Coaching staff thoughts

[deanhawk88]

I'm just throwing this out there to see what everyone's opinion is. Same coaching staff since day one and now year 8, referring to Dillard, Speraw and Francis. How common is it to keep all 3 assistant coaches this long?
Fact, Iowa more consistently pulled in players rated much higher than before Fran with the exception of Lick. In 7 plus years, Cook is the only one I can label as a real pat on the back, true out of state, significant recruiting victory. Reality is, he wasn't even close to a top 50 prospect in most all rankings. That's this staffs feather in 7 plus years of recruiting. Every prior coach had this and then some, even Lick had a guy coming in rated around that from further away, Tyler Smith. Is this the area where Fran should look to make a change? Maybe Fran impedes them, I don't know. I do know that 4 of the 5 previous coaches landed far more top 50/100 players. It's not Iowa, it's location or whatever, it's primarily this coaching staffs results. A change here, no change here...what's your thoughts on this?

Edit: my bad for slipping Tyler Smith in as a Lick recruit, was a year off there.

 

[lovedwatchingLester]

As long as we seem to be projecting upwards no need to change anything as I see it

 

[Suterman]

What evs.

 

[jdv77]

Tyler Smith was not a Lickliter recruit. He was an Alford recruit. Let's acknowledge Lickliter for the disaster he was on all fronts, including recruiting. His best recruit, although he never got to coach him, was a legacy (Dev Marble).

Alford was an above average, although inconsistent, recruiter. Some of his best players were in-state guys. Horner, Bruner, Haluska, etc. I don't think he was a better recruiter than McCaffery, as he had a number of recruits who did not pan out.

Tom Davis was not better than McCaffery at recruiting. It was his weakness, and ultimately it was why his contract was not renewed.

I will grant you that Raveling was a better recruiter than McCaffery. I am not old enough to remember pre-Raveling. But in my era, McCaffery is one of the better recruiters.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Interesting. My thoughts...replacing one or all of Speraw, Dillard & Francis doesnt automatically mean their replacement(s) would do a better job when it comes to recruiting. We still have McCaffery leading the way. Fran isn't taking a nap...he remains very active.

The recent recruiting classes is proof that Iowa may be in the best shape it has been in a long long time. That is a direct result of the efforts by Fran & his current staff.

We can talk about Lick, Alford & Davis recruitment pro & con but that is in the past. My only concern is the present & future.

One thing I know is the in state pipeline is well in place. On those years when the instate talent is a little down---Fran & his assistants have proved they can bring in talent & future Hawkeyes from out of state. Garza & Nunge.

NO -- we dont need a change for the sake of change. We need to keep the momentum going..the longer we have the 3 assistants we have the better.

 

[hawk-i bob]

I'm just throwing this out there to see what everyone's opinion is. Same coaching staff since day one and now year 8, referring to Dillard, Speraw and Francis. How common is it to keep all 3 assistant coaches this long?
Fact, Iowa more consistently pulled in players rated much higher than before Fran with the exception of Lick. In 7 plus years, Cook is the only one I can label as a real pat on the back, true out of state, significant recruiting victory. Reality is, he wasn't even close to a top 50 prospect in most all rankings. That's this staffs feather in 7 plus years of recruiting. Every prior coach had this and then some, even Lick had a guy coming in rated around that from further away, Tyler Smith. Is this the area where Fran should look to make a change? Maybe Fran impedes them, I don't know. I do know that 4 of the 5 previous coaches landed far more top 50/100 players. It's not Iowa, it's location or whatever, it's primarily this coaching staffs results. A change here, no change here...what's your thoughts on this?

Tyler Smith??? You do realize that Smith never played for Lick...played one year under Alford.
I dont know the conditions relating to the recruitment of Tyler Smith. He certainly was very talented. It would have been interesting to see how long Smith would have lasted under Lick's guidance. .

Alford was a hot young coach when he first came to Iowa..especially after winning the BTT in 2001. Even with that his Big Ten regular season record(s) speak for themselves. Alfords' recruiting classes his last few years was headed down...not up.

 

[BirdistheWord]

The rise of the mid major + NBA one and done's have changed the recruiting landscape and both would be headwinds for Iowa.

That context would show that Fran has to work a bit harder to even match what a Dr Tom was able to do. Raveling was an anomoly and easily the best recruiter ever in IC. Dr Tom was solid like Fran but rarely bringing in blue chip talent. As stated above, Lick was abysmal recruiting UW-Green Bay type players. Alford was slightly better than Fran/Dr T, but very inconsistent and seemed to chase an above average number of players away - Josh Rhodes where did you go?

What is surprising to me is why Fran's system alone does not attract more blue chippers.

