Question for Barta

[WinOneThisCentury]

So we lose Cook and Baer, but gain another skinny white kid. So we are going to run out 3-4 very, very lean players next year as our front line. Here's hoping Pemsl comes back strong...and Nunge puts on 25 pounds of muscle.

 

[ohhawk]

I would agree with those that believe Barta's future is now more directly tied to McCaffery's success having given him the extension and in the fashion he did. I think the year after this is the crucial year for both if this season disappoints.

Two BB coaching hires in a row that eventually faltered would not be good for most any AD.

 

[lightning1]

If you can't see the need for the AD to extend a contract to the coach so the recruit knows the coach will be there his four years then you can't be helped. Other schools would use that as an advantage.

I absolutely don't see the need to extend the contract on any coach that's under .500 in conference games. At any time, for any reason. Especially one that had 7+ years to figure it out. Other schools wouldn't have the opportunity to use that to their advantage because I'd have fired said coach.

 

[hawkeye23]

Barta needs to go before Fran. The last thing we want is for Barta to make the next basketball hire.

Or football hire.....

 

[uihawk82]

My question is, if Fran gets fired, does Connor leave, or stay at Iowa and just play baseball. I can't believe he could go somewhere else and play both, AND he's already used his redshirt.

More than likely, though, barring a huge tank job, we'll never find out...

Who cares about Iowa Bball right now. That was terrible last nite and the first two Big games. totally out of our depth against better skilled players in the league.

Iowa has had maybe 1-2 decent teams/records since Davis left and a lame duck Davis was able to squeeze 110% out of his last team.

 

[uihawk82]

Barta needs to go before Fran. The last thing we want is for Barta to make the next basketball hire.

Totally, it is forever since Barta even sniffed a nice Big 10 championship. How else to evaluate him. Hey every team in the Big 10 is getting megabucks but Barta still loves contract extensions for little results

 

[Hawkeye/swish]

Barta needs to go before Fran. The last thing we want is for Barta to make the next basketball hire.

I agree but it doesn't have five names and his desk that he could go to.

 

[Ben Rumson]

I’m not sure a 17-14 record gets Iowa into the NIT

If we can get 17 I would call that success after the three games in the big we have played thus far.

 

[Fryowa]

I mean next yr we lose Cook (assuming he's done anyway he could come back if he wants) and Baer but gain PM and Tousant.

Huge downgrade

 

[HuckFinn]

If this team doesn't make the NCAA tourney are you going to fire Fran?
I would like this to be asked to him point blank by someone in the media next chance they get...
I'd be nice to have a point blank question brought to him so fans know where he's at. I mean if a team that runs the table in the non conference for the first time in forever can't make the dance... I know the league is tough. But if we can't even put up a fight against a middle of the road Purdue team.... Yes Garza didn't play and yes we are down Pemsl too. But can any of us sit here and say they'd have made a difference last night? I don't think they'd have made that big of one... Things are going to get a little hot around Fran and Barta's collars if last night was a sign of things to come..

Yeah. What a great idea! It would undermine his credibility with the players; it would throw more wood on a fire that should not be started this early in the season; you already know what Barta, or any AD would say..."At the end of the season we will evaluate the head coach's performance, as we do every year."

Your purpose is to embarrass Fran and Barta. Like them or not, that is just flat stupid.

 

[lightning1]

Yeah. What a great idea! It would undermine his credibility with the players; it would throw more wood on a fire that should not be started this early in the season; you already know what Barta, or any AD would say..."At the end of the season we will evaluate the head coach's performance, as we do every year."

Your purpose is to embarrass Fran and Barta. Like them or not, that is just flat stupid.

Not the UCLA AD. Ask Alfraud.

 

[HuckFinn]

Not the UCLA AD. Ask Alfraud.

Sure. If you expect Barta to fire Fran right now, as the UCLA AD did with Alfraud, then fine. Ain't gonna happen until at least the end of the year and frankly, probably not even then. I am a realist and probably nearly as frustrated with the program as you are.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

I'm a firm believer in this conspiracy theory as well. Fran's contract is guaranteed until 2023, which **coincidentally** is the year Patrick would graduate.

that's not a "conspiracy"...it's an agreement.

