Hire Bruce Pearl- Imagine the BUMP

Tennessee > then Iowa.

No chance in h--- he would come to Iowa, especially after how Iowa treated Tom D.

He literally has it made at Tennessee. There is no way he would risk what he has at Tenn to move to Iowa. NO WAY, unless $$$$ are sent to him.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Tennessee > then Iowa.

No chance in h--- he would come to Iowa, especially after how Iowa treated Tom D.

He literally has it made at Tennessee. There is no way he would risk what he has at Tenn to move to Iowa. NO WAY, unless $$$$ are sent to him.[/QUOTE]

I think that's what we're (at least some of us) saying. That and a chance to wear a GOLD sport coat instead of some hideous orange thing.
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JonDMiller said:
Hypothetically, I think Pearl would be interested.

There is a part of me that wonders the 'offer' to Pearl three years ago was a courtesy, if you can even call it that, to placate the fans that wanted Pearl. Because everything else about that search was so clandestine and under the radar, how did that get out as quickly as it did...I remember that day vividly...it was like 15 minutes of nirvana from when I heard about it, posted it, to when it got shot down and Pearl saying he was staying at Tennessee.

Again hypothetically, if Iowa found itself in the need of a new coach, Pearl would occupy the top of my wish list, and there would be a lot of space between his name and the second name.

But Lickliter is going to be Iowa's coach next year, and he will get his chance to turn things around with a full roster of his players.
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Jon, it's amazing how your thoughts mirror mine on this issue. I have been saying since that day that Pearl was supposedly offered the job that I don't think Barta ever wanted him to be the coach, therefore I've always thought that the offer was only there to appease the masses. I've stuck with that claim since Alford was let go. I don't believe he really offered him, because from what I've heard Pearl wanted to come back to the Big Ten and specifically Iowa. Maybe that was from you Jon, but I know I heard that somewhere before.

Barta knew that the fan base wanted Pearl. He also knew he had to stage a show for the fans that he was appealing to their wants. However, I believe Barta wanted to make "his" hire and not the fans. Needless to say, I have no doubts that Pearl could get this thing turned around. Great recruiter, great passion and a coach that can sale the program, along with some new dynamite practice facilities.

Unfortunately, I'm with you, this thought is still another year away as I find it no way that Lickliter will be the coach after next year. He will be fired, imo. This team is way to "mid majored" up right now and part of the excuses that we have this year in, "the players are all young" are supposedly going to be the same reason it gets turned around with the 4 incoming FRESHMAN. Bring Bruce Pearl to Iowa Barta, like you should have in the first place.
 
This program has had an inability to attract and retain great talent, especially from outside the state for some time. The culture and academic standards work against this notion of being able to attract a coach who is a great 'recruiter'.

Also keep in mind with greater talent comes greater probability of off-the-court issues. Remember there is no tolerance for any issues at Iowa. Any mess-up no matter how small is front page news in the media and draws references to 'program out of control'.

My take is the fan base is way over-playing our hand if we think we are going to get a coach like Pearl to come here. A coach can be successful here but there are a lot of challenges.
 
BLKNGOLD48 said:
Hoffa, this season must have you down. Why can't we get a high level coach to come here? I think Bruce Pearl would give us another look, plus with the upgrade in facilities, you never know. Settling for a medicore coach like TL and thinking he is going to right this ship is why are season tickets are in the tank to begin with. His style of ball is very boring, Pearl on the other hand is at least fun to watch, plus recruits see that as well. Just like in the Godfather, make him an offer he can't refuse.
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Not at all, after all the guys left last year I knew that this year was going to be a throw away year. It was pretty easy to see that Iowa wasn't goiong to be winning many games with what we had coming back.

The reason I don't think a high level coach would come here right now (I want to stress that point) is the previous coach would have been given 3 years to turn a program around - any future coach will see that they will have to turn things around right away or will be looking for a new job in a few years. This team is also really young the new coach would be forced to win with players he didn't recruit that might not fit his system.

