Official Steve Alford is an arrogant jerk whose new 10 year contract m

[caulfield12]

more than the paper it was printed on at UNM.

 

Discuss.

[Buehrle>Wood]

So apparently his new million dollar buyout does not start until Monday. Ouch.

[caulfield12]

No, this is why. I feel sorry for you guys, Alford is the kiss of death.

 

My dedication to preventing revision of Iowa's real historical experience with the Alford experiment apparently knows no limits. While I agree with all who say Alford's smug, entitled and egotistic behaivor is hard to distinguish from his failures as a coach, I will reinterate the basketball facts; in a little context.

 

Lick has HCed as many Sweet 16 teams as Alford.

 

Dr. Davis, Alford's predecessor at Iowa, won 4 NCAA games in his worst 8 seasons at Iowa, Alford has won a total of 5 in 16 years as HC with his own recruits and 1 more with a mixed Davis/Alford starting line up over his total HC career. Six NCAA wins in 18 seasons as HC.

 

The one mixed line up win was the only NCAA win in Alford's 8 seasons at Iowa, by far Iowa's longest strectch with only one such win since the NCAA has allowed two teams from one conference to participate---30 years or so.

 

Alford inherited a team coming off a Sweet 16 and left the first Iowa team with a winning record (17-14) to miss the NCAA and the NIT since my senior year of HS, 76-77.

 

In eight seasons at Iowa Alford had only 7 recruits play a normal full 8 consecutive semester career at Iowa and also had 7 signed recruits never play a minute at Iowa. That doesn't even begin to tell the story of all the transfers and kids who just quit playing rather than play for Alford.

 

Now, for a little further perspective, let's compare the Alford years to the previous 30 years, a literal generation, of basketball. Again, I think there would be general agreement that the two most reasonable metrics of success at Iowa-not some other program but the specific program under discussion-are Big Ten finishes and post season success. Believe me, other metrics are very unfavorable to the remaining Alford apologists. Thirty years would seem to be a reasonably broad sample by which to measure the basketball expectations of the fans that had experienced all or most of that generation. Below by year and coach are BiG finishes beginning 30 years before Alford arrived in IC. This excludes all but one of Ralph Miller's great teams and includes all of Dick Schultz's futile career.

 

69-70 1st Miller 79-80 4th Olson 89-90 8th Davis 99-00 8th Alford

70-71 7th Schultz 80-81 2nd Olson 90-91 5th Davis 00-01 6th Alford

71-72 8th Schultz 81-82 2nd Olson 91-92 5th Davis 01-02 8th Alford

72-73 6th Schultz 82-83 2nd Olson 92-93 3rd Davis 02-03 8th Alford

73-74 7th Schultz 83-84 7th GR 93-94 10 Davis 03-04 4th Alford

74-75 7th Olson 84-85 5th GR 94-95 7th Davis 04-05 7th Alford

75-76 5th Olson 85-86 6th GR 95-96 4th Davis 05-06 2nd Alford

76-77 4th Olson 86-87 3rd Davis 96-97 2ndDavis 06-07 4th Alford

77-78 8th Olson 87-88 3rd Davis 97-98 5th Davis

78-79 1st Olson 88-89 4th Davis 98-99 3rd Davis

 

It took Alford 5 seasons to crack the upper division. His two fourth places finishes were years that the conference was so weak only three Big Ten teams danced, and neither Iowa team deserved a bid, especially the 07 squad. Sorry about the chart-just won't align right.

 

Then, you can look at post season success as the other metric of Iowa's programatic quality. I think most of us would agree that the best time to start such an inquiry would be the year the NCAA expanded to allow multiple teams from a conference to participate.

