Two coaches who could turn this mess around quickest

R

rkhemp

Member
I believe there are only two great options Iowa has here. One is bringing in a top tier coach with national appeal. Someone like Bill, Self, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, etc. The only coach that we would have a shot at in this category would be Bruce Pearl. Yes, I think the fanbase would be as giddy with Pearl as any other coach in the nation and there would be immediate excitment and home sell outs. Unfortunatly, I think this is unlikely to happen.

The second coach would be below this tier. Maybe a coach who is a great recruiter only or a coach who is great with X's on O's but would tkae some time with recruiting the right players. Blue chippers these days committ to top tier caoches, not the university itself. This coach would have a hard time binging in blue chips but every once in awhile would have a shot because of connections. The only coach in this tier who I believe can right this ship is Todd Lickliter. Any lateral move would mean another step backwards before a step forward. Coach has invested three years here and the players have invested three years in his system/

If Lickliter's young team next year shows progress, a .500 or so team. Everyone returning the following year except Cole and Iowa has a NCAA calibur team. As the wins come, so will the fans.

If Lick is replaced by anyone other than Pearl, I would support the program and coach. I'm not saying he wouldn't suceed in the future, but would need more than 2 years to get hi stype of player and get his system installed.
 
I tend to agree with you on several points. I really thought we were improving in the middle of the season, until the freshman hit the proverbial wall. You would think with our recent history that we would realize 'the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the street', but rapid turnarounds are what fans want. Sometimes change sets you back further than you were to begin with....that is happening. Unless you get a TOP name coach.....which aint easy as there are not a lot to go around, rebuilding takes time.

Someone once said, to get out of a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Everytime we change regimes, we scoop out a little more dirt from the hole trying to lay a new foundation. Rome wasn't built in a day, a week, or even 3 years. Lets don't rip down the foundation now guys. I say give Lick more time. FWIW
 
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Thinking big:

Bruce Pearl
Jamie Dixon
Jay Wright

Thinking outside the box:

Billy Gillespie
Reggie Theus

Inside the box:

Brian Gregory
Doug Wojick
Mark Montgomery
Steve Forbes
Rick Masiello
Greg Marshall

As far as lick...forget it,its over. If he had a track record of engendering loyalty and trust with his players, maybe...but that notion is blown to bits now. He simply lacks the interpersonal skills to flourish at Iowa...and likely anywhere outside of Butler.
Butler is unique,and so is Lick...he does not translate in the greater universe of big time Div 1 college bb. Sorry, but stick a fork in him. The greatest coach in the world,Wooden, could not win without players.
 
JHHawk said:
Thinking big:


As far as lick...forget it,its over. If he had a track record of engendering loyalty and trust with his players, maybe...but that notion is blown to bits now. He simply lacks the interpersonal skills to flourish at Iowa...and likely anywhere outside of Butler.
Butler is unique,and so is Lick...he does not translate in the greater universe of big time Div 1 college bb. Sorry, but stick a fork in him. The greatest coach in the world,Wooden, could not win without players.
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I remember when Lickliter was hired, they interviewed his players he was leaving at Butler.....they seemed genuinely sick that he was leaving as their coach....so all of this poor communication with players really surprises me. It also flies in the face of recent quotes by Payne and Brust about wanting to play for Lickliter.
 
Payne is saying what is expected of a first year guy who has started virtually every game...and is the son of a coach who will probably side with the coach more often than not..fine,I have no problem with that. Clearly, guys who have had more than one year under lick are the ones that seem to have a problem.
Brust is still a commit,who has been wooed by this staff...like a newlyweds at the honeymoon...no warts are apparent,yet...also he is Cullys pal,and so he will follow cullys lead,I presume.

As for the Butler players left behind by lick? They had just enjoyed a ride to the sweet sixteen with him...that is natural. But I suspect if Brad Stevens or Graves had accompanied Lick to Iowa, they would have been way more distraught. The assistants did the lions share of the recruiting for lick,according to Indy people in the know, and that is still the case at Iowa.
 
Remind me which guys that Lickliter recruited have ACTUALLY left the program in his 3 years.

So we can discount what Brust and Payne have actually said about playing for Lickliter, but we take for a certainty rumor and speculation about what some other players might have said?
 
