IU Coaching News

[Rex Hudler]

Jas, I think you are underestimating how good of a job IU is.

 

It's not like you are rebuilding a baseball team here.

 

You can have that program back up and running in two years with a good recruiting class.

 

If White and Vaden stay (which I see happening), it's not a huge overhaul.  Plus you'd have Wilmont and Ratliff to boot and a few recruits.  That's a damn good nucleus.

 

With a good coach they'd be ultra competitive next season.

 

I mean if DJ says he is leaving and actually does, his stock will just flat out plummet.  All he needs is a solid year and he is a first round pick.  Once he gets off the emotion roller coaster of this ordeal, I think he reconsiders and returns.

 

As far as Vaden goes, he could go either way I think.  These guys are just speaking out of emotion. 

 

I think if MD doesn't get a job next year and these guys ask for advice on what to do, then MD is going to tell them to stay at IU.  I think he genuinely does want IU to do well.

 

Very well put. I agree 100%.

[Heads22]

Again, I say if IU steps out of the alumni ranks, Greg McDermott from Northern Iowa is a possibility.

 

But then again, I wouldn't want to hate the Hoosiers.

 

Oooh, dinner.

[aboz56]

Again, I say if IU steps out of the alumni ranks, Greg McDermott from Northern Iowa is a possibility.

 

But then again, I wouldn't want to hate the Hoosiers.

 

Oooh, dinner.

Not a big enough name.

 

They are going to make a big splash with this hire.

 

I think they'll do their best to get a coach with name recognition as well as someone who is the right person to lead IU back to where it belongs.

 

My darkhorse is Crean. I know he is interested in the job. Hopefully IU gives him a long and hard look. He does a great job recruiting in the midwest and is a player's coach.

[whitesoxfan101]

Right, because you are so much smarter than college coaches, administrators and fans of IU's program. 

 

One of these days something smart will come out of your keyboard.  The question is, after all the drivel you put out now, will anyone pay attention and notice?

 

Big words for somebody who is nothing more than a bitter and pissed off IU fan. But hey, if you want Alford, go ahead and take him. Your going to be pissed a lot though if that is the case.

[Rex Hudler]

Big words for somebody who is nothing more than a bitter and pissed off IU fan.  But hey, if you want Alford, go ahead and take him.  Your going to be pissed a lot though if that is the case.

 

I never said Alford was the right hire. I am just confident you know less than half of what you think you do. Your posts have created a nice, consistent pattern of someone who thinks they know it all, but just doesn't.

[Rex Hudler]

I have seen a million names tossed around as possibilities (even slight ones) for the IU job and some were interesting.

 

Some names thrown around that I haven't seen on here are Memphis' John Calipari, Florida's Billy Donovan and Pitt's Jamie Dixon. I have no idea if any are real possibilities or even a good fit. But one name that might be, should they not go with a "name" is Dana Altman from Creighton.

 

I'll be curious to see how the process goes, but at this point, there seems to be no end to the speculation. Now I just hope they don't go out and lay down @ Illinois tomorrow.

[whitesoxfan99]

I have seen a million names tossed around as possibilities (even slight ones) for the IU job and some were interesting. 

 

Some names thrown around that I haven't seen on here are Memphis' John Calipari, Florida's Billy Donovan and Pitt's Jamie Dixon.  I have no idea if any are real possibilities or even a good fit.  But one name that might be, should they not go with a "name" is Dana Altman from Creighton. 

 

I'll be curious to see how the process goes, but at this point, there seems to be no end to the speculation.  Now I just hope they don't go out and lay down @ Illinois tomorrow.

 

Calipari=scum. Great recruiter but his players seem to have a habit of ending up with expensive coats and jewelry. Not sure why IU would want to associate with him. Donovan has been a career underachiever outside of the NC appearance and he had done a good job this year. Nothing special there.

[Balta1701]

I'll be curious to see how the process goes, but at this point, there seems to be no end to the speculation.  Now I just hope they don't go out and lay down @ Illinois tomorrow.

Something tells me you shouldn't get your hopes up.

[Rex Hudler]

I'm certainly not holding my breath, but it would be nice if they just relaxed and played loose and actually put up a fight.

[IlliniKrush]

Perspective from an Illini fan (not mine). Though i have to say i pretty much agree with it. I just don't think Alford is the best choice. Anyway, Mark Tupper writes for the Decatur Herald and Review. I respect what he has to say, he's usually pretty solid. This is from his blog, written on Friday. Take it for whatever you want to:

 

 

Pearl to Indiana? Hey, they could do worse

 

I lived through every minute of the Illinois-Bruce Pearl-Deon Thomas-Iowa fiasco many years ago. The Herald & Review and Chicago Sun-Times originally broke the story that the NCAA was investigating charges that Illinois had offered $80,000 and a Chevy Blazer to Deon Thomas as a recruiting inducement and many months later, we sat in bewilderment when confronted with NCAA sanctions that did not at all appear to match minimal findings of guilt.