 

78-79 Olson NCAA 0-1 1st round

79-80 Olson NCAA 4-2 Final Four

80-81 Olson NCAA 0-1 1st round

81-82 Olson NCAA 1-1 2nd round

82-83 Olson NCAA 2-1 Sweet 16

83-84 Raveling

84-85 Raveling NCAA 0-1 1st round

85-86 Raveling NCAA 0-1 1st round

86-87 Davis NCAA 3-1 Regional Final

87-88 Davis NCAA 2-1 Sweet 16

88-89 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

89-90 Davis

90-91 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

91-92 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

92-93 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

93-94 Davis

94-95 Davis NIT 2-1 3rd round

95-96 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

96-97 Davis NCAA 1-1 2nd round

97-98 Davis NIT 0-1 1st round

98-99 Davis NCAA 2-1 Sweet 16

99-00 Alford

00-01 Alford NCAA 1-1 2nd round

01-02 Alford NIT 0-1 1st round

02-03 Alford NIT 0-1 1st round

03-04 Alford NIT 2-1 3rd round

04-05 Alford NCAA 0-1 1st round

05-06 Alford NCAA 0-1 1st round

06-07 Alford

 

Under the three coaches before Alford, in the 21 seasons since the NCAA expanded the field Iowa had 16 NCAA seasons, advancing to the second round or beyond 12 times and the Sweet 16 or beyond 5 times. It also should be noted that Iowa's snub in 95 is simply inexplicable, as we were a very high RPI squad with some very impressive wins (Duke, Indiana, Michigan State) and razor thin losses to a few high majors as well. Two NIT trips had also resulted in a trip to the third round of the tournament.

 

If you count the NIT Iowa fans had experienced a post season participation 86% of the time, NCAA participation 76% of the time; a post season win 62% of the seasons and an NCAA win 57% of the time. Those are objective numbers. So when Alford was hired "to take the program to another level" why should a reasonable fan have judged him by any lesser standard.

 

In 8 seasons at Iowa Alford's teams went to six post season tournaments, a 75% participation rate. Three NCAA trips is a 50% participation rate. A single NCAA win is a NCAA win rate of 12.5%; throw in Alford's NIT wins and his post season win rate is 37.5%. That single NCAA win came in a season where our qualification for the NCAAs required an unprecedented and I believe unmatched miracle of winning four in a row at the BTT. Six of 8 Alford seasons ended without a single post season win, including the collapse in 06 to a 14 seed (sound familiar Lobos?).

 

Finally, Alford inherited Dean Oliver and Duez Henderson, and Jake Jaacks for that matter, and left the GorLoob. Could anything be a better metaphor by which to pithily state the devastation Alford brought to the Hawkeye World.

 

I think people will stop the active hatred of Alford when the program returns to where he found it, and did, indeed, take us to another level.

TFS

3/22 5:24 PM | IP: Logged

[caulfield12]

Alford’s deal with New Mexico was worth more than $20 million over 10 years. Guerrero said Alford is responsible for a buyout of his contract in Albuquerque, but that UCLA would work out the details.

 

Guerrero said UCLA reached out to Alford first, not knowing whether he would be interested in the Bruins. Once he confirmed he was, the details were finalized early Saturday, Guerrero said.

 

“He’s not the kind of guy that will shy away from what UCLA basketball is all about,” the athletic director said.

 

Alford, who is 48, succeeds Ben Howland, who was fired last weekend after 10 years and a 233-107 record that included three consecutive Final Four appearances and four Pac-12 titles. The Bruins were 25-10 this season, which ended with a 20-point loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

 

Alford led New Mexico to a 29-6 record this season that included the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles. But the Lobos were upset by Harvard in the second round of the NCAAs shortly after Alford’snew contract had been announced.

 

His son, Bryce, was set to play for his father with the Lobos, continuing a tradition that Alford first established when he played under his own father, Sam, at New Castle Chrysler High in Indiana.

 

Alford had a 155-52 record in six years at New Mexico, with the Lobos making three trips to the NCAA tournament. He was selected Mountain West coach of the year three times.

 

Guerrero had said he wanted a coach who would help boost season ticket sales. The Bruins had just a few sellouts at newly renovated Pauley Pavilion this season.

 

“I think the UCLA family will embrace him. I think he’ll be able to hit on all cylinders,” Guerrero said. “He’ll be able to energize the fan base in so many ways. Look at New Mexico, they get 15,000 a game, it’s madness there.”

www.hawkcentral.com

[caulfield12]

"This has been a very hard 48 hours," said Alford, addressing a large contingent of local media members at The Pit media room. "The toughest decision I've had to make…maybe ever, and that's because of how much I love this place, UNM, Albuquerque, New Mexico, the fans. It really came down to having an opportunity to go to UCLA, the pinnacle of college basketball. It's one of those lifetime opportunities that is really difficult to pass up."

