Maybe I missed something but I never seen BARTA'S justification of the extention or raise they gave Fran. It's probably one of the worst recruiting and coaching jobs I've seen in Div 1 BB. Fran has only had average teams at best and none of them has been able to play any defense. Someone TELL me the justification, please! I think the players he's recruited are just your average player that looked good in HS. IT'S either that or the coaches aren't doing a good job. ONE OR THE OTHER!!
Justify the extention of FRAN
- Thread starter bubbadunk
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eveningnewsteam
Well-Known Member
There is no justification for it. Just total incompetence at the AD
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
The extinction should come after this season, but because that’s out of the question I’d say we can hope for following next season and it will be justified 
EstronHawkKing
Well-Known Member
the same AD who lost Iowa millions in a court case this past summer, but still kept his job. Dysfunctional is the best word to describe all this.
NoBeer
Well-Known Member
His stated justification is he thinks Fran is the right guy for the job going forward, Fran pulled the program out of the doldrums, and Fran runs a clean program that does things the right way. Those are all BS reasons and note a specific lack of performance based rationale other than "we don't suck any more" (no longer true obviously). But, you asked for his rationale and that is a (I think) a fair summary of his rationale.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
It looks like a bad move right now. But the best players on next year's team are currently sophomores, freshmen and seniors in high school IMO. If we make the NCAA Tournament next year and win a couple of games it looks like a good move. And we retain our top 40 recruit in next year's senior class. If we have a losing conference record next year with the talent in that junior class it looks like a really bad move.
theboat
Well-Known Member
I want what you are smoking if you think this team sniffs .500 next year
lightning1
Well-Known Member
"it's not like I broke it".
That was Gutless Gary's response. He basically said that Iowa basketball has always been mediocre and he's just steering the train down the same tracks.
I shit you not!
That was Gutless Gary's response. He basically said that Iowa basketball has always been mediocre and he's just steering the train down the same tracks.
I shit you not!
DodgerHawki
Well-Known Member
And he added that there have been interest from other teams in Fran. My answer to that is "so what?" Just because another team expresses interest in your coach, doesn't mean you go out and make the buyout so large as to be equal to brand-new coaches at other Big 10 schools. Extending Fran was fine, if you believe it the guy go for it. But the size of the buyout is not commensurate with what Fran has done to date. It just isn't. There has to be a price/buyout at which you simply say "if you would be happier coaching elsewhere then go for it." For Barta, apparently that price doesn't exist, he will pay whatever necessary to avoid having a coach leave for another job. He did it with the outrageous buyout for Ferentz and he did it with Fran. Note, I'm very happy with KF, but a $23M buyout or whatever is just beyond foolish.
tksirius
HN's Love Doctor
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
This response from Gary was such bullshit it's not even funny. If Gary was so concerned about another school poaching his coach, then why didn't he make the buyout that another school would have to pay equal to the buyout the UofI would have to pay if it terminated him? But he didn't. The buyout another school would have to pay is around $2.5M and the buyout the UofI would have to pay is $10M+. The easy answer is that Gary could care less about another school poaching his coach, he just wants to tie his own hands with huge buyouts so he can spare himself the decision to terminate.
We live in a world where people don't have to justify themselves for their actions anymore. The main thing is political correctness. I like Fran and I thnk he is a hard worker, but last place in the conference after eight years says something. Maybe they will be better next year.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
Not a justification but more an explanation.
Fran and his agent worked Barta over pure and simple. Fran used the metrics of five years in a row in the B1G of having a .500 record or better, three NCAA invites in a row, a top 50 recruit coming in and a general optimism for the 17/18 season that virtually everyone had. That, and perhaps supposed offers from good programs for his services that may have been, shall we say, exaggerated, and Barta caved and signed the deal.
Almost seems reasonable now, though the amount of the buyout would have been way to high in any event.
Fran and his agent worked Barta over pure and simple. Fran used the metrics of five years in a row in the B1G of having a .500 record or better, three NCAA invites in a row, a top 50 recruit coming in and a general optimism for the 17/18 season that virtually everyone had. That, and perhaps supposed offers from good programs for his services that may have been, shall we say, exaggerated, and Barta caved and signed the deal.
Almost seems reasonable now, though the amount of the buyout would have been way to high in any event.
deanvogs
Well-Known Member
That sums up Barta's tenure at Iowa. Pollard worked over Barta in the Iowa/ISU series money wise. Ferentz has worked Barta over two times in contract negotiations. An underling under got millions because Barta doesn't even know how to terminate an employee. Fran was jus the latest to work over Barta.
In other words he has been incompetent for a long, long time.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
As I have said on this topic:
After the completion of this season (I think Iowa likely loses out) they will have made the NCAA tournament 2 out of the last 4 years (not needing a First Four which I don't count as an official invite unless they win that game....which in the last 5 years they also have that).
This is the only reason why I can't say officially fire the guy. I think a coach should be retained (unless illegal stuff goes on) if they can have NCAA tourney teams at least 50% of the time in a 4 year span. On paper, he gets a pass.
However, the eyeball test tells me he is not going to get it done. And, I'm even more convinced of that how this season has unfolded. Next year, I think the best case scenario is NIT land.
But, if he does not reach the NCAA tourney next year, that will be 3 years in a row not in the tournament. Likely, I think all arrows point to the year after that (and if not that, definitely the next). That will be the make it or break it year. Question is, will the U of I be willing to eat some buy out money?
Unfortunately, Barta has made horrible decision after horrible decision with contracts and buyouts. That 10 million is looking more and more foolish with each mounting loss and how it happens. I wish Gary would have been wiser and Fran would have looked at going to another school. But, as it stands, we are stuck with a Coach that can't coach fundamentals well and does not recruit well enough at all spots to overcome it.
After the completion of this season (I think Iowa likely loses out) they will have made the NCAA tournament 2 out of the last 4 years (not needing a First Four which I don't count as an official invite unless they win that game....which in the last 5 years they also have that).
This is the only reason why I can't say officially fire the guy. I think a coach should be retained (unless illegal stuff goes on) if they can have NCAA tourney teams at least 50% of the time in a 4 year span. On paper, he gets a pass.
However, the eyeball test tells me he is not going to get it done. And, I'm even more convinced of that how this season has unfolded. Next year, I think the best case scenario is NIT land.
But, if he does not reach the NCAA tourney next year, that will be 3 years in a row not in the tournament. Likely, I think all arrows point to the year after that (and if not that, definitely the next). That will be the make it or break it year. Question is, will the U of I be willing to eat some buy out money?
Unfortunately, Barta has made horrible decision after horrible decision with contracts and buyouts. That 10 million is looking more and more foolish with each mounting loss and how it happens. I wish Gary would have been wiser and Fran would have looked at going to another school. But, as it stands, we are stuck with a Coach that can't coach fundamentals well and does not recruit well enough at all spots to overcome it.
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NoBeer
Well-Known Member
Jesus Christ, kill me.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Believe me, I wish it would end though. I would not cry if it did. I just think on paper he has earned it. No way in hell he earned that contract extension though. But, after this crap fest of a season and all the mental breakdowns of his best teams, I wished he would have moved on after this year. But, he is not going to turn down 10 million our fool AD freely gave to him.
Just feel we are stuck with another bad hire that Gary has shackled us with financially. And Fran, technically has done just enough to leech a couple more years if he wants to. And to suck it up for 10 million and not have to teach defense, he has to be laughing it up somewhere behind the scenes.
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