Fran Climbing the ladder of Best Iowa Coach ever?

[Franisdaman]

First off, if he had failed to rise Iowa from the crater Lick left, we might be the "Rutgers of the Big 10."

Now, consider this. The last time Iowa had a coach who coached 4 straight first team All Big 10 honorees was in the 1940's. That points to being good at evaluating high school talent AND then developing that talent while those kids are at Iowa, correct? And isn't that what makes a coach a great coach?

 

[BioHawk]

He's got a long way to go for that but if he can continue to grow this group of freshmen we may need to have this conversation again in 3 years or so.

 

[Ree4]

Isnt Rutgers in the B10 though? :0

 

[Franisdaman]

He's got a long way to go for that but if he can continue to grow this group of freshmen we may need to have this conversation again in 3 years or so.

If he wins a big 10 championship (hasn't been done in 38 years!) and if he gets to the top of the all time wins column, his case gets stronger.

what impresses me is that Marble and White were your typical 3 star recruit and Fran made them into 1st Team All Big 10. Pretty impressive.

 

[LuteHawk]

Fran is a good fit for Iowa. He wants to be here and
has no desire to go elsewhere. Two of his freshmen
recruits this season, Bohannon and Cook made the
All Big Ten First Team.

 

[DanL53]

Fran is certainly climbing a ladder. How far he gets is yet to be determined.

 

[EastIowaHawk]

Not ready to put Fran in the "great" coach category, but he's sure recruited some kids with heart and desire..

 

[thirteenandtwo]

Fran is the best ever, imo

 

[hawk_a_holic]

He is well positioned to be the GOAT. Time will tell but man he sure upgraded the talent like crazy. Our 13th man would have been a starter under previous regime. I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg under Fran.

 

[ih8iast8]

Not ready to put Fran in the "great" coach category, but he's sure recruited some kids with heart and desire..

If he takes us to the NCAA tournament this yr, that's 4 tourneys in a row...I guess that's not great enough for you?

 

[Franisdaman]

Not ready to put Fran in the "great" coach category, but he's sure recruited some kids with heart and desire..

Yeah, it appears he's getting the tough kids that he likes.

And the fast pace style of play is what Iowa fans love and have loved for a very long time.

 

[Franisdaman]

Fran is the best ever, imo

Nation wide?

 

[Franisdaman]

He is well positioned to be the GOAT. Time will tell but man he sure upgraded the talent like crazy. Our 13th man would have been a starter under previous regime. I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg under Fran.

he's starting to break the glass ceiling on those 4 star recruits, too. ALMOST got Ulis, who is now starting for the Phoenix Suns! Getting Cook was huge. Keeping the Iowa kids (like Woody, Weiskamp, as examples) away from Roy Williams has been huge.

 

[BioHawk]

If he wins a big 10 championship (hasn't been done in 38 years!) and if he gets to the top of the all time wins column, his case gets stronger.

what impresses me is that Marble and White were your typical 3 star recruit and Fran made them into 1st Team All Big 10. Pretty impressive.

No argument from me there. I think Fran is just getting started. This current group of freshmen is really good and he seems to be drawing interest from other top recruits as well (well, more highly regarded than Iowa would get a shot at 10 years ago).

I just think it's too soon to give him the label of "best ever" but the path to get there is certainly available.

 

[Franisdaman]

If he takes us to the NCAA tournament this yr, that's 4 tourneys in a row...I guess that's not great enough for you?

And remember, we were starting 4 freshman and now we start 3 freshman. That cannot be easy.

Getting all of these youngsters up to speed, especially in time for the B1G season, took some damn good coaching, imo.

 

[hawkeye bb n fb fan]

If he takes us to the NCAA tournament this yr, that's 4 tourneys in a row...I guess that's not great enough for you?

How about at least 1 Sweet 16?

 

[Franisdaman]

No argument from me there. I think Fran is just getting started. This current group of freshmen is really good and he seems to be drawing interest from other top recruits as well (well, more highly regarded than Iowa would get a shot at 10 years ago).

I just think it's too soon to give him the label of "best ever" but the path to get there is certainly available.

