So let's get this out of the way early....

[Fryowa]

I would give him one more season before finding any exit plan. Not because Fran isn't performing well, but because sometimes its time for a change. If you are not coming close to reaching a milestone that has been missed for two decades, then all the other accomplishments matter much less.

That’s a terrible reason for ditching a coach who performs better than most of his peers.

“Time for a change?”

You’re making a huge gamble with unbelievable odds against you.

You don’t do that unless you have nothing to lose and the Hawks aren’t even close to that.

Remember what happened the last time people got tired of a really good coach? We ended up with Alford and Lickliter and suffered through the darkest 11 year period of Iowa basketball in the history of Iowa basketball. How do you people not understand that?

 

[Fryowa]

I think what Fran did was admirable for taking over a program of Nuclear Winter from Alfraud and Lackluster.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm……..

Maybe we wouldn’t have had a nuclear winter if Iowa didn’t fire a good coach because they stupidly thought they “could do better.”

Sound familiar in 2023???

And you wanna do it again.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm……..

Maybe we wouldn’t have had a nuclear winter if Iowa didn’t fire a good coach because they stupidly thought they “could do better.”

Sound familiar in 2023???

And you wanna do it again.

Nope, I don't think he should be fired as I'm on record saying. But, if Fran decided to leave on his own accord, I would also be at peace because I feel we can get another guy in here to carry the torch on. The only bad thing about it is Barta would still be doing the hiring.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Anyone suggesting a coaching change without a definitively better replacement in mind is an idiot.

We've got a coach with 200 wins, better than Tom Davis, with no scandals, whose players love him, who's recruited a POY followed by POY runner up who is now lighting the NBA on fire, for less money than his peers. Yeah let's throw that in the toilet and flush it for Lickliter 2.0 because Fran hasn't made a S16. That's a marvelous idea.

Do you guys advocating this shit sit and play scratch tickets thinking your odds get better the more you play?

Jesus.

 

[smhawk]

That’s a terrible reason for ditching a coach who performs better than most of his peers.

“Time for a change?”

You’re making a huge gamble with unbelievable odds against you.

You don’t do that unless you have nothing to lose and the Hawks aren’t even close to that.

Remember what happened the last time people got tired of a really good coach? We ended up with Alford and Lickliter and suffered through the darkest 11 year period of Iowa basketball in the history of Iowa basketball. How do you people not understand that?

Well I believe you’re wrong. Some people are fine with the same leadership in place forever but I feel organizations or teams stagnant when progress isn’t happening and you still keep bringing the same people back.

Stop living in fear. What Fran has done has been great, but he himself should want a chance of scenery if he can’t find success in march. If he makes a sweet 16 though he should stay until he wants to retire. But if you can’t in 15 years, then maybe needs to move on.

 

[Seth53]

I'll once again remind you numbskulls wanting Fran fired that prior to coming to Iowa, Todd Lickliter did the following

--Set a school record at Butler his first year with 26 wins.

--Got Butler in the AP top 25 for the first time in 53 years.

--Did even better his second year going 27-6

--Made 4 Dances in 6 years including two sweet 16s

--2007 national coach of the year.

--Got hired by Iowa because he was frickin awesome.

"After spending six seasons out of NCAA Division I college basketball, Lickliter was hired by first-year head coach Walter McCarty to be an assistant for the Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Lickliter's former assistant, Matthew Graves, was also hired to be part of McCarty's staff. After McCarty was fired midway through his second season for sexual harassment and Title IX violations, Lickliter was hired as head coach on January 21, 2020. On May 5, 2022, Lickliter was fired by Evansville after compiling a 15-53 record."

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Hey let's pump the moral of this thread up with this fantastic read:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/14/caitlin-clark-iowa-ncaa-tournament/

 

[HawksMN]

Fran has done just not-shitty-enough to keep his job. Man he and Kirk are so much alike.

