Not April Fools - Evansville hires Todd Lickliter as basketball head coach

[IndianaHawkeye]

Evansville hires Todd Lickliter as basketball head coach hours after firing Walter McCarty

https://www.courierpress.com/story/...e-basketball-coach-walter-mccarty/4536727002/

Oh this going be interesting with the comments

The University of Evansville acted quickly to hire a new men’s basketball head coach after firing Walter McCarty on Tuesday evening.

It’s a familiar face, too.

Todd Lickliter has been named head coach of the Purple Aces, effective immediately. He met with the team after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening and will be on the bench for Wednesday’s 6 p.m. home game against Drake.

 

[CEDHawk]

Evansville hires Todd Lickliter as basketball head coach hours after firing Walter McCarty

https://www.courierpress.com/story/...e-basketball-coach-walter-mccarty/4536727002/

Oh this going be interesting with the comments

The University of Evansville acted quickly to hire a new men’s basketball head coach after firing Walter McCarty on Tuesday evening.

It’s a familiar face, too.

Todd Lickliter has been named head coach of the Purple Aces, effective immediately. He met with the team after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening and will be on the bench for Wednesday’s 6 p.m. home game against Drake.

Was just about to post this!! Evansville should be competing for 2nd to last place in the conference every year now.

**EDIT: I feel bad for making fun of him now. I never knew he was in a serious accident last year forcing him to resign as an assistant under McCarty. In all fairness, I don’t really blame him for destroying Iowa basketball. That falls just as much or more on Barta. I wish him success and good health moving forward.

 

[jhawkinaz]

Was just about to post this!! Evansville should be competing for 2nd to last place in the conference every year now.

**EDIT: I feel bad for making fun of him now. I never knew he was in a serious accident last year forcing him to resign as an assistant under McCarty. In all fairness, I don’t really blame him for destroying Iowa basketball. That falls just as much or more on Barta. I wish him success and good health moving forward.

nope, too late. You said spite.

 

[Gridiron24]

It has been said 1,000,000 times, but it can't be understated just how much damage Todd Lickliter did to Iowa basketball in those three years.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Not getting the facilities was a big part of it.

 

[perryhawk]

Was just about to post this!! Evansville should be competing for 2nd to last place in the conference every year now.

**EDIT: I feel bad for making fun of him now. I never knew he was in a serious accident last year forcing him to resign as an assistant under McCarty. In all fairness, I don’t really blame him for destroying Iowa basketball. That falls just as much or more on Barta. I wish him success and good health moving forward.

I don’t blame Barta for this....Lick was national coach of the year before the hiring....I doubt anyone around the Butler program was jumping up and down to tell Barta or anyone from Iowa, that Brad Stevens was the reason for their success.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

What did McCarty officially do?

Sexual harassment of some sort I’d assume?

 

[Hawksfor3]

Evansville hires Todd Lickliter as basketball head coach hours after firing Walter McCarty

Wow. Think about this.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

What did McCarty officially do?

Sexual harassment of some sort I’d assume?

rumor is he knocked up a student

 

[Hawkfan_08]

rumor is he knocked up a student

Louisville calls that a regular Tuesday.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Louisville calls that a regular Tuesday.

i don’t think they were related.

 

[Ballhawk1221]

Lickliter was a bad fit from day 1. His system, his recruiting, his personality... nothing worked. I had hope that he would figure it out, but when the best players kept leaving the program the writing was on the wall. The Alford years wounded Iowa basketball, and the Lick years damn near killed it.

Nonetheless, I hope he's successful at Evansville. I wish Alford nothing but misery, but Lick seems like a decent guy.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

This is a rather surprising turn of events.

Lick's a good guy. Love a come back story. Hope they do well.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

i don’t think they were related.

Well played...

 

[IllQChawk]

Any chance that Iowa could schedule Evansville for a game in Carver next year....and yes I wish him ill will....

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Lickliter was a bad fit from day 1. His system, his recruiting, his personality... nothing worked. I had hope that he would figure it out, but when the best players kept leaving the program the writing was on the wall. The Alford years wounded Iowa basketball, and the Lick years damn near killed it.

