How many years should a coach get to deliver a BIG title at Iowa?

[ScoutRefugee]

5? 10? 15? 20?
Simple question for the board. What is an acceptable time frame to get that job done? Or is it never going to happen at Iowa?

 

[K OKeefe]

I say every Jubilee or 50 years.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

I say every Jubilee or 50 years.

Is this serious? The winky emoticon tells me it isn't. Care to give a serious answer?

 

[K OKeefe]

Is this serious? The winky emoticon tells me it isn't. Care to give a serious answer?

I believe a competent coach should be able to put together enough talent to win a conference title every 10 years on average. I am not so focused on conference championships as I am getting to the Sweet 16 (at least 2 every 4 years, Elite 8 (at least 1 every 4/5 years), or even winning a few games in the conference tournament. If ISU can do it 2 out of the last 3, the Iowa should be able to at least replicate that type of run.

Tom Davis' Elite 8 team, and I believe one of the finest Iowa has ever put on the hardwood, went 14-4 in conference play. I really enjoyed that Elite 8 run those were exciting games.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

I believe a competent coach should be able to put together enough talent to win a conference title every 10 years on average. I am not so focused on conference championships as I am getting to the Sweet 16 (at least 2 every 4 years, Elite 8 (at least 1 every 4/5 years), or even winning a few games in the conference tournament. If ISU can do it 2 out of the last 3, the Iowa should be able to at least replicate that type of run.

That's a fair response and a fair expectation. If Fran doesn't deliver a BIG title or a Sweet 16 by year 10, you want him replaced?

 

[K OKeefe]

That's a fair response and a fair expectation. If Fran doesn't deliver a BIG title or a Sweet 16 by year 10, you want him replaced?

If you have followed my basketball comments, I am not a fan of Coach Fran; however, I believe that he has some nice pieces on this roster. To answer your question, yes! I would even go so far as to say that if he does not have a Sweet 16 by year 8 then make the change. Heck little brother won 2 conference tournaments in a row to go along with their two Sweet 16s

 

[ScoutRefugee]

If you have followed my basketball comments, I am not a fan of Coach Fran; however, I believe that he has some nice pieces on this roster. To answer your question, yes!

I've met Fran several times. I actually like Fran as a person. I just don't let that cloud my opinion on whether or not he is meeting my personal expectations as the Iowa coach. I also understand that my personal expectations amount to bupkis.

 

[K OKeefe]

He comes off like an arrogant jerk in interviews "Cause I said so" "Next question" etc... and his court presence can be horrendous. I feel like he gets so angry he loses his ability to coach. His anger keeps his thoughts in past. Basketball is a game that the team must focus on the present and if you are arguing calls until you are red in the face then your thoughts are stuck in the past.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

He comes off like an arrogant jerk in interviews "Cause I said so" "Next question" etc... and his court presence can be horrendous. I feel like he gets so angry he loses his ability to coach. His anger keeps his thoughts in past. Basketball is a game that the team must focus on the present and if you are arguing calls until you are red in the face then your thoughts are stuck in the past.

I'm no fan of his side line behavior. I get you there. He lets his emotions get away from him every once in awhile. If that's the worst we have to deal with from him, I can live with it.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

I am a Fran supporter and I think he has the program moving in the right direction. I believe a coach should get a Big Ten Title (Conference or tournament) every 10 years. Now with that being said I will say this. Fran inherited a mess and I realize we are on year 7 but I gave him the first 3 seasons as a "pass". He was cleaning up a pile of SH!T in the basketball program. He had to work hard to get us back to being competitive. He is still cleaning up crap from Lick and trying to get the relationships back that were burned under Lick. So what he has done here at Iowa is pretty amazing.

So I will still give him a few more years to get that elusive title. I am more interested in NCAA runs. I would like to see Iowa get out of the first weekend, but I am okay with making the NCAA every year. If make Post-season play every year (NIT or NCAA) I will take it. If he can get us out of the first weekend in the NCAA, that will boost recruiting and get more eyes on the program. I think he will get it done sooner than later.

