I've just been convinced by another poster that this is going to be the hire, and as we talked, the more we both became convinced this is a great hire, I am changing my stance on this.. a 180.
Here are 10 reasons to hire Keno Davis.
1) Instant sell out for the first few games as this is a name hire. And as they see the fun style of bball, the fans will stay so long as they aren't getting blown out which is difficult to have happen in his style of play.
Any of the top 5-8 candidates being discussed would fit this. This is a short sided and cosmetic view and not anything that validates Keno's ability to be a successful coach at Iowa
2) With sell outs comes a real home court advantage, making Iowa BBall fun again for players and fans and making a few close games swing into Iowa's favor.
Again, nothing that validates Keno is able to be successful (especially long-term) at Iowa
3) He needs to hire a monster recruiting coordinator, that is real, and I think he will, or I think it may be mandated by Barta.
Any coach whose name doesn't recruit itself, and espescially any mid-major coach would have this qualifier attached. Again, this is nothing that validates Keno would be successful at Iowa.
4) I agree that it is too early for him, but this is home, and the bar is set so low that he can have 3-4 years to grow into the job. He will eventually be a great coach, and his style will make us instantly competitive.
The fan base is at a point that the new coach doesn't get the ability to learn on the job anymore. We've been down that road, twice. It hasn't worked out either time. Again, there is nothing substantive here that explains why or how Keno would be more successful at Iowa than anyother up-tempo coach.
5) I think the entire team as well as the entire recruiting class stays for him. McCabe is already on board, Marble will certainly stay, and they will work on Larson and Brust. I am convinced Payne and Brust are a package deal at this point and Payne is going to have wet dreams about taking the ball end to end freely.
This is purley assumption for any coach. To say Keno has an advantage here is purely speculative. I agree he has a good chance to keep all the recruits, but I don't think it's any better or worse than the other 5-8 coaches who have been discussed as replacements.
6) He has a top 50 national recruit going to Providence and we have an open scholarship.
I'm assuming this is a signed recruit. Meaning, we were upset when it was rumored Alford was trying to poach recruits, we should not be okay with Keno doing the same. This should not be considered an advantage. This player is off limits to Iowa.
7) This is not a stepping stone for him, this is a destiny for him.
Again, it doesn't mean it will makes him successful. You could also argue that a coach who doesn't see Iowa as their final destination will work harder becasue they are trying for something "bigger and better"
8) He can get on campus NOW!
This is only an advantage in a very short-sighted view. FIt helps only to quickly (hopefully) shore up our signed recruits. This is a negative in that it means his current team didn't make NCAA or NIT. For me it's more of a negative than a positive.
9) The hire will not break the bank, even if our bank is awfully hard to break.
According to Barta this is a non-factor. And agin (I'm sounding repative) doens't validate Keno as a successful coach.
10) He has an intimate knowledge of how to win at Iowa, what Iowa fans want to see and how to be a promoter of the program at I-Club events across the country... he will be a great fundraiser.
His dad has intimate knowledge of how to win at Iowa. Certainly Mr. Davis will help Keno, but this isn't Keno that's making these connections it's his dads connections. And again, (or the final time) it does not validate that Keno will be a successful coach. Only that he will be well liked (at least initially).
