Fire Fran Tonight

[papahawk21]

Fran should be fired tonight.

He's mentally checked out.

Let Matt Gatens coach the team the rest of way (he earned it from his time as a player).

Start putting out feelers and getting ready to find the next coach.

I'm sure the usual "be grateful because Fran is better than Lickliter" crowd will still make the same tired arguments.

It's probably the same people who wanted to keep Brian Ferentz because the team was winning against an atrocious Big Ten West (they won in spite of Brian).

It's over. Let's start tonight.

 

[QChawks]

Iowa would never do that unless Fran was doing something so bad that it voids his contract

We have to sit back and watch it burn stick by stick

 

[doughuddl2]

Have a pepsi

 

[Buffalo43]

I am convinced not defense but rebounding is the real issue

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Iowa would never do that unless Fran was doing something so bad that it voids his contract

We have to sit back and watch it burns stick by stick

His losing by such large margins should be grounds for his buy out to be voided.

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

No. He deserves to finish season.

 

[Max_Rebo]

No. He deserves to finish season.

Why? Make the case.

 

[nosok23]

I am convinced not defense but rebounding is the real issue

It goes beyond these two things. He doesn't have the players. No one is developing. When the game is on the line who is the go to alpha! Yes rebounding and defense have been non-existent under this staff but I think Fran has lost the locker room! This is going downhill fast!

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

No. He deserves to finish season.

At least fire Sherm Dillard. What the f does that guy do?

 

[sm_hawkeye]

Why? Make the case.

Not finishing the season really doesn’t do much. It’s his recruits and they probably want him over assistants?

 

[QChawks]

It goes beyond these two things. He doesn't have the players. No one is developing. When the game is on the line who is the go to alpha! Yes rebounding and defense have been non-existent under this staff but I think Fran has lost the locker room! This is going downhill fast!

Agreed

We are the laughing stock of the league now and the state of Iowa D1 schools

you are going to do major damage with a change, soon

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

At least fire Sherm Dillard. What the f does that guy do?

Checks a box.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

No. He deserves to finish season.

Why?

 

[ichawks]

At least fire Sherm Dillard. What the f does that guy do?

Now we’re catching on.

 

[shrinkhawk]

At least fire Sherm Dillard. What the f does that guy do?

oh wait, that is actually JB Smoove.

Sherm career coaching record 122-157.

 

[ozzie8]

At least fire Sherm Dillard. What the f does that guy do?

Hits on chicks at 30 Hop

 

[Hawkfan_08]

I don't think it's fair to say no development has gone on. The Murray's, Garza, Weiskamp, Baer, Dev, White all got minutes in the league and none of those guys were 4* (other than Tyler Cook who I didn't even mention). These guys all have the offensive skill sets to play and did get better at Iowa over 4 years.


Now, the defensive side honestly looks to have gotten better at times this year but that is putting frosting on a turd... it is still a turd. There are times that the defense just feels... entitled and hopeful? I'll go with that. The rotations and communication seems off, the closeouts are not close enough or out of control, and help defense makes me want to punch a wall from certain players.

I'm not going to rip Fran on his character. He is a good enough guy to have as a coach. The over the top antics weren't my favorite but he cared. What I can't get over is rebounding. We have zero junk yard dogs that aren't total liabilities on the offensive side.

Yes, I know it was said above. I thank Fran for getting Iowa back out of the hole Lick left and let's be very clear... this team would smash those Lick teams.

However, it's best for all parties at this point to move on and try something new. This team is not getting it done.


Side note- everyone knows this team will make one more run before falling flat again, right? Win 2 or 3 in a row against teams we shouldn't and then get brought back to reality.

 

[IChawkeye45]

Fran should be fired tonight.

He's mentally checked out.

Let Matt Gatens coach the team the rest of way (he earned it from his time as a player).

Start putting out feelers and getting ready to find the next coach.

I'm sure the usual "be grateful because Fran is better than Lickliter" crowd will still make the same tired arguments.

It's probably the same people who wanted to keep Brian Ferentz because the team was winning against an atrocious Big Ten West (they won in spite of Brian).

It's over. Let's start tonight.

Let Gatens take over??? What has he ever done? They need to wait until the end of the year and clean house of every coach and a lot of the team minus Dix and Freeman.

 

[Underscore2]

Let Gatens take over??? What has he ever done? They need to wait until the end of the year and clean house of every coach and a lot of the team minus Dix and Freeman.

Gatens certainly couldn’t be worse than Fran.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Hits on chicks at 30 Hop

Figured he was a little light in the loafers with the bow ties he wears from time to time. Jk. Gotta have some fun after watching that brutal game.

It’s like a car wreck, can’t turn the channel or look away, I laugh now at what I see. Perfect example was a Minny player was bringing up the ball and three Iowa guys did the ole defense as he blew by all of them to the basket. They all swiped at the ball and that was it as he did a blow by. Thank God I can laugh at it instead of cry.

