Stormin, what do you know?

tweeterhawk

tweeterhawk

Well-Known Member
In another thread you suggested there were much deeper problems in the bball program, and to a degree still are. Can you elaborate? Even without details or names?

There has been scuttlebutt about Lick not only not relating well to players, but just at times acting weird, aloof, disconnected. That he felt out of his league, didn't like Iowa City, perhaps felt under a great deal of stress. Also discussion that the three assistants were much more directly involved with the program and, with their departures, are as much a reason why Larson and Brust have asked for releases from their LOIs, not because Lick was fired.

Can you provide some fill-in here?
 
Some of the stuff you have touched on is true on different levels.

Basically what I have been eluding to is that there are internal issues with players on the team. I think it had a tremendous impact on Fuller leaving, and is having the same sort of impact on some of the other rumors around involving other current players. Lickliter could not put out the fire that was started (although I don't think his approach was the way to go either). This why I had been saying in the past that the #1 thing Fran needed to do upon arriving at as Iowa's coach was to find a way to solve the internal issues... he needed to find a way to keep everyone that was worth keeping, on board. He missed on Fuller.

In regards to the assistants, I have no doubt in my mind if Walthall had been retained, Brust would have come out today saying he is a Hawkeye. I don't think that is a reason in itself to keep an assistant on the staff, but it tells you the type of relationship Chad had with this incoming class.

Lickliter himself being fired isn't/wasn't enough to deter the recruits or current players from remaining with the program. The way it all went down was unsettling to them and only helped to bring more issues internally...
 
I doubt any of this surprises Fran. When a group of players that are part of a 10 win season, you should expect internal issues, finger pointing, etc. None of the kids are going to admit that they just aren't good enough, so anyone from coaches to other players are going to be blamed for all of the loosing.

I just don't see anything new with this comment. This is just another reason why Lick had to be shown the door, as it becomes very difficult to change the attitude of players when you continue to loose. More importantly, the bad apples rub off on the new players and they ultimately become bad apples and the cycle never ends.

This is also why you should expect more transfers soon. Fran clearly understands he needs a new foundation and to do that, he needs to bring in guys who want to play for Fran and more importantly won't be spoiled by bad attitudes.

It's a very good thing that several of these players are hitting the road. We need Fran's guys and not Lick's guys.
 
McCaffery's first job is to talk to everyone in and around the program. It's up to him and his staff to determine who needs to stay or go. This is no different in business. There might be an "employee" who by the old regime might be viewed as a cancer, but in reality is a key part of the "new" team. Based on his track record of winning at three different programs, and given he's 50 years old and as been around the block as it were, I have confidence he knows who he wants to surround himself with. It'll be fun to watch.
 
storminspank said:
Some of the stuff you have touched on is true on different levels.

Basically what I have been eluding to is that there are internal issues with players on the team. I think it had a tremendous impact on Fuller leaving, and is having the same sort of impact on some of the other rumors around involving other current players. Lickliter could not put out the fire that was started (although I don't think his approach was the way to go either). This why I had been saying in the past that the #1 thing Fran needed to do upon arriving at as Iowa's coach was to find a way to solve the internal issues... he needed to find a way to keep everyone that was worth keeping, on board. He missed on Fuller.

In regards to the assistants, I have no doubt in my mind if Walthall had been retained, Brust would have come out today saying he is a Hawkeye. I don't think that is a reason in itself to keep an assistant on the staff, but it tells you the type of relationship Chad had with this incoming class.

Lickliter himself being fired isn't/wasn't enough to deter the recruits or current players from remaining with the program. The way it all went down was unsettling to them and only helped to bring more issues internally...
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Stormin,what was so special about how things went down for Lick?
He did a very poor job and it was very obvious. I can't imagine it would have been a surprise to the kids. It was visually obvious that Lick was a beaten man and it was probably a relief to him even though it hurt his pride.
 
Sometimes the best thing that you can do is clean house. That sounds very simple, but it's anything but. When you choose that course of action, you better have a plan on how you're going to replace the people that you let go, and replace them with people that are quality and on the same page as the head coach. Obviously change just for the sake of change doesn't work, but sometimes change is necessary. In the short term you need to bite the bullett and sacrifice that for the long term good.
 
storminspank said:
Some of the stuff you have touched on is true on different levels.

Basically what I have been eluding to is that there are internal issues with players on the team. I think it had a tremendous impact on Fuller leaving, and is having the same sort of impact on some of the other rumors around involving other current players. Lickliter could not put out the fire that was started (although I don't think his approach was the way to go either). This why I had been saying in the past that the #1 thing Fran needed to do upon arriving at as Iowa's coach was to find a way to solve the internal issues... he needed to find a way to keep everyone that was worth keeping, on board. He missed on Fuller.

In regards to the assistants, I have no doubt in my mind if Walthall had been retained, Brust would have come out today saying he is a Hawkeye. I don't think that is a reason in itself to keep an assistant on the staff, but it tells you the type of relationship Chad had with this incoming class.