He has the pieces to be a great team and I think if he can keep recruiting the level he is at, Iowa will be very good in 2-3 years and beyond that.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

Please, its close to 40 years. The Big Ten office would utterly lose their minds if Iowa won the Big Ten title. While some of the officiating woes are behinds, rest assured there will never be a season where teams like Iowa (second tier conference programs) get a fair enough shake over the duration of an entire regular season to pull of the kinds of wins that move them into the upper tier. Saw it happen over and over with the very talented teams from 78-99. The next 3-4 years may revisit some of these issues.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

Please, its close to 40 years. The Big Ten office would utterly lose their minds if Iowa won the Big Ten title. While some of the officiating woes are behinds, rest assured there will never be a season where teams like Iowa (second tier conference programs) get a fair enough shake over the duration of an entire regular season to pull of the kinds of wins that move them into the upper tier. Saw it happen over and over with the very talented teams from 78-99. The next 3-4 years may revisit some of these issues.

Lol. Wow. Skipped all of the avg excuses and went right to "40 year conf ref conspiracy"?

 

[LuteHawk]

College basketball fans do not really care about their
conference championships as much as an invitation
to the NCAA Tournament. If the Hawkeyes could get to
the Sweet 16, more often, then that would really satisfy
the fans, the players, and the coaches.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

College basketball fans do not really care about their
conference championships as much as an invitation
to the NCAA Tournament. If the Hawkeyes could get to
the Sweet 16, more often, then that would really satisfy
the fans, the players, and the coaches.

Does everyone else know that you're speaking for them?

 

[RefinedBean]

Does everyone else know that you're speaking for them?

Yeah, we all got together and decided he/she should be our spokesperson.

We wanted to invite you, but...you know...

Anyway, I don't care about winning the B1G. It'd be nice! But I don't expect Iowa to do it more than once every few decades.

 

[SSG T]

I'd much rather have Sweet 16s, Elite 8s, Final Fours than Conference titles. Finish 3rd or 4th in the conference but get to the FF, that's a great season. Win the conference but get beat first round of the tourney, that's hugely disappointing.

So, to answer the question, it depends on the finish to the season. If Fran got the Hawks to the Sweet 16 or better each of the next 6 years but never finished higher than 3rd in the conference and never played in a BTT final, I'd give him a big raise.

If he won the next 6 B1G titles, but the Hawks never get out of the first weekend of the tourney, I'd be good with getting a new coach.

 

[StormHawk42]

I'd much rather have Sweet 16s, Elite 8s, Final Fours than Conference titles. Finish 3rd or 4th in the conference but get to the FF, that's a great season. Win the conference but get beat first round of the tourney, that's hugely disappointing.

So, to answer the question, it depends on the finish to the season. If Fran got the Hawks to the Sweet 16 or better each of the next 6 years but never finished higher than 3rd in the conference and never played in a BTT final, I'd give him a big raise.

If he won the next 6 B1G titles, but the Hawks never get out of the first weekend of the tourney, I'd be good with getting a new coach.

This. Just be a tourney regular and make a second weekend run every couple years. Don't care about conference championships nearly as much.

 

[unoHawkeye]

Getting into the tournament is all I care about

 

[Hawk_82]

I want to see ncaa tourney bid 3 out of 4 years, make it out of the first round 2 out of 3 years. as long as we stay competitive and aren't getting out played regularly then I am good with that. anything better than r-32 is gravy, although it would get annoying to never reach sweet 16. I don't care about big championships.

I think fran is great and don't want him to go anywhere

 

[thirteenandtwo]

I think Fran is the best.... I wish he would rip into the officials a little more often..... but I love his fire and intensity... people that are true competitors know this sort of passion is an absolute must.

my hope is that Fran coaches at Iowa until he dies.

I'm no fan of coaching carousels.

 

[HawkLogic]

Getting into the tournament is all I care about

Getting a playin game and losing to UT,
Beating a lousy Davidson team and getting blown out in 1st 10 min vs Gonzaga

Beating a lousy temple time (barely) thanks to a fortuitous airball and then getting woodshed beaten by Villanova.

somehow, I wish for more than just making NCAA.