 

[Clifford C. Clavin]

I'm still struggling with the premise that you state is fact that Fran's recruits as a whole are rated lower than the previous Iowa coaches, Lick aside. Certainly that wasn't the case with Davis. Alford is debatable; had a really highly rated class earlier with Worley, Reiner, Sonderleiter, Boyd, Scott, but I think you are selling short some of Fran's. Woody was a top 50 recruit. Honestly I don't think as a whole that Fran's recruiting is a whole lot different than previous fairly successful Iowa coaches. And as other's pointed out, Tyler Smith had left Iowa before Lickliter was ever named Iowa's coach; he was Alford's recruit and player.

 

[BIG Bick]

I'm still struggling with the premise that you state is fact that Fran's recruits as a whole are rated lower than the previous Iowa coaches, Lick aside. Certainly that wasn't the case with Davis. Alford is debatable; had a really highly rated class earlier with Worley, Reiner, Sonderleiter, Boyd, Scott, but I think you are selling short some of Fran's. Woody was a top 50 recruit. Honestly I don't think as a whole that Fran's recruiting is a whole lot different than previous fairly successful Iowa coaches. And as other's pointed out, Tyler Smith had left Iowa before Lickliter was ever named Iowa's coach; he was Alford's recruit and player.

 

[BIG Bick]

I wouldn't mind a defensive minded coach !!

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Agree with prior posters. Raveling had better recruiting classes at Iowa. Lute was getting more top-rated players in his last few years, but he chose to leave. Alford's recruiting was pretty comparable to Fran, but he was trending down in last couple of years, except for the unusual recruiting of Tyler Smith. Davis got the benefit of Raveling's recruiting early, but was probably not as good as Fran's staff at recruiting. Lick was a failure at all aspects of coaching. Fran had a really good class last year, and I like the class coming in next year a lot. He also has done very well at getting high character kids and identifying underrated recruits. It is unusual to go this long without a coaching change, but in this case I think it mostly beneficial. IMO, the future is bright, so why call for change?

 

[hawk-i bob]

I'm still struggling with the premise that you state is fact that Fran's recruits as a whole are rated lower than the previous Iowa coaches, Lick aside. Certainly that wasn't the case with Davis. Alford is debatable; had a really highly rated class earlier with Worley, Reiner, Sonderleiter, Boyd, Scott, but I think you are selling short some of Fran's. Woody was a top 50 recruit. Honestly I don't think as a whole that Fran's recruiting is a whole lot different than previous fairly successful Iowa coaches. And as other's pointed out, Tyler Smith had left Iowa before Lickliter was ever named Iowa's coach; he was Alford's recruit and player.

I dont think Alfords later classes are debatable

2004 Doug Thomas
Alex Thompson
Seth Gorney
Carlton Reed
JR Angle
Adam Haluska ISU transfer

2005 Kurt Looby
Tony Freeman

2006 Cyrus Tate
Justin Johnson
Tyler Smith *** Smith had not yet left Iowa at the time of Lick's hire..was actually at his press conference..granted it was pretty much known he wasnt staying...but he did announce after Lick came on board

one 1st Team All-Big 10 (Haluska)

Fran..4 1st Team All-Big 4 years running.
2014 Marble
2015 White
2016 Uthoff
2017 Jok

Fran's recruiting (opposite with Alford) has been outstanding..and has got better & better.

 

[hawk-i bob]

I wouldn't mind a defensive minded coach !!

just watched Iowa vs Marquette..48-21 at half. 21 pts at halftime..i dont know maybe that was a stroke of luck by the coaches. I'm thinking when we have been toward the upper half of the B1G in Defense Efficiency it had something more to do with experience & the roster.

Yep we struggled last year...with the addition of size (Garza & Nunge) our defensive rebounding will be better..and I would suspect with more experience our defense will as well. Maybe not as good as 2015....Woody & his teammates were really good defending...despite the coaching

I love to watch replays from previous seasons...Woody manhandled the young Ellenson.

 

[hawk-i bob]

also in the marquette game...Baer did not play in the 1st half didnt enter the game til about the 13 min mark of the 2nd half..Iowa up by 30.

 

[EastIowaHawk]

The Hawkeyes have very strong basketball assistants.

 

[DanL53]

I prefer to look at the results.

Illinois just fired a coach who on paper was out recruiting Iowa.
Indiana just fired a coach who also repeatedly out recruited Iowa. Though I would say that results, inconsistent as they were, were not horrible.
How has Ohio State been doing? But they do enjoy some great recruiting classes.

I don't care if Iowa finds players in Iowa, or Timbuktu. But I will say there is an advantage to local talent, it is likely to stay at Iowa. I don't see how we can discount a recruit like Joe Wieskamp just because he is from Iowa. McCaffery's kids, ok yeah that is quite a break. But Garza? Four star out of Washington DC? Nunge, Rivals top 150 out of Indiana?