 

[Kinnick 4 Prez]

Hits on chicks at 30 Hop

And Athletic Club.

 

[IllQChawk]

Gatens certainly couldn’t be worse than Fran.

If Fran was let go tonight or tomorrow, it would be Sherman Dillard, or Courtney Eldridge that would be moved into the intern position, bank on it, but that's pure fantasy as nothing is going to happen until the end of the season at best. We're not even sure if Beth is unhappy with Fran and how the season is panning out. We are, but we don't have any say in the process, but as empty as Carver is getting that in itself may be enough.....

 

[Kinnick 4 Prez]

I am convinced not defense but rebounding is the real issue

I’m convinced this team is just plain soft like many of the other teams the last decade. Before wasn’t so bad because teams like PU, zags, Tenn had actual dawgs/players. Now Iowa gets whipped by a team that has been a cellar dweller for a decade.
Iowa teams under Fran are fake tough.

 

[Gus is dead]

If Fran was let go tonight or tomorrow, it would be Sherman Dillard, or Courtney Eldridge that would be moved into the intern position, bank on it, but that's pure fantasy as nothing is going to happen until the end of the season at best. We're not even sure if Beth is unhappy with Fran and how the season is panning out. We are, but we don't have any say in the process, but as empty as Carver is getting that in itself may be enough.....

She's front fow in the press area at most every game. The apathy and disappointment is palpable. She cannot be unaware. The look on Freemans face in the postgame interview says it all. The season is over unless changes are made.

 

[Heathen Raider]

No. He deserves to finish season.

His 3 total NCAA Tourney wins in nearly 2 Decades bought Him a lot of rope with You I see . Then again some People grab the first 400 lb fatty that has at least 3 teeth at the Club to take home then gloat on Monday they scored . Too many People for too long in Iowa have settled for the 400 lb fatty that is Iowa basketball

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

His 3 total NCAA Tourney wins in nearly 2 Decades bought Him a lot of rope with You I see . Then again some People grab the first 400 lb fatty that has at least 3 teeth at the Club to take home then gloat on Monday they scored . Too many People for too long in Iowa have settled for the 400 lb fatty that is Iowa basketball

I like the analogy. I like it.

 

[sm_hawkeye]

Gatens certainly couldn’t be worse than Fran.

Based on what???

 

[HawkGem11]

No. He deserves to finish season.

Why he is a terrible coach who right now doesn't give two craps about anything

 

[hahkize]

Maybe Fran's hoping to get fired. Gets his buyout and a ticket to Indy to be w/ his boys. Win win.

 

[83Hawk]

Let Matt Gatens coach the team the rest of way (he earned it from his time as a player)

Just because he is a former player doesn’t “earn” him anything when it comes to coaching. Hawk fans need to move on from this kind of thinking.

 

[hawkjt]

His 3 total NCAA Tourney wins in nearly 2 Decades bought Him a lot of rope with You I see . Then again some People grab the first 400 lb fatty that has at least 3 teeth at the Club to take home then gloat on Monday they scored . Too many People for too long in Iowa have settled for the 400 lb fatty that is Iowa basketball

Factually Fran has coached at Iowa roughly 14.5 years which is closer to one decade than two.

But I am on board for moving on after the season.

 

[ozzie8]

Let Gatens take over??? What has he ever done? They need to wait until the end of the year and clean house of every coach and a lot of the team minus Dix and Freeman.

Gatens would be fine an an interim role to finish the year. Can’t get any worse

 

[RocknRollface]

Maybe Fran's hoping to get fired. Gets his buyout and a ticket to Indy to be w/ his boys. Win win.

This thought occurred to me a while ago.

He doesn't seem as interested as he used to be.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

3 - 21 from 3. If the 3 ball isn't dropping this team can't be anybody. They have noting to fall back on.

Fran looks checked out, and now the players are starting to look that way.

Negotiate his buyout and let him resign. This has to be the last year.

 

[Buckwatcher]

I said the exact same thing. Fire Fran let Gatens be the interim and move on. There is a lack of fire, desire and frankly horrible coaching.

 

[HawkLogic]

I’m convinced this team is just plain soft like many of the other teams the last decade. Before wasn’t so bad because teams like PU, zags, Tenn had actual dawgs/players. Now Iowa gets whipped by a team that has been a cellar dweller for a decade.
Iowa teams under Fran are fake tough.

You go back 7years and Fran could usually count winning most of the games vs perennial bottom feeders like Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, Penn State, Northwestern and then 1-2 of the top tier programs would have a down year and be beatable. Right now, We are the bottomfeeder.

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

Why? Make the case.