 

Just writing about it again makes my fingers ache. Most of you are familiar with the story, if not because you read about it every day back in 1990, then maybe because it was dredged up again last season when Illinois was preapring to play Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the NCAA Tournament.

 

Wisconsin-Milwaukee, of course, was coached by Bruce Pearl, who was an assistant coach at Iowa at the time and whose secret tape recordings of phone conversations with Thomas were a central part of the investigation. Pearl, who was recruiting Thomas for the Hawkeyes, claimed that Thomas admitted receiving the money and vehicle from the Illini. Thomas and Illinois vigorously disputed the charge. The NCAA did not find Illinois guilty of the charge and yet still managed to bring incredibly harsh sanctions based on a broom-ful of other piddly violations it swept together.

 

To this day, Illini fans despise Pearl for his role in the affair, which happened just as the Illini program was soaring along in the wake of its 1989 Final Four appearance. I understand their disdain.

 

So let’s get this straight from the outset: I have no warm and fuzzy feelings for Pearl, whose motives seemed slimy from the start.

 

Back then, more than one of us wrote that Pearl had ruined his own career. We speculated that he’d never get another good job now that he was labled as the guy who secretly tape recorded recruits. But we were wrong.

 

Pearl eventually landed the head coaching job at Southern Indiana and won a Division II national championship there. He then moved to Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was successful there, too. When Illinois played Wisconsin-Milwaukee last year in the NCAA Tournament, a championship game-bound Illini team had to play hard as heck, pulling away at the end for a 77-63 victory.

 

By then, Pearl was being noticed as an up-and-comer who deserved a chance with a major program. And the University of Tennessee stepped up and gave him that chance. Pearl has responded in a strong way, leading the Vols to a 19-3 record and No. 8 national ranking.

 

As Indiana University begins its search for a new head coach, the focus will primarily be on Iowa’s Steve Alford, and I’d make him the leading candidate right now. He’s a former Indiana player, a darling in the eyes of the adoring fans, and the timing is perfect for him. His team is in first place in the Big Ten, only the second time in seven seasons that he’ll end up with a winning Big Ten mark.

 

Indiana is free to hire Alford. But if you’re making a list of capable, successful, proven head coaches, Bruce Pearl deserves to be much higher on the list.

 

And I’d ask Illini fans to take this test: In time, which coach would you be more fearful of? Whose teams would be tougher to play against? Whose style could give you the more trouble? In each case, I’d say Bruce Pearl.

 

I’ve heard 30 or 40 names thrown about for the Indiana job. Many are former players. Few of those make much sense. Marquette’s Tom Crean makes sense. Bowling Greens’ Dan Dakich does not.

 

Regardless of how you feel about him, Pearl is a candidate Indiana should consider. Now, is that practical? Would he leave Tennessee after just one season? Would Indiana fans give him a chance?

 

In the end, only one thing will matter to Indiana fans and that’s winning. Bring in an Eskimo dressed like one of the Olympic figure skaters and if he can go 27-3 in the regular season and get Indiana to a few Final Fours and win another national title, he’ll be revered and children in Kokomo will be named after him.

 

Make your own list. But don’t come up with something stupid like Damon Bailey. From high school coach to Indiana? Two words: Gerry Faust.

 

And ask yourself that important question: Who would you NOT want to compete against for the next 15 years? The answer to that question is the person Indiana should pursue. I’m guessing very few of you answer it with Steve Alford’s name.

Edited February 19, 2006 by IlliniKrush

[greasywheels121]

Good find. It would be really interesting to see what that would do to the Big Ten, if he got back in the conference after all that. I would not have any problem accepting as our coach, looking at his history at previous places. However, being that he just got into a new deal with Tenn., I have a hard time seeing him leave. We'll see though, there'll be a million names thought of as candidates before this thing is over.

[Rex Hudler]

I just hope that when it comes down to it, they can come up with a fairly narrow list and evaluate all of them without everything being played out in the media.

 

The biggest problem with high profile openings is anytime there is any ramblings that a coach is being seriously considered, the media runs to him and asks him a million questions, forcing him into a corner. Often times coaches are forced to declare they aren't interested when in fact they haven't even had discussions with said school to that point. I hate it when a coach "withdraws" his name from consideration publicly before anything has even been offered to him. That crap all happens because the media wants to publicize every step of the process. It puts coaches who may not be chosen or who a simple conversation may be had in a bad position with their current schools.

 

I don't see any way of avoiding it, but that is my hope anyway.

[greasywheels121]

IU won't be the ones making a mess of this publicly. They only say something when they have to. It was a couple days on each of the DJ injuries, before IU put their official statements out in the press.

 

And the same with Davis' situation. There were rumors flying around since the Wisconsin game, but IU never confirmed or denied those until they had the press conference this week.

