HawksnCubs26
New Member
Really? That's even worse. Was his close game record that bad at his other stops?
Fran's survival on the line in Tournament
- Thread starter longtimer
- Start date
Dadman
Well-Known Member
[/B]
No we won't! I mean, yes we will...I mean, no we won't...errr, yes we will!
ouch-this makes my head hurt. we will wind 1 and see a 5 year contract extension.
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
But did they? I know you think they did, but did they?
atomicblue224
Well-Known Member
Fran
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
Yep.
These late season slides of 2 of the last 3 years have been rough, to say the least. But now that we've improved to this point, anything less than that proverbial "next step" is inexcusable.
Losing sucks, losing close games hurts even worse.
QuadCityHawkeye
Well-Known Member
Fran will never made a Sweet Sixteen at Iowa. Book it and time stamp it.
IMO, the only thing Fran has failed to do is recruit a big time point guard and he was inches away from that two years ago. I was probably to critical of MG yesterday, but the fact is you can't win the big games in college basketball without a point guard that can score. If you put Yogi F on that team and things are way different. Fran needs a good point guard. If he doesn't have one on the team now or doesn't get one in this recruiting cycle. I agree he might be in trouble.
SteveGarvey
Well-Known Member
That this thread has garnered six pages of takes, many in agreement, really makes me think Steve Deace was actually right in that there does exist a Jihadic wing of Hawkeye Nation. HIS SURVIVAL IS ON THE LINE???!! What a joke!
Fryowa
Administrator
The people saying he's going to get fired are out of their minds.
If you coach-hopping idiots had your way we'd have 100 times the disaster we have already.
Look at it from the outside, with l o g i c for once (I know that's tough). What we have at Iowa is not a lot different than what's going on with Nebraska football. Great coach thirty years ago followed by a a handful of relatively short-tenured, less than mediocre coaches who are not liked by the fan base. What POSSIBLE reason could there be for a capable, proven up-and-comer to come to Iowa? Especially if they were to fire McCaffery now (which is absurd and won't happen anyway).
Seriously, you guys are sounding like Cornchucker fans when they wanted Mike Riley's head on a pole. They'd pay him a billion dollars just to leave but never stop to think about what they're going to do after that.
You guys think if they booted Fran we'd magically have John Wooden incarnate emailing his application to Barta? Because that's what we make fun of Nebraska fans for, and that's what you guys sound like right now.
Yes, our basketball program sucks, and yes, I wish we had Tom Izzo coaching us. But that's not going to happen and the chances of it ever happening become less and less the longer you play musical coaches.
If you coach-hopping idiots had your way we'd have 100 times the disaster we have already.
Look at it from the outside, with l o g i c for once (I know that's tough). What we have at Iowa is not a lot different than what's going on with Nebraska football. Great coach thirty years ago followed by a a handful of relatively short-tenured, less than mediocre coaches who are not liked by the fan base. What POSSIBLE reason could there be for a capable, proven up-and-comer to come to Iowa? Especially if they were to fire McCaffery now (which is absurd and won't happen anyway).
Seriously, you guys are sounding like Cornchucker fans when they wanted Mike Riley's head on a pole. They'd pay him a billion dollars just to leave but never stop to think about what they're going to do after that.
You guys think if they booted Fran we'd magically have John Wooden incarnate emailing his application to Barta? Because that's what we make fun of Nebraska fans for, and that's what you guys sound like right now.
Yes, our basketball program sucks, and yes, I wish we had Tom Izzo coaching us. But that's not going to happen and the chances of it ever happening become less and less the longer you play musical coaches.
BigD
Well-Known Member
I am expecting very little from this program next season so all good things will be a bonus. The year after that however Fran is going to have to earn his keep. If we make the tourney this year and get bounced out on the first round then Fran's seat will be getting a LITTLE warm and that will continue on through the entire season next year. The year after that their should be expectations. Lickliter is no longer visible in the rear view mirror and Fran is driving the bus now. This season isn't over yet even though it feels like it is.
mrolympia
Well-Known Member
nor are late season collapses
BigD
Well-Known Member
I feel everyone's pain and I hate losing.
You are right in that this shouldn't be happening for the second time in three years. Often times when a team falls apart there is some desension going on behind the scenes. That may not be the problem but I think the biggest problem is that we don't have that go to guy or team leader that makes things happen. That's where I thought an experienced four star point guard or four star post player would come in. "Give me the ball, give me the ball." We don't have that here and never have under Fran.
Fryowa
Administrator
Wish it weren't true, but he's right. Collapses are very much expected here.
Agreed Firing coaches at Iowa doesn't happen as often as it might at a place that expects winning. Watch UCLA and see how long they will go with a coach that doesn't win. Im not ready to see Fran go but if he is still struggling after next year how long does one wait? Sure its hard to get a coach to Iowa but I seem to remember hiring Ralph Miller from Wichita State who came in and made us a winner, and then a little known coach from out West named Lute Olson who did OK so it can be done.
I still say if we dont make any king of a run this year and we end up 9th in the league next year Fran's seat will be very hot
I still say if we dont make any king of a run this year and we end up 9th in the league next year Fran's seat will be very hot
smhawk
Well-Known Member
Is it fair to say this team is improved over last years team? Yes at times, they looked positively better than last years squad, thanks to impressive 3pt shooting to start the first half of the season. But teams aren't defined by how they do in January but how they do in March. Last years team was winning much more in their last 6 games than this one. High effort defense that White and Gabe displayed is much easier to be consistent at than shooting better than 40% from deep.
Some good points, but the goal of a season isn't to at some point get ranked into top 10, but to finish in the top ten left in the ncaa tournament.. that something to get excited about. Playing the best at the right time, maybe something even Ben Jacobson is better at.
I've loved this turn around that Fran has accomplished since he got here. But I'm afraid it's possible to see the limits of his potential are coming to a climax.
-His ability to coach his team in times of adversity, someone posted his overall record career-wise in games of 6 point or less, *can someone post a source for this?
-His ability to defining players intangible roles, or at least on this squad specifically. Good teams have clear vocal leaders, defensive anchors, a sixth man and these roles need to be developed before the last third of the season. Yet here we are still trying to find the right rotation off the bench. It's either a failure in recruiting or coaching these players up to step up.
-He seems overly reliant on just coaching xo's. He doesn't want to take a timeout if his players already know what plays to run. He's not much of a motivator. Why do teams usually have home court advantage? Encouragement matters, you see Izzo and sadly even sleazy Cailpari pretty good at this, and you just don't see much of this from fran, seems he only knows how to lay into players.
Fran isn't going anywhere soon. But I'm afraid these weaknesses will only show up again the next time he has a team capable to contend for something worth-while.
seepig
Well-Known Member
There is something fundamentally wrong with the way he and his staff run things 1 late season collapse is one thing but repeats and 3 consecutive 1 and out in the Big Ten tourney to pathetic foes is more than a councidence and he has lost most of my enthusiasm for this coaching staff
NEIChawk
Well-Known Member
BigD, it won't for me. In 3 weeks I'm off to Augusta, GA for the Masters. Until then I will watch bball, and watche good basketball w/ or w/out Iowa
