What about Fran's coaching?

[HomerChampless]

I've reviewed most of the threads and posts in this forum and nothing has been said about, IMO, Fran's bad coaching.

For example in the second half of last night's game, Woodbury is clogging up the middle while getting rebounds over Bergeron and Kaminsky and Iowa is comfortably in the lead. Woody doesn't need to score, here. I think Woody had maybe one foul. In comes Olaseni to replace Woody and he does an effective job of 'putting a clamp' on Bergeron and clogging up the middle while Kaminsky goes to the bench for the remainder of the game.

Fran then decides to try Basabe at center who is schooled by Bergeron and then Fran decides to try McCabe at center who is also schooled by Bergeron. Wisconsin's one and dones under the basket with Woody and Gabe become tip drills, put backs and new shot clocks.

Why was Woody taken out for the entirety of the rest of the second half? It seems to me Fran has an obsessive-compulsive need to rest Woody for great periods of the game.
Why did Gabe see no duty after that?

Granted, Iowa is a very young team. They're learning quite a lot this year. Why does Fran, IMO, constantly put them in a position of losing? Against Purdue a clearout was called for Marble. Gesell took the last two shots against Minny. Yet, no player on Iowa has proven they consistantly create a mismatch this year.

 

[DJL]

I have seen several comments on Fran's bad coaching. I didn't post last night, it wouldn't have been rational, but I did call Fran out after the Minny game. I think he has some things to learn about his team. With that said, we have been in position to win close games against good teams with a very young squad. As they grow together, we will have some strong seasons in the future.

 

[hawkfarmer]

I agree that I would have liked to see Woody play more, but he hasn't shown much all year so I can see why Fran did it. However, this move does not make Fran a bad coach. Fran isn't playing the game, he is the coach, he tells the players what to do and if they don't do it or can't execute it, it is not directly Fran's fault.

I think Fran is a fantastic in game coach and he is coaching his guys up. There are a lot of young guys out there that are forcing things and making some mistakes, but they will learn and Fran will get them there. It comes with maturity. Now, he's not forcing things with Marble, but I'm sure you think that is poor coaching as well.

 

[DuffMan]

I enjoy when a bunch of people who couldn't coach a youth bball game get to talking about a D1 coach and all of his bad coaching.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Yeah I thought Woodbury should have played more minutes last night. He owned the paint defensively and on the boards. He really played well. Berggren(sp?) has struggled big time twice now against him. Woodbury is quicker and longer than Berggren.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I sometimes question FM's player rotations in a game. But he is a hecka coach and I would like no one else to coach this team. No one.

 

[SpiderRico]

To take Iowa from the depths of where it was and get it to where it is in less than 3 full seasons is nothing short of a miracle. A bad coach doesn't pull that off. I think he's a very good evaluator of talent, a good saleman for the university, a good developer of talent and is a very good in-game coach. For example, we've scored on more out of bounds plays in the 2+ years he's been coach than we have in the last 10 years before him combined.

HOWEVER, the one thing I think he can be criticized for are substitution patterns. And I have a gut feeling that that is due to him not having the necessary experience in having as many talented contributors as he has this year. Because of that, I think he struggles sometimes in coming up with the proper combinations that work or how best to fit all the pieces together. I think (especially on the road) he tends to lean more on experience in crunch time than he does with what is actually working at that point. Which is the reason why May, McCabe, Oglesby, Basabe and Marble, even though he's shown no effectiveness since before the MSU game, are playing more minutes in crunch time than what their overall talent level says they should be playing.

A poster above had it right.....Woodbury was battling Bergerren great. Olesani was too athletic for any of their bigs. Yet, when it came down to the last 4 minutes of regulation and most of the 2 overtimes, neither were to be found. And it really affected how well we rebounded and defended inside.

At the end of the day, though, if that's the worst thing that can be said about Fran, then I'll take it. Because that's something that can easily be learned and fixed and I fully expect next year to be much different in terms of how he utilizes his players.

