Fran: "It's none of your business what the last play call was."

[KeyWest Tim]

Bad answer.

Bad game.
Bad to horrible end of game management.

And bad and program deflating 2 out of 3 end of season collapes which should provoke a football like examination of what needs to change.

"Choke" is not a label you want attached to your program or your career.

 

[championhawk]

It is none of our business. Maybe I just think differently, but he is coaching a game, for student-athletes to participate in. He answers to Gary Barta and above, not the average fan and definitely not the media.
It is not his fault if we the fans let a student athlete game take control of our lives! Step back, realize there are a few things more important than a game! If this ruins your weekend or next week or even next season, take that step back and don't become so heavily involved with it.

I don't have a problem with him not answering it because it lets opposing teams in on his plans. Not that it matters with MG in the game.

 

[bravehawks1]

I don't have a problem with him not answering it because it lets opposing teams in on his plans. Not that it matters with MG in the game.

His response proves their was no plan!

 

[DavenportHawk8]

His response proves their was no plan!

That's what I took away from his answer. There was no set option and if Mike would of said it, Fran would of lost it. lets face it, the guy does not know how to draw up a play.

I mean I just watched 3-4 games come to the half and every single one of them had a player pass it and then drive and then pass it back. The PG didn't have the ball in the end, the teams shooters were having the rock in their hand.

 

[bravehawks1]

I saw the replay of the last play last night and it was clear that any play call if it existed was so bad, Fran did not want to show of his shortcomings. You had your shortest player throwing the ball in, Baer essentially took two steps and was standing out of bounds in front of the Iowa bench, Clemmons did not move, Uhl moved several steps away from the basket and Uthoff had his back to the ball trying to screen off a player so the angle was nearly impossible to deliver the ball. Not one player moved towards the ball. Maybe that alone says what this team is about, nobody has the stones to be a hero!!!

 

[DavenportHawk8]

I was kind of hoping the reporter would of kept going with the question. I mean those questions were for the student athletes, not the coach.

Very poor showing for Fran. You can tell he is is frustrated beyond belief. But if your not willing to change anything Fran, then your getting what you deserve my friend.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

Do we all not recall the 2 straight pretty damn solid plays at the end of the Indiana game a week ago that gave us a chance? I'm going to guess Fran had something to do with their designs. I doubt he ended those plans with an airball and a clank, just like I doubt he ended this plan with a moronic pass (I'm sure panic induced knowing there were no timeouts left) to a covered man at half-court.
My guess is he was covering for Mike and his bone-head decision. Look, I'm pissed off too that we are swooning again, and I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about the game, but I also think Fran knows a bit more about it than I do (even though it is head-scratching at times). I'll go "benefit of doubt" here and say he was covering for Mike. And it's not like he went John Cheney on Dochterman; just a simple "NOYB".

 

[OC_Hawk]

Do we all not recall the 2 straight pretty damn solid plays at the end of the Indiana game a week ago that gave us a chance? I'm going to guess Fran had something to do with their designs. I doubt he ended those plans with an airball and a clank, just like I doubt he ended this plan with a moronic pass (I'm sure panic induced knowing there were no timeouts left) to a covered man at half-court.

He went back to the well on the "confused running around" inbound play for their first look with 4.8 left. Unfortunately, Illinois had a timeout to burn.

The second play he drew up that led to the pass to a covered man at half court was a different play. For about 5 seconds before the ref handed Gesell the ball the Hawks ran a 4-man weave at the free throw line. I don't know if the ref instructing the camera man to get out of the way threw them off or if they just started too soon, but by the time the ref blew the whistle they were all out of sorts.

On the whistle, they formed a scrum in the middle of the paint and then scattered. Uthoff came to the toward the right wing, Clemmons straight up the lane. Baer and Dom were right on top of each other and Baer headed to left wing, Dom straight back to top of key.

Uthoff cut his break off short and came toward the ball, right in the vicinity of where Clemmons was cutting to. Those two were easily covered up by their man & the inbound defender. Baer didn't have much separation, and was in a weird spot since the ball would have to travel through the hoop to get to him. Closest man to Dom (now at the top of the key) was down on the block but was watching Gesell and anticipated the throw really well.

I don't know how much was execution vs play design, but could have just thrown Dochterman a bone and laid that on out for him since it's a play that should be ripped out of the playbook and thrown away after yesterday anyway.

 

[LinusPF]

I guess I might have answered it a little more civil but basically agree I'm not telling anyone what it was going to be since it never got executed..... no need to tip my hand.

This.

If I'm Fran I interrupt Mike and I answer the question, without answering the question. And not be an A-Hole about it.