Alford added, "It wasn't something that I went looking for. UCLA sought me out. I think it's a great complement to UNM and New Mexico that UCLA…an incredible university, wants something from New Mexico. I thought I was going to be here a long time, I just signed a 10-yaer deal, that was the plan. Sometimes plans get messed up in the timing…you never know what it is. I had no idea that this opportunity would present itself. I'm humbled, honored and very excited about it."

In heading to UCLA, Alford will follow in the footsteps of fellow Indiana native John Wooden, who is from Martinsville, Indiana. Alford from first through fourth grade lived in Martinsville and shot baskets at John Wooden Gym.

from loboland.com

 

Can just see the arrogant smirk on his face right now without having to watch the video. Finally, career vindication for being pushed out of the Big 10 and into purgatory. At least, to his credit, he climbed out of it enough to get a shot at a job like UCLA, but he left the Iowa program completely destroyed and fanbase divided with the Pierre Pierce situation. A little like Sherman's March to the Sea, except the basketball program was in flames, not town halls and libraries in coastal Georgia.

[IlliniKrush]

Hope UCLA is a disaster for the foreseeable future.

[farmteam]

This was already discussed in a different thread I thought, why is there a separate one?

 

Excuse me for a sec, gotta go yell at the kids to get off my damn lawn.

[Kyyle23]

This thread is misnamed. It should be the "Official Caulfield is salty at Steve Alford thread"

[caulfield12]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball...lege-basketball

 

You won't find one single fan of Iowa basketball that has a single nice thing to say about him.

 

Craig "Noodles" Neal, his main recruiting guy, he was much more highly respected....and Greg Lansing, who he ended up dumping when he fled for UNM and who eventually became the coach at Indiana State, those guys are decent.

[Reddy]

I grew up in Iowa City - Steve Alford's a prick.

[Chisoxfn]

As a UCLA and Iowa fan....I was flabbergasted. Wow is all I can say. I remember being so excited when Iowa hired Alford....that s*** wore out. Now to see UCLA hire him, uggh. It could end up working out. Alford can and should be able to sell but if I were a hard core UCLA person I'd be b****ing and moaning like crazy. I will say his personality is a much better fit and at UCLA he should have the tools to recruit like crazy.

[caulfield12]

Harty: Once again, Steve Alford lands on his feet

[ 0 ] March 30, 2013 | Pat Harty Hang on because I’m all over the place with this column.

 

Let’s start in New Mexico where Steve Alford will soon be like the aliens that supposedly visited the state more than a half century ago. You’ll probably never see Alford set foot in New Mexico again with him being hired at UCLA, but he’ll never be forgotten there. And unlike the aliens, Alford’s six-year stay in New Mexico was witnessed by thousands of Lobo fans on a regular basis.

 

Say what you want about Alford, which many of us have, but the guy is like a cat in how he always seems to land on his feet.

 

He bolted from Iowa City one step ahead of the posse in 2007 after a controversial eight-year reign, but not until he had secured the head coaching gig at the University of New Mexico.

 

He endeared himself to Lobo fans by rebuilding their once-proud program and by signing a 10-year contract that was announced on the eve of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

 

But you knew Alford’s ego and his quest for success at the highest level wouldn’t let him stay at a mid-major school, even while receiving the red carpet treatment. And you knew, or you should’ve known, that signing a 10-year contract is far less binding than the gel in Alford’s hair.

 

In fairness to Alford, he did his job at New Mexico and did it quite well with exception to having success in the NCAA Tournament. And he’s just one of many coaches who have bolted for greener pastures after making a commitment to stay put. So more power to him.

 

Alford also probably realizes that his chance of coaching at his beloved alma mater, Indiana, is fading with him pushing 50 and with current Indiana coach Tom Crean having returned the Hoosiers to elite status. So Alford did the next best thing by landing a job at one of the few schools that has a richer tradition in men’s basketball than Indiana does. It’s yet another case of him landing on his feet.

