The Search: Should Iowa REALLY Consider Jacobson?

InNormwetrust said:
+1 Depending on how he does against Mich. St. I would imagine that they would have at least review what he's done and legitimately think about him as the next Iowa head coach. He could definitely succeed if he gets some good recruiters.
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You're assuming Michigan State, that takes place tomorrow, right? Anyway nobody seems to have considered that Jacobsen might love being a Panther and love beating Iowa instead of being Iowa. Some guys love making a go at a lesser school rather than trying to do something that few can do. Make the jump to a major conference and win cosistantly. We assume Iowa might appeal to him. It might not. Might not be motivated by money. I think his job is more secure where he is.
 
Herkeynerd said:
You're assuming Michigan State, that takes place tomorrow, right? Anyway nobody seems to have considered that Jacobsen might love being a Panther and love beating Iowa instead of being Iowa. Some guys love making a go at a lesser school rather than trying to do something that few can do. Make the jump to a major conference and win cosistantly. We assume Iowa might appeal to him. It might not. Might not be motivated by money. I think his job is more secure where he is.
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Thats a nice theory but probably not one based in reality. If you can negotiate a multi-year contract with a healthy buy out at the money you could command, pretty sure the percentage of coaches that would turn that down would be less than 1%.
 
A couple of NCAA trips w/ UNI is certainly impressive. I still have concerns as to whether he would bring in the talent needed to do the same on a regular basis in the Big 10. Twice now we've seen the effects of a mid-major coach doing on-the-job learning at Iowa after having NCAA runs w/ their previous programs and the result has been disaster.
 
Jake kind of reminds of Ferentz in his demeanor and how he has developed his players. That said, still probably too much of a risk hire. But, his stock went a little bit today from a national perception.
 
You have to love what Jacobson has done at UNI. I also do not find their style of play unentertaining. It's fun to watch.

It's possible that he'll end up jumping to a high major and not missing a beat. I wish him great success wherever he goes, as long as he's not competing with us. If he should somehow end up being our next coach, I will support him enthusiastically.

However, it seems to me that the one thing most clearly needed in an Iowa head basketball coach is the ability to recruit at a high level (with high integrity), and that's not as easy to do in Iowa City as it is for most of our competition in the Big Ten. We didn't have that in Lickliter's staff, and for most of the time he was here we didn't have it in Alford. We had it in fits and spurts but even when we got the players they didn't seem to develop or they washed out in many instances. Inconsistency of recruiting also was a major factor in Tom Davis being prematurely run off.

There just isn't a track record that tells us whether Jacobson and his staff can recruit at the level necessary to succeed in the Big Ten. Take a look at their roster: It's basically under-the-radar guys from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I don't believe you can compete for Big Ten titles and NCAA bids with under the radar guys in a three state area. Even Bo Ryan needs a few big time recruits to do what he does at Wisconsin. I can't say his staff couldn't make the necessary transition, but it isn't easy. I don't think you can try to hire a guy like that and tell him he needs to upgrade his staff. Considering the success they've had together, I can't imagine him running off people on his staff.

For that reason alone, I would prefer to look for someone who has proven, either as a head coach in a high major conference or as a top assistant at such a program, that he understands what it takes to recruit at that level and can get it done.

In the end, it's not style of play that makes me prefer to go in a different direction, and it's not that I'm convinced Jacobson couldn't succeed at Iowa. It's that I don't see affirmative evidence that he possesses the one characteristic I think is most critical to this hire: The ability to recruit well enough to compete in the upper division of the Big Ten.
 
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HawkPrdatr40 said:
Lickliter was the worst hire in the history of this program. He had no charisma what so ever. Watching him on the sideline I swear he was never even trying. Ben Jacobsen certainly looks like a coach that is well connected to his players and quite frankly you can tell he is in charge.. Iowa lacks that leadership.
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I watched Lick's last Butler team play seven times. His players seemed in to him, and they didn't have the revolving door there. A guy isn't always a fit at every place.
 
