Lick returns with a PIP

tweeterhawk

tweeterhawk

Well-Known Member
I believe Lickliter will return as Iowa's coach next season but with a Performance Improvement Plan worked out with Barta. The plan will set goals, establish measures, schedule more frequent review sessions and chart progress. It will include more frequent contact with players, reorganizing the staff to hire a recruiter, more outreach to high school coaches throughout the Midwest and especially AAU clubs and better public relations.

I have no hard evidence to back this up. But it is clear that no matter how poorly the team has performed, Barta does not want to make a coaching change after only three years. He certainly understands the mess left by Alford as well as the axiom that it takes four years, perhaps even five, for a coach to turn a program around. It appears the freshmen all support Lickliter and members of the ranked recruiting class do, too.

I also don't believe he has the courage to fire Lickliter outright.

The pricetag to buy out Lickliter, hire a D-1 coach with a proven record as a winner and as someone who can reverse a program's fortunes (and potentially buy out the remainder of that coach's contract) has been grossly under-estimated, in my opinion. I am also hearing that Iowa's athletic coffers are not as full as they once were and that a growing number of major donors are either unable or unwilling to give to the degree as they have in the past.

Lickliter may be able to argue quite successfully that certain promises made during his negotiations with Iowa three years were not kept, especially as regards the practice facility, or that it has been only within the past year that he could at least the architectural plans and the fact there's actual work underway as a selling tool to prospects.

Right now Lick is acting very much the Iowa coach. I understand that he and an assistant text messaged Zach McCabe congratulating him on winning Heelan's second straight title in a row Saturday.

Increasingly I believe the Lickliter will be the Iowa mens basketball coach next season. Thursday's report from ONE Iowa City radio station -- on its Facebook page, no less -- will either be proven as premature or wrong.

I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
 
This happens and all of the pressure and frustration goes from Lickliter directly to Barta. Good luck with that one Gary!

The Iowa basketball fan base has been more excited this weekend than any time over the last 3 years. The excitement is created as a result of the thought of Lickliter being fired.
 
I agree. Lick will return for at least one more season, with some strict program goals in place. If he refuses to set those goals, he is done.
 
At this point, It's my opinion that you are crazy if you think Lick is coming back. If he does, Barta is going to have a revolt on his hands.

Lickliter is done.
 
Think Tweeter is off on this one. iahawk hit it on the nail when he said that all the heat will then go to Barta. Barta has a chance to save the program and himself. Alford did not leave us in this bad of shape. Minnesota was a bigger mess than Iowa and they are Dancing. The right coach can win at Iowa in the next two years and TL isn't the guy.
 
Barta was just at a retirement dinner for Michigan's AD who got fired, in part, for hiring RR. Barta could be joining him soon, if he keeps Lickliter another year. Setting and enforcing standards, as mentioned, should have happened after last post season departures, including staff changes.
 
SPGroth said:
I agree. Lick will return for at least one more season, with some strict program goals in place. If he refuses to set those goals, he is done.
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Nope lick won't be back because if he is he will lose more players this off season.

Plus in no way shape or form does it take 4 or 5 years to turn a BB program around unless you are a worthless coach. And all 3 years of the Lick era are worse than anything SA ever gave us...face it Lick can't get it done in the big ten.
 
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If that's what happens, then we will have been given good cause to wonder as much about the competence of our AD as of our basketball coach.

Or to put it simply, EPIC FAIL.
 
tweeterhawk said:
I believe Lickliter will return as Iowa's coach next season but with a Performance Improvement Plan worked out with Barta. The plan will set goals, establish measures, schedule more frequent review sessions and chart progress. It will include more frequent contact with players, reorganizing the staff to hire a recruiter, more outreach to high school coaches throughout the Midwest and especially AAU clubs and better public relations.

I have no hard evidence to back this up. But it is clear that no matter how poorly the team has performed, Barta does not want to make a coaching change after only three years. He certainly understands the mess left by Alford as well as the axiom that it takes four years, perhaps even five, for a coach to turn a program around. It appears the freshmen all support Lickliter and members of the ranked recruiting class do, too.

I also don't believe he has the courage to fire Lickliter outright.

The pricetag to buy out Lickliter, hire a D-1 coach with a proven record as a winner and as someone who can reverse a program's fortunes (and potentially buy out the remainder of that coach's contract) has been grossly under-estimated, in my opinion. I am also hearing that Iowa's athletic coffers are not as full as they once were and that a growing number of major donors are either unable or unwilling to give to the degree as they have in the past.

Lickliter may be able to argue quite successfully that certain promises made during his negotiations with Iowa three years were not kept, especially as regards the practice facility, or that it has been only within the past year that he could at least the architectural plans and the fact there's actual work underway as a selling tool to prospects.

