Replacement for Fran
- Thread starter Hawk5656
- Start date
I don't want a new coach. I want Fran to turn this season around like he turned the last 3 seasons around at about this time. Then I want him to not tank the beginning of next year like he has the last 4 years since he doesn't lose his best player. I'm not optimistic that will happen tho.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Well someone who has had successful D1 experience at the major college level would be the smartest choice and should be the first choice. Although I would still be willing to see the Grinnell system for a few years just to see it at the major level. Way I figure we don't play half court defense anyway and at least we would full court press and get more guards in here that can shoot the 3 ball.
Sorry you can't continue to tank the first 1/3 of the season and hope to gain steam and make the Dance ever year. Fran is really blowing his cover this year IMO.
Fryowa
Administrator
No way. No way.
Grinnell ball is a total gimmick that works at a single D3 school. It works in that environment entirely because it’s D3 where you have hugely mismatched teams (Grinnell uses it mainly to run the score up on shitty teams), very low talent coaching relative to D1 that can’t adapt, as well as college teams that would get destroyed by some 4A high schools and even more AAU teams. That kind of stuff doesn’t translate to P5 NCAA basketball.
In P5 basketball the coaching would figure out that gimmick in a heartbeat and with the freak size, quickness, and athleticism there’s no way you just fly down the court and launch an open three every 8 seconds.
Good luck getting enough rebounds and pressing a Michigan State for two halves, let alone getting any open shots when Izzo (or any other decent coach) knows exactly what you’re going to do. This ain’t Principia College or Faith Baptist Bible, man.
Fryowa
Administrator
Fran’s weakness isn’t his coaching. It’s his and his staff’s recruiting, stubbornness when it comes to refusing to bench guys who aren’t producing, and his madman rotation that doesn’t work.
He knows the game and how to play good fundamental basketball. It’s the repeated “hitting himself over the head with a hammer even though it still hurts” that will be Fran’s undoing unfortunately.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
Lute Olson.
Serioudly though someone who is a good coach without much headcoach experience...Rob Judson. He's been the backbone of a number os successful coaches. Or someone like that ....brings maturity and has seen a lot of systems. Wilkl work with what he has. Bot going to make things worse. Would remind me a lot of Beilien.
Serioudly though someone who is a good coach without much headcoach experience...Rob Judson. He's been the backbone of a number os successful coaches. Or someone like that ....brings maturity and has seen a lot of systems. Wilkl work with what he has. Bot going to make things worse. Would remind me a lot of Beilien.
ZeroSumHawk
Member
...need a coach of maturity who knows how to win, knows where to get players that want to win, has the attitude for winning, can find Men who can dominate the paint and instill a floor discipline while being a constant threat while on the floor...instead of good boys....let's search for one, pay for one, and become relevant, again...Calipari, Pitinio, Huggins, Pearl...
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Maybe so.....but some of its principles worked for Paul Westhead at Loyola Marymount.
I agree. But he lost his best player on the team 4 years in a row. When is the last time that has happened at any program? The streak will finally end thus year. So if we tank the first 1/3 of next year, I will give up on Fran.
I hope I didn't just guarantee Cook leaves.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
I bet Grinnell could get the 3 ball off against our defense.
I do not think Judson would go over well with the fans.
sioux34
Well-Known Member
That happened every year lick was here. But the players didn't graduate or leave for the NBA.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
Why? He's a great communicator. He's a good coach. He's not Alford with Indiana baggage. He's similar in a lot of ways to Lute. He would be clean. He's been an assistant on 3 Final 4 teams under 3 different coaches. He'd be a good pick to stabilize things. Let's face it, the next hire could do a lot of damage that could make us like Illinois in football. He's one of the few "white" coaches that can recruit Chicago.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
It's the hell hole of college basketball. He finished 1st and 2nd in the Mac in 6 years. You have to go back to 93 to get another 2nd and 91 for a 1st.
I do happen to know him, not just as an acquaintance. I can honestly say he served as my assistant coach once (no kidding). Since Beilein isn't available, Rob would be my choice if I were AD. NIU has had one winning season since he left. His credentials aren't worse than was KF (probably better with 3 Final Four as an asst with 3 coaches.
I'm not saying it would be a great or terrible hire I just think it would be a tough sell considering he has had one head coaching position and got fired there. I don't know enough about him to have an opinion either way right now but I don't think that would excite the fans at all.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
That I understand. I wish I thought this year was an abberation for Fran. I think the abberation was that he has been as successful as he's been. This year he doesn't have a Marble, Uthoff, White, or Jok. Those guys made others look better than they were. I hope Cook can become that, but I'm not seeing that.
I do wonder if he recruits players who 1) can stand up to him and get in his face and opponents and 2) those who can't and are adversely impacted. The 1s are harder to come by and not many in the middle. Woody was probably one of the few in the middle, no pun intended.
