Needs some new energy to get the fanbase fired up. Fran isn’t the guy! Will this new AD pull the trigger to get this program at least to perennial top 25 program with a few runs in the dance every so often… Dean’s team was the last team to make it to the sweet 16. 25 years of a few big ten tournamentchampionships a few NCAA tournament victories and a few NBA first rounders. Wow but at least it’s not like the Lickliter days!
Men’s Basketball
- Thread starter nosok23
- Start date
Hot head coach.
Players without poise.
Defense optional.
I’ll need a new user name.
But it will be worth it.
-LuteHawk
Players without poise.
Defense optional.
I’ll need a new user name.
But it will be worth it.
-LuteHawk
He does seem to.have controlled his outbursts. New meds or someone say something to.him.
Fran will not be fired. Fran will not walk away from his contract.
So, next year, they'll have Freeman, Sandfort, Dembele, Harding, Bowen, Dix, Sandfort coming back. Mulvey returns and then Koch and Tadjo(?). Make of that what you will.
So, next year, they'll have Freeman, Sandfort, Dembele, Harding, Bowen, Dix, Sandfort coming back. Mulvey returns and then Koch and Tadjo(?). Make of that what you will.
The positive news is we are a year away of him no longer managing the team for his own ego to maximize his kid's playing time vs actually doing his job and managing the team for wins/fair treatment of his other players.
I wouldn't mind the losing B1G record this year and pedestrian B1G conference record if Fran had more to show for his 14 year run at Iowa than a single BTT title and zilch in NCAA tourney. His only ncaa tourney victories are over lighhweights Temple, Davidison, Cincinatti, and some community college out of Northern Arizona vs 0-7 vs UT, UT, Gonzaga, Villanova, Oregon, Auburn, and the Richmond turd.
I wouldn't mind the losing B1G record this year and pedestrian B1G conference record if Fran had more to show for his 14 year run at Iowa than a single BTT title and zilch in NCAA tourney. His only ncaa tourney victories are over lighhweights Temple, Davidison, Cincinatti, and some community college out of Northern Arizona vs 0-7 vs UT, UT, Gonzaga, Villanova, Oregon, Auburn, and the Richmond turd.
we need a hot young coach like Steve Alford
Let's be clear that a new, hot young coach might be what we need. Someone like Alfraud is not what is needed
Agree.
Likelihood of Fran getting the axe is extremely low. Not zero but darn close to it.
Likelihood of him leaving on his own is also quite low. Unless he wants to retire from coaching, there's no real off ramp for him to move to. I'm not seeing a market for 65 year old coaches with poor NCAA tourney performance. I suppose he could take a pay cut and step down to a lower tier program that might have interest. But, again, not likely.
For sure. He just set the record this year for most wins as a Hawkeye head coach. Notwithstanding his teams' poor performance in the NCAAs, which is not nothing, he has had them in the tournament the past 4 years and 7 of the past 9. They haven't been great this year, but they haven't been awful, either. Not a good look if he's fired. Unless there is some deep personal reason for leaving, he's not leaving that kind of money on the table.
I've said before that if Jack McCaffery makes good on his pledge to not play at Iowa, I could easily see Fran leaving Iowa. The basic premise for this thinking is that Fran, who got to watch Connor and Patrick up close through their entire basketball careers, would not want to miss the entirety of Jack's. I have envisioned scenarios in which Fran gets a job elsewhere, and Jack follows him; or Fran simply retires in order to have time to travel to Jack's games.
I still think all that is possible. But I now think two other scenarios are perhaps as likely, or more likely. One, that Jack ends up coming to Iowa after all; and two, Jack's decision to not attend Iowa is less about not wanting to be a Hawkeye and more about not wanting to play for his dad. (Not to knock his dad -- some kids simply look forward to getting some separation from their parents when attending college.)
Or maybe Jack just doesn't want to undergo the same treatment that McCaffery's other two sons did while Hawkeyes.
This is not exclusive to Iowa. They knew the deal when they signed up to play for dad. It is a lot more magnified when you play for dad in big time college athletics. They get praise when they play good, they get hated on when they play bad.
I know this was meant in jest, but I actually don't necessarily disagree with this. I'm not opposed to an up-and-comer. It didn't work out real well with Alford, but it doesn't mean the next guy will be a failure and that a younger coach should never be hired again.
I agree with earlier posters that Fran is almost certainly not getting the axe, but lagging attendance numbers could be the X factor in all of this. Again, I don't see it THIS year, but if things don't improve noticeably next year, then things could start to get more interesting IMO.
Last edited:
Fran leaves on his own after this season.
It’s the only thing that makes sense
It’s the only thing that makes sense
I think Fran gets one more year - and requires he makes the tourney … the fan apathy will continue to grow … and it’s not going unnoticed by BG the apathy is growing.
My personal take is Fran should have been gone up to five years ago. He hasn’t and won’t - elevate Iowa bball beyond maybe a tourney appearance and quick bow out.
Iowa basketball needs a shot of new blood leading the program. 13+ years is long enough to show what you can and can’t do…
My personal take is Fran should have been gone up to five years ago. He hasn’t and won’t - elevate Iowa bball beyond maybe a tourney appearance and quick bow out.
Iowa basketball needs a shot of new blood leading the program. 13+ years is long enough to show what you can and can’t do…
Won't be there this year and the bigger problem is what Iowa DIDN'T do in the tournament with players like Garza, Keegan, and Kris.
Round of 32 is the high watermark....
There would be much less noise about getting rid of Fran, if he would have made just ONE sweet 16 with that talent.
Agreed. Simply making the tournament doesn't move the needle for me these days, and I suspect that is true for many. Iowa has been losing in the first or second round and no more, literally for decades now. Kind of the same old same old. This fan base needs a strong tournament run IMO, even if that doesn't become the norm. Got to generate some buzz.
I didn’t know that. He seems like he’s been here for a long time already. That’s good to know.
So does Patrick.
Connor and Jbo both said they weren't going to use it and then did so I'm not sold we won't see Patrick again too.
And please take Mulvey outta the equation. Dude won't see more than 5 minutes per game.
Now list all the teams that have been to the Sweet 16 since Iowa last went.
Add Perkins and Patrick. Huh. So basically outside of Krikke everyone can return. How about that. A sequel.
Of course 10th ranked Iowa State winning again tonight. I can't believe anyone would not want to replace McCaffrey.
The guy can't get it done.
It's always next year.
How many years does he need to prove too everyone that he's not a P5 coach???
The guy can't get it done.
It's always next year.
How many years does he need to prove too everyone that he's not a P5 coach???
Last edited:
And please why don't you just root for someone else, you're a moron, you're not a Hawk fan unless the players are the right color for you, isn't that right? Heck you don't even want to give him a chance and you've already wrote him off. DA
This. Appreciate what Fran has done, but it’s time for a change. Won’t happen till he decides to retire/leave, but it’s needed. ISU didn’t win a big 12 game 3 years ago, now look at them with a new coach. They are really good and that pains me to admit.
If Patrick uses it he better be prepared to put in the work for a giant revenge tour. Its the only way he can save face.
I think it’s important to note that in today’s world Jack could transfer back to Iowa at any point. He can get away for a while and return. Might be good for everyone involved.
wrote him off based on his past performance. Seeing is believing. Stay in your Illiniois QC lane where you belong. And when did I ever bring up "color"? moron.