 

[Fryowa]

"After spending six seasons out of NCAA Division I college basketball, Lickliter was hired by first-year head coach Walter McCarty to be an assistant for the Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Lickliter's former assistant, Matthew Graves, was also hired to be part of McCarty's staff. After McCarty was fired midway through his second season for sexual harassment and Title IX violations, Lickliter was hired as head coach on January 21, 2020. On May 5, 2022, Lickliter was fired by Evansville after compiling a 15-53 record."

You do understand that I was showing how Lickliter was the hottest coach in America when we hired him and turned out to be a burnt turd in the Big Ten, right? Just like almost everyone in this thread is suggesting we do once again.

 

[okeefe4prez]

You do understand that I was showing how Lickliter was the hottest coach in America when we hired him and turned out to be a burnt turd in the Big Ten, right? Just like almost everyone in this thread is suggesting we do once again.

We just need to do better due diligence. Imagine if we had done due diligence and realized that Brad Stephens was the secret sauce. We'd have three nattys by now.

 

[Seth53]

You do understand that I was showing how Lickliter was the hottest coach in America when we hired him and turned out to be a burnt turd in the Big Ten, right? Just like almost everyone in this thread is suggesting we do once again.

Yup yup and yup

 

[Fryowa]

Fran has done just not-shitty-enough to keep his job. Man he and Kirk are so much alike.

Spoken like a guy who thinks Iowa is Duke or Kansas lol.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Well I believe you’re wrong. Some people are fine with the same leadership in place forever but I feel organizations or teams stagnant when progress isn’t happening and you still keep bringing the same people back.

Stop living in fear. What Fran has done has been great, but he himself should want a chance of scenery if he can’t find success in march. If he makes a sweet 16 though he should stay until he wants to retire. But if you can’t in 15 years, then maybe needs to move on.

I see the differences of opinions on this. You see it all over the country every year how some programs have no problem changing out coaches frequently. Iowa be it Barta or Bowlsby would prefer to not have to do that. The line in the sand is different for everyone. 10 plus yrs seems like a lifetime in coaching anymore.

Once you inch over that lots of fan bases will be split on what they think about their coach. Especially if there isn't much post season success. Now look at how much heat UNCs Davis must be getting with the extremes of winning it all and now not even in the dance (with 4 of 5 starters back) How is that to be reconciled?

I'm good with Fran. There's no controversies with him. He recruits the right way. He develops players and they all love him even the ones that transfer out due to personal circumstances don't have a bad word to say about him. He turned this program around from the dumpster fire it was and has kept it respectable. If the worst thing about him is he gets fired up at the refs 3 times a yr and can't get to the sweet 16 then ok it is what it is. People realize that only 16 teams make it to that round every yr right?....

 

[HawkGold]

I think Fran could really up Iowa’s chances if he focused on 2 areas. For the love of God please find us a really good point guard. After you accomplish that, find an assistant you can help this team play defense. I won’t be surprised if some player on Auburn has a career night on us and sends us home.

He has good point guards. It's the system.

 

[HawkGold]

I think Fran could really up Iowa’s chances if he focused on 2 areas. For the love of God please find us a really good point guard. After you accomplish that, find an assistant you can help this team play defense. I won’t be surprised if some player on Auburn has a career night on us and sends us home.

Iowa positions themselves to transition to O. Emphasis on D changes that to a degree. He finds success in how that works. To go up with a shooter on a 3 takes the quick counter attack away. A vague version of Grinnell

 

[HawkGold]

This team was one win vs Nebraska at the end of the year to being a 2 seed in the BIG tourney. People should keep that real.

OK but to be fair....one game from 12th.

 

[HawkGold]

Great point. Iowa isn't a blue blood destination school.

Aren't Iowa and Gonzaga the only bluebloods to have an all American 4 years running?

 

[Will C]

I would not touch basketball until the AD proves he can solve the football problem. Then we can have this discussion all over again.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

OK but to be fair....one game from 12th.

Yea, the conference just beat itself up this season. There was a lot of parity, especially with the middle teams.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I would not touch basketball until the AD proves he can solve the football problem. Then we can have this discussion all over again.

Agree. Could you image Barta tackling this and bringing in a dud coach. That could be his nail.