Sunday Search: Fran McCaffery?

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
The Boston Globe is saying that Fran McCafffery has become the "leading candidate" in the Iowa coaching search. It's in the item linked below from the Boston Globe regarding the St. John's job.

He had a cool nickname as a player: "White Magic"

There are so many comments I can make on that in relation to the Iowa job, but it's probably just best to leave those alone.

Andy Katz of ESPN says that Iowa likes Gregory, which we have all been talking about the last few days, but that Iowa doesn't want to wait until his season is over, and that Gregory won't do anything until his season is over. That season will not last beyond this coming Thursday, so I don't buy that.

It just feels like another day of throwing darts and grasping at shadows. I think you have to keep in mind that guys like Katz talk to agents and assistant coaches who are the mouthpieces for the head coaches...walls that insulate the head coach from the question: 'Did you speak with Katz about Iowa?'

This way, they can say 'no', and do so without outright lying. This would be along the lines of Craig Neal or Sam Alford speaking with the Missouri search committee back in 2006. It happens a lot.

I don't want to get worked up over a Fran McCaffery right now until I have to, because I just have doubts about what The Globe is saying...not that McCaffery hasn't done a good job with Sienna; he has, as they have won the MAAC three straight years.

It just sort of has a 'meh?' factor.

Then again, as I have said repeatedly, whomever Iowa names as their head coach, whom they choose as their assistants is going to be nearly just as important, as long as the head coach has a pretty dynamic personality that relates well with players and people in general.

Wiki Profile of McCaffery

Coaching carousel chatter - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
Skinner to St. John’s in a holding pattern - The Boston Globe
Colleges weigh impact of athletic funding changes | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register
Iowa coaching search: Keno Davis says he's fine at Providence | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register
 
I really really really hope this is not true. If this hire (which i only to believe as a BS rumor currently) were to really happen I would firmly believe we have a major problem with Barta and his ability to bring this basketball program back from the dead.
 
iahawk20 said:
I really really really hope this is not true. If this hire (which i only to believe as a BS rumor currently) were to really happen I would firmly believe we have a major problem with Barta and his ability to bring this basketball program back from the dead.
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To be honest I was less than enthused when Barta was hired. He's very good at raising funds but I'm hoping against hope that he isn't the AD on that dreadful day when we are searching for a new head football coach. Hiring just isn't his strong suit.
 
Yikes people....can we wait until a press conference is announced before destroying the guy. It's not completely crazy to think McCaffery (or his agent) might leak something like this to put pressure on St Johns' to do something quicker than they thought....
 
PS: I still think that Brian Gregory is the guy Iowa wants right now, and I think they will certainly wait. He plays Tuesday, and his season could be over then.

Someone I know that is a part of the inner circle over there and is tight with several on the search committee feels the same way, that it's going to be Gregory.
 
JonDMiller said:
PS: I still think that Brian Gregory is the guy Iowa wants right now, and I think they will certainly wait. He plays Tuesday, and his season could be over then.

Someone I know that is a part of the inner circle over there and is tight with several on the search committee feels the same way, that it's going to be Gregory.
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Jon, I really hope you are right. The quote from the NY Times from another thread that McCaffrey is "as studious and bookish as his bachelor’s degree in economics from Penn’s Wharton School would suggest" scares the living hell out of me. Barta surely would not get another personality like that.
 
Here's hope that Jon is right. While I still think Forbes should be the hire, Gregory would be a really solid choice. The A-10 isn't a no name conference, the guy graduates his players, plays up tempo and has a top 50 recruit going to play there. We could do a lot worse than Brian Gregory... like Fran McCaffery for example.
 
This whole "search" is turning into a bigger fail as each day passes. Gregory? We are excited about Gregory?....McCaffery is "the leading candidate"......so many coaches out there......PROVEN coaches.....I find it extremely hard to believe we are accepting no as an answer from the long list of coaches fans would love to see, and settling for names like these.....un(expletive)believable.....
 
