to be in the position of hiring a new coach this year and I firmly believe he was serious when he stated that he was behind Lickliter. The problem was Lickliter, for whatever reason, lost the team it appears and had lost most fans and left Barta no choice. Personally I'm happy that Lickliter is just gone.

Whoever Barta hires I hope is dynamic, can recruit, brings good assistants that can recruit, can coach reasonably well, can bring back Hawkeye bb excitement, and can bring the fan base back together.

The last thing Iowa needs right now is an introverted coach who just wants to coach and takes 4 years to realize that he needs to recruit to win in the Big 10.
 
Might want to go on line and look at some of the press conferences for Wojcik. Great Background, discipline I am sure coming from Navy, and Assts at NC, Mich St. Also on some form of NCAA Ethics committee. Born in West VA.

Can he recruit at this level? His personality will not wow you over. Did not seem to enjoy press conf's either.

Kind of a Roger Staubach type guy?
 
The ace in the hole might be Bobby Hansen threatening to publicly commit suicide if we hire another mid-major downer as HC.
 
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