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The problem is that Lick already has his system installed at Iowa and no one likes it The players seem to have a hard time learning it and don't appear to be having any fun playing the game anymore. The fans are bored to death and more and more are deciding to stay home. As Mike Hlas said in today's Gazette "When people give up on a product it takes something drastic to bring them back." A coaching change would be a great start.
 
If Pearl is landed as the coach there is no way any current players on the roster leave and I doubt any of the recruits would not come to Iowa and even if they didn't then it leaves the incoming coach a scholly to play with. What player in their right mind would look at the style that Tennessee plays and say he doesn't want to be a part of that. These guys basicly have freedom on the offensive end of the court but are exspected to play defense to. He switches up his defense, is fun to watch on the sideline and handled the Tyler Smith situation really well.
 
Hawkimi said:
Remind me which guys that Lickliter recruited have ACTUALLY left the program in his 3 years.

So we can discount what Brust and Payne have actually said about playing for Lickliter, but we take for a certainty rumor and speculation about what some other players might have said?
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I think it's just one, and that was either Petersen or Davis last year.
 
Lick uses "fuzzy math," but it sounds like the number of transfers will go up soon if he stays.
 
Hawkimi said:
Remind me which guys that Lickliter recruited have ACTUALLY left the program in his 3 years.

So we can discount what Brust and Payne have actually said about playing for Lickliter, but we take for a certainty rumor and speculation about what some other players might have said?
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I'll just remind you that I don't care about how many mediocre players have left or how many mediocre players will leave if he stays. The focus on player retention at this point is meaningless. I'm more focused on what I have seen on the court the past 3 years which is pretty much nothing. Losing 2 or 3 players is nothing compared to the thousands of fans that have been jaded by this era in my mind.
 
clicheusername3 said:
I'll just remind you that I don't care about how many mediocre players have left or how many mediocre players will leave if he stays. The focus on player retention at this point is meaningless. I'm more focused on what I have seen on the court the past 3 years which is pretty much nothing. Losing 2 or 3 players is nothing compared to the thousands of fans that have been jaded by this era in my mind.
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Bingo
 
The keeping of Lick would guarentee two things. Both things this program would not be able to recover from would leave Lick as a lame duck next year anyway.
1. You are guarenteeing the loss of at least one player he recruited to Iowa (Gatens, Fuller, Brommer, ect) maybe more. If you lose either Fuller or Gatens there is no way this team gets any better next = Lick fired next year.
2. The fan base would continue to dwindle. The casual fans have no desire to watch this type of basketball again next year, especially without Gatens or Fuller. Can you risk the same type of year with Lick again? I would say no.
These two things make Lick a lame duck next year if he's back. Which I don't think he will be. The most exciting day in the last 2 years of Iowa Basketball occurred on Thursday and the team doesn't win.
The key question is how do you bring fans back and how do you win? Lick has proven in three years he cannot win and has lost the fan base. That alone is justification. One way to get fans back is to bring in a new coach, whoever it may be. And by the way Jamie Dixon and Jay Wright are laughable and should not even be mentioned.
 
His first call should be to Bruce Pearl, who will politely turn it down. He will then recommend Steve Forbes who will take this job in a second and do a fantastic job. It's his dream job as well.
 
Dexter said:
His first call should be to Bruce Pearl, who will politely turn it down. He will then recommend Steve Forbes who will take this job in a second and do a fantastic job. It's his dream job as well.
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I tend to agree, I think he would be a good fit. He is a good recruiter which would be key. I have heard from a TN booster that they are already talking about Forbes taking the Iowa job. These speculations began on Thursday down in Knoxville.
 
How are you guranteeing the loss of at least one player? Are you basing this on rumor or fact? The only thing I have seen the players say is they all want to come back. I thought I would show some facts. Here is the box score from our last 3 losses.