Herkeynerd said:
You're assuming Michigan State, that takes place tomorrow, right? Anyway nobody seems to have considered that Jacobsen might love being a Panther and love beating Iowa instead of being Iowa. Some guys love making a go at a lesser school rather than trying to do something that few can do. Make the jump to a major conference and win cosistantly. We assume Iowa might appeal to him. It might not. Might not be motivated by money. I think his job is more secure where he is.
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Most coaches that don't make the jump are coaches that never got offered the chance to jump
 
JonDMiller said:
I watched Lick's last Butler team play seven times. His players seemed in to him, and they didn't have the revolving door there. A guy isn't always a fit at every place.
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I agree. If you look at pictures of TL coaching at Butler, he seems very passionate and animated on the sideline. I wonder what the disconnect was at Iowa? His first year here didn't completely suck by any means (not like this year anyway).
 
I agree with Jon that he isn't the guy not because he can't coach and not because of his style of play. I like the guy a lot and his demeanor and "coolness" on the court. But the question is recruiting and whether he can get the players we need to compete in the Big 10. Coaching is great but you have got to be able to get the players to get it done.
 
while ben is a fine coach and has done a good job with uni, another mid-major coach as our next coach just doesn't excite me at all. it goes back to the old saying, been there, done that. Or even screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me.
 
The next Iowa coach must not only recruit good players, he must recruit the fans to come back. I don't see Jake as someone who can energize the fanbase. Boring personality, no excitement or enthusiasm from what he portrays.
 
Alford the other MVC coach to make the sweet 16 didn't work out so well at Iowa. Lick didn't fare so well at Iowa. The key in both of the above is recruiting at the BCS level. I for one am not willing to train someone to learn how to coach and recruit at the B10 level.
 
I keep seeing how Jacobsen would have a hard time recruiting. Good grief, every one of those starters and probably everyone in his rotation of 8-9 can play in the Big 10 and he did this at a Missouri Valley school. If Iowa doesn't offer him any recruiting advantages more than UNI it doesn't matter who Iowa brings in.
 
Win5002 said:
I keep seeing how Jacobsen would have a hard time recruiting. Good grief, every one of those starters and probably everyone in his rotation of 8-9 can play in the Big 10 and he did this at a Missouri Valley school. If Iowa doesn't offer him any recruiting advantages more than UNI it doesn't matter who Iowa brings in.
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I actually believe Jacobsen might be a great get. I think his main interference for the Iowa job is Perception. Would he energize the fan base & rally the lost souls of CHA behind him, or would he be looked at as "more of the same?"

It probably isn't fair to him at all, but I believe the common perception is another Mid-Major rising star with recent Tourney success using a defensive, shot-clock-eating style. Don't know if that'll sell tickets for next year BEFORE games are played. Winning would certainly change that.
 
poncho72 said:
Iowa or not, someone will be looking really hard at Jacobson
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Let's see. UNI beat Kansas and that's great.

On the flip side, UNI lost to Evansville. They are in last place in the MVC. UNI also lost to Depaul, last place team in the Big East.

Let not one game make a coaches career.

He's a good young coach, but that's not what's needed at Iowa at this critical stage of the program. They need someone who can recruit and who can hire assistants who can recruit.
 
What about Bill Self?? Maybe the Kansas fans are dumb enough to push for his removal? I see the Kansas boards threads stating "Self cost us the game", "Refs", "Mediocre mid majors". Nothing we haven't seen on Iowa websites when the chips are down.

Classic how quickly people jump on a bandwagon similar to when Kirk went 1-10 and 3-9 in his first two years. Same goes to jumping on a "one big win bandwagon", hopefully our search team takes a good look at our prospective coaches and doesn't make a knee jerk reaction to what public opinion may be at the time.
 
brhawks18 said:
Let's see. UNI beat Kansas and that's great.

On the flip side, UNI lost to Evansville. They are in last place in the MVC. UNI also lost to Depaul, last place team in the Big East.

Let not one game make a coaches career.

He's a good young coach, but that's not what's needed at Iowa at this critical stage of the program. They need someone who can recruit and who can hire assistants who can recruit.
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Dude, cmon Yoda that is just awful. UNI is now 30-4 this year. So not one game career does have in a season make?
 
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