 

This could become extremely public, but as I've seen said somewhere else: IU goes by the book of Bill Belichik and the Patriots when it comes to dealing with the media. They'll obviously do their best to keep it all in house.

[Rex Hudler]

Here is another good article about the IU situation. He makes some very good points about how the current situation has come to be.

 

Scrutiny inevitable, deserved as IU players don't buy into system

 

Use test as both the username and password to login. It should work.

[Rex Hudler]

Here is Terry Hutchens' blog today, discussing the possibility of players leaving IU on an individual basis.

 

Hutchens is the IU beat writer for the Indianapolis Star.

 

Will they stay or will they go?

[aboz56]

Rex, who's your top candidate for the job?

 

Just wondering.

[Rex Hudler]

Rex, who's your top candidate for the job?

 

Just wondering.

 

 

Honestly, I don't have one. Until I can see who may be realistic candidates and who are not, it is hard to say. I don't really feel there is an obvious direction to go this time around. I don't think keeping it in the family is necessary.

 

I'm willing to sit back and wait and see what develops before jumping on someone's bandwagon.

[HoosierSox]

How about bringing Mike Montgomery and Keith Smart to IU. With Smart being the eventual replacement for Montgomery.

 

A darkhorse guy that intrigues me is Darrin Horn from Western Kentucky. He has recruited Indiana and is young and has done a pretty good job rebuilding Western Kentucky.

[aboz56]

How about bringing Mike Montgomery and Keith Smart to IU. With Smart being the eventual replacement for Montgomery.

 

A darkhorse guy that intrigues me is Darrin Horn from Western Kentucky. He has recruited Indiana and is young and has done a pretty good job rebuilding Western Kentucky.

I believe the only Indiana player he has taken to WKU is Courtney Lee.

 

Anthony Winchester was recruited by Dennis Felton.

 

As far as Horn goes, he will make an excellent coach somewhere down the road.

 

I believe he was at Marquette prior to WKU alongside Crean, who is my top choice for the job.

 

I just don't think he is the big name guy that IU is clammoring for.

[Chisoxfn]

How about bringing Mike Montgomery and Keith Smart to IU. With Smart being the eventual replacement for Montgomery.

 

A darkhorse guy that intrigues me is Darrin Horn from Western Kentucky. He has recruited Indiana and is young and has done a pretty good job rebuilding Western Kentucky.

Mike Mont is a real quality coach and did a great job at Stanford. That said I think he's doing a solid job at Golden State and I don't see him leaving.

[Rex Hudler]

How about bringing Mike Montgomery and Keith Smart to IU. With Smart being the eventual replacement for Montgomery.

 

A darkhorse guy that intrigues me is Darrin Horn from Western Kentucky. He has recruited Indiana and is young and has done a pretty good job rebuilding Western Kentucky.

 

Hell, if you they are going to think about Darrin Horn, just give me Brad Brownell.

[aboz56]

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d...546/1002/SPORTS

 

Davis can't advise Indiana's players to leave program

 

By C.L. Brown

[email protected]

The Courier-Journal

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- If Indiana University sophomore basketball players Robert Vaden and D.J. White transfer, outgoing coach Mike Davis likely won't have persuaded them to do so.

 

That would cost Davis money, according to the seven-page agreement he made with IU last week. The agreement was obtained by The Courier-Journal through an open-records request.

 

Davis announced Thursday that he would step down as the Hoosiers' coach after the season. Vaden and White indicated they signed with IU to play for Davis and were considering transferring.

 

Davis can't advise them to leave, according to a passage from the agreement: "Employee agrees that from the date that he signs this Agreement, he will not solicit, recruit, nor in any other way encourage any current University men's basketball player or any individual who has signed a letter of intent to play men's basketball at University to leave the University's men's basketball program."

 

If Davis breaches the clause, he will owe IU $40,000 of the guaranteed $800,000 severance it will pay him over the next 24 months. IU will pay Davis regardless of whether he gets a new job during the two years.

[IlliniKrush]

So Dick Vitale just said that he and Coach K were talking on K's radio show today about how Bob Knight should be hired as the head coach at Indiana University.

 

Um. Ok.

[aboz56]

So Dick Vitale just said that he and Coach K were talking on K's radio show today about how Bob Knight should be hired as the head coach at Indiana University.

 

Um. Ok.

He was saying this crap last week as well.

 

Even went as far to say Alford should be the head assistant and take over once Knight breaks the all-time wins record.

 

Vitale is so clueless its not even funny.

[greasywheels121]

Dick Vitale is so ridiculous about his love of Knight. He brings it up everytime he does a game here. He's always saying they should rename AH after him. It's not even necessary. Also, IU has a policy that they will not name a building after a person, unless they have been deceased for 5 years. Vitale will have to "Cheney" Knight on a hunting trip, if he really wants that to ever go through.