Did these boards have the same optimism for Licklieter?

T

teknodex

Active Member
I am fairly new here, and was wondering if there was as much optimism when we hired our last coach... It seems like alot of people here are excited and confident in our new coach, as I am. But I am just wondering if it was the same way when we hired Todd Licklieter, we all know how that turned out. I am curious to know how everyone responded after his first season/ recruiting class.
 
A lot of people were, but the slow style of play had many fans worried from the beginning. There was concern that Lick would not be able to attract athletic enough players that could compete at the highest level in the BIG TEN.
 
If you now anything about basketball, you don't need to ask that question. We were all excited to get the National Coach of the year that went deep into the tournament at Butler. What we didn't know at that time was that his assistant was more responsible for the team than Lick was. Lick assembled a group of young and inexperienced coaches and he personally rarely met with a recruit. Fran has assembled a coaching staff with many many years of experience from the head coachng position. He beats the bushes for recruits and takes it upon himself to personally show up at their homes. His style is a style that basketball players love to play, hard and fast. Sure we wanted Lick to be a winner but he did not have the personality that players like. He would turn his back on the court, he would roll his eyes, and he was just out of his league. Fran is 100% the opposite.
 
but your question was really rhetorical. you shouldn't need an actual answer to it. after one season fans were still hopeful.
 
After one season, I hoped Lick could turn Iowa around.

After one season, I know Fran will turn Iowa around.

Evidence for Fran over Lick after one season? Recruiting, assistant coaches, number of fans attending games, passion of those fans once at game, entertainment quality of games, satisfaction of players with program, improvement over course of season from individuals and team play...the list goes on. In fact, it is difficult to find a single component of the program where Lick was superior to Fran after one season. Not even close.
 
I was anti-Lickliter from the very beginning. I knew he was not going to succeed at Iowa with his amateur staff. Once his staff was announced, I wrote a lengthy piece on Jon's previous site stating that Lick would not succeed because Lick & his staff had no experience recruiting Big Ten caliber players.
 
ColumbusHawk said:
I was anti-Lickliter from the very beginning. I knew he was not going to succeed at Iowa with his amateur staff. Once his staff was announced, I wrote a lengthy piece on Jon's previous site stating that Lick would not succeed because Lick & his staff had no experience recruiting Big Ten caliber players.
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Not trying to be a smart-ace or call you out, but does a link still exist to that piece you wrote? Probably too old, but I would like to read it.
 
ColumbusHawk said:
I was anti-Lickliter from the very beginning. I knew he was not going to succeed at Iowa with his amateur staff. Once his staff was announced, I wrote a lengthy piece on Jon's previous site stating that Lick would not succeed because Lick & his staff had no experience recruiting Big Ten caliber players.
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Excellent point. When you hire one of your top assistants away from Loras College, you're in for a tough run in the Big Ten. McCaffrey's staff is much better as far as experience goes.

Most people were fairly optimistic about Lickliter at first, but question marks came fairly early.
 
teknodex said:
I know a bit about basketball, but why can't I ask this question??? sheesh... Im just curious... thanks for your answer though.
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I think you misunderstood my comment. I wasn't saying you didn't know anything personally about basketball. Sorry if it came off arrogant.
 
After Lick's first year I was hoping for the best but fearing the worst. The player transfers were what sent up the red flags for me. It seemed that he was not stopping the bleeding that was Iowa basketball, but rather allowing it to hemorage. I was clearly in denial, wanting to give Lick the benefit of the doubt, but the warning signs were there. I see no such warning signs with Fran. I love Fran's work ethic and passion for Iowa basketball. I never got the feeling that Lick was passionate about Iowa at all, and his recruiting efforts seemed to reflect that.
 
I was underwhelmed with the hire at first, but thought it could work so I gave Lickliter the benefit of the doubt. I liked his demeanor (esp after having Alford at the helm). At first I thought he had some of the same demeanor as Ferentz, but then realized it was more apathy than being stoic. I was in his corner for the first couple years and even in his last year I was ok with giving him one more year to do something. I thought Iowa would give him one more year. I really didn't think that the transfers were a problem or a pattern, but that soon proved to be the opposite and the reasons behind the transfers later came out.