 

The strange thing is I never thought I’d see the day when UCLA would hire a head men’s basketball coach who was just average in the same job at Iowa. Alford wasn’t UCLA’s first choice, but that doesn’t really matter now. The same person who led Iowa to just one NCAA Tournament victory in eight seasons is now leading the most storied program in the history of college basketball.

 

UCLA cashed in big when it hired a former standout basketball player from Purdue named John Wooden to coach its men’s basketball team. But the program in some ways is still haunted by the Wizard of Westwood’s legacy and by the unrealistic expectations that come with it. So they’ve turned to a former Hoosier to restore order.

 

But if Alford thought the media was tough on him at Iowa, just wait until the reporters and columnists and bloggers and tweeters from Los Angeles start questioning his decisions.

 

QUITE A STATEMENT: The Iowa men’s basketball team had just defeated Virginia minutes earlier in the NIT quarterfinals Wednesday when my phone rang. It was actually my landline for those who don’t believe that some people still use them.

 

Legendary radio announcer Jim Zabel called to get my reaction to the victory and to share his, which stunned me. The 91-year old Zabel ranked the 75-64 victory at Virginia as one of the five most important wins for the Iowa men’s basketball program during his lifetime. Zabel has been known to get carried away during times of success, but that’s still quite a statement.

 

He ranked it that high because of the difficult circumstances with this Iowa team having failed to win a pivotal road games up to that point and with the program having struggled for much of the past decade.

 

YAWN: Sunday marks the start of the Major League baseball season, but as a frustrated Chicago Cubs fan I couldn’t care less. Even the thrill of attending games at Wrigley Field has lost its appeal because the Cubs simply lose too many games and because they celebrate each Cub victory with that lame “Go Cubs Go” song.

 

It makes no sense why the Chicago White Sox can stay competitive over long periods of time while the Cubs usually stay mediocre or worse.

 

Bring on football.

 

Pat Harty/Hawkcentral.com

 

[caulfield12]

Bernstein: UCLA Hired A Scumbag

March 31, 2013 1:00 PM

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Steve Alford. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

 

Reporting Dan Bernstein

 

Filed under

Blogs, College, College Sports, Sports, Syndicated Sports

(CBS) The protesters deserve to be heard once again.

 

They gathered outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to help bring attention to Steve Alford’s unconscionable behavior after his star player turned sexual assailant. They stood for what was right after the Iowa coach acted to shield a violent criminal and intimidate the victim both publicly and privately.

 

Eleven years later, too many have forgotten exactly what Alford did in the aftermath of that incident in Iowa City on September 6, 2002. The University of New Mexico didn’t care, welcoming him for a desert exile long enough to fade too many memories.

 

None of it appears to matter to UCLA, either.

 

Pierre Pierce performed unwanted sex acts on a female student at his apartment, covering her mouth when she tried to scream. He eventually plea-bargained to a charge of assault causing injury, later issuing a public apology for “inappropriate sexual contact with a fellow student.”

 

Had Alford succeeded in his efforts to strong-arm the victim, it all would have evaporated. The disgusting ploy backfired, however, and only steeled her resolve to pursue criminal charges.

 

Alford enlisted the help of close friend Jim Goodrich, the campus representative for Christian group Athletes in Action who often traveled with the team and conducted bible-study sessions. Per specific instruction from Alford, the victim was invited to what she was told was a “prayer meeting,” at which she was urged to back off and not cause problems for a basketball program that could overpower her.

 

Don’t make waves, honey, in the name of Jesus. The Lord wants you to shut up, if you know what’s good for you.

 

According to the official report from the special committee that later investigated the handling of the case after the ugly facts emerged, “The desire to facilitate an informal resolution of the matter may have had the opposite result. The Committee recommends that the Athletic Department take steps to limit the involvement of outside advisors, religious or otherwise.”

 

The report also slapped down Alford for his boorish public statements trying to defend his player from any criticism. “I totally believe he’s innocent,” Alford affirmed at Big Ten Media Day. “I believed it from day one, and I still believe it.”

