Question about Fran
- Thread starter red/green hawk
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Counting this year, his youngest son is a HS Frosh, that’s four years until he’s a freshman at Iowa. Four (maybe five years) in college. So 8-9 years away.
However, that leaves plenty of time for Connor to get some coaching time under his belt and I could see Fran turning the program over to Connor in 8-9 years.
9 more years. Ouch.
Fran and Kirk both deserve lifetime contracts with the specific provision that their sons take over upon their deaths.
A better question is how long will Barta be the AD at Iowa? He's not 60 yet, so he may be here another 10 plus years. Unless there is a complete collapse of the Iowa basketball program (and this year ain't it) or some shocking case of moral turpitude on McCaffery's part, he could likely be here as long as he wants, similar to Ferentz.
That would be my guess. I know everyone is in a pissy mood because we just lost a game at Wisconsin we were favored to lose (the horror! No one loses in Madison!) but there is a lot to look forward to beyond this season. I never thought we’d make the NCAA this year anyway , so just being in the mention still is gravy. If this team makes the NIT, which is a good bet, I’ll be thrilled.
In 3 years we will have a class of probably 3 top 100 recruits in Jack McCaffery, Weiskamp and Sandfort. Next years class we will get the best point guard in the Fran era in Dasonte Bowen and a solid #2 guard in Josh Dix. The year after we get Freeman, who will be top 75 I’m guessing. The team that returns next year has solid bones and I expect we will have real production from Mulvey and Ogundule.
The next guy is going to have the same results as Fran. It's just Iowa basketball.
...that doesn't defend or rebound.
I actually really like Jack's game and he's a fantastic kid. He might get up to 7 ft.
Last I saw, Kakert had posted a list where he was a top 10 player among an elite camp for kids his age. From my inexpert opinion after looking at fair amount of video, he seems like a really good ball handling point guard type, with less athleticism than PMac but more of a solid build with a really good looking 3 point shot. He seems like the best prospect of the 3, by far. He’s 6’8”, so he’s still growing into his body.
Not true. But this mentality is why Iowa basketball will remain mediocre.
If "this mentality" is the reason Iowa BB is mediocre, then you can expect another 50 years that are pretty much like the last 50, because I don't think it will change.
Attendance at games is a pretty good indicator of how passionate Iowa fans are about basketball.
I’m old enough to remember when Carver was rocking every night. The product has produced the apathy. Many coaches have proven you can win at Iowa. Put out a better product, attendance will follow suit.
So am I. That would be the Tom Davis era I presume, and the fans ran him out. They were bored and wanted to get to the "next level".
Davis had a winning % of .543 in B1G play. Fran is .505. If Fran had won 8 more B1G games in his 11 year tenure, he would have the same winning % as Davis.
Lute Olsen had things rolling, but left for greener (perhaps "browner") pastures in the desert. Ralph Miller did the same 50 years ago.
The Hawks have had 7 coaches since Miller left with a combined B1G record of 441-447 (.497).
Arguably, two of the three best coaches Iowa has has in the last 60 years left on their own. The third one was dumped.
I'm no Fran-fan, but I am far from convinced that the next guy, or the guy after that, is going to do a whole lot better.
Yawn. More teams that look exactly alike, and never reaching a sweet 16. It’s great to be a Hawkeye?
Well, yeah, there are no guarantees. About the only guarantee is the Iowa basketball program has reached its ceiling under Fran.
And it might take more than one hire to get better results. But in this day and age, you can turn a program around in one season thanks to the transfer portal turning into free agency. Iowa State has proven that. At this point, what do you risk? Fan apathy is increasing and in twelve seasons Fran has yet to get an Iowa team to the second week of the Dance. Why are we sticking with a commodity whose track record speaks for itself? It’s silly.
There in lies the problem and the answer. "We" are not sticking with him - the University is. Since it isn't a pro sport (but getting closer every day), the #1 objective is not winning championships. Fran has a track record of putting pretty good teams on the floor and winning 20 games. For the U, and probably for Barta, that's good enough. It's safe, predictable - the BB program on autopilot. Barb Wilson can go back to trying to build the largest hospital in the universe.
The only thing that's going to get him fired is a Lick-type record or a few more "Fran moments" that embarrass the U.
For me, it's not worth getting angry over.
BTW - the Sweet 16 is mentioned a TON in these threads. Fran's teams have lost in the second round 4 times. If they had made it to the SS say, two of those 4 times, would anything be different now?
Until you get rid of Barta, we will have a mediocre stale football program and shit basketball program. It doesn’t matter what players you bring in. We had 2 time national player of the year and can’t get to the sweet 16. Pathetic!
I love all the apologists. Well in 3 years we’re going to get this player and he’s Top 10, so that will turn around our program. No it won’t! Just stop with the BS. Fran is a avg recruiter and a shit in game coach that will never teach defense or rebounding!
A better question OP is why do Iowa fans keep supporting Fran McCaffery who never has even sniffed a Regular season or BTT championship?
You wonder why Carver is a ghost town? My daughter is a Senior at Iowa. She loves basketball and has no desire to go watch this team this year. Why? Because she has never seen a Iowa team get to the sweet 16 in her lifetime and knows Fran will never get us there!