I think the crater he had to dig out from was bigger than we thought. He fought like hell for his kids and for this program early (remember the MSU chair slamming incident, getting tossed from the Kohl Center, as a couple examples). He was not going to sit back when Izzo and Ryan were getting preferential treatment.

The style of play and the fact that as a freshman you will play has to be intriguing to 4 star kids.

YEAH, its way too soon to be labeled GOAT, but dang, in a few years, we might be thinking so if he wins a B1G championship (last one was 38 years ago) and/or gets to a Final 4 (last one was 37 years ago).

think about that for a second. our last B1G Championship was 38 years ago.

 

[hawkeye bb n fb fan]

I think the crater he had to dig out from was bigger than we thought. He fought like hell for his kids and for this program early (remember the MSU chair slamming incident, getting tossed from the Kohl Center, as a couple examples). He was not going to sit back when Izzo and Ryan were getting preferential treatment.

The style of play and the fact that as a freshman you will play has to be intriguing to 4 star kids.

YEAH, its way too soon to be labeled GOAT, but dang, in a few years, we might be thinking so if he wins a B1G championship (last one was 38 years ago) and/or gets to a Final 4 (last one was 37 years ago).

think about that for a second. our last B1G Championship was 38 years ago.

Like i said right before ur post, let's get to a Sweet 16 before we start talking about Final 4

 

[Franisdaman]

Here is something to think about too:

Was there ever an Iowa mens basketball coach who inherited a mess similar to what Fran did? Look what Tom Davis inherited, for example.

 

[Franisdaman]

Like i said right before ur post, let's get to a Sweet 16 before we start talking about Final 4

agreed.

 

[thirteenandtwo]

Nation wide?

well... in my opinion he is the greatest ever... on every level...
but I consider him the best coach all time coach at Iowa that I've seen...
because of the playing style, the success... and his fiery attitude...

he's been able to take a bottom of the barrel team and turn them into tournament teams...
what he has yet to do is win a tournament....
we were close 4 years ago...
but in his previous coaching gigs.... Fran was able to win tournaments.... a lot of them...

so it will be interesting to see what happens this year... with a new crew...
a crew that Fran surely feels good about.
if we are able to win that first game... I think we win all games.

 

[Row55]

It would have been interesting to see how Ralph Miller would have done had he stuck around longer. The '69-'70 team was amazing and fun to watch. But he left after Johnson, Calabria, Vidnovic, McGilmer and Jensen graduated. Dick Schultz inherited Fred Brown and Kevin Kunnert, two future NBA'ers, but didn't get much for results.

Lute and Bucky O'Connor got us to the Final Four, so I don't see how you can put McCaffrey over them just yet.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

It will be hard for him to catch up to the greatest coaches we've had. But it is possible.

Here's where I would rank our coaches.
1. Bucky O'Connor
2. Ralph Miller
3. Lute Olson
4. Sam Berry
5. Pops Harrison
6. Dr. Tom Davis, would be higher if the Big Ten did the right thing and awarded us the 97 title.
7. (Tie) Sharm Scheuerman, Steve Alford
9. Fran

I think a Big Ten regular season title or Final Four appearance could vault him up to consideration for 4th on that list. If he starts combining them or doing multiples he can move up higher. It'll take multiple titles and Final Fours to pass Bucky. Or a NCAA title probably vaults him to the top automatically.

 

[bagdropper]

I seem to recall Lute Olson taking Iowa from the bottom of the barrel to a Final 4.

 

[BlazinHawk]

Lute Olson. Fran needs to eventually get to a FF, win a BTT as well as challenge for one yearly, and consistently have top 20 teams.

 

[3boysmom]

It will be hard for him to catch up to the greatest coaches we've had. But it is possible.

Here's where I would rank our coaches.
1. Bucky O'Connor
2. Ralph Miller
3. Lute Olson
4. Sam Berry
5. Pops Harrison
6. Dr. Tom Davis, would be higher if the Big Ten did the right thing and awarded us the 97 title.
7. (Tie) Sharm Scheuerman, Steve Alford
9. Fran

I think a Big Ten regular season title or Final Four appearance could vault him up to consideration for 4th on that list. If he starts combining them or doing multiples he can move up higher. It'll take multiple titles and Final Fours to pass Bucky. Or a NCAA title probably vaults him to the top automatically.