 

[0418hawkguy1001]

Are we talking regular season title or conference tournament title? Reason I ask is because Iowa hasn't won a regular season title since 1979 and we have had some damn good teams since then that maybe should have won. I am not as concerned about regular season titles as I am about conference tournament titles, NCAA appearances and sweet 16 appearances.

 

[iowalawhawk]

Count me in the camp that doesn't really care about conference championships.

If we can get in the tournament 3 out of 4 years or so, and not be a complete disaster in that other year, then I'm pretty happy. Happier if one of those three years ends with a Sweet 16 or better.

 

[hexumhawk]

I think 5-6 is about right.

If they havent been close to it by then, that means they are not the right coach for us. That gives them a chance to get their class in there and run with it.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Agree with what seems to be the majority sentiment thus far.

Regular season conference championships are great and show fortitude in maintaining a body of work through a season.

But they mean much less to me than NCAA tourney performance.

I wouldn't be disappointed in Iowa basketball if they don't have a men's conference title in my lifetime as long as they get in a few final fours and several sweet 16s.
If you can arrange that for me it would be much appreciated, thanks

 

[Mohawkeye]

Getting a playin game and losing to UT,
Beating a lousy Davidson team and getting blown out in 1st 10 min vs Gonzaga

Beating a lousy temple time (barely) thanks to a fortuitous airball and then getting woodshed beaten by Villanova.

somehow, I wish for more than just making NCAA.

Were you around in the Lick days? Iowa basketball very nearly went off a cliff that it could never recover from. As far as I'm concerned, Fran is a savior and can keep coaching at Iowa as long as he produces a tournament appearance every other year or so. But Ithink he will do much better.

I'd love a Big regular season title, but it isn't a litimus test for me.

 

[CJ Beat Hard]

I agree, the conference championship would be nice but the NCAA tournament is what really matters. That is what everyone pays attentions to, recruits included.
With that, Iowa cannot come out looking like the football team in a bowl game when they make the tournament. They need to make a little run to satisfy.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

Just win. And do it in a non-boring way please!

I will take years like last year where we were #3 and the talk of the country with some elite company - But without a complete collapse....

Last year's group didn't have the fight. The guys we have now do. That is evident. The next 7+ years will be some fun basketball to see. I will take that.

And if I had to guess, we go to a Sweet 16, win the B1G title or tourney within the next 3 years.

Fran will win. And I believe he will win more than enough to keep 80-90% of us happy. To the rest, screw'em.

 

[soybean]

When the NCAA expanded the tournament it made the conference titles a diminished prize. Its all about how deep you go into March Madness. I'm not saying that is bad, but that is where were are. Win your conference title and two weeks later you will be an after thought if you havn't advanced to the Sweet16.

 

[soybean]

I am a Fran supporter and I think he has the program moving in the right direction. I believe a coach should get a Big Ten Title (Conference or tournament) every 10 years. Now with that being said I will say this. Fran inherited a mess and I realize we are on year 7 but I gave him the first 3 seasons as a "pass". He was cleaning up a pile of SH!T in the basketball program. He had to work hard to get us back to being competitive. He is still cleaning up crap from Lick and trying to get the relationships back that were burned under Lick. So what he has done here at Iowa is pretty amazing.

So I will still give him a few more years to get that elusive title. I am more interested in NCAA runs. I would like to see Iowa get out of the first weekend, but I am okay with making the NCAA every year. If make Post-season play every year (NIT or NCAA) I will take it. If he can get us out of the first weekend in the NCAA, that will boost recruiting and get more eyes on the program. I think he will get it done sooner than later.

He has the pieces to be a great team and I think if he can keep recruiting the level he is at, Iowa will be very good in 2-3 years and beyond that.

What crap hasn't he been able to clean up in 7 years?

 

[ft254]

I agree, the conference championship would be nice but the NCAA tournament is what really matters. That is what everyone pays attentions to, recruits included.
With that, Iowa cannot come out looking like the football team in a bowl game when they make the tournament. They need to make a little run to satisfy.

