How long until Beth takes decisive action
- Thread starter NCHawker
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ForeverHawk
Well-Known Member
Floundering at the bottom, of what, the conference, the nation? Fran has more conference wins than any other coach in the conference over the last 6 seasons. He’s developed all Americans and NBA players. Yes it hasn’t translated into much success in the tournament, but floundering at the bottom is a bit hyperbolic.
eyekwah
Well-Known Member
The entire Big Ten has slipped in men's basketball. The conference had fewer teams qualify for the NCAA in 2004 and those that did didn't go far other than Purdue. The most talented players went early to the NBA or transferred. You don't win with fresh/soph teams. The circumstances for 2024/2025 won't be much better, they actually could be worse. Until the redshirt-covid eligible players pass through the present system expect another year like the one just ended.
The old guard of prominent coaches has retired or will be retiring. Count Fran as the old guard if you want. The real issue is the disparity in use of NIL and Transfer Portal. If a program has the benefactors to play the current recruitment game then that program can temporarily be the drink of the month. Some coaches that don't play along may be the big winners two years from now though. Once the B1G and SEC decide to make players contract employees it will negate the influence of NIL organizations and limit transferring. Most of the Big Tens programs could pay $100K annually per basketball team member. Would you sign up for $100K/Yr for 4 years with possibility of NIL $$$$ starring at you?
The old guard of prominent coaches has retired or will be retiring. Count Fran as the old guard if you want. The real issue is the disparity in use of NIL and Transfer Portal. If a program has the benefactors to play the current recruitment game then that program can temporarily be the drink of the month. Some coaches that don't play along may be the big winners two years from now though. Once the B1G and SEC decide to make players contract employees it will negate the influence of NIL organizations and limit transferring. Most of the Big Tens programs could pay $100K annually per basketball team member. Would you sign up for $100K/Yr for 4 years with possibility of NIL $$$$ starring at you?
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
I was intrigued by the title of this thread, but then laughed at the opening post. Come on, if you are going to make a point then have your facts straight. We were a win away from sneaking into the tourney this year and it seems everyone is coming back that matters except for the one guy that we can't afford anymore.
Are there problems? Of course. Are we at the bottom? Not unless this suddenly became a Michigan board.....
Are there problems? Of course. Are we at the bottom? Not unless this suddenly became a Michigan board.....
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
Almost got into the tourney. Now there's an accomplishment to brag about in year 14
trj
Well-Known Member
Given how the bubble played out, they needed to get to the B1G tourney championship game and probably needed to win it. However, your overall point is correct and I agree with it.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
I said this at the beginning of the season and was crucified for it.
Fran is old and tired. No energy for recruiting. Time to retire.
BigD
Well-Known Member
To be fair, he didn’t specifically say the bottom of the conference. We all know that is not true. It was a down year compared to last several and in that sense it was a LOW in comparison to the most recent years.
Three of the last four games left a bad smell. The team and the coach left a spirit of indifference against Utah. Lack of energy by both. It felt more like a scrimmage game. Even when the refs really screwed up Fran just took it in stride…………… like water off a ducks tail. He knew it was pretty meaningless. Probably didn’t help knowing his son and Perkins were leaving.
Gander Hawk
Well-Known Member
The last two classes are among the best Iowa's had since the Raveling days.
Fryowa
Administrator
Can't call for Fran to be fired unless you have some ideas as to what/who would be a better replacement.
Pretty confident this isn't a job anyone with an established P6 history of winning is gonna beat the door down for. He (or she) would be inheriting a restless fanbase coming off a down year and a bunch of guys transferring out, Carver Hawkeye arena with no student section and an average attendee age of about 83, and Iowa winters. Our current coach is even on record pretty much saying we have no NIL money, and that's priority one right now.
Fran is a known quantity for as long as he's here. Until the problems of NIL, an outdated & boring facility, and a disinterested fan base are fixed, it's the best option IMO.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
+1
The notion that firing Fran and hiring San Diego State's HC to replace him is going to fix all of MBB problems is silly.
Does Beth need to take action? Yep. Is it firing Fran? Nope.
If you have cracks in your walls, you fix the foundation before fixing the cracks.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Don't confuse the issue by stating things that are factually true. It will make some folks on here get headaches.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Well gosh, if you were reading my full post I was responding to the OP's statement that we were "at the bottom." Present tense. In fact, at present, this team finished in the middle of the conference and was on the bubble for making the tourney. So, OP's statement was refuted. Iowa MBB is presently "at the slightly above middle" to be accurately stated.
I agree that being the bubble is not, and should not be, the high water mark. Those are things like winning the Big Ten tourney, recruiting and developing a near two-time Wooden award winner, producing first round draft picks two years in a row, consistently finishing the conference schedule in the Top Third. Those types of things.....
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
When you’d been eligible the previous 5 years, it is
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
You should still be crucified for that take
He wasn't bragging about that accomplishment. He was rebuttling the OPs point about being at the bottom of the conference. And which year a coach is in is only relevant at the beginning when he's still building the program. Fran is done building it. A built program isn't a straight line tho. It still has peaks and valleys. Last year's just missing the tournament was a valley. Point is, there will always be valleys. A valley year being during year 14 doesn't mean anything. It could have just as easily been in year 13 or 15. Does that matter?
And that's why you finish reading all replies before you respond to one.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
Nope. Fran should retire. It’s time.
Eh. To be fair the program isn't floundring... They pretty much met the expectations for the yr going into it. They weren't expected to really make a run this yr by any means. They were a borderline NCAA team and they didn't quite make it. Now granted the whole BIG was down and it didn't look good to not have made it but never the less.
Now I do see where the future doesn't look great. Fran feels like a lame duck of sorts with 1 maybe 2 yrs left on his leash. No kid on the roster no kid on the way a contract that only goes out 3 more yrs is morphing into Tom Davis territory of being a lame duck. Between all that and our NIL situation recruiting is going to be tough and I don't see Fran getting another yr of grace of not going to the tourny. Right or wrong he'll be expected to do that and I'm not so sure they can.
If the CHA is mostly empty much of the yr and nobody is contributing to NIL and apathy just totally has set in next yr with a mediocre squad they'll be heat on Beth to maybe do something... I can't see next yr ending like this one at this point and Fran still being there. Cause they sure can't give him an extension and a raise which he should demand at this point of his deal. So there's a cross roads coming pretty soon. Will he pull an Alford and just leave on his own or make it tough on Beth? We'll see
Now I do see where the future doesn't look great. Fran feels like a lame duck of sorts with 1 maybe 2 yrs left on his leash. No kid on the roster no kid on the way a contract that only goes out 3 more yrs is morphing into Tom Davis territory of being a lame duck. Between all that and our NIL situation recruiting is going to be tough and I don't see Fran getting another yr of grace of not going to the tourny. Right or wrong he'll be expected to do that and I'm not so sure they can.
If the CHA is mostly empty much of the yr and nobody is contributing to NIL and apathy just totally has set in next yr with a mediocre squad they'll be heat on Beth to maybe do something... I can't see next yr ending like this one at this point and Fran still being there. Cause they sure can't give him an extension and a raise which he should demand at this point of his deal. So there's a cross roads coming pretty soon. Will he pull an Alford and just leave on his own or make it tough on Beth? We'll see
