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Perfect time for Fran to move on?

This. For some reason Iowa has turned into the place where coaches can come and spend their entire careers without ever having to worry about being let go for mediocre results year after year after year after year. Am seriously hoping Beth Goetz changes that. The University, fans, state deserve programs that are committed to doing what it takes to compete for championships, which includes changing up the status quo when it becomes clear it ain't getting it done.
What is Goetz gonna do? Fire coaches after how long for not winning titles? What do you give them? 1 year? 3years? 6 games? Hire coaches “week to week”? Cone in… what is your criteria? Be specific! Tell me what your plan is…. Quit your bitching and let’s see it!
 
This. For some reason Iowa has turned into the place where coaches can come and spend their entire careers without ever having to worry about being let go for mediocre results year after year after year after year. Am seriously hoping Beth Goetz changes that. The University, fans, state deserve programs that are committed to doing what it takes to compete for championships, which includes changing up the status quo when it becomes clear it ain't getting it done.

We seem to over value stability
 
What is Goetz gonna do? Fire coaches after how long for not winning titles? What do you give them? 1 year? 3years? 6 games? Hire coaches “week to week”? Cone in… what is your criteria? Be specific! Tell me what your plan is…. Quit your bitching and let’s see it!
Well I'd say if you haven't made a Sweet 16 in any of the 14 years you've been HC, yeah, your time is up.
 
We seem to over value stability
There’s a reason for that though. Iowa had 2 decades of losing shitty football teams…and 4 football coaches. You find one that works and stay with them. Iowans gave an inferiority complex and feel they always haveto prove something… with coaches ur seems we gave tk prove we will hang on to them if they are successful and keep their nose clean. When coaches leave, it’s always so damn messy…
 
On the other hand,
there is at least 13-14 million left on his contract

He still loves what he does?

He has a young core of Dix,
Freeman, Ladji, Harding,Koch, Tadjo, Pryce, and Bowen to build around.

I just do not see Fran taking a different coaching job or rushing into retirement. He is a lifer coach.

But you never know. Bo Ryan's retirement was unexpected...it could happen.

Like with Saban, Fran is probably very frustrated with the college sports new environment.
His old recruiting approach of out working the others and building relationships with recruits seems as dated as rotary phones these days.
He would openly call out the cheaters in recruiting ....now cheating is legal and the best approach.
KF and Fran are both old-school trying to navigate and make sense in a college sports scene thrust into a bad acid trip.
Sensory overload might push them out.
He still loves it
 
There’s a reason for that though. Iowa had 2 decades of losing shitty football teams…and 4 football coaches. You find one that works and stay with them. Iowans gave an inferiority complex and feel they always haveto prove something… with coaches ur seems we gave tk prove we will hang on to them if they are successful and keep their nose clean. When coaches leave, it’s always so damn messy…
So we should be happy with mediocre teams out of fear that a coaching change might bring worse results?
 
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Lol, you don't want to fire a mediocre coach because you're afraid it might be "so damn messy," yet I'm the chicken sh*t.

Too funny.
No…. You want to fire a coach who you think is @mediocre”? Set up the criteria for mediocrity…do it here! How many years dies he/she get? Or is it games? How many titles are required? How many Sweet 16s and how often must they be met? How much do you pay this coach? Lemme know.
 
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No…. You want to fire a coach who you think is @mediocre”? Set up the criteria for mediocrity…do it here! How many years dies he/she get? Or is it games? How many titles are required? How many Sweet 16s and how often must they be met? How much do you pay this coach? Lemme know.
Going 14 years with no Sweet 16 is mediocre. Why are you so willing to accept mediocrity for Iowa athletics?
 
A perfect storm of considerations may get Fran thinking it’s time to move on:

- If he’s honest, he has to see the relationship between his family and Iowa fan base has cooled considerably (if it ever was that warm to begin with.)
- His coaching at Iowa has plateaued. He picked up the pieces from two disastrous hires and restored the program to respectability. But middle of the conference finish seems to be his teams’ ceiling at Iowa. Selection to the (expanded) NCAA tournament is never a given; advancement beyond the first round unlikely.
- He’s unable to recruit and to coach physical and mental toughness at this level to compete day in and day out in the B1G. His teams are soft.
- Four programs will be joining the B1G next season, including traditional powers UCLA and USC. Another newcomer, Oregon, just dismantled No. 1 seed Arizona in the final PAC-12 championship. Wins are going to be harder to come by.
- In only three years at cross-state rival Iowa State, TJ Otzelberger has eclipsed Fran in terms of building athletic teams and W-L record. There is an excitement in Ames that is missing with MBB in Iowa City.
- The success of the Iowa WBB program is proof it is possible to fill Carver Hawkeye — as bad as it is — with passionate screaming supporters. Why can’t Fran’s teams do that? Certainly he has to notice and wonder.
- How does Fran like working with a new AD? What input will she have now that the season is over?
- His second oldest son, Patrick, does not appear to have his head or his heart in playing basketball at this level. Certainly Fran has to see and hear the criticism of PMac’s play and the minutes he gets compared to other, perceivably better players. Would Patrick be more comfortable elsewhere? Or not playing?
- Youngest son Jack won’t play at Iowa, seeing the kind of criticisms leveled at his brothers. There’s also that legal matter that may make it difficult to stick around.
- Fran himself doesn’t seem to be having much fun. His mood and demeanor during interviews and post-game news conferences seem downright dour at times.