Nothing excites me more than luring a guy away from Wright State, or Dayton.....or....Siena......Lord, help Hawkeye basketball.....
 
oifdeserthawk said:
Nothing excites me more than luring a guy away from Wright State, or Dayton.....or....Siena......Lord, help Hawkeye basketball.....
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Seriously, where did you think Iowa basketball was when we fired Lick? We have tried a national COY (Lick) and before him, Alford, who was young, aggressive, supposedly a Bob Knight protege and we have only gone downhill faster. Iowa is lower than Dayton. Did you watch them tear up Illinois? Night and day difference with the Hawks.

I am shocked that we could attract a D-I head coach. I thought Iowa would have to go the asst. route. This is a complete rebuild situation right now.
 
oifdeserthawk said:
This whole "search" is turning into a bigger fail as each day passes. Gregory? We are excited about Gregory?....McCaffery is "the leading candidate"......so many coaches out there......PROVEN coaches.....I find it extremely hard to believe we are accepting no as an answer from the long list of coaches fans would love to see, and settling for names like these.....un(expletive)believable.....
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Give it a rest dude. The last thing any of us need to do us throw the new guy under the bus from day one. Think about the Iowa program, and how attractive it might be to a "proven" head coach. Answer: not very. Iowa needs someone who is going to get his hands dirty and be willing to get his *** kicked for at least the first year, because that's what is going to happen. There is no magic pill for this program.
 
This is a throw-in line at the end of a story by a writer who isn't really covering this subject--in that story or in general. It's as likely as not that he's piggybacking on Katz and who knows what basis, if any, Katz had for his statement.

Could it be true? Sure. However, in terms of "objective indicia of credibility," there's next to nothing there.
 
Fran McCaffery is a home run! This guy can flat out coach, is personality +, coached and revived a Siena program that is always mentioned in March. Asst coach at Notre Dame, has done color on national tv. Home run!!! Go get him, Gary!
 
ShadasRevenge said:
Give it a rest dude. The last thing any of us need to do us throw the new guy under the bus from day one. Think about the Iowa program, and how attractive it might be to a "proven" head coach. Answer: not very. Iowa needs someone who is going to get his hands dirty and be willing to get his *** kicked for at least the first year, because that's what is going to happen. There is no magic pill for this program.
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Well, let's go back to the Recruiting angle. Hire Steve Forbes & have him start bringing talent in. Even if he turns out to be Raveling part deux, the talent upgrade could turn out to be well worth it for the next coach, a la Tom Davis.
 
HAWKEY3 said:
Well, let's go back to the Recruiting angle. Hire Steve Forbes & have him start bringing talent in. Even if he turns out to be Raveling part deux, the talent upgrade could turn out to be well worth it for the next coach, a la Tom Davis.
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Whatever, it really doesn't matter to me how the new guy gets it done, or how excited his hiring makes me or the rest of the fan base. Just get it done.
 
A Little Mc Caffrey Family scuttlebutt. Its from Wikipedia so who knows....

"His wife Margaret, a former stand out player at Notre Dame, has become notorious for publicly critizing officials and drawing negative attention to her husband's teams. This has surrounded Fran with controversy that has prevented him from securing higher profile coaching positions.
Margaret and Fran were both ejected from the same game for fighting with officials."
 
johnashawk said:
Fran McCaffery is a home run! This guy can flat out coach, is personality +, coached and revived a Siena program that is always mentioned in March. Asst coach at Notre Dame, has done color on national tv. Home run!!! Go get him, Gary!
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Your definition of "home run" is very different than mine. I'm not sure this would even be a generally well-received hire in the first instance. Probably closer to "polite applause" than to a standing ovation from the fan base.

Down the road, anything's possible.
 
JonDMiller said:
PS: I still think that Brian Gregory is the guy Iowa wants right now, and I think they will certainly wait. He plays Tuesday, and his season could be over then.

Someone I know that is a part of the inner circle over there and is tight with several on the search committee feels the same way, that it's going to be Gregory.
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This i could live with. A guy that is a big 10 guy and knows all about this conf and iowa. The guy from tulsa would also be a nice hire too. In any case the assistants will be a huge factor, Iowa MUST have a great recruiter on staff from day 1.
 
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