 

[Pepperman]

For about 5 seconds before the ref handed Gesell the ball the Hawks ran a 4-man weave at the free throw line. I don't know if the ref instructing the camera man to get out of the way threw them off or if they just started too soon, but by the time the ref blew the whistle they were all out of sorts.

I didn't notice that, but if that's the case then Fran probably should have said "look, I don't know why, but the ref didn't hand Mike the ball and our guys were already running the intended play."

 

[Titanhawk2]

Eff off Fran, show some class after a loss. (This is coming from someone who has been a huge fan of Fran)

I'm happy to see Fran mad again. You must be under a lot of pressure to lose your cool here and tell someone to "Eff off".

 

[championhawk]

I was kind of hoping the reporter would of kept going with the question. I mean those questions were for the student athletes, not the coach.

Very poor showing for Fran. You can tell he is is frustrated beyond belief. But if your not willing to change anything Fran, then your getting what you deserve my friend.

This is where I am. Fran has needed to make adjustments for the better part of a month and refused to do so. He has created the heat by sticking behind a couple of guys who aren't capable of getting the job done under the bright lights.

 

[LinusPF]

I think the question of "what was the play call with 4 seconds left" came from Dochterman of the CR Gazette.

Mike Gesell was going to answer the question but Fran cut Mike off. His reply was "It's none of your business what the last play call was. Period."

here is video of the question and reaction:

http://www.hawkcentral.com/videos/sports/college/iowa/basketball-men/2016/03/10/81618014/

Could it have been Hlas? Normally his articles try to be folksy and are no more than feel-good. This morning's has some bitterness...
http://www.thegazette.com/subject/s...-should-show-up-at-a-big-ten-tourney-20160310

 

[Drmac22]

He gets paid ALOT of money to answer those kind of questions after a loss like these lately. He is the head man and with that comes the responsibility of manning up. I was in the Navy and if the ship hit something in the middle of the night with the mid watch on the helm, guess what. The Commanding officer gets relieved. Even though he was asleep in his cabin. Just the way it works. Answer the damn questions. put your anger and emotions aside and get through it. You reflect what your team is. and right now they are a hot mess.

 

[anon_snp6dc585nnj4]

Thought I read that question was directed at the players. Seemed like Fran might have just been jumping in to protect them from the question? Obviously worded it poorly, but may be taken out of context.

 

[David1979]

Man, I don't understand how after this many years of coaching he still can't handle a press conference professionally. I think part of the problem is Fran's temper puts more pressure on these kids in close games and when things go bad.
Some of the problems are Fran in game coaching problems but the other problem that I don't know if people are talking about is talent level. Uthoff and Jok are really good but the other guys are below average to average. When they were at their best this season it was because the guys were playing over their heads but that wasn't sustainable. They need upgrade in talent across the board. They have Cook coming in next year but for the past several years they have mostly gotten a bunch of unranked 3 star recruits. That's not going to cut it when you have other schools getter better talent. Even schools that aren't very good are getting 4 star guys. Penn State had two in their last class. And in a state that doesn't produce very many high major basketball talent, Iowa has decided to sign heavily from the state. Kreiner, Pemsl, and Bohannon all look like mid major guys to me.

 

[Rifler]

That's exactly what he was doing. If Mike had actually described the intended play he would have embarassed himself because what actually went down wasn't even close to what they were attempting to do.....

 

[Franisdaman]

I was kind of hoping the reporter would of kept going with the question. I mean those questions were for the student athletes, not the coach.

Very poor showing for Fran. You can tell he is is frustrated beyond belief. But if your not willing to change anything Fran, then your getting what you deserve my friend.

Twice a reporter followed up on the original question. The first time? Fran again said "it is none of your business. Period." The 2nd time? he sat there quiet.

 

[Rustys Dad]

I understand Fran was stepping in for Mike and maybe trying to take some of the heat off of him ... That being said, Fran's response/tone was more typical of an 8 year-old... Come on Fran ... The question was legit ...

I also caught part of Fran's post-game with Dolph after the Michigan game ... I had it on the radio and was caught off guard a bit because he was being an ahole to Dolph right from the beginning of the interview ... And this was after Iowa won ...

I appreciate intensity ... I appreciate the heat of the moment ... That being said, Fran needs to be able to compose himself and understand talking to the media, etc., is part of the gig so his responses need to be a little more structured than: "It's none of your business what the play was..." Well, when your team loses to the #11 seed .. and the season ends like the Titanic ... it's a legit concern as far as "what the heck is going on here." ...

I can't think of any other college team that imploded like Iowa did this year.

