Fran needs to get his anger under control

[LawVHawk]

I've defended Fran for his past technical fouls and emotional outbursts reacting to the officiating in Iowa's games, some of which has been simply horrid. But it appears to me that his dissent over calls (or lack thereof) has gone well beyond disagreement to anger, which has gotten out of control and earned him not only technical fouls but a couple ejections and a suspension. In my opinion, his occasionally immature behavior has not only hurt his team in games but done longer-term damage to a program he is working hard to rebuild and ultimately to his reputation.

Anyone who has lived or worked with someone with anger management issues (or has dealt with those challenges themselves) will recognize what occasionally takes place in the Iowa coaching box. Slamming a chair, kicking an advertising board, pounding the scorer's table, kicking a notebook off the end of the media table, putting a face of extreme anger into the side of the face of a player -- those are not actions of someone in control of their emotions. A celebrated, championship-winning Big Ten coach who exhibited similar behavior years ago ultimately was unceremoniously fired, went on to coach a few more years at a smaller school and is gradually disappearing from college basketball's radar.

I want better for Fran McCaffery and for Iowa basketball. It is my hope that those around him -- his staff, his family, Marj, coaching colleagues, and especially his boss -- strongly encourage him to get help to get his emotions back under control before his actions hurt someone, including Fran McCaffery.

 

[tm3308]

Bob Knight is fading from CBB radar because he's getting old. Someone asks who the best coaches in CBB history are, though, and Bob Knight will absolutely be one of the first five guys mentioned.

Wooden
Coach K
Knight
Lute (IMO, anyway)
Rupp

 

[hoffahawk]

"That's basketball" (snort)

 

[WindsorHawk]

That's our coach and he's not going to change now. This passion whether sometimes misplaced or not is how he could turn this program completely around in 4 years...IMO.

 

[hawkforlife9]

Come on... it's entertainment. I would be so emabarrased if I were him seeing the videos after the fact, but I for one love watching him melt down. I do think it will cost us some games, but in some cases it may help us win. Who knows. It cost us the Wisky game. I do think it needs to be monitored, with any mental illness you want to make sure it stays within an acceptable threshold.

 

[LG210]

Holy moly, OP. Get some nuts.

 

[LG210]

Come on... it's entertainment. I would be so emabarrased if I were him seeing the videos after the fact, but I for one love watching him melt down. I do think it will cost us some games, but in some cases it may help us win. Who knows. It cost us the Wisky game. I do think it needs to be monitored, with any mental illness you want to make sure it stays within an acceptable threshold.

It appeared to me at the time that we were going to lose the Wisky game regardless.

 

[clicheusername3]

I'm fine with the T's and getting after the players, but the destruction of property like the clipboard and graphics board is kind of pathetic.

 

[hawkfan33]

It appeared to me at the time that we were going to lose the Wisky game regardless.

Don't feed the troll.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Love the guy.

 

[LG210]

FYI--Fran wasn't mad at Dev. Dev just happened to walk in front of Fran when Fran was trying to squeeze one out in Speraw's general direction.

Perhaps a little immature on Fran's part, but it had nothing to do with anger.

 

[WindsorHawk]

I don't mind losing a few battles if we win the war. By war I mean returning our program to national prominence...and eventually taking it a step further.

 

[WindsorHawk]

I know there are posters on here that can grab 4 pics of Fran chest bumping or hugging his guys in about 2 minutes. Please do.

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Xavier game turned out alright. Some games you win, some you lose.

 

[LG210]

Xavier game turned out alright. Some games you win, some you lose.

Yep--and Fran is a big-picture guy. He knows that NCAA basketball seasons are made in March.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I know he calls it "fighting for his team" but so far I haven't seen that it is benefitting the team at all. Only helping our oppenents with extra FT's. Which, btw, they seem to be able to make easily.

 

[Zamboni08]

^ good god will this ever end? MAYBE you have a slight argument with Wisky game, but fran's T's have never single handily cost us a game.

 

[PCHawk]

I highly doubt Fran has enough kicking accuracy to purposely hit the clipboard. He doesn't strike me as the ninja type.

 

[LASBUR]

Does anyone question if he is out of control or if he does it for effect ? Sometimes I think he knows exactly what he is doing.. He may still be learning the response of the BT Refs. But I think he knows his players really well.

 

[kicker22]

SO honest question and not trying to troll. I see alot of people, not necessarily in this post but in general, justifying his T's but then in the same breath complaining that we can't close out close games. I guess my question is; if we can't clse out the close games, then how if giving up free points for Fran's antics something that helps the program? Again I'm not trying to troll but I simply don't understand how fans see it ok for a coach to give away points but support his actions and then moan when we trail by a few late in the game and can't seem to pull it out.