 

[lightning1]

Sure. If you expect Barta to fire Fran right now, as the UCLA AD did with Alfraud, then fine. Ain't gonna happen until at least the end of the year and frankly, probably not even then. I am a realist and probably nearly as frustrated with the program as you are.

I'm a realist. Gutless Gary isn't going to fire Fran after this year or next year! We would have to go 0-20 in the BIG this and next season before Gutless Gary would fire him. Mark my words.
My point was that there are ADs that don't wait til the end of the season.

 

[lightning1]

Yeah. What a great idea! It would undermine his credibility with the players; it would throw more wood on a fire that should not be started this early in the season; you already know what Barta, or any AD would say..."At the end of the season we will evaluate the head coach's performance, as we do every year."

Your purpose is to embarrass Fran and Barta. Like them or not, that is just flat stupid.

I also think that embarrassing a Coach and an AD like that, can have positive effects on the situation. Some coaches will decide to get off their ass and start fixing the problem. other news outlets pick up on the exchange and that lets the AD hear about it from national media sources. Puts him in the spotlight and maybe forces him to get off his Gutless ass and put some demands on his coach.

 

[tmess1989]

From ESPN with regards to how hot the coaches hot seat is:

Cooling off

Fran McCaffery, Iowa: It was unlikely the Hawkeyes would ever part ways with McCaffery after this season, given the contract extension he quietly signed at the start of last season that kept him in Iowa City until 2024 -- and boosted his buyout to $9 million if the school fires him before next summer. Either way, Iowa is 11-2 to start the season, with both losses coming to Big Ten foes. They won the 2K Classic back in November and also beat in-state rival Iowa State.

$9 million doesn't seem like that outrageous of a buyout to me. If Iowa only wins 4 or 5 more games this year then how can anyone feel like next year will be any better? Adding two players that probably should redshirt and losing Baer and probably Cook does not give me any confidence.

I know that the McCaffery kids will probably transfer if he gets fired but it's not like either one will ever be the star of an Iowa basketball team. I think they both will be solid players but probably not stars. The fact is that when a coach is ired players leave. I mean lil Lick left when his dad got fired.

 

[Cyhawk]

Similar to Lick at some point attendance will suffer which will outweigh the buyout. Hopefully that won't happen and Fran can pull a rabbit out of his hat. Landing Xavier Foster would help, Although I think he's a Cyclone.

 

[BigD]

I'm tired of saying that every year. This is not a roster problem as he should have a much better team than he does with this current roster. This is systemic coaching problems getting the players to perform, in particular, play defense.

One of Fran’s biggest problems is recruiting kids to fill roles.This team has no role players and the closest your going to get is Bo (outside shooting and ball distribution, forget defense and penetration). We often see the most successful teams that have players with specific abilities being used specifically for those abilities (like Reggie Evans rebounding and muscle under the basket. That’s just what Reggie did for the team. It filled a need). Because of the lack of role playing or leadership in specific areas the team looks disfunctional and disorganized (thus the term I like to use “YMCA” style of basketball.

It’s as frustrating to watch Fran play man to man defense instead of zone defense as it was to watch Kirk always have his QB’s call audibles into running plays 99% of the time. We have no business playing man to man when our players aren’t even close in talent and athleticism as our opponent.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

I'm tired of saying that every year. This is not a roster problem as he should have a much better team than he does with this current roster. This is systemic coaching problems getting the players to perform, in particular, play defense.

I hear you. But honestly it IS both. We don't need to go all Dolph on the roster but how can anyone honestly say most of this roster is talented enough? Do you see any NBA players out there? Maybe Garza some day? Weiskamp? Fran really hasn't produced one yet in 8 years.

 

[WDMTIGERHAWK2]

We are due for an unexpected recruit to shine. It won't help with this years challenges, but wouldn't it be nice if that point guard recruit for next year from New York (Joe Toussaint) turns out to be really good! Maybe not Ronnie Lester great but perhaps Kenny Arnold pretty darn good! That would be the first true point guard we have had in a long time. He would be quick enough to play lights out defense and distribute the ball to open shooters on offense. He would make all the other Hawks on the floor better. The Hawks are due and so is Fran to get a break on a point guard coming in here and lighting it up!