Count me in the NCAA tourney rather camp rather than the B1G championship if it is at least a Sweet Sixteen run. As far as I'm concerned, a B1G Tourney Title is as meaningful as a regular season B1G Title.

 

[HaWk3Y3s]

Are you talking regular season BIG title or are you including the BIG tournament too?

In regards to regular season BIG titles, I don't believe this is a criteria Iowa coaches should be measured on. Considering our last regular season title was 1979 (shared) and Iowa has only won 8 reg season titles all time - it's not realistic.

 

[hawki1968]

What crap hasn't he been able to clean up in 7 years?

The crap:

1. Having less than a capacity crowd in the home gym while ranked number 3 in the nation (see Iowa vs Sota last season)
2. Playing in front of a ghost town most non-conference games)
3. Having the worst home court advantage outside of Penn State and Rutgers in the B1G (I guess 1-3 are all the same, but what the heck!). Heck, our most visible fan is a poster on this board! It seems to take a force of will to get the crowd in any game.
4. Being able to sell ANY relevant tradition in the past 20 years ( he can sell tradition in the past 3 years, but that is it)
5. Being able to sell ANY relevant NBA players (Remember Bj Armstrong? No? He was great 30 years ago for the Hawks!)

What Fran was able to sell for a brief time was enthusiasm of a new direction and playing time to local talents with some Iowa connections. After locking Mike and Woody, along with other very solid players that selling point died away too. Any recruit that attends a game with 8000 people in the stands saw the enthusiasm die away quickly as well. Another selling point gone.

With 3 NCAA appearances, back-to-back-3rd place finishes, almost yearly 20 win seasons, and legitimate stays in the top 20 (not to mention Fran's penchant for grabbing the occasional national headline), Iowa is more relevant than it has been in years!

Still, Iowa basketball has not fully recovered. When Carver is rocking like Wisconsin and Indiana and, HECK, Nebraska, I'll be ready to write the poop smell of Lick Ball has been cleansed from the Iowa program.

 

[large78]

I'm no fan of his side line behavior. I get you there. He lets his emotions get away from him every once in awhile. If that's the worst we have to deal with from him, I can live with it.

Really? He is the type of coach that Iowa needs. Face it, Lick set this program back at least 5+ years when he took over and Fran came in and turned it around. He shows emotion, and wants to win.

 

[33hawkfan]

Getting a playin game and losing to UT,
Beating a lousy Davidson team and getting blown out in 1st 10 min vs Gonzaga

Beating a lousy temple time (barely) thanks to a fortuitous airball and then getting woodshed beaten by Villanova.

somehow, I wish for more than just making NCAA.

If we could get a hot young coach like that Steve Alford, I know he could get us beyond our typical second round exit, I just know it!

 

[iahawkeyes17]

Getting a playin game and losing to UT,
Beating a lousy Davidson team and getting blown out in 1st 10 min vs Gonzaga

Beating a lousy temple time (barely) thanks to a fortuitous airball and then getting woodshed beaten by Villanova.

somehow, I wish for more than just making NCAA.

So just cause Iowa beat Davidson and Temple they were lousy teams? Or did you follow both those squads throughout the seasons to make your conclusion.

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

So just cause Iowa beat Davidson and Temple they were lousy teams? Or did you follow both those squads throughout the seasons to make your conclusion.

In addition, we lost to 2 seeds; one of which was the national champion. Which of those games were we supposed to win? And in what universe do good, not great teams go .500 against Top 10 teams, on a neutral court, no less?

If you want to complain about not being a 4-seed or better, that is another thing entirely, but I would say we have done just fine given our draws. We were in contention for the conference championship last year, which is frustrating that we didn't win it, but there are pieces of the game that are just plain luck, which makes the NCAA tournament even more fun.

 

[Fan In Black]

Its been so damn long I have no expectation. That is the honest truth.

 

[coralville67]

20

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Please remind me of the number of B1G titles and Sweet 16 appearances in the last 50 years.