 

[Skeets77]

He does well "in game" if the Hawks are up by 10. Last nights game against Wisconsin is where Fran folds up his tent, and that's tight games. When a 10 point lead starts to dwindle he seems to fumble and not know who his go to players or plays are. Too many 3 balls when the game is tight when we need to go at the rim. I see a lack of size and talent when we need a GO TO player, we don't have the talent pool allot of the elite Big 10 teams have. Half of our team is from Iowa gives you some insight on the talent pool. Marble last night was sitting on the sideline wondering why he wasn't playing. Hopefully he understands how inconsistent he is and how many shots he misses on close games. Maybe not rational DJL to post during a game when your emotions are high but you can call Fran out whenever you want, its a board forum.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I was behind the bench last night. The guy knows his ****, obviously. I thought he was going to get tossed during a TV timeout, all over the officials again after the T. Its a miracle he has Iowa competing, let alone should be winning these games, with the way Iowa shoots the ball. Hes searching for answers for anyone who can put the ball in the basket.

 

[busabus114]

Fran drew up a play that created a wide open 3 and our best player open for a dunk at the end of regulation. It isnt his fault these guys couldnt beat me in a game of horse

I question his lineup combos from game to game but he obviously knows what he's doing

 

[hawkfarmer]

It's performance not coaching. If Iowa shot just a little better we'd be crowning him, but he can't shoot the ball for them and all he can have them do is practice it. he draws up the plays that get open looks but he can't shoot it for them. When your supposed best player is in a huge slump you can't blame the coach, he coaches through it and continues to get his team to rally from double digit deficits.

 

[busabus114]

I will also add that Fran doesnt throw his players under the bus. Can you imagine what alford would say about these stiffs if he was coaching this team?

 

[tm3308]

I enjoy when a bunch of people who couldn't coach a youth bball game get to talking about a D1 coach and all of his bad coaching.

And I enjoy it when a troll gets appointed as a mod.

Gee, I guess we're all getting our jollies these days.

 

[kmajhawk]

Fran drew up a play that created a wide open 3 and our best player open for a dunk at the end of regulation. It isnt his fault these guys couldnt beat me in a game of horse

I question his lineup combos from game to game but he obviously knows what he's doing

This. I think Fran is a good to very good in-game coach. With one or two exceptions, this year's squad -- with a considerably lower level of experience and talent -- has played some of the nation's top teams right down to the last seconds. It's not Fran's fault shots haven't fallen or his point guard misses a wide open teammate down low. Like busabus and other posters in the game threads, I too, question some of his lineups and substitutions. But I'm not sitting on the bench getting input for 40 minutes from assistants I trust and not seeing from his perspective what is going on.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Yea I thought Woody was playing some good ball too. His subbing patterns are a bit baffeling with him and especially Marble lately. That said if a couple of 3s that Oglesby put up were just another inch or so another direction hawk are on cloud 9 this morning. Close games suck to lose.

 

[Section136]

In comes Olaseni to replace Woody and he does an effective job of 'putting a clamp' on Bergeron

Did you watch the game? How many putback dunks did Bergeron get while Gabe was in? Gabe does not box out, he constantly just jumps for defensive rebounds without putting a body on anybody.

 

[HomerChampless]

Fran drew up a play that created a wide open 3 and our best player open for a dunk at the end of regulation. It isnt his fault these guys couldnt beat me in a game of horse

I question his lineup combos from game to game but he obviously knows what he's doing

With all this ideology, sometimes I feel all postings should be in the politics/controversial forum.

 

[HomerChampless]

Did you watch the game? How many putback dunks did Bergeron get while Gabe was in? Gabe does not box out, he constantly just jumps for defensive rebounds without putting a body on anybody.

Ah, how many? And how did he do compared to Basabe and McCabe? Hum? And why did Fran keep Basabe and McCabe in so long at center?

 

[GoHawks24]

Like a lot of other posters have said, I do questions his lineup decisions at times (why put Marble in when he had been sitting for so long or why did Woodbury sit on the bench for so long last night?). But the guy is a hell of a coach, no doubt about it. He can't control Gessell or Marble making stupid passes, or Wisconsin getting a lucky bounce on the rim or JO's shot barely rimming out.

 

[PCHawk]

A lot of good posts in this thread. Pretty impressive that in,less then 3 years we have gone from one of the worst power conference teams to a team that would we battling for 3rd place in the best conference in the nation if they could finish games.

People need to quit blaming Fran for losing close games and realize he is the reason we are not getting blown out.