The Iowa job is better job now than when Alford was hired

DuffMan

DuffMan

Well-Known Member
There has been a lot of talk about how bad the Iowa job is. I think the reality is it's a better job now than when Alford came in. Alford got a bare cupboard roster and a team with crap facilities. Yes the team had won recently but there is no debate that there were some termites eating at the legs of the program when he got here.

The new coach is going to inherit a roster with decent talent, talent that would now be considered veteran. He also has a solid recruiting class without having to bring anyone himself (this is really really key, a lot of guys get to a new school and have a lost year in terms of recruiting, thats not us). He's going to get a team with state of the art facilities, with a HUNGRY fanbase, and an administration that's going to do everything it can within the rules to win.

I really think it was a worse job when Alford was hired than it is now.
 
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DuffMan I think your analysis is a bit of a stretch but is in some ways correct.

The only challenge is that there are a couple holes in the current roster/recruits that will need to be addressed. I.E. - Another point guard and a true Big man. I think beyond that the 2-3-4 spots are fairly well stocked for the future.
 
The last year of Tom Davis and the year before Alford hired: Iowa Hawkeyes Sweet 16.

The last year of Todd Lickliter and the year before the next Iowa bb coach: Iowa Hawkeyes worst season in history.
 
It's a better job now because the bar has been set to where a coach can be paid $6,000,000 for the worst 3 seasons in the programs history. That comes out to $157,894.73 per win. Sometimes victory comes at a price.
 
Davis to Alford - very high expectations, "crappy" facilities

Lickliter to <new guy> - extremely low expectations, nowhere to go but up, big improvements to facilities underway

I don't know that I'd necessarily agree with the term "decent" to describe the inherited roster, but the new coach has the opportunity to turn around a program completely in the dumps and potentially become a legend at a major conference school.

Alford was brought in as the guy who was going to take us to the next level after a fairly successful run by Davis. The next guy is not going to be under the same pressure to compete for championships in his first few years. Instead, most fans would be ecstatic to get back to where Davis was.

I would hope any coach with a bit of sense and confidence in his own talent would see how the school has awarded the guy who coaches the football team and give it serious consideration.

So yeah, I definitely consider this to be a more attractive job than it was when Alford was brought in.
 
Ummmmmm.....other than the practice facility there is no way you can say the job is better today. Iowa bball is not in a good situation
 
tweeterhawk said:
It is a better job now because any small step forward will be progress.
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Cmon. When your reasoing is "we have hit rock bottom so its a good job" you need to take a step back and look at it. Just because the bar has been set at historically low levels does not mean the Iowa job is better than it was 10 years ago....because it isnt
 
DuffMan said:
There has been a lot of talk about how bad the Iowa job is. I think the reality is it's a better job now than when Alford came in. Alford got a bare cupboard roster and a team with crap facilities. Yes the team had won recently but there is no debate that there were some termites eating at the legs of the program when he got here.

The new coach is going to inherit a roster with decent talent, talent that would now be considered veteran. He also has a solid recruiting class without having to bring anyone himself (this is really really key, a lot of guys get to a new school and have a lost year in terms of recruiting, thats not us). He's going to get a team with state of the art facilities, with a HUNGRY fanbase, and an administration that's going to do everything it can within the rules to win.

I really think it was a worse job when Alford was hired than it is now.
Click to expand...

If perception is reality, and the rumored names of coaches interested in the Iowa job is reality...then the Iowa job isn't anywhere near the level it was when Alford took over.

Fans can debate different aspects, but at the end of the day, the quality of candidate is the clear cut winner on how 'good' a job is perceived to be.
 
I am not sure, Duff.

I wish I could get a gauge on when our facilities started being considered below average.
 
Re: I am not sure, Duff.

Thawki said:
I wish I could get a gauge on when our facilities started being considered below average.
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A fair bet would be to look when other schools in the Big Ten upgraded their facilities. We hadn't really done any of that since '83. That's been damn near 30 years, way too long to wait.

The administrators have realized that mistake, however, and are not making it again with the football program. We didn't invest in bball when we had the chance. We are investing in football when the opportunity is there.
 
Just curious, does anyone know what kind of facilities Butler has? They must be state of the art, because that has been Alford's and Lick's excuse for poor recruiting and performance.
 
GravyJones said:
Davis to Alford - very high expectations, "crappy" facilities

Lickliter to <new guy> - extremely low expectations, nowhere to go but up, big improvements to facilities underway

I don't know that I'd necessarily agree with the term "decent" to describe the inherited roster, but the new coach has the opportunity to turn around a program completely in the dumps and potentially become a legend at a major conference school.

Alford was brought in as the guy who was going to take us to the next level after a fairly successful run by Davis. The next guy is not going to be under the same pressure to compete for championships in his first few years. Instead, most fans would be ecstatic to get back to where Davis was.

I would hope any coach with a bit of sense and confidence in his own talent would see how the school has awarded the guy who coaches the football team and give it serious consideration.

So yeah, I definitely consider this to be a more attractive job than it was when Alford was brought in.
Click to expand...

This is it, when you thorw in an administration who can't afford to have the new guy fail that means lots of support, financially and otherwise.
 
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