Nonetheless, I hope he's successful at Evansville. I wish Alford nothing but misery, but Lick seems like a decent guy.

You're right on. Alford left a cancerous atmosphere and an untalented roster. The Iowa guy that inherited a worse roster was F Mac from Lick. Alford set the decay in motion and Lick clearly couldn't cure it.

The reason you despise Alford is because he was, in every sense, a dick. Lick was a likeable bumbler that had to go but Alford was the villain in the demise of Iowa boys BBall.

 

[Hawkeye Marching Band]

Agree with Ballhawk and Sleeping Dog.

I also think if Cy Tate didn't get hurt during Lick's second season, the Hawks make the NIT, everyone feels good about the progress, and guys don't transfer. That probably would have only prolonged the inevitable rather than Lick being able to create Butler II in Iowa City, but the next coach inherits a better situation than Fran did.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

Agree with Ballhawk and Sleeping Dog.

I also think if Cy Tate didn't get hurt during Lick's second season, the Hawks make the NIT, everyone feels good about the progress, and guys don't transfer. That probably would have only prolonged the inevitable rather than Lick being able to create Butler II in Iowa City, but the next coach inherits a better situation than Fran did.

Yeah it's interesting how things pan out. Also would've been nice if Lick had brought Brad Stevens to IC with him.

 

[IndianaHawkeye]

Interesting prep talk...

Todd Lickliter Meets the University of Evansville Team after hire

Video -
Evansville Courier and Press

 

[skydog0784]

Interesting prep talk...

Todd Lickliter Meets the University of Evansville Team after hire

Video -
Evansville Courier and Press

Wow, just wow. Inspirational!

 

[iahawks10]

You're right on. Alford left a cancerous atmosphere and an untalented roster. The Iowa guy that inherited a worse roster was F Mac from Lick. Alford set the decay in motion and Lick clearly couldn't cure it.

The reason you despise Alford is because he was, in every sense, a dick. Lick was a likeable bumbler that had to go but Alford was the villain in the demise of Iowa boys BBall.

I didn’t mind Alford and Iowa was playing pretty good basketball before he left. He certainly was the villain amongst the Hawkeye fans and it was to the point of being irreversible. SA’s last four years at Iowa they were 4th, 2nd, 7th, 4th in the B1G respectively. Hardly the demise of Iowa basketball.

Lickliter was true reason for the demise of Iowa basketball. He is 100% the cause and blame. Iowa finished 8th, 10th (second to last), and 9th (tied second to last) in his three years. It’s no coincidence that Lickliter’s team got progressively worse B1G record wise the less he relied on Alford’s players.

 

[Ballhawk1221]

I didn’t mind Alford and Iowa was playing pretty good basketball before he left. He certainly was the villain amongst the Hawkeye fans and it was to the point of being irreversible. SA’s last four years at Iowa they were 4th, 2nd, 7th, 4th in the B1G respectively. Hardly the demise of Iowa basketball.

Lickliter was true reason for the demise of Iowa basketball. He is 100% the cause and blame. Iowa finished 8th, 10th (second to last), and 9th (tied second to last) in his three years. It’s no coincidence that Lickliter’s team got progressively worse B1G record wise the less he relied on Alford’s players.

Those last four Alford years went:

03-04: 16-13, NIT first round loss
04-05: 21-12, NCAA first round loss
05-06: 25-9, NCAA first round loss (the Northwestern State game)
06-07: 17-14, no postseason appearance

And the first four Alford years? Iowa's Big Ten finishes were 7th, 6th, 8th, 8th (out of 11). Only three seasons with 20+ wins, only three NCAA appearances (with just a single victory). For some bizarre reason, he was good in the Big Ten tournament, but that's it.

 

[hooper56]

Was just about to post this!! Evansville should be competing for 2nd to last place in the conference every year now.