I also don't get the F'ing fun to watch crap, It doesn't seem to stop Wisconsin fans from showing up to games and having a top 15 team almost every year. That's all just crap that fans like to throw out there as reasons why they want Lick fired but really is just a bunch of crap. If this team wins 20 games the next 3 years (I know I know) there will be a hell of a lot more fans at CHA and none of them will care what STYLE of B-Ball we play.

Lick isn't going anywhere at least for another year I just don't get why people want to throw in the towel already for next year when Lick has what looks to be a good group of guys coming in, let things play out and see what happens.

If at this time next year things aren't any better then I am pretty sure that everybody that hates Lick will get there wish anyway so let things play out and if that happens then I will be right in line looking at the best fit for Iowa, which includes Pearl.
 
Apparantly, I woke up this morning and a crack epidemic washed over the Hawkeye State.

Are you guys serious? Give me one reason why Pearl would want to come to Iowa? Because he has such fond memories of being an assistant coach here 20 years ago? Give the the largest of breaks.

Iowa has bad facilities, bad fan support, they are a bottom feeder in a stacked league, the last two coaches have been brutalized, and is one of the top 10 worst BCS basketball programs. Tennessee is the exact opposite of that.

Would fond memories of 20 years ago make him decide to leave a top 15 program to go coach a crap team that no one cares about and will take years to rebuild? If Bruce's coaching resume tells me anything, he is not an idiot, and leaving UT for Iowa would be an idiotic move of such magnitude it would shift the Earth's axis.


Get this through all of your crooked domes: No established coach is going to leave a good job for Iowa! Hell, I would be suprised if a solid mid-major coach would leave their job for Iowa. Iowa is flat out one of the worst jobs in the country right now. Learn to accept that, and adjust your expectations accordingly.

/being real
 
GhostofBTT said:
Get this through all of your crooked domes: No established coach is going to leave a good job for Iowa! Hell, I would be suprised if a solid mid-major coach would leave their job for Iowa. Iowa is flat out one of the worst jobs in the country right now. Learn to accept that, and adjust your expectations accordingly.

/being real
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Right. So, we have to MAKE them leave their good job.

Hmmm.... I'm thinking a rumor here, a rumor there, some good-old unfounded allegations, some falsified evidence, a little photoshopping with some farm animals,... Pretty soon he HAS to leave Tennessee. We make it so bad that the only place that will take him is Iowa. And we could get him cheap!

See? It's brilliant!
 
tweeterhawk said:
There'd be so much electricity in the air your hair would stand on your chest and you could light your home for a full winter night at no charge:

- Huge postive pub for the Iowa HAWKEYES.
- Other B11 coaches would hide in the corner, wetting their sweatpants.
- Pearl would fill CHA INSTANTLY for non-conference games as well as the B11 season.
- Nearby AAU coaches and shoe company reps would smile.
- Support for the program would increase 100 percent, as would donations to the practice facility as well as any other MBB enhancement.
- Parents would let their young children watch Iowa HAWKEYE basketball again.
- The tenor of this message board would immediately go from about 80 percent negative to 95 percent positive. Hot topic: Gold sport coats, or black?
- I'd have to go back to doing mundane things, like paying bills and looking for a job.

Open the checkbook, Barta. Do what it takes!
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I want to add this to your list:
- The addition of Pearl as HC would absolutely nuke illannoy fans, which would provide years of entertainment for Hawkeyes everywhere.
 
GhostofBTT said:
Get this through all of your crooked domes: No established coach is going to leave a good job for Iowa! Hell, I would be suprised if a solid mid-major coach would leave their job for Iowa. Iowa is flat out one of the worst jobs in the country right now. Learn to accept that, and adjust your expectations accordingly.
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Perhaps we should just give up and shut down the basketball program. According to you, that sounds like our best alternative.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Perhaps we should just give up and shut down the basketball program. According to you, that sounds like our best alternative.
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I think he's saying to not assume if Barta got rid of Lick at the end of the year there would be a large group of quality coaches that would be waiting in line to take over the program.