I was quick to criticize the McCaffery hire (mainly because I really hoped Barta would grab a bigger named coach). After Fran's press conference, I was convinced he'd fit in at Iowa and get the job done. Iowa is in better hands now. Not only in the HC position, but the assistants. So much experience and talent on the bench with McCaffery. Coach McCaffery basically did everything right when he was hired, it was fun to see.
 
I wanted Mike Dunlap.

But....I was optimistic when Lick was hired. But that faded with each passing season.

Then when he was fired....I was again hoping Iowa would get Mike Dunlap. I was underwhelmed when Fran was announced as coach, but quickly became more enthused. My enthusiam has been INCREASING since.
 
By the end of Licks first year as coach, Tony Freeman was basically forced out...that was a big red flag for me. In fact, it turned me off to Lick,and I never got back on board. By that time his first recruiting class was signed,and I was not impressed with Tucker,Jermaine Davis,Bawinkel,Brommer...Gatens was the only hope,and he was a pre-lick recruit. Lick had brought no one with him that first summer like Fran brought Melsahn and found Bryce. The slo-ball was painful to watch. It all really started to hit home when I saw those recruits play the following november. Kelly,Freeman and Cole were pretty solid recruits,but that next class looked shaky.

As I said, in contrast to Lick, Fran has brought our two best players already,in his first summer, and this class has potential...but still wait and see. But I feel much better right now than at the same point with Lick...on everything.
 
ColumbusHawk said:
I was anti-Lickliter from the very beginning. I knew he was not going to succeed at Iowa with his amateur staff. Once his staff was announced, I wrote a lengthy piece on Jon's previous site stating that Lick would not succeed because Lick & his staff had no experience recruiting Big Ten caliber players.
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I thiink this a pretty fair assessment of how many felt. I remember reading Walthall's bio and thiking "are you freaking serious"? What big ten team brings a guy in from Decorah, IA with no connections anywhere? Then I heard Jordan speak at an I Club event about having no recruiting experience and I knew we were doomed. Seeing them laughing on the bench during 20 point blowouts sealed the deal.

Overall just a bad 3 year period for Iowa hoops.
 
I was disappointed in Lick's hiring just because he was not a big name I knew but most coaches Iowa hires fit that bill so I have learned to keep an open mind and give them a chance.
Iwas very skeptical of Lick's abilities half way through his 1st season but like many I felt it was way too early to write him off. By half way through the 2nd season I knew he was not going to work out.
I reserved optimism on FM until I saw him coach a couple games. He did a great job by all appearances from the very beginning but I am in sales and not easily "sold". But after those first couple games I had no doubt HIS skill is there now its a matter of him finding the tools he needs to be successful. I believe he can be a very successful coach at Iowa but many good leaders don't succeed if they don't have the tools to work with.
 
I know I'm a little late in getting in on this thread but I actually liked Lick at first. I thought he could teach/coach basketball to some lower rated recruits, which we seemed to be getting the last couple of years under Alford. In my opinion, Iowa basketball will probably always be made up of 2 and 3 star recruits, with a couple of 4 and 5 stars every couple of years. They will probably be Iowa natives, Woodbury for instance, as Iowa just isn't a destination for young, highly rated basketball players. Yes, we have had a few and we will get a few more but mostly, we will have to find diamonds in the rough type players and coach them up, which I thought Lickliter would and could do. In hind site Lick was not fast enough or good enough in regards to teaching what he wanted to do to make it work. His talent evaluation left a lot to be desired too, but again, I think if he was the teacher I thought he was, his recruits have been ok. I wanted Iowa to give him another year but in hind sight, it really was the best thing to get rid of him. That's why people making a lot $$ than I am are making those decisions. Iowa can and will win a lot of games with the recruits we can get here with the right coach and I think Fran is that kind of coach, I sure hope he is.
 
I thought Lick would be good fit. COTY and success at his last stop had me excited even though the style of play was a little concering.

Looking at FMs first year has me very excited. The players seem to want it and rarely quit even when way down. Some players improved more in one year under FM than 3 yrs under TL. They style of play is more fun to watch by far. FM also has a track record of rebuilding programs which TL did not. TL occasionally had the negative comment about individuals that were neither constructive nor appropriate in the media while FM keeps things constructive even when being critical. We will be very happy at thend of FMs third year.
 
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