1. He dug us out of the grave.
2. We've had some decent team and players
3. He's been here 14 years
4. He'd be owed 60% of what's left on his contract which would be about $6M so it's best to probably let him go with some dignity. Maybe he'll resign at the end of season and negotiate slightly lighter buyout.

 

[Max_Rebo]

So, something that I think should be considered in this discussion ...

I believe Fran is under contract through the 2027-28 season. People often talk about coaches staying in place until the end of their contract, but as I have argued before on the football board, that rarely actually happens. Most often, you want your coaches working with at least 4-5 years remaining on their contract, so high school recruits can have some level of assurance that the coach will still be in place throughout their career.

When coaches leave, they almost always do it with years left on their contract. Either they get fired and the school buys them out; or they leave/retire on their own, and eat what's left on their contract. For instance, Nick Saban had been under contract through 2030 when he left Alabama ... he walked away from $71.8 million. That's obviously on the high end, but coaches do it all the time.

But back to Fran ... after this season, he's only got 3 years left on his contract. That's going to start to work against him on the recruiting trail. His last extension came in 2021, which means it's really time to talk about another extension. That might seem ridiculous, and I don't disagree. But really, for the sake of the program, I think the university has to do one or the other -- either give him an extension or pony up the cash to buy him out so we can move on. Doing neither risks digging the program into a deeper hole.

To me, the choice is obvious. An extension would be incredibly dumb. It's time to bite the bullet and move on. Do it now, do it at the end of the season; I don't care. But I believe it's time for change.

 

[HawkLogic]

So, something that I think should be considered in this discussion ...

I believe Fran is under contract through the 2027-28 season. People often talk about coaches staying in place until the end of their contract, but as I have argued before on the football board, that rarely actually happens. Most often, you want your coaches working with at least 4-5 years remaining on their contract, so high school recruits can have some level of assurance that the coach will still be in place throughout their career.

When coaches leave, they almost always do it with years left on their contract. Either they get fired and the school buys them out; or they leave/retire on their own, and eat what's left on their contract. For instance, Nick Saban had been under contract through 2030 when he left Alabama ... he walked away from $71.8 million. That's obviously on the high end, but coaches do it all the time.

But back to Fran ... after this season, he's only got 3 years left on his contract. That's going to start to work against him on the recruiting trail. His last extension came in 2021, which means it's really time to talk about another extension. That might seem ridiculous, and I don't disagree. But really, for the sake of the program, I think the university has to do one or the other -- either give him an extension or pony up the cash to buy him out so we can move on. Doing neither risks digging the program into a deeper hole.

To me, the choice is obvious. An extension would be incredibly dumb. It's time to bite the bullet and move on. Do it now, do it at the end of the season; I don't care. But I believe it's time for change.

I don't think the extension was done because both parties didn't want it. Beth was taking a wait and see on how things would go and Fran wouldn't agree to lower guaranteed money/or he's told Beth already he's not sure he wants to stay in Iowa City. An Extension for 1 year with pay raise, but little guaranteed extra money could have been done at little extra cost to Iowa---Fran probably didn't agree, maybe it was insulting to him for what he's done at Iowa from his own POV.

If as rumored, this was going to be Frans last year all along, there was a chance for Fran to negotiate a buyout with some reduced level of money and Iowa could have had a retirement ceremony at the end of this year and the transition would have been smoother. The fact that he trots out lineups that are getting beat from the very 1st possession because they are too small/can't rebound or defend kinda makes it look like Fran is tanking on purpose. The lack of fire on sidelines also says that. Or maybe just coincidental and it is just incompetence.

His season is going South, so unless things turn around, if his goal was to get the complete buyout by being fired, mission is on track to be accomplished.

 

[hawkirugged17]

So, something that I think should be considered in this discussion ...

I believe Fran is under contract through the 2027-28 season. People often talk about coaches staying in place until the end of their contract, but as I have argued before on the football board, that rarely actually happens. Most often, you want your coaches working with at least 4-5 years remaining on their contract, so high school recruits can have some level of assurance that the coach will still be in place throughout their career.

When coaches leave, they almost always do it with years left on their contract. Either they get fired and the school buys them out; or they leave/retire on their own, and eat what's left on their contract. For instance, Nick Saban had been under contract through 2030 when he left Alabama ... he walked away from $71.8 million. That's obviously on the high end, but coaches do it all the time.

But back to Fran ... after this season, he's only got 3 years left on his contract. That's going to start to work against him on the recruiting trail. His last extension came in 2021, which means it's really time to talk about another extension. That might seem ridiculous, and I don't disagree. But really, for the sake of the program, I think the university has to do one or the other -- either give him an extension or pony up the cash to buy him out so we can move on. Doing neither risks digging the program into a deeper hole.

To me, the choice is obvious. An extension would be incredibly dumb. It's time to bite the bullet and move on. Do it now, do it at the end of the season; I don't care. But I believe it's time for change.