**EDIT: I feel bad for making fun of him now. I never knew he was in a serious accident last year forcing him to resign as an assistant under McCarty. In all fairness, I don’t really blame him for destroying Iowa basketball. That falls just as much or more on Barta. I wish him success and good health moving forward.

Why would you blame Barta? He hired the hottest name in the land, the National coach of the year. Realized it was not going to work and quickly replaced him after 3 seasons.

 

[hooper56]

Yeah it's interesting how things pan out. Also would've been nice if Lick had brought Brad Stevens to IC with him.

Stevens had all his possessions in his car and was on his way to Iowa City when he gets a phone call from the Butler AD asking if he wants to interview for the Butler job. Dang it!

 

[iahawks10]

Those last four Alford years went:

03-04: 16-13, NIT first round loss
04-05: 21-12, NCAA first round loss
05-06: 25-9, NCAA first round loss (the Northwestern State game)
06-07: 17-14, no postseason appearance

And the first four Alford years? Iowa's Big Ten finishes were 7th, 6th, 8th, 8th (out of 11). Only three seasons with 20+ wins, only three NCAA appearances (with just a single victory). For some bizarre reason, he was good in the Big Ten tournament, but that's it.

Actually the first four years were: T7th, T5th, T7th, and T8th. Either way, SA was certainly not the demise of the Iowa program which I responded to.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Those last four Alford years went:

03-04: 16-13, NIT first round loss
04-05: 21-12, NCAA first round loss
05-06: 25-9, NCAA first round loss (the Northwestern State game)
06-07: 17-14, no postseason appearance

And the first four Alford years? Iowa's Big Ten finishes were 7th, 6th, 8th, 8th (out of 11). Only three seasons with 20+ wins, only three NCAA appearances (with just a single victory). For some bizarre reason, he was good in the Big Ten tournament, but that's it.

Alford destroyed the atmosphere and culture of Iowa basketball. He created an Iowa State like situations with transfers and player drama. His "great" recruiting classes were rewarded with little success.

Alford had a knack for finding obnoxious narcissistic players (Recker, Worley, that clown from Ames, etc...). His one truly good season ended in disaster, as a sort of obelisk at midcourt to the vapid propaganda creation that is Steve Alford.

Alford inherited a Sweet 16 team and left the GorLoob 8 seasons later.

 

[hooper56]

Alford had a knack for finding obnoxious narcissistic players (Recker, Worley, that clown from Ames, etc...). His one truly good season ended in disaster, as a sort of obelisk at midcourt to the vapid propaganda creation that is Steve Alford.

.

I want to double check, do you really mean this? Wow.

 

[CEDHawk]

Why would you blame Barta? He hired the hottest name in the land, the National coach of the year. Realized it was not going to work and quickly replaced him after 3 seasons.

I can agree with that perspective. I guess I forgot that he was at the time the hottest name out there.

 

[papabeef]

Was just about to post this!! Evansville should be competing for 2nd to last place in the conference every year now.

**EDIT: I feel bad for making fun of him now. I never knew he was in a serious accident last year forcing him to resign as an assistant under McCarty. In all fairness, I don’t really blame him for destroying Iowa basketball. That falls just as much or more on Barta. I wish him success and good health moving forward.

barta is responsible for lickliter not being able to recruit ? wow

 

[iahawks10]

barta is responsible for lickliter not being able to recruit ? wow

No certainly not. But it is Barta’s job to know what kind of recruiter Lickliter is when you hired him, wouldn’t you say?

I hold no ill will towards GB. He made a mistake and corrected it nearly as quick as he could. That is usually a sign of a good leader/boss.

 

[CEDHawk]

barta is responsible for lickliter not being able to recruit ? wow

I see you like to put statements in others’ opinion that weren’t there in the first place. If you can show me where I said it’s Barta’s fault that Lickliter couldn’t recruit then I will give you the win. Otherwise, you should try to stop acting like you are a mind reader because that’s not even close to the reason why I said Barta played a role in that 3 year rut

 

[papabeef]

I see you like to put statements in others’ opinion that weren’t there in the first place. If you can show me where I said it’s Barta’s fault that Lickliter couldn’t recruit then I will give you the win. Otherwise, you should try to stop acting like you are a mind reader because that’s not even close to the reason why I said Barta played a role in that 3 year rut

ok buckwheat , what role did barta play then ? he hired the coach , a very successful coach at butler , he could not recruit big10 athletes , so the coach was VERY unsuccessful . pretty safe assumption to put those 2 together , which is what you said in a roundabout way .