 

[bravehawks1]

So even if you use the excuse that the ref was slow putting the ball in play, shouldn't a good coach either have the team keep moving or you wait until put in play. In high school we had a trigger mechanism by the guy throwing in the ball, so something is not getting connected between the coaching staff if it exists to the players.

Fran could have easily responded: "we had a play with several options, but the combination of the delay in giving the ball to Mike and the Illinois defense disrupted the timing and then we ran out of time". It could have been a complete lie for anyone but the players but no one would have known differently and the media and fans would have moved on. Instead, we get the jerk response.

 

[MepoDawg#]

I'm guessing the play didn't go as it was drawn up so Fran is keeping MG from having to answer questions about it. I'm sure they'll talk about it inside the locker room. Better question would of have been "did the last play go as drawn up?" Or who were you trying to get the ball to.

 

[OldTownPepe]

A team reflects a coaches personality to a great degree. I don't remember seeing Fran very often getting down with his team around him, drawing up plays at the end of games or showing much fire, unless it's directed at the officiating. The image I have is Fran standing with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face, and having little to no interaction with his players. Maybe that explains why Uthoff appears completely bored and disinterested when you see him before a game and the team plays like they're sleepwalking through it. I've tried to give Fran the benefit of the doubt during his tenure at Iowa, but he just doesn't seem the type of coach that has a clue how to motivate and get his team up in any crucial situations. Maybe he's a good example of the Peter Principle, but I doubt if any change will ever be made by Iowa's athletic department as long as so many have the "at least he's not Lickliter" mindset. That seems to be good enough for most people.

 

[Ronman]

McCaffery has been pretty renown for drawing up successful inbound scoring plays under our basket since he's been here. I'm sure that the play wasn't for Mike to throw the ball out to half court to Uhl, but rather to set a screen or two to free up Uthoff. Illinois held and bumped us enough to negate the play. The frustrating thing was not even getting a shot off when we had the ball with 15 plus seconds left in the game.

 

[Franisdaman]

Man, I don't understand how after this many years of coaching he still can't handle a press conference professionally. I think part of the problem is Fran's temper puts more pressure on these kids in close games and when things go bad.

See the Kenyon Murray thread; he speculated about this.

 

[Franisdaman]

McCaffery has been pretty renown for drawing up successful inbound scoring plays under our basket since he's been here. I'm sure that the play wasn't for Mike to throw the ball out to half court to Uhl, but rather to set a screen or two to free up Uthoff. Illinois held and bumped us enough to negate the play. The frustrating thing was not even getting a shot off when we had the ball with 15 plus seconds left in the game.

yeah, normally Fran's inbounds plays are very good. this time it did not pan out; and i think we were out of time outs so Mike had to inbound the ball

 

[drafthawk]

Watched the video and I don't see a problem with the answer. He doesn't have to tell anybody the play that was called whether you want him to or not. How many basketball coaches are posting in this thread? I coached basketball, be it at the high school level, and would never tell a reporter what the play call was. None of their business, ask me how I felt about the game and I will answer. Specific plays none of their business.

 

[kzoohawk80]

Watched the video and I don't see a problem with the answer. He doesn't have to tell anybody the play that was called whether you want him to or not. How many basketball coaches are posting in this thread? I coached basketball, be it at the high school level, and would never tell a reporter what the play call was. None of their business, ask me how I felt about the game and I will answer. Specific plays none of their business.

Agree after watching the video it really wasn't that bad. It looks worse written then what was on the video.

 

[Herkmeister]

Dolph is an alcoholic moron.

Fran a saint for putting up with him these last few years.

Time for Dolph to "retire."

Seriously? Dolph drinks?

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Seriously? Dolph drinks?

think it is mere coincidence he is incoherent during broadcasts? unnecessarily negative and pessimistic at times? has trouble forming a sentence or complete a thought during interviews?

he is very fortunate to still have his job. his continued employment must not be merit based or subject to job performance reviews.

Iowa could do a whole lot better than the current product we are getting from The Dolph.

0.02

 

[FanOHawk]

The end game's problem has a name, Mike Gesell.

Iowa needs Guards. No more AAU momma boys, get down get dirty style, see Kenny Arnold.

 

[doughudd]

A team reflects a coaches personality to a great degree. I don't remember seeing Fran very often getting down with his team around him, drawing up plays at the end of games or showing much fire, unless it's directed at the officiating. The image I have is Fran standing with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face, and having little to no interaction with his players. Maybe that explains why Uthoff appears completely bored and disinterested when you see him before a game and the team plays like they're sleepwalking through it. I've tried to give Fran the benefit of the doubt during his tenure at Iowa, but he just doesn't seem the type of coach that has a clue how to motivate and get his team up in any crucial situations. Maybe he's a good example of the Peter Principle, but I doubt if any change will ever be made by Iowa's athletic department as long as so many have the "at least he's not Lickliter" mindset. That seems to be good enough for most people.