Below Alford? What???? Has been to as many NCAA tournaments, had more wins, in less years. And that after digging us out of the biggest hole we've ever been in. Better overall B1G record. Only thing he has been worse at is B1G Tourney wins.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Below Alford? What???? Has been to as many NCAA tournaments, had more wins, in less years. And that after digging us out of the biggest hole we've ever been in. Better overall B1G record. Only thing he has been worse at is B1G Tourney wins.

[Redacted] has two Big Ten Tourney championships and a 2nd place finish. Plus as many NCAA tourney wins as Fran. He also had similar issues with late season collapses.

I don't like him, but currently he's had slightly more success. It won't take much for Fran to pass him though. I felt worse about putting a great Hawkeye in Sharm on the same line as him. He could have been better, but Sharm inherited the job before he was ready for it because of Bucky's death.

 

[Kurt Warner]

It is truly amazing iowa hasn't won a tilte in 38 years, my gosh that's a very long dry spell. I believe with the freshman class we have and the guys coming in that may be coming to an end within 3 years.

 

[StormHawk42]

Needs to get out of the first weekend of the tournament at some point. He's got it rolling in the right direction though.

 

[soybean]

Fran is the best ever, imo

Ahead of Bucky O'Conner, Ralph Miller, Lute Olsen or Tom Davis?

 

[hawkeye bb n fb fan]

What would help Fran a lot is if after this years freshman class graduates, the next year, assuming we have a lot of freshman again, is if we don't take a step back. At some point we need to keep it so we are really good and so we are making the tournament and winning at least one game a year and not almost wasting a year to teach the freshman. Like Wisconsin has done a little bit in years past

Agree or disagree? Feel free to disagree I'm just wondering your guys thoughts

 

[CO_hawk]

I just want a trophy or banner to look at.

 

[thirteenandtwo]

Ahead of Bucky O'Conner, Ralph Miller, Lute Olsen or Tom Davis?

I'm only 46... so O'Conner and Miller don't qualify, imo...
Lute Olsen and Tom Davis were great coaches... but they ain't here no more.
they had different teams in a different era of basketball...
for where we are now and from where we've come... its my opinion that Fran McCaffery is the absolute best... the way he's developed players... his in game coaching ability... his fiery attitude... are all things I am very satisfied with... there's nobody else I'd rather be our coach right now, then Coach Fran McCaffery

 

[bbwretler]

Fran is the best ever, imo

You obviosly weren't around during Ralph or Lute's time then. I like Fran a lot he's just not there yet.

 

[GPRHAWK]

Maybe it's just me, but I think coaches are judged primarily on their success in March. Don't get me wrong, I think Fran is a good coach and am happy to have him but his team's have done very little in the B1G and NCAA tournaments so far. When he wins B1G titles and starts getting to sweet sixteens, I will start comparing him to Bucky, Ralph, Lute, and Tom,

 

[thirteenandtwo]

we start 3 freshmen.... we play 2 more freshmen regular minutes off the bench...
we're 10-8 in the Big Ten...

if that ain't evidence enough for the greatness of Fran McCaffery, then your opinion has little value to me.

 

[DanL53]

What would help Fran a lot is if after this years freshman class graduates, the next year, assuming we have a lot of freshman again, is if we don't take a step back. At some point we need to keep it so we are really good and so we are making the tournament and winning at least one game a year and not almost wasting a year to teach the freshman. Like Wisconsin has done a little bit in years past

Agree or disagree? Feel free to disagree I'm just wondering your guys thoughts

Making the NCAA Tournament every year doesn't happen but to the elites on their best runs. To expect that AND to win one game a year in it? Asking too much, imo.

 

[kcgolfer]

At the very least, Fran is a great judge of talent. He coaches in a way that gets the kids to buy into it, and, it is damn fun to watch. He has a very promising future at Iowa.

 

[stillh8unlv]

Making the NCAA Tournament every year doesn't happen but to the elites on their best runs. To expect that AND to win one game a year in it? Asking too much, imo.

That's where Iowa was in the Davis years

 

[DanL53]

That's where Iowa was in the Davis years

No, it wasn't.