 

[CEDHawk]

ok buckwheat , what role did barta play then ? he hired the coach , a very successful coach at butler , he could not recruit big10 athletes , so the coach was VERY unsuccessful . pretty safe assumption to put those 2 together , which is what you said in a roundabout way .

As @iahawks10 stated above, an athletic director should have a good understanding on the recruiting ability of a coach he is looking to hire and what kind of players that coach likes to recruit. When Lickliter took over for Thad Matta he was gifted with experienced juniors and seniors Thad Matta recruited. The majority of Lickliter's recruits were hardly thought of as big ten caliber.

The first two seasons Lickliter was head coach were his best years excluding his final year when he had 29 wins. After the first two years Thad's recruits graduated and Butler had two awful years when 98% of the roster now consisted of Lickliter's recruits. His 5th year was better than his third and fourth year but he still failed to make the NCAA tournament. Then his final year he made the sweet 16 and garnered all sorts of awards (and rightfully so as Butler had a great year so he deserved it).

While he had three good years at Butler, most people take the first two successful seasons he had with a grain of salt because he inherited Thad Matta's guys. Yes, Lickliter was an assistant but Thad was known as the main recruiting guy. I look at his final year at Butler like a contract year for professional athletes who have a really good year and sign a big contract. Sometimes after they sign that big contract their performance drops off. Barta took a chance hiring Lickliter knowing (at least he should have) that the style of play Lickliter preached wasn't common in the big ten. Many fans weren't that excited about it because we were accustomed to run and gun style with Dr. Tom Davis and even with Alford the team was more exciting to watch.

So yes, I think Barta deserves some of the blame as he took a chance on a mid major coach who had one really successful season with his own players and it completely back-fired. That doesn't mean I'm one of the Barta Haters. I've never bashed him unjustifiably. I firmly believe Barta is under-appreciated for a lot of what he has done at Iowa and I've posted that before. There were several "so-called experts" who were leery of how well Lickliter would fair at Iowa and in the big ten.

So again @papabeef , me believing Barta deserves some of the blame has nothing to do with your belief that I think it's Barta's fault that Lickliter couldn't recruit. That was you trying to make an assumption of what I was saying but hopefully all the points I talked about helps you see you shouldn't act like you know exactly what everyone thinks, buckwheat

 

[lonestar50]

Interesting prep talk...

Todd Lickliter Meets the University of Evansville Team after hire

Video -
Evansville Courier and Press

I was thinking of transferring just listening to that

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

As @iahawks10 stated above, an athletic director should have a good understanding on the recruiting ability of a coach he is looking to hire and what kind of players that coach likes to recruit. When Lickliter took over for Thad Matta he was gifted with experienced juniors and seniors Thad Matta recruited. The majority of Lickliter's recruits were hardly thought of as big ten caliber.

The first two seasons Lickliter was head coach were his best years excluding his final year when he had 29 wins. After the first two years Thad's recruits graduated and Butler had two awful years when 98% of the roster now consisted of Lickliter's recruits. His 5th year was better than his third and fourth year but he still failed to make the NCAA tournament. Then his final year he made the sweet 16 and garnered all sorts of awards (and rightfully so as Butler had a great year so he deserved it).

While he had three good years at Butler, most people take the first two successful seasons he had with a grain of salt because he inherited Thad Matta's guys. Yes, Lickliter was an assistant but Thad was known as the main recruiting guy. I look at his final year at Butler like a contract year for professional athletes who have a really good year and sign a big contract. Sometimes after they sign that big contract their performance drops off. Barta took a chance hiring Lickliter knowing (at least he should have) that the style of play Lickliter preached wasn't common in the big ten. Many fans weren't that excited about it because we were accustomed to run and gun style with Dr. Tom Davis and even with Alford the team was more exciting to watch.