 

He clearly knew otherwise, having already tried to make her go away. Still, he took every opportunity to vouch for Pierce and question the victim, including during an interview with The Boers And Bernstein Show on 670 The Score in 2003. Shortly thereafter, the Chicago Tribune reported “Sources close to the victim say that hearing Alford go out of his way to defend the moral fiber of Pierce these past few months, and turning it into another one of his all-for-one sermons was, in fact, the most painful aspect of trying to move on.”

 

The school’s report later listed this behavior among its concerns, concluding “While Coach Alford believed he was acting as he had been directed in making the statements he made to the media, one set of those statements – confirming his certainty in Pierce’s innocence – implied that he disbelieved and discredited the claims of the student victim, and his words were perceived as reflecting insensitivity to issues of sexual assault and sexual violence.”

 

After the plea deal, Alford was also rebuked by Johnson County State’s Attorney Patrick White, who told the Daily Iowan “We have difficulty getting convictions in these kinds of cases because victims are afraid of how they will be treated or how juries will look at them.”

 

As described in the Tribune story, a furious Alford responded to White’s comments by initiating a phone call that became a shouting match.

 

And this sweet guy Pierce — the person on whom Alford staked his own, righteous word – was arrested again in 2005. He pled guilty to two charges of first-degree burglary, assault with intent to commit sexual assault, and fourth-degree criminal mischief. He spent 11 months in jail before being released on probation.

 

Every bit of this information was available to UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who celebrated the introduction of Alford as his new head coach Saturday, calling him “the perfect fit for UCLA.”

[IlliniKrush]

Yup, hes a piece of s***

[caulfield12]

The juxtaposition of this hire with UCLA picking up Steve Alford over the weekend is intriguing. Alford plays a slower tempo, runs a more dour operation and arrives after 14 seasons at Iowa and New Mexico with zero Sweet 16 appearances at those schools, though he did coach Missouri State to the regional semifinals in 1999. He's safe and sound. You know what he's bringing to the table. Yet, he still has plenty to prove also.

 

"I am looking forward to bringing an exciting, up-tempo style of play to USC," Enfield said in the release USC sent out announcing his hiring.

 

FGCU averaged 73.5 points a game this season. Alford's New Mexico team went for 67.3. Don’t think that quote was in the release by accident.

 

There is a ton of high school talent in Los Angeles, capable and eager to play Enfield's style. If he can mine that, this could be must-see wild. And in a city which doesn't apologize for valuing entertainment, at a program that must compete for ticket buyers with the Lakers and Clippers just a couple miles up the 110 Freeway, must-see wild might be a necessity.www.yahoo.com/sports

[cabiness42]

Mods please change thread title to "Steve Alford is just like every other coach"

[IlliniKrush]

Mods please change thread title to "Steve Alford is just like every other coach"

This post is great coming from an ND football fan.

[cabiness42]

This post is great coming from an ND football fan.

 

If you've paid any attention at all, I've made it quite clear that even though I'm an ND football fan, I'm no fan of Brian Kelly.

 

[RockRaines]

Alford stated that Iowa execs forced him to intimidate that coed that was raped.

[IlliniKrush]

Alford stated that Iowa execs forced him to intimidate that coed that was raped.

Which is a lie.

[StrangeSox]

Guy is a piece of garbage and represents the awful side of sports.

[StrangeSox]

Alford stated that Iowa execs forced him to intimidate that coed that was raped.

Following orders isn't an excuse

[caulfield12]

http://hawkcentral.com/2013/04/05/harty-di...lford-comments/

 

Former/current Iowa beat writer details how he had to be removed from covering Alford when his own niece was almost assaulted by Pierce.

Interesting stuff.

[whitesoxfan99]

http://hawkcentral.com/2013/04/05/harty-di...lford-comments/

 

Former/current Iowa beat writer details how he had to be removed from covering Alford when his own niece was almost assaulted by Pierce.

Interesting stuff.

 

It really is too bad that this piece of s*** gets rewarded for being an incredibly mediocre coach by making an absurd amount of money and moving up in his profession.

[caulfield12]

It really is too bad that this piece of s*** gets rewarded for being an incredibly mediocre coach by making an absurd amount of money and moving up in his profession.

 

We'll see what happens if Neal can get the UNM head job...how good Alford does recruiting without his right-hand man, although the UCLA brand name still sells itself.