Iowa Basketball Needs to Start Healing

We the fans will definitely have to do our part and support the new hire. Coach can't sell the program if the arena is empty. And from his standpoint, it isn't easy to operate under a constant cloud of negativity.
 
If he's smart, and he certainly seems to be, our new coach will add this clause to his buyout language:

If termination is caused by Gaten's daddy showing up on Gary's front step, buyout increases by an additional $2 million.
 
JonDMiller said:
...at some point in time very soon, and for no other reason that he is now the head coach at Iowa, people need to rally around him and give him a chance to do his job...otherwise you will need look no further than in the mirror for one of the reasons why the Iowa job isn't as attractive as it once was.
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Jon, you better start the healing with your boy Spank who is calling for Barta's head over this hire.
 
I don't like the hire but will decide if I wear my black and gold next basketball season depending on who the assistant coaches are. I know it's childish but unless there is a former Hawk and/or a big time recruiter on his staff or he brings some nice recruits with him I'm not excited at all.
 
Compare the resumes of Lickliter and McCaffery........it's night and day!

Much more depth and leadership skills exhibited with McCaffery. I think Barta got it right this time. He didn't get caught up in a recent Coach of The Year award.
 
"Fran McCaffery wanted to be at Iowa."

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All due respect, but how many times have you read a story about a new head coach being hired that someone didn't throw that in at some point? Of course he wanted to be at Iowa. Of course he wanted to double or triple his salary. There are probably a lot of coaches who would like to be at Iowa, particularly if you go fishing in the MAAC and the Horizon League. "He wanted to be here" really doesn't tell us anything.

I'm relatively pleased with the hire. IMO, he'll win if he can recruit, period. But there's no need to get carried away with the idea that everyone has to act all warm & fuzzy right out of the gate or the sky will fall. If some people want to vent, let them vent. It won't affect anything, and it'll pass when McCaffrey starts to show positive signs.

It's about winning. It's always about winning.
 
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If venting is necessary, then the venting should be at Barta. Not McCaffery.
 
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blkngoldUofI said:
I don't like the hire but will decide if I wear my black and gold next basketball season depending on who the assistant coaches are. I know it's childish but unless there is a former Hawk and/or a big time recruiter on his staff or he brings some nice recruits with him I'm not excited at all.
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I agree. You are right about one thing: it is childish.
 
FreddyBrown said:
"Fran McCaffery wanted to be at Iowa."

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All due respect, but how many times have you read a story about a new head coach being hired that someone didn't throw that in at some point? Of course he wanted to be at Iowa. Of course he wanted to double or triple his salary. There are probably a lot of coaches who would like to be at Iowa, particularly if you go fishing in the MAAC and the Horizon League. "He wanted to be here" really doesn't tell us anything.
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Yeah, but he did choose Iowa over St. Johns and Seton Hall. It sounded like he wanted to be in the midwest more than he wanted to be at Iowa. But at least there were other schools interested. That wasn't the case with Lickliter and he had to be sold by his son to come here.
 
The hiring should have been the first part of the healing process. Barta screwed that up. His first mistake was saying money wouldn't be an factor. Expectations went through the roof after that comment. Even though there probably would have been unrealistic expectations even without the comment. Still, I find it hard to believe that this is the best that money could get for Iowa. I will always refuse to believe that. If that is the case, Barta is a horrible AD and a terrible salesman.

Now the pressure will stay on Fran. Apathy will remain apart of Iowa basketball and he will have to somehow find a way to get people interested again. It's a tough chore for him. Only wins will get people into Carver(rather than initial excitement and anticipation).

I suspect I will renew my season tickets. If I can live through Lick's boring system I can live through anything.
 
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burky247 said:
The hiring should have been the first part of the healing process. Barta screwed that up. His first mistake was saying money wouldn't be an factor. Expectations went through the roof after that comment. Even though, there probably would have been unrealistic expectations even without the comment. Still, I find it hard to believe that this is the best that money could get for Iowa. I will always refuse to believe that. If that is the case, Barta is a horrible AD and a terrible salesman.

Now the pressure will stay on Fran. Apathy will remain apart of Iowa basketball and he will have to somehow find a way to get people interested again. It's a tough chore for him. Only wins will get people into Carver(rather than initially excitement and anticipation).

I suspect I will renew my season tickets. If I can live through Lick's boring system I can live through anything.
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Money includes the salaries of the staff. It'll be interesting to see who is on Coach Fran's staff. We need big-time recruiters.
 
Hawke said:
Money includes the salaries of the staff. It'll be interesting to see who is on Coach Fran's staff. We need big-time recruiters.
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Very good point. However, I am just going to assume that Fran will come in and fill the staff with former players and "yes men". That way, I won't be disappointed if it happens and will be pleasantly surprised if we manage to get some recruiters.
 
Reality check.

Iowa isn't a Top20 program.

Iowa isn't a Top50 program anymore. Tier One Big Name coaches aren't going to go to <Top50 programs unless they get fired from a different Top50 program.

He's done well and done well consistently at Siena. +2.
He plays up-tempo. +1
He apparently has good relationships with his players and fan base. +2
Can he recruit to the Big10 level? Dunno. But this one will erase all the other positives if he can't.

That will be his reality check.
 
wolfgang said:
Recruiting and some buzz were at the top of my list. We failed on buzz but could still hit on recruiting depending on the assistants. I've decided to get season tix next year. Anyone else gonna purchase tix now that haven't or couldn't in the past.
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I went to a career low (for me) THREE games this past season.

I'll go to at least double that this coming season. (probably more)
 
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