So yes, I think Barta deserves some of the blame as he took a chance on a mid major coach who had one really successful season with his own players and it completely back-fired. That doesn't mean I'm one of the Barta Haters. I've never bashed him unjustifiably. I firmly believe Barta is under-appreciated for a lot of what he has done at Iowa and I've posted that before. There were several "so-called experts" who were leery of how well Lickliter would fair at Iowa and in the big ten.

So again @papabeef , me believing Barta deserves some of the blame has nothing to do with your belief that I think it's Barta's fault that Lickliter couldn't recruit. That was you trying to make an assumption of what I was saying but hopefully all the points I talked about helps you see you shouldn't act like you know exactly what everyone thinks, buckwheat

Lots of reasons to criticize Barta's job performance but hiring the NCoY, a development welcomed by almost every Iowa fan at the time, is not among those reasons.

 

[CEDHawk]

Lots of reasons to criticize Barta's job performance but hiring the NCoY, a development welcomed by almost every Iowa fan at the time, is not among those reasons.

I can definitely say I knew more people who welcomed the hire than ones who didn’t, but I remember having conversations with quite a few people who were not sold. At the time I wasn’t 100% bought in that he was the best choice, specifically because of the reasons I stated in my previous post, but obviously I don’t have any say in who Barta should hire for any sport lol I can say though that every now and then it’s necessary to take a risk making a hire like Lickliter’s situation because it could be a slam dunk. And honestly, I was more excited and sold on Barta hiring Fran than I was when Lickliter was hired. I always loved watching the teams he coached because of the style of play.

I can stay on here all night backing my opinion but it would be a waste of my time. There will always be posters who can’t disagree in more intelligent ways other than resorting to name calling and the basic, “No you are wrong. JFC.” I love having a friendly debate and listening to others’ perspectives as long as the other person doesn’t get so defensive about differing opinions

 

[papabeef]

I can definitely say I knew more people who welcomed the hire than ones who didn’t, but I remember having conversations with quite a few people who were not sold. At the time I wasn’t 100% bought in that he was the best choice, specifically because of the reasons I stated in my previous post, but obviously I don’t have any say in who Barta should hire for any sport lol I can say though that every now and then it’s necessary to take a risk making a hire like Lickliter’s situation because it could be a slam dunk. And honestly, I was more excited and sold on Barta hiring Fran than I was when Lickliter was hired. I always loved watching the teams he coached because of the style of play.

I can stay on here all night backing my opinion but it would be a waste of my time. There will always be posters who can’t disagree in more intelligent ways other than resorting to name calling and the basic, “No you are wrong. JFC.” I love having a friendly debate and listening to others’ perspectives as long as the other person doesn’t get so defensive about differing opinions

calling you buckwheat is not name calling . calling you a dumbshit now that would be name calling , which i am not doing . lol

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

I was thinking of transferring just listening to that

I was thinking of going out and getting a pontoon boat, you know, because it's kinda fun.

 

[Georgia_Hawk]

If he recruits as well as he did at Iowa, he should have no problem finishing in the top half of the Mo Valley Conference, occasionally.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

Why would you blame Barta? He hired the hottest name in the land, the National coach of the year. Realized it was not going to work and quickly replaced him after 3 seasons.

The problem is that automatically hiring the national coach of the year is something that you or I could say is a good idea sitting in our living rooms. Barta's job was to properly vet TL and make sure that he was someone who could handle being a coach in the B1G, which obviously he was not. Probably the reason we got him in the first place (I don't exactly remember him being a hot commodity, having to choose from multiple big-time HC positions). Someone who took a good hard look at that Butler program would have figured out that Brad Stevens was the brains behind it all. I give Barta credit for the quick hook, but that disastrous hire was all on him.

I will add that I hope TL has some success at Evansville.