Lickliter himself being fired isn't/wasn't enough to deter the recruits or current players from remaining with the program. The way it all went down was unsettling to them and only helped to bring more issues internally...If true CLEAN HOUSE!!! Right now and don't look back. Watching Iowa basketball the past 35 years. Lickliter was the worst coach I've seen in all of those years. If any player is upset about how it went down. I have three words for them "GET OVER IT" or Leave.
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Any quality coach will nip this in the bud now. Even if it means cleaning house. If any truth to it. Being a head coach and being paid millions, no college basketball player would be ruling my roost. Trust me on that one.:D

I remember a little saying- "There is no I in team fella's".
 
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HawkPrdatr40 said:
Any quality coach will nip this in the bud now. Even if it means cleaning house. If any truth to it. Being a head coach and being paid millions, no college basketball player would be ruling my roost. Trust me on that one.:D
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Even if that player was Gatens? I have no source and don't know anything. Just saying that there seems to be smoke pointing in that direction...we'll see.
 
Sobiwan said:
Even if that player was Gatens? I have no source and don't know anything. Just saying that there seems to be smoke pointing in that direction...we'll see.
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Without hesitation. The Iowa Basketball Program/tradition is much bigger than a Matt Gatens.

Seriously I don't want any player that is going to bring down a program. If I was the coach and I was paid millions that would be an easy fix. I wouldn't tolerate it..
 
Sobiwan said:
Even if that player was Gatens? I have no source and don't know anything. Just saying that there seems to be smoke pointing in that direction...we'll see.
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Yes, if the disruption is bad enough and attempts have been made to correct the situation but no progress is made.
By message board accounts the coach nor the staff did their part in getting any real problems addressed.
 
I hear you both and totally agree! This is going to be an interesting ride. I hope Coach gets this all straightened out.
 
I am curious. what are the internal issues? If Gatens really is the problem, then mad mac should get rid of him, and keep everyone else.
 
JoeHawki said:
I am curious. what are the internal issues? If Gatens really is the problem, then mad mac should get rid of him, and keep everyone else.
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May be stickier than it appears. There are indictions Matt's dad, Mike, may be a contributing factor to some of the intra-team friction.

Also noting this from Pat Harty's story from McCaffery's introduction:

Mike Gatens, who is the father of Iowa player Matt Gatens, said his family hosted McCaffery when Lehigh played in Iowa's tournament several years ago.

"He's a really nice guy, and he's done really well at Siena," Mike Gatens said.
 
If Gatens or his dad caused some of this, then he can leave too (he won't cause Iowa is dream school).

it's all rumor, but from the very start Matt's name has been at the center of this (transfering if Lick stayed, internal issues with team..etc)
 
Matt Gatens is just fine and he is a Hawkeye through and through. Cut the cloak and dagger crap. Matt is going to help keep things together.
 
is gatens and his dad part of the problem? I find it suspicous that when fran brought a team out here a few years ago that Gatens was his host (did he stay with them too?) Maybe old man Gatens was the one that picked our coach?
 
Can we please stop the Gatens talk? Seriously, it's a huge accusation that many of you are making with ZERO FACTS that you are bringing to the table. It's very unfortunate people are going down this road and even more unfortunate that mods have started most of this.

I'm sure there is turmoil on the team. If you have ever been around a team that LOOSES, then there is going to be dissension. It goes with the territory, as loosing is very difficult, especially for kids who have very successful high school careers and haven't experienced much loosing in their lives.

There is ONE person to blame for this and that is Lick. This is the mess he created...plain and simple.
 
I doubt that Mike picked the coach. The thing about last years team and Matt is that the team was very cliquey (is that even how you spell that?). Anyway Matt, and I believe, Tucker were making it hard on the incoming freshmen and basically running the team as if it was their team to run. You have to wonder where were the team captains Cole and Fuller were in all this. Maybe part of the problem or since Fuller is transfering maybe he was in the wrong clique and not supported in his efforts to get team unity. Anyway, this is some of what has been hinted at. I'm just retelling what has been said before. Maybe Spank can fill in the rest of the story.
 
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IMO Lickliter simply lost the team and could not reunite the team. That will happen going 10-22 and having three terrible seasons in a row with no good future outlook.

Many factors probably come into play. Can one player be blamed...probably not, as is apparent now. I would imagine that players (or some) knew that Fuller was planning to transfer at seasons end, and there were rumors of others transferring or being unhappy. That had to bum some of them. There probably was a lot of blaming going around, some players might not have been playing as hard as they might, some might have given up on Lickliter and his system...just a combination of things.

Lickliter himself not having a clue what to do or how to handle the situation. He probably had never been in a situation like this before (I'm guessing) and he was under tremendous pressure and knew things weren't going well. All of this culminated in his rightful firing...

FM probably has seen this sort of thing before in losing programs. That is why he said if players want to transfer, do it now rather than later. He wants players that want to be on board. We might see a couple more transfer for all we know and who knows maybe Larsen and Brust might still come to Iowa? Maybe not...all we can do is sit back and watch the show.
 
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