Our recruiting is improving! Our results are improving!

The only reason I'd like to see an assistant leave is for the betterment of their careers. I think it may be time for Andrew Francis to take a Head Coaching gig at a smaller school. But as to getting rid of an assistant? So we can win (or do better in) some make-believe team recruiting ranking list?

No thanks.

 

[iowalawhawk]

Aside from recruiting, look at player retention. We haven't had a player transfer away yet who would have mattered. When players stick around for four years, good things happen.

 

[hawksense]

Lots of great posts and points. I liked what I agreed with the most.

On the Top 25 recruiting front, I don't care if we ever get one (squirming in my chair). They're usually one-and-doners that are looking to be one-and-doners and are looking to the Kentuckys and Dukes of CB. That's how it rolls.

Concentrate on leftover talent and projection and the fortunate in-state gifts, that have become more plentiful in our great State.

Tyler Cook really fits this bill as a kid with tremendous potential that still needs some coaching and polish. And the aforementioned first team All B1Gers also fall into this category, as well as any All B1Gers, regardless of team.

Coaching moves will happen at a natural progression. They just do.

And quit slamming Dr Tom's recruiting! He had his hands tied most of the time by the Iowa President or self imposed academic standards. The argument that he couldn't coach or recruit never holds water with the results he garnered (not ALWAYS spectacular, but remember us dancing ALL THE TIME!). If you're dancing, something is going right.

Some Ralph Miller love, also. He put together some mighty good teams through magic or recruiting. One of the two.

 

[unoHawkeye]

I don't really agree with the basic premise that Iowa is pulling in lower rated recruits than before Lickliter.

Obviously, early on, that was the case, but much like the direction of the program, recruiting is on the upswing. If you are selective with the recruiting services, the majority of our recruits the past couple of years have been rated as 4*s. Garza had no prior attachment to Iowa (university or state, as far as I know) and was being courted by several other power schools including Louisville. One guy who we got who wasn't a 4* recently was Cordell Pemsl, who could possibly have reached that status had he not been hurt. Same deal with Jok.

In other words, I've got no problems with anybody on the staff. In fact, tenure and experience at the B1G level is something that should be a selling point to recruits

 

[kceasthawk]

I dont think Alfords later classes are debatable

2004 Doug Thomas
Alex Thompson
Seth Gorney
Carlton Reed
JR Angle
Adam Haluska ISU transfer

2005 Kurt Looby
Tony Freeman

2006 Cyrus Tate
Justin Johnson
Tyler Smith *** Smith had not yet left Iowa at the time of Lick's hire..was actually at his press conference..granted it was pretty much known he wasnt staying...but he did announce after Lick came on board

one 1st Team All-Big 10 (Haluska)

Fran..4 1st Team All-Big 4 years running.
2014 Marble
2015 White
2016 Uthoff
2017 Jok

Fran's recruiting (opposite with Alford) has been outstanding..and has got better & better.

No doubt, hawk-i bob. OP is off base on this post. Fran and his asst. have put in a ton of work, and the last several years have been on an upward path. He mentions only Cook, but Pemsyl like Jok was a very highly ranked high schooler, who fell because of injuries, and yet Fran had the foresight to stick with them Both have, and will have major impacts on our program. As has been mentioned Woody was a top 50 player at one time. Garza, Nunge, and CMac are excellent recruits. Both Joe W., and PMac, coming in are top 30 recruits in the next couple of classes. Better get out the sunglasses, cause the future looks bright in Iowa City!

 

[unoHawkeye]

I also think that people make a bigger deal out of "out-of-state" recruiting than necessary. If we can win with homegrown talent, while landing the occasional "Cook" or "Garza" or "Moss" then I don't see any problem with that. At least in the past few years, Iowa players have fared very well in college and some have made it to the NBA. What if Iowa was able to land Marcus Paige and Harrison Barnes? (I realize Barnes was likely never a possibility regardless of the state of the Iowa program, but the point is that we are currently locking down the state, and there are players of this caliber who occasionally emerge) Fran has locked down the state to the point where these big names like Joe Wieskamp WANT to play for Iowa. Xavier Foster is a guy who will likely have blue bloods offering him at some point and, at the very least, we'll be in it right to the end.

Sure the state isn't deep enough where you can field a 12 man roster of solely Iowa guys, but looking at who we have now, we should be contending for the top of the conference the next couple of years with a team whose best players are primarily Iowans/have Iowa connections.

 

[hawk-i bob]

just watched Iowa vs Marquette..48-21 at half. 21 pts at halftime..i dont know maybe that was a stroke of luck by the coaches. I'm thinking when we have been toward the upper half of the B1G in Defense Efficiency it had something more to do with experience & the roster.

