Fran Delivered

S

SpecialKHawk

Well-Known Member
The man came in on day one to the worst power-5 program in America at the time. If you really listened to him you knew he meant business and had a long track record of turning down trodden programs around.

There were tons of doubters and haters even this year but to those losers we say screw you.

It has not been easy but the journey has been so much fun.

Fran did it HIS way and I could not be happier for him and everyone involved.

Year 1 - upset of nationally ranked Purdue
Year 2 - NIT bid and 1 win
Year 3 - NIT finals
Year 4 - NCAA First 4 / Play-In
Year 5 - NCAA First Tourney win since 2001

There has been so many more milestones within these 5 years.

Great job Fran and to these players this year and past seasons. Guys like Cole, Gatens, Cartwright, Marble, Basabe, May, Mccabe, etc. etc, We have not forgotten your cobtributuons to this either.

SINCERE THANK YOU!
 
SpecialKHawk said:
The man came in on day one to the worst power-5 program in America at the time.
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Dang...........Iowa was pretty bad, but...........................:(

O well, can't appreciate the heights until you've experienced the depths. YEAH FRAN! Still say that was a masterful defensive game plan.
 
Fran is a terrific coach, and is getting it done. Not much else to add to the OP's post.

Guess Barta got this one right, anyway. :p
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Fran is a terrific coach, and is getting it done. Not much else to add to the OP's post.

Guess Barta got this one right, anyway. :p
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I have given Barta a lot of crap but I have to give him props for this hire and getting it right. He did his homework the second time and sought input from knowledgable insiders of this program. Considered what the fan base would like in a coach as well.

He did not just hire some name off a hot list. Go check out some of the guys on that hot list back then and where they are at now. A number bombed out.

Kudos to Barta on this one.
 
SpecialKHawk said:
I have given Barta a lot of crap but I have to give him props for this hire and getting it right. He did his homework the second time and sought input from knowledgable insiders of this program. Considered what the fan base would like in a coach as well.

He did not just hire some name off a hot list. Go check out some of the guys on that hot list back then and where they are at now. A number bombed out.

Kudos to Barta on this one.
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Agree. Barta got it right the second time.

As for last year..wish fans like Miller and Schwartz would quit denigrating our tourny bid....we made the tourny...period!! Tenn. and Dayton have proven that very good teams are in play-in games.
 
I like everything that is being said on here but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried after the loss at Northwestern. At that point I questioned if Iowa was going to be a tournament team this year.

Having said that regardless what happens against Gonzaga I am proud of this teams accomplishments. Losing White and Olaseni will hurt but I think Jok/Woodbury/Gesell/Uthoff have what it takes to make next season even more special.
 
my support for Fran has never waivered. Fran is the man.

This will not change if there is a small step back in the next year or two.
 
To be fair to Barta, which I usually am not, Lickster was coach o' Le Year when he hired him.

Fran had me at "basketball is supposed to be entertaining." Oh SNAPPITY
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
my support for Fran has never waivered. Fran is the man.

This will not change if there is a small step back in the next year or two.
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I'm not sure if I would have wavered given the state of the program when he got the job. This is his first class that he had any time to recruit on and many great players wouldn't have given Iowa much of a look.

Love the new recruits, hopefully Fran will land a decent big man to help and eventually replace Woody. Big shoes as GO will be missed a lot.
 
Fran has done what he needed and that was bring in kids that believe in his system, and each year he's bringing in kids that are longer, leaner, better shooters (it looks that way on tape), but my point is Fran has settled down, enjoyed his successes, and these kids are responding, showing more emotion, having fun, and getting the job done....Now, when the 'Zags get beat tomorrow, and we take it to UCLA, the country will look a little more kindlier on Iowa
 
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