Exactly. Fran puts on a very entertaining product, almost always finishes in the top half of the Big, consistently makes the NCAAs and won the BTT just two years ago. I think the potential is there for a nice NCAA run at the end of his career, but that is no the test for my satisfaction. And he's a good respected representative of the University who runs a very clean program. I enjoy the entire year and try not to get wrapped up in how we lose the last game of the year. Most teams do.
So do you enjoy his temper tantrums as a "respected representative of the University"? Or his snarkyness with the media when asked anything difficult, like why he can't make a run in the tourney? Iowa can do much better, and has before.
According to our NIL director we are close to the bottom of the conference in basketball NIL, our budget for men's hoops in near the bottom of the conference, we can't get fans to fill out our stadium most of the time even though we have had 5 straight NCAA tournament teams and multiple National POTY candidates and play a fun & entertaining style, plus there have been coaches opinion polls that rank Iowa toward the bottom in the power conference in terms of recruiting footprint.
People forget kids develop and Fran-stans ignore his kids aren't very good and, also, Patrophy.
Bring Deano home.
Two first-round draft picks and this Ivy Leaguer couldn't figure out how, not only, to play them together, but how to play them with Garza.
Until just a few years ago Iowa was still in the Top 25 programs in the history of college basketball. ANY B1G program is considered a step up for most college coaches. The NIL money follows both success and fan support. I, like many Iowa fans, would not give a dime right now to support Fran. On the positive side, he did bring the program back from the depths of the Lick/Alford years. A new coach would generate excitement. Lute didn't come from a blue blood program, nor did Ralph Miller. Great coaches are out there, it is time for Iowa to take the next step.
You're the exact type of insufferable sap I'm talking about. You make me embarrassed to be a Hawkeye.
It took her until year 15 here before she made a Sweet 16. Which is the exact argument that anyone that wants Fran gone is making?
Dean-O is a former Hawk but besides being an assistant at Swissconsin what has he accomplished? Why not target a known name brand coach? Someone who has a proven track record.
Years ago, huh? When would that have been? His third year when he won 25 games? Or his fifth and sixth years when he won 22? Or five years ago when he won 23? Or maybe two years ago when he won 26? Oh, you're probably referring to his one losing season since his first year. Yeah, you really have a good point! And that's how you find and retain good coaches....by firing the guy who will shortly be the all-time winning coach at your school. Good plan!
Yeah, let's go get the next Siena phenom who plays his kids instead of two first-rounders.
i hear ya. I feel the same about the coach who hasn't done shit since losing to Baylor by 20 in the NIT finals 11 years ago.
Did you WATCH any games during the Lackluster era???
First of all, if you don't know who is funding Iowa State's basketball NIL at this point, you must be living under a rock. They have a billionaire sugar daddy who is separate from their collective who only donates to basketball since he is good friends with TJ.
Seems to me some rich engineering graduates could fund basketball NIL. Or lawyers. Hard to believe there isn’t some alumni who would step up. That’s on the AD.
Fran's an OK coach.
I did give a couple of dimes for the NIL which I hope will eventually find their way to the basketball program and did so happily, hoping eventually other Iowa fans would step up and give enough to spread it among several sports. Most on here realize how good of coaches Miller and Olson were, but many weren't even alive back then and have just the records and legends to go by. But the fact is, the sport of college basketball was a very different animal back then and was almost considered a minor sport, of course, to football. Miller was plucked from Wichita after thirteen years and one NCAA appearance and built Iowa into a juggernaut after five seasons, during which the mob now would be calling for his head. Olson was brought in by Bump Elliot after the disastrous misstep of hiring Iowa's baseball coach, Dick Schultz to coach the four interim years. Those of us that remember Candy LaPrince and Neil Fegebank as the stars of those team still cringe. Lute came to us after one very successful season at Long Beach State. He brought his "stars" with him and slowly built up the program until making the NCAA Tournament in '79. Then came the magic 1980 season, which was marred by Ronnie's knee injury at Dayton. After that, we had a couple disappointing NCAA appearances losing in the first and second rounds. By then the fans were grumbling and Lute was looking for a warm spot to land. The rest is history. Anyway, the point is that college basketball was still in it's infancy back then, with usually one game a week on TV. The sport today is so much more competitive, even for the coaches. Win or else at this level. McCaffery wins, like it or not. Look how many coaches have come and gone in the B1G since he took over at Iowa. I am one that is willing to let him play this out for as long as he wants to be the Head Hawkeye, unless there is malfeasance or the program just totally falls off the cliff.
Well said. It’s funny to look back and remember how much hell we gave Lute for “choking “ in the 2nd round after the dreamy final four year.