Lick can coach he proved that at Butler, now the question is with enough time and his own players can he win at Iowa. I don't think 3 years is enough to know the answer to that. Now if we have 10 wins at this point next year then I think we can all agree that Barta will have to see who would want the job and everybody will have there answer to who does.
 
hoffahawk said:
I think he's saying to not assume if Barta got rid of Lick at the end of the year there would be a large group of quality coaches that would be waiting in line to take over the program.
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That is precisely what I was saying. Any new coach will have to be another up and comer, because any established coach who came here would have to be an idiot.
 
hoffahawk said:
I think he's saying to not assume if Barta got rid of Lick at the end of the year there would be a large group of quality coaches that would be waiting in line to take over the program.

Lick can coach he proved that at Butler, now the question is with enough time and his own players can he win at Iowa. I don't think 3 years is enough to know the answer to that. Now if we have 10 wins at this point next year then I think we can all agree that Barta will have to see who would want the job and everybody will have there answer to who does.
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I agree, he will be back & he should be, at least for another year. Need to show progress next year & major results in 2 yrs such as contending or getting into the NCAA. Look, building the Iowa program is different then, say, building a Kentucky or NC. Do I like the style, no. But he needs yrs to show results with some veteran players. If there continues to be defections next year, then Iowa cannot afford to not make a move.

I'm not off the wagon yet, but I'm leaning over the edge of it.
 
Hire Bob Hansen, most natural fit for Iowa. Is the perfect person to recruit Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, St louis. 9 year NBA career still means something to high school kids. The more you think about this idea the better it beomes and he will not leave for another job!!!
 
GhostofBTT said:
That is precisely what I was saying. Any new coach will have to be another up and comer, because any established coach who came here would have to be an idiot.
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Ok, it didn't quite come across that way when I read your post, but if that's what you meant, then I do agree with you. I also don't think we'll be able to get someone who's already proven.

Do you consider a good mid-major guy to be established? What I mean is somebody like Bruce Pearl when he was at UW-Milwaukee. Or a guy like Jay Wright when he was at Hofstra. I would have actually considered those guys to be "up and comers" at that point, although not necessarily "established" just yet, as they had never coached in a major conference yet. Or maybe a guy like Greg Marshall at Wichita St, for example. Just wondering what you mean by "established". Or do you think we'd need to hire an assistant from somewhere?
 
He has no coaching experience and no recruiting contacts. As for the NBA experience, 99.9% of high school kids have never heard of him and don't care about some guy who was a role player in the league before they were even born.

Other than that, great idea.
 
Typical first response! Go ask some former Iowa basketball players what they think, as I have, and you would get a very favorable response. I guess if Michael Jordan offered to come coach you would say the same thing-NO Coaching Experience- sorry!!!
 
No, I am sure Hansen would be a MUCH better coach than Jordan! Just like I believe Fred Hoiberg or Jeff Hornacek would be a better coach at ISU than McDermott. Lickliter was a Butler player, Butler asst, and Butler head coach, it is about time Iowa reaches into their own lineage for their next coach!!
 
There is much, much more to coaching...

condorrr27 said:
No, I am sure Hansen would be a MUCH better coach than Jordan! Just like I believe Fred Hoiberg or Jeff Hornacek would be a better coach at ISU than McDermott. Lickliter was a Butler player, Butler asst, and Butler head coach, it is about time Iowa reaches into their own lineage for their next coach!!
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than simply having a tie to the school. Lute Olson had no tie to Iowa before coming from Long Beach State. Same for Davis from Stanford.

I'm not saying that teams should shy away from hiring former playing legends. If it's the right situation then it could work. But you are also opening up the possibility that someone will have to fire that legend in the future if the team doesn't have success. Hansen would be a viable assistant, if he was able to commit the time. No idea if he can teach the game or sell the team in a recruit's living room. My guess is that he could do both.
 
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