I’m betting Fran stays
- Thread starter ketelmeister
- Start date
I think this team has the talent to win, but it’s by far been Fran’s worst year of coaching. I don’t think he has the fire anymore. If Iowa doesn’t take a chance on McCollum I think it would be an epic missed opportunity.
I lost interest this year about the time Iowa fell out of any serious contention for the NCAA tournament so I fall into the category I am going to criticize. We can debate whether Fran's tenure can be called successful and if his personality is a cause of fan apathy, but our fan base isn't great and has to look at itself. In fact, its pretty crappy how it supports the team, how we often end up hating our own players and give ourselves excuses for being weak fans while expecting more from the product. If we get rid a Fran that's fine. I will look forward to a new coach and won't fear the program getting worse. It could happen. Does Iowa give more NIL money to Women's basketball? If so, any new coach who is worth getting would have that flipped. If you are on this board you are probably in the top 10 percent of the fanbase and probably have loved the Hawks all your life so its not attack, more an observation of where things are. Fixing it will take an across the board effort for coach, admin, and fan base.
Or, when McCollum is spotted shopping for freezers at an local Iowa City location.
Gonna be hard to build momentum into next year when 75% of your team is gone.
Heavy smoke that freeman, harding, and dix are transferring regardless if Fran stays. Thelwell, Payton Brauns and (likely) Mulvey graduate.
So the only returning starters who have played any meaningful minutes would be Dembele, Traore, and Pryce. Fine players who have improved this year, but not a realistically competitive core.
Fran isn’t coming back. And even if he was, next year would be a struggle
If Fran hasn't figured out by now that you have to play defense, block out, and rebound n the B1G,he is never going to. I believe he is a good man but his coaching style is not conducive to winning in our conference. He has had more than enough time to figure things out but refuses to change. It is time to inject new blood into the program.
I'm speaking about every time the team plays. Not just one game.
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I understand but the defense is trending up from last 2 games
After 15 years there's no where to go but up. Thank goodness they decided to get serious when missing the B10 tournament was on the table.
Somewhere in here is a great line about lining ourselves up agains the Nebraska program as they let Fran go.
How does Drake keep finding these good coaches?
I think Beth's silence speaks volumes. She knows what the fan base is talking about and the fact that she hasn't come out to publicly back Fran or give him a vote of confidence tells me all I need to know at this point. If I'm wrong and she retains and/or extends him, she's pretty much dead to me at that point. There isn't a single reason whatsoever to bring him back, not one. Not recruiting, when anyone new can go to the portal and pick up as good or better players....not to mention, it's a helluva lot easier to turn around a basketball program than it is a football program. Not fan excitement, for obvious reasons. Not an NIL sugar daddy tied to him. The only thing remotely close would be "body of work", but missing the last 2 NCAA tourneys especially coupled with dwindling attendance numbers, is enough to outweigh the "body of work" argument.
I would take Stirtz! That is a winner right there!
There are literally zero people wanting to hire McCollum so he brings former D-II players with him.
There is, however, a big contingent (myself included) that wants to hire him because he has an 81% win rate, has multiple national championships, teaches toughness, defense, and rebounding, and just took Drake to it's first outright MVC title in 18 years and it's first 30 win season in school history in his first year there with a bunch of D-II players.....meaning he knows how to get the best out of the players he has.
I've joked about this. But I don't think that McCollum would rely on those D2 guys to "save the program". But who knows, he might bring one or two that show the rest of the roster how to effing rebound and play defense...
Incase you missed the MVC championship game, Drake absolutely abused Bradley on the boards. It didn't look like that was because of Superior athletes for Drake.
It's COACHING. And he'd have THIS Iowa roster playing better right now.
Brian Hardin is an outstanding AD and it’s pretty remarkable no big school has picked him up yet.
That’s where I’m at. If Beth was going to retain him, I think she would’ve released a public statement by now.
Eastern Iowa b-ball fans blow.
Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Davenport & Waterloo 👎🏿
It’s too bad Iowa couldn’t play their games in Des Moines where the $$$ & fans are at.
We don’t get any students at the game anyway so that won’t be missing if Iowa played 5 games per year at Wells Fargo Arena.
Yep. The decision comes down to the economics—can Iowa afford a buyout and a good new coach? That’s the call she has to make.
You are killing us Eastern Iowa b-ball fans, really, just killing us
But I’ve been calling out how crappy those 5 city’s b-ball fans are for at least a decade now.
There’s just no $$$ in that part of the state.
I’m too dumb & lazy to pull up some of previous posts calling out that part of the state but I’ve definitely been saying this for years.
Maybe longer.
Not sure though.
That may be exaggerating but definitely the last decade.
You don’t know what Freeman, Dix and Harding will do. What is this “smoke “ you are talking about ? Also, we will be adding Cooper Koch and 3 excellent recruits coming in. It is likely we add 1-2 more either from the portal or recruitment, plus Chris Tadjo will likely be ready to contribute next season.
There are probably one hundred other threads on whether Fran will be here next year or not. You couldn’t just leave your comment in one of those, right? You just had to start another thread! 😂 🤦🏻♂️