IOWA vs MICHIGAN
03/11/10 2:35 p.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN

IOWA 52
Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
03 PAYNE, Cully * 9-16 5-10 2-2 0-2 2 2 25 1 3 0 1 39
05 GATENS, Matt * 3-10 0-5 1-1 0-4 4 4 7 4 3 0 2 34
24 FULLER, Aaron * 5-10 0-0 0-0 4-9 13 3 10 0 2 1 0 39
25 MAY, Eric * 2-10 0-4 0-0 1-2 3 1 4 1 0 0 0 36
50 COLE, Jarryd * 2-5 0-0 0-1 3-3 6 3 4 2 4 2 1 23
15 BAWINKEL, Devan - 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 9
20 BROMMER, Andrew - 0-3 0-0 0-0 0-2 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 12
34 LICKLITER, John - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
44 COUGILL, Brennan - 1-1 0-0 0-0 2-0 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 6
TM TEAM - - - - 3-2 5 - - - 1 - - -
Totals.............. - 22-56 5-20 3-4 13-25 38 16 52 9 14 4 4 200
39.3% 25.0% 75.0%

Team summary: FG 3FG FT
1st Half: 9-24 3-11 2-2
37.5% 27.3% 100 %
2nd Half: 13-32 2-9 1-2
40.6% 22.2% 50.0%

Iowa Hawkeyes 53
Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
24 Fuller, Aaron f 6-11 0-0 4-7 1-2 3 2 16 1 4 1 0 33
50 Cole, Jarryd f 3-6 0-0 2-2 3-3 6 2 8 0 1 0 0 31
03 Payne, Cully g 2-6 0-3 0-0 0-5 5 0 4 7 6 0 1 35
05 Gatens, Matt g 3-9 2-6 2-2 0-2 2 2 10 3 2 0 0 38
25 May, Eric g 4-8 2-5 0-0 0-0 0 3 10 0 0 0 0 32
13 Neari, Nick - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
15 Bawinkel, Devan - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8
20 Brommer, Andrew - 1-3 0-1 1-2 1-1 2 2 3 0 0 1 0 13
34 Lickliter, John - 0-2 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
44 Cougill, Brennan - 1-2 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 3
TM TEAM - - - - 3-2 5 - - - - - - -
Totals.............. - 20-47 4-17 9-13 8-15 23 12 53 12 14 2 1 200
42.6% 23.5% 69.2%

Team summary: FG 3FG FT
1st Half: 9-22 0-8 2-2
40.9% 0.0% 100 %
2nd Half: 11-25 4-9 7-11
44.0% 44.4% 63.6%
Iowa vs Wisconsin
03/03/10 7:30 p.m. at Kohl Center - Madison, WI

Iowa 40
Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
24 Fuller, Aaron f 6-11 0-1 2-5 1-4 5 3 14 0 1 0 1 32
50 Cole, Jarryd f 3-5 0-1 3-4 2-4 6 2 9 0 2 1 1 20
03 Payne, Cully g 0-5 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 35
05 Gatens, Matt g 3-11 1-5 0-0 0-0 0 0 7 1 2 0 1 37
25 May, Eric g 3-6 2-4 0-0 1-2 3 0 8 0 2 1 0 31
13 Neari, Nick - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
15 Bawinkel, Devan - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
20 Brommer, Andrew - 1-2 0-0 0-1 0-0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 9
34 Lickliter, John - 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5
44 Cougill, Brennan - 0-3 0-2 0-0 0-5 5 1 0 0 2 0 0 18
TM TEAM - - - - 1-0 1 - - - - - - -
Totals.............. - 16-43 3-15 5-10 5-15 20 6 40 6 12 2 3 200
37.2% 20.0% 50.0%

Team summary: FG 3FG FT
1st Half: 6-21 1-9 3-3
28.6% 11.1% 100 %
2nd Half: 10-22 2-6 2-7
45.5% 33.3% 28.6%


Now, if you missed the last three games here are the stats. You tell me who was a non contributor in ALL THREE. I'll give you one clue: it is rumored he will transfer if Lick stays. People want to make the assumption the players quit on the team, what player(s) would that be? Who would we lose that would be that drastic other than Fuller?
 
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Facts Smacts

One player quits,
all the players quit
No one quits

The fact of the matter is I've quit on the team, so I need a new coach.
 
Igothawked said:
I tend to agree, I think he would be a good fit. He is a good recruiter which would be key. I have heard from a TN booster that they are already talking about Forbes taking the Iowa job. These speculations began on Thursday down in Knoxville.
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You're right. I know his name has been passed to Barta as well.
 
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