Why would Pearl leave Tennessee?

H

Hawkshaw

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In Jon Miller's front page column, he writes "I spoke with a Division I college coach on Monday to get a feel for how the Iowa job is viewed right now. He told me 'Probably the 7th or 8th best job in the Big Ten.' This person is familiar with the league and with the coaches in it. I think it’s safe to put Iowa head of Northwestern and Penn State, and possibly even Minnesota, given the ongoing facilities upgrades Iowa is going through."

This got me to thinking. Kevin O'Neill, the current USC coach, left Tennessee after three years to take the head coaching job at Northwestern in 1997. NORTHWESTERN!

O'Neill thought NU had a lot of potential, and was perhaps a sleeping giant, figuring he could recruit Chicago kids. Obviously, things didn't work out for O'Neill and the Wildcats, but nonetheless, he left Tennessee for one the worst basketball programs of all time.

Tennessee is a football school. And probably a women's basketball school after that. Despite what Steve Alford thinks, Iowa was, and can be a basketball school. After all, Iowa is rated the 10th best basketball program of all-time, according to Jeff Sagarin. I believe Hawkeye fans are just as passionate about hoops as football. We just don't choose to support lousy teams, probably because most of us are used to success.

It's not like we are trying to hire Coach K away from Duke, or Roy Williams from UNC. I think Bruce Pearl would leave Tennessee if we offer enough money. Personally, I think he has a better opportunity to win Big Ten championships at Iowa, than he does SEC titles at Tennessee. Even if he makes us a consistent top 25 team, and gets Iowa into the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis, he will be every bit as popular as Kirk Ferentz.

So, I don't think it's unreasonable for a coach to leave Knoxville for Iowa City. Even "Tennessee" Williams ended up at the University of Iowa.
 
First and foremost, neither Alford nor Lickliter were a good fit in Iowa City. I think many in the coaching fraternity realize that.

For Pearl, however, the Iowa coaching job would be a nice, comfortable, great-looking Italian leather shoe.

Beyond money, I would play up to Pearl the possibility of creating a Big 10 legacy for himself at Iowa, much like Hayden Fry did when he took over another troubled Hawkeye program. Iowa men's basketball is at such a lowly state that anything positive Pearl does would be viewed as a modern-day miracle and a testimony to what a great coach he is.

It will not take much to get black-and-gold clad fans back in the seats at CHA and to generate genuine enthusiasm for the program. Just announcement of his hiring would move the needle about a third of the way there. Every game for the next two or three seasons the TV commentators would remark on what a tremendous hire Pearl was and the great job he has done turning around a sorry program.

Between the core of current players, at least a couple of the commits and anyone he might bring with him, as well as his recruiting ties throughout the Midwest, I have little doubt Pearl could return winning basketball to Iowa City in two years and have Iowa in the upper tier by year 3.

Assuming that happens he probably could stay until retirement, if that's what he'd like to do. Meanwhile, he could begin to turn valued assistants loose via the Big Ten stage and start to create the Bruce Pearl coaching tree.

I think Bruce is at that point in his life when he begins to ponder the totality of his career and where he might like to go before he finally hangs it up. Iowa City would be the perfect place to do that.
 
I think being the knight in shining armor that rides in and saves Iowa Basketball appeals to Bruce Pearl. I honestly and truly think we have a shot to get him. I really do.
 
I just don't see a guy making $2.5M coming to Iowa unless he is already being shown the door. The next coach will be someone else.
 
HawkeyesWin said:
I just don't see a guy making $2.5M coming to Iowa unless he is already being shown the door. The next coach will be someone else.
Click to expand...

Perhaps. But it isn't just money. Bruce Pearl could leave a legacy here to last for the ages and I think he knows it. I know it's crazy but I think he might just come here.
 
Here are a couple of reasons why he might not:

1. Population of Tenn 6.2 million vs 3 million in Iowa
2. Number of players who went to the NBA from Tenn 28
number from Iowa 19

Not the only reasons for a decision but a couple possibilities.
 
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