Right now Lick is acting very much the Iowa coach. I understand that he and an assistant text messaged Zach McCabe congratulating him on winning Heelan's second straight title in a row Saturday.

Increasingly I believe the Lickliter will be the Iowa mens basketball coach next season. Thursday's report from ONE Iowa City radio station -- on its Facebook page, no less -- will either be proven as premature or wrong.

I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
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Tweeterhawk wrote: He certainly understands the mess left by Alford as well as the axiom that it takes four years, perhaps even five, for a coach to turn a program around. It appears the freshmen all support Lickliter and members of the ranked recruiting class do, too.


I'm sick of this argument. Yeah, maybe Alford didn't leave the program well off, but I'll tell you this. To this day, Lickliters best results were done with Alfords players. Play has dropped off the more Alfords players have left the program. That says something to me. Also, Alford never and I mean never had this program in this type of shambles. Never. Don't let your disdain for Alford get in the way of cold hard facts.
 
tweeterhawk said:
I believe Lickliter will return as Iowa's coach next season but with a Performance Improvement Plan worked out with Barta. The plan will set goals, establish measures, schedule more frequent review sessions and chart progress. It will include more frequent contact with players, reorganizing the staff to hire a recruiter, more outreach to high school coaches throughout the Midwest and especially AAU clubs and better public relations.

I have no hard evidence to back this up. But it is clear that no matter how poorly the team has performed, Barta does not want to make a coaching change after only three years. He certainly understands the mess left by Alford as well as the axiom that it takes four years, perhaps even five, for a coach to turn a program around. It appears the freshmen all support Lickliter and members of the ranked recruiting class do, too.

I also don't believe he has the courage to fire Lickliter outright.

The pricetag to buy out Lickliter, hire a D-1 coach with a proven record as a winner and as someone who can reverse a program's fortunes (and potentially buy out the remainder of that coach's contract) has been grossly under-estimated, in my opinion. I am also hearing that Iowa's athletic coffers are not as full as they once were and that a growing number of major donors are either unable or unwilling to give to the degree as they have in the past.

Lickliter may be able to argue quite successfully that certain promises made during his negotiations with Iowa three years were not kept, especially as regards the practice facility, or that it has been only within the past year that he could at least the architectural plans and the fact there's actual work underway as a selling tool to prospects.

Right now Lick is acting very much the Iowa coach. I understand that he and an assistant text messaged Zach McCabe congratulating him on winning Heelan's second straight title in a row Saturday.

Increasingly I believe the Lickliter will be the Iowa mens basketball coach next season. Thursday's report from ONE Iowa City radio station -- on its Facebook page, no less -- will either be proven as premature or wrong.

I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
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I hope you dont hurt yourself thinking up crap like this.
 
My wife will be happy if they keep TL because I won't be watching or going to any Hawkeye bball games next year..:)
 
Tweeterhawk, I actually think what you wrote was pretty reasonable in that it could actually happen. Most seem to have overlooked the fact that you, too, want Lickliter fired. Indeed, people are just so anti-Lickliter around here in general that even the suggestion that he will be back next year is bound to breed negativity.

I actually don't really care either way whether he is back next year or not. I would like people to stop complaining for a day, though. It feels like people. in varying amounts, have been hoping the Iowa basketball coach would be fired for about 9 straight years now.
 
Hawksel said:
Tweeterhawk, I actually think what you wrote was pretty reasonable in that it could actually happen. Most seem to have overlooked the fact that you, too, want Lickliter fired. Indeed, people are just so anti-Lickliter around here in general that even the suggestion that he will be back next year is bound to breed negativity.

I actually don't really care either way whether he is back next year or not. I would like people to stop complaining for a day, though. It feels like people. in varying amounts, have been hoping the Iowa basketball coach would be fired for about 9 straight years now.
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You're correct. Like most of the fan base I'm ready for a change. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if Lick gets one more year.

I think a lot of people assume that the money to:
1) buy out Lickliter
2) hire a new coach at a higher salary (incl possibly his assistants, at more money)
3) potentially buy out the remainder of the new coach's contract; and
4) even bump up Kirk Ferentz's salary to stay competitive

is there or will appear out of thin air.

My understand is that it is not. Iowa is not tOSU, or even Michigan. The money's going to have to come from donors. Up until a couple months ago I used to be in fundraising. It is darned hard to do right now, even among long-time friends, those people who really like you. You can't just assume they're going to open up their checkbooks -- or more likely cash in some investments -- and give you a big fat check. And giving a school money to give to a high-profile employee so they hit the road is a ways down the list of reasons of why donors want to donate.

The one-year development plan buys some time for Barta to get the money in hand for a decision that is likely coming at the end of next season, and to perhaps force Lickliter's hand.

That's just how I see it from a distance. This could all be blown out of the water by the end of the week.
 
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