Think about that!
I love all the apologists. Well in 3 years we’re going to get this player and he’s Top 10, so that will turn around our program. No it won’t! Just stop with the BS. Fran is a avg recruiter and a shit in game coach that will never teach defense or rebounding!
A better question OP is why do Iowa fans keep supporting Fran McCaffery who never has even sniffed a Regular season or BTT championship?
You wonder why Carver is a ghost town? My daughter is a Senior at Iowa. She loves basketball and has no desire to go watch this team this year. Why? Because she has never seen a Iowa team get to the sweet 16 in her lifetime and knows Fran will never get us there!
Think about that!
I agree not worth getting angry over. Most of us are just apathetic at this point.
What two second round games did we even have a chance to win? The sweet sixteen is mentioned by knowledgeable bball fans that realize that is a standard that a good program achieves at least every now and then. But here we are asking hypotheticals about IF we made them?
I’m not angry. I’m indifferent. And I’m tired of being indifferent.
Fran is not going anwhere, but if he wasn't so stubborn, he could actually look in the mirror, upgrade his staff, and actually get something done.
Fran is an average coach. There is no reason to use superlatives to describe a guy with a slightly below 0.500 B1G career record. Everytime this is pointed out, all we hear is that FRan saved the program.
The legend of the Fran...according to friends and family, is that Fran resurrected the Iowa program by getting to the elite NIT in his 2nd and 3rd years. He did it while inheriting a roster with two future All-B1G players (Gatens and Marble).
If getting to NIT in year 2 is a resurrection, How to you describe what int the ISU coach did in 1 year?
Fran has 36 year head coaching career and zero sweet 16s. Yes, I think Fran will get Iowa to NCAA again...but winning 1 game in ncaa seems to be his ceiling...maybe Fran can get into NCAA this year if he has a miracle buy in to defense...but probaby not. Next year Keegan gone...so probably not.
I don't think Fran's system lends itself to NCAA or BTT success because he doesn't value defense. I'm not holding my breath waiting for Jack McCaffery to lead the Iowa Fighting McCaffery's to glory. The first two McCaffery's have been underwhelning basketball talents. Connor would not see 5 minutes of PT at any P5 program with a winning record. PMAC would be required to defend if he wanted PT on a good team.
A couple of things Fran has taken from Hawkeye fans. I really miss the “Shirts and Skins” game before the football games. I remember seeing recruits there, talking with other fans about the players an speculate about the upcoming season. Drake and UNI no longer on the schedule. These games always generated lots of publicity, where always solid out with Hawk fans in the stands and they were usually in the top 200 on Kenyon. I think we should bring a few things back. Go Hawks
I'm asking if it would make any difference. It would be nice if Fran had made it to the SS, but it wouldn't change my opinion about the Iowa basketball program. It's just not a very strong program.
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One thing that caught my eye is that during all that time, Fran has had only 3 seasons where his teams lost less than 10 games.
I can’t even believe the idiocy of our fans.
I don’t want anybody named McCaffery anywhere close to the Iowa program and I’ve felt that way for about 7 or 8 years now.
most of you guys are suckers…
I don’t want anybody named McCaffery anywhere close to the Iowa program and I’ve felt that way for about 7 or 8 years now.
most of you guys are suckers…
The recruits you mentioned that we haven’t received commitments from yet aren’t necessarily the solution to our defensive or rebounding woes.
I like the optimism though. Ideally we’d mix in some bigger guys, stronger guys, and quicker guys along with those players. Need some Tyler Cooks, Reggie Evanses, Ed Hortons, etc sprinkled in there.
Can we please stop comparing what ISU did this year with transfers, to this Iowa team! Are you guys really this ignorant or are you just blinded by rage? It’s a COMPLETELY different scenario, if you need me to explain that to you I will, but if you think about, it’s not that hard to figure out! And for the record, I’d be fine if Fran left, but I also don’t see any of the top coaches wanting to come to Iowa. Do I need to add a Twitter quote to make this more official?
Great post here. This is Barta's dream scenario. Barta is not a risk taker so he's not going to make any move w/ Fran. I think the "Fran moments" climaxed when Fran called the refs "F'ing cheaters".....>Sure he'll blow up occasionally, but you won't see any more accusations like that (or anything worse) from Fran. Fran has also set himself up w/ 10-12 "free" wins vs bad teams, so the schedule is working in his favor now. Beat the 300+ teams, squeek out a few early wins and win 8-9 Big10 games is the plan. That gets them to 20-10 (ish) and who can fire a guy who wins 20 games every year?
Not worth getting angry over - might be the statement of the year. Barta and the U have chosen this path. I'll follow along and occasionally tune into games, but I have 0 interest in buying tickets, purchasing bball gear, or any taking any other hit on my pocket book. The ho-hum attitude taken towards basketball rolls down hill to the fans. If the, U is willing to accept that, I suppose I can follow suit.....
You can certainly tell by watching the crowds at CHA. It's like watching the Stepford Wives.
So, I guess the question on the table really boils down to "Is fan apathy enough to make a coaching change?" In football, I would say "yes" - Men's basketball? I'm not sure........
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