Yep we struggled last year...with the addition of size (Garza & Nunge) our defensive rebounding will be better..and I would suspect with more experience our defense will as well. Maybe not as good as 2015....Woody & his teammates were really good defending...despite the coaching

I love to watch replays from previous seasons...Woody manhandled the young Ellenson.

now Im watching the 2017 Iowa vs Indiana replay. The difference between this game & the Marquette game is like night & day. Wow what a difference on defense. And its not that the players were standing around...the hustle is there. The difference..alot of running up to the man with the ball who gives one fake & goes right around...

As I mentioned..experience a major factor IMO. I would suspect we will see alot of improvement from the team next season on the defensive end.

 

[milehighhawkeye24]

Love our staff and hate when people put so much emphasis on recruiting rankings as opposed to the staffs ability to identify talent and more importantly develop them. I also dislike when fans do not realize the current reality of the program and even its history. You do realize that this staff was able to identify three players in three consecutive years (4 after Jok gets drafted) to get drafted in the NBA (Marble, White, Uthoff). When (if ever) has that happened at Iowa? Absolutely love the staff and hope they keep doing what they are doing, because this year we all predicted a super down year and they far exceeded those expectations with almost everybody returning next year with addition of some very talented recruits, with top 25 nationally ranked recruits on their way in the next few classes. I am really confused why anybody would question the ability of this staff? So what if we don't get one and done top recruits, we are winning games, finishing in the top 1/4 of the best conference in america, having a chance to win titles, program is on the up, etc

 

[RocknRollface]

I dont think Alfords later classes are debatable

2004 Doug Thomas
Alex Thompson
Seth Gorney
Carlton Reed
JR Angle
Adam Haluska ISU transfer

2005 Kurt Looby
Tony Freeman

2006 Cyrus Tate
Justin Johnson
Tyler Smith *** Smith had not yet left Iowa at the time of Lick's hire..was actually at his press conference..granted it was pretty much known he wasnt staying...but he did announce after Lick came on board

one 1st Team All-Big 10 (Haluska)

Fran..4 1st Team All-Big 4 years running.
2014 Marble
2015 White
2016 Uthoff
2017 Jok

Fran's recruiting (opposite with Alford) has been outstanding..and has got better & better.

Agreed, flawed premise from the beginning. Not facts at all.

How seriously can we take a guys opinion on recruits from 20+ years ago when he cant accurately remeber 10 years ago.

Davis was let go because of his recruiting. Alford was bottoming out in that department too (although there was a slight uptick at the end) and had most of his "success" on the court from instate guys.

Fran has been on a steady trajectory of improvement. Locking down the instate talent has been huge and not at all something to dissmiss.

We are just now getting to the point where things are going to start paying dividends.

 

[hawksense]

If Iowa has all the chips fall into place in the next 3-4 years (players meshing and living up to projected ability, which is also guesswork), we should be in a position to promote the Iowa brand with some real strength.

We've been on the doorstep of many a heralded out of state recruit, but have fallen short time and again. Once again, if things work out well, we could raise the bar a bit.

I purposely avoided using "the next level".

 

[hawk-i bob]

If Iowa has all the chips fall into place in the next 3-4 years (players meshing and living up to projected ability, which is also guesswork), we should be in a position to promote the Iowa brand with some real strength.

We've been on the doorstep of many a heralded out of state recruit, but have fallen short time and again. Once again, if things work out well, we could raise the bar a bit.

I purposely avoided using "the next level".

and with the classes of 2016 & 2017 we may already have...

 

[Hawksfor3]

also in the marquette game...Baer did not play in the 1st half didnt enter the game til about the 13 min mark of the 2nd half..Iowa up by 30.

Were you watching BTN2GO? I have it and I watched Bohannon's 3 point shot that won the game for Iowa at Madison on Mar 2.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Were you watching BTN2GO? I have it and I watched Bohannon's 3 point shot that won the game for Iowa at Madison on Mar 2.

BTN classic replays

 

[doughawk]

I always wanted Steve Alford out of Iowa City. He was a first class jerk to most everyone and the Pierre Pierce debacle was inexcusable. However, When Matt Doherty was fired in Tennessee he suggessted Tyler Smith take a good look at Iowa . The word in Iowa City, (where I reside) was that Craig Neal was the bag man and it cost $50,000 to get Tyler to come to Iowa. That is when I knew Alford was toxic and had to leave and fortunately the heat got so strong that he found a way out himself. Going to New Mexico wasn't an upgrade, just an interim stop that worked out for him and Craig Neal.

 

[Hawksfor3]

BTN classic replays

I'll check 'em out!