Maybe you should go to a live game and see what he does before telling everybody what he's doing wrong.

 

[CuttyDoesIt]

Iowa needs Guards. No more AAU momma boys, get down get dirty style, see Kenny Arnold.

You dont want to recruit players that play AAU?

 

[CuttyDoesIt]

Watched the video and I don't see a problem with the answer. He doesn't have to tell anybody the play that was called whether you want him to or not. How many basketball coaches are posting in this thread? I coached basketball, be it at the high school level, and would never tell a reporter what the play call was. None of their business, ask me how I felt about the game and I will answer. Specific plays none of their business.

Yeah well there's a difference between handling the media at the high school and Big 10 level.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

Yeah well there's a difference between handling the media at the high school and Big 10 level.

All you have to say is this, "The play was drawn up to go to Uthoff and Illinois shut it down. They had a great defensive strategy that took him away. "

That's all you need to say, instead our coach comes in like a A-hole with the its NOYB crap. I am sorry but the way he stormed out after the 80 second post game presser a few weeks ago and then this. It shows that Fran is immature and can't handle the pressure.

 

[OC_Hawk]

I am sorry but the way he stormed out after the 80 second post game presser a few weeks ago and then this. It shows that Fran is immature and can't handle the pressure.

Hard to argue with that.

 

[kzoohawk80]

All you have to say is this, "The play was drawn up to go to Uthoff and Illinois shut it down. They had a great defensive strategy that took him away. "

That's all you need to say, instead our coach comes in like a A-hole with the its NOYB crap. I am sorry but the way he stormed out after the 80 second post game presser a few weeks ago and then this. It shows that Fran is immature and can't handle the pressure.

A lot of good to great coaches have some awesome sound bits of losing their cool in media situations. Doesn't mean they can't handle the pressure. Of course he treats the media like KF and then it's well his team takes on his identity and plays with no emotion or fire. I think your trying to hard here. Fran's got his faults and they are being discussed on this board. But to say he can't handle the pressure because he's had two bad press conferences according to you seems like a stretch. I could go the other way and say that because of the press conference it shows what a competitor and winner Fran is. That it's just not ok to lose the Big Ten title and lose a Big Ten tournament game. Fran is showing great competitiveness by actually caring about the results.

 

[unoHawkeye]

Just saying, but some of you want Kirk Ferentz to be more animated and show more emotion, or that he "cares" after losses instead of being straight faced and saying "That's football." Well, that's our basketball coach, and you can't have it both ways.

Also, I didn't get the impression that Fran was displaying a temper while answering that question. He seemed pretty calm for the remainder of the press conference. It's possible that he simply didn't think it was necessary to tell everybody the play.

Also, Uthoff said in his personal interview that he was the first option on the inbound.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I am ok with Fran's response.

Is it possible he was trying to take the blame and not throw his kids under the bus?

I think the question of "what was the play call with 4 seconds left" came from Dochterman of the CR Gazette.

Mike Gesell was going to answer the question but Fran cut Mike off. Fran's reply was "It's none of your business what the last play call was."

Twice a reporter followed up on the original question. The first time? Fran again said "it is none of your business. Period." The 2nd time? He sat there quiet.

Here is video of the question, follow up questions, and the reactions from Mike, JU and Fran:

http://www.hawkcentral.com/videos/sports/college/iowa/basketball-men/2016/03/10/81618014/

 

[hawkeye122671]

If he drew up the best most open shots in the history of the game they wouldnt be 2-20.

Teams go through shooting slumps all the time. Good coaches get their players easy looks to get them going.

Yes they would. They suck. Period. Gesell, Clemons and Woodbury had nothing but open looks and missed all but 1. It is indisputable that this group of seniors are habitual chokers, horrendous offensive players and mentally weak. Stop defending the players. They are d1 friggin scholarship players who have never been able to get it. Players need to execute. That's on them not Fran. Only a dope would deny that.

 

[hawkeye122671]

Yet, Fran KEEPS on drawing up plays for Gesell to blunder at the end. That is amazing.

Don't be this obtuse. This is how I know you are a moron. Unless there is an alternative universe where a coach would instruct his point guard to wait too long to start the play, then go away from hot shooters and over penetrate into a desperate shit shot. I seriously hope our fan base is not collectively as dumb as most on here.