He comes across as a coach who could use a break and a fresh start in a new environment, for himself and for his family.
Didnt read this. He needs to be fired.
 
I’m starting to think this way:

Beth can start to undo the damage that Gary Barta has done.

Brian fit with that. Next move would be Fran - somehow, someway. He should have not gotten that last contract extension. And yes Carver is also part of this, but secondary as the WBB team has proven out.

I hope she’s creative and resourceful enough to figure a way out of this.
 
Yes… been a perfect time for a few years now. Time to reboot the program …
In your mind if may be a perfect time, but President Wilson and A.D. Guetz are not going to fire Fran. If Fran leaves on his own that may be your only hope. If Iowa somehow recovers and has a great season next year and makes the NCAA tournament with the core freshmen leading the way, you and the many critical of Fran may be out of luck for the reminder of his contract. How are you and the many going to deal with that scenario?
 
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Well I'd say if you haven't made a Sweet 16 in any of the 14 years you've been HC, yeah, your time is up.
If that was every fan’s criteria for keeping a coach there would be a lot of unemployed head coaches.

Maybe Princeton’s head coach is available. They made the Sweet Sixteen last season and only have 4 loses this season.

Opps…never mind. Looks like they’re not making the tournament this year. A 17 loss Brown team beat them and is going in their place.

In order to make the Sweet Sixteen you have to be BOTH lucky and good!
 
If that was every fan’s criteria for keeping a coach there would be a lot of unemployed head coaches.

Maybe Princeton’s head coach is available. They made the Sweet Sixteen last season and only have 4 loses this season.

Opps…never mind. Looks like they’re not making the tournament this year. A 17 loss Brown team beat them and is going in their place.

In order to make the Sweet Sixteen you have to be BOTH lucky and good!
I guess the distinction for me between programs like Iowa and Princeton/Brown is that Iowa's program has gobs more athletic resources and money, plays in a premier conference, and has had 6 NBA draft picks including 2 first-rounders since FM took over, not to mention an AP POY/Wooden Award finalist/Naismith Award winner.
 
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Here’s another from this same handle (that claims to be “a diverse group of insiders”). I have no idea if these guys have any basis in their speculation but that’s what these boards are for…

No way MI will hire Fran but might accentuate Fran wants out of IA.

 
Here’s another from this same handle (that claims to be “a diverse group of insiders”). I have no idea if these guys have any basis in their speculation but that’s what these boards are for…

No way MI will hire Fran but might accentuate Fran wants out of IA.

Michigan just fired a legendary player from their program. Hiring Fran isn't a move their fan base will approve of. One of their three conference wins this year was over Iowa, that isn't a sterling quality for Howard's replacement.
 
I guess the distinction for me between programs like Iowa and Princeton/Brown is that Iowa's program has gobs more athletic resources and money, plays in a premier conference, and has had 6 NBA draft picks including 2 first-rounders since FM took over, not to mention an AP POY/Wooden Award finalist/Naismith Award winner.
Also FM has finished in the top half of a “premier conference” 13 straight seasons. How many coaches can make that claim?
 
Also FM has finished in the top half of a “premier conference” 13 straight seasons. How many coaches can make that claim?
if you enjoy always finishing in 5th to 8th place, nothing is wrong with this at all. Ok sorry, one of those might be 4th place? Maybe a tie for 4th place? There have been so many finishes below third place I can’t keep track. But yeah, congratulations for never finishing at least second place.
 
Michigan just fired a legendary player from their program. Hiring Fran isn't a move their fan base will approve of. One of their three conference wins this year was over Iowa, that isn't a sterling quality for Howard's replacement.
Absolutely no doubt, as I said… “No way MI will hire Fran but might accentuate Fran wants out of IA.”
 
No sweet sixteens with all that talent. Gross
Do you want Steve Alford back? After basically being ran out of Iowa City. He coached 5 years at UCLA leading them to 4 NCAA tournaments and 3 Sweet Sixteen’s. That was good enough to land him at powerhouse Nevada!
 
Do you want Steve Alford back? After basically being ran out of Iowa City. He coached 5 years at UCLA leading them to 4 NCAA tournaments and 3 Sweet Sixteen’s. That was good enough to land him at powerhouse Nevada!
Would be willing to take the risk if it means Fran goes. And Beth did not hire Alfraud.
 
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if you enjoy always finishing in 5th to 8th place, nothing is wrong with this at all. Ok sorry, one of those might be 4th place? Maybe a tie for 4th place? There have been so many finishes below third place I can’t keep track. But yeah, congratulations for never finishing at least second place.
So the bar is Sweet Sixteen and 2nd place? Got it! Also…google is a great source for information. You might check it out.
 
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You dont think Fran “overachieved” with this team this season? I think he did. For them to be .500 in conference this season was a plus. Ans they lost 2 or e3 games againsat lesser opponents, too
Point taken. The participation trophy is his.
 
UI won't fire Fran unless he does something outrageously stupid. If FM leaves it will be like Raveling's exit regardless if it's Fran's decision or the U opens the door for him..
 
UI won't fire Fran unless he does something outrageously stupid. If FM leaves it will be like Raveling's exit regardless if it's Fran's decision or the U opens the door for him..
I think more like Lute’s departure. Tired of hearing the fans BS.
 
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