Per a reliable source who is a donor Fran will resign after this season and follow Jack wherever he goes.
Don’t shoot the messenger just passing along what I’ve heard.
Don’t shoot the messenger just passing along what I’ve heard.
This will be Fran’s last year
- Thread starter gamedayron01
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I talked to an Iowa assistant, said Fran is very happy at Iowa. Not buying it.
Find it hard to believe, but if true, it's been a fun run with Fran. The Iowa bball reputation has been mostly restored and overall the program is in the best shape it's been in 25 years or so.
Jack will be a junior this year not a senior.
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Trilly was stating all last year that Fran was really wanting the Notre Dame job. And yet this year, he didn't even include Fran in his "potential movers" category for his Big Ten write up.
There's been rumors of Jack going to a prep school, but so far that hasn't happened to my knowledge. My guess is he sticks around Iowa City until Jack graduates.
I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being true, but if this is coming from a donor, it is more likely speculation at this point.
As I've said before, with Jack preparing for a college career, Fran has 4 options:
- Stay at Iowa, and miss almost all of Jack's college games (and potentially coach against him)
- Leave next spring for another job, and recruit Jack to come play there
- Retire after this year or the next, and travel to watch Jack play wherever he ends up (Fran is 64 right now)
- Convince Jack to change his mind, and attend Iowa after all.
Lots of guessing in this thread.
All I know is that Fran has extended 36 offers so far for the Class of 2025. Obviously, these prospects are asking Fran about the rumors that he might retire in March/April of 2025 when Jack graduates from high school. I would love to know what Fran has told all 36 of these prospects. Whatever it is, it must be working because 5 of the 36 have visited Iowa City so far and one prospect (Malachi Moreno, who visited last year for the Michigan game) is making his second visit next month. In addition, 3 other prospects (so far) are visiting this fall.
Again, who knows what Fran is telling these 2025 prospects but they must feel that Fran will still be around in the fall of 2025.
All I know is that Fran has extended 36 offers so far for the Class of 2025. Obviously, these prospects are asking Fran about the rumors that he might retire in March/April of 2025 when Jack graduates from high school. I would love to know what Fran has told all 36 of these prospects. Whatever it is, it must be working because 5 of the 36 have visited Iowa City so far and one prospect (Malachi Moreno, who visited last year for the Michigan game) is making his second visit next month. In addition, 3 other prospects (so far) are visiting this fall.
Again, who knows what Fran is telling these 2025 prospects but they must feel that Fran will still be around in the fall of 2025.
At 64 and set for life right now, I have to wonder if he wouldn't seriously consider #3 if Jack is actually going to head to a major school elsewhere. 66 years old when his last kid graduates from high school. No high-major school will hire him away from Iowa at his age. So this is either his last job or he'd be taking a step down in competition like Lick did.
Why not retire, take a job broadcasting (which he'd be amazing at) if he wants to stay involved in the game, and enjoy watching the last two kids become adults?
What does he have to gain by staying at Iowa? More money, yes. He should pass Dr. Tom on the career wins list this season. But he isn't going to win a regular season conference championship and it only gets harder once the new schools join. His one realistic mountain to climb after this upcoming season is to make it to the 2nd weekend of the NCAAs.
I would guess Fran is saying something similar to any other coach who has recruited players while privately considering the possibility that he might leave before they arrive and/or graduate. This is something that happens at schools across the country all the time.
But yes, you are correct … lots of guessing in this thread.
call BJ Armstrong. Now. amarite?
After the court ruling, it makes sense to move away from Iowa.
It’s time. 14 years is a long run at Power conference school.
I wanted to add another piece to debunk this rumour. Fran is 64, his contract runs for four more years. He has brought in a lot of very good players the last three years., I think he is building a solid team for the next 4 years. Plus, it would be hard walking away from $3M/year.
For the record, OP trolls this site hard with several accounts.
He knows nothing, including any of the small handful of donors who might actually be privy to such plans.
He is just trying to get people upset b/c it’s the only visibility he receives in his life. Ignore and move on.
He knows nothing, including any of the small handful of donors who might actually be privy to such plans.
He is just trying to get people upset b/c it’s the only visibility he receives in his life. Ignore and move on.
I'd say being 64 would be more of a reason he would retire. I'm guessing he has plenty of money and doesn't need another 12 million. While I like the players he's brought in, I wouldn't say they're going to win a B10 title or national title. They're just going to be a good team. If I was Fran, I would rather watch my youngest son play as much as possible and move on. We already know his youngest isn't wanting to play at Iowa, and after the current legal issues, he maybe doesn't even want to finish his high school career in Iowa.
I just had an epiphany that Dana Altman will be coaching in the Big 10. Growing up in the Omaha area I always went to Dana Altman and Steve Alfords summer camps as a kid. I'm a casual Oregon fan due to the Creighton connection.
If Jack does decide to go to a prep school for his senior year, it would be reasonable to think Fran would go with him. It's probably tough for a parent to miss a senior year for one of his kids, especially the youngest.
No. Great Hawkeye and pro. Worked front NBA front office and now he's an agent. No coaching experience.
I'll be surprised if Fran doesn't leave in a year or two so he can watch Jack.
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I know. I was joking about how his name is always brought up.
Maybe Fran’s knowledge of pressing in basketball could be useful for drawing up blitz packages? Lol assuming you posted in wrong window.
That would be interesting. I don’t keep track enough to know how Matt is doing with recruiting. Without good players it could be some rough years. But we do have some young guys that should be around for a number of years.
No, I want DeVries from Drake as Iowa’s next coach.
I think DD is a good coach, but I would go a different direction. The BJ thing was a joke so that is not it.
I know it's only been 3 years at Wake, but Forbes has had worse defensive finishes than Fran 2 of the past 3 years and still has yet to make the NCAA tournament there even though the ACC has been maybe the worst it's ever been during his time. And let's be very honest with ourselves here, Wake is a basketball school in a state that produces a ton of high school talent each year and he's brought in lower ranked recruiting classes than Fran did the last 2 years. He's also only 5 years younger than Fran currently is, so it's not like it's a big "upside" hire either.
For you folks that don't like Fran, I promise you that Forbes would be more frustrating. If we have to make a hire, I'd much, much rather shoot for an upside mid major coach. Maybe that's DeVries, maybe that is someone else. And if they feel like they just have to try and poach a current P6 coach away I think I'd rather have Chris Jans, even with the baggage that he comes with, than Forbes (though again, I'd rather just avoid both).
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Agree, Devries has a the best upside of anyone Iowa realistically has a shot with.
To me, DeVries, with his success at nearby Drake, seems like kind of an obvious choice. But I wonder if that could end up working against him.
Back in 2007, right after Alford jumped ship, one of the more obvious choices to replace him, at least to many, was Dana Altman, who had achieved a strong record of success at nearby Creighton. There were internet rumors at the time of Altman's interest in the Iowa job, but I also recall worries amid the Iowa fanbase that Altman, with his mild-mannered image, might not be exciting enough. Of course, Iowa ended up hiring the essence of excitement in Todd Lickliter, without ever interviewing Altman. Altman, meanwhile, was quickly snapped up by Arkansas, only to quit just a day later. Three years later, he took the Oregon job, where he's had a strong string of success.
All this to say that if Iowa finds itself looking for a new head basketball coach, I would hope they would not make the mistake of letting familiarity breed contempt.
Agree with the people proposing DeVries as the next, most logical & viable IA coach. He's had extensive experience as an assistant under two successful head coaches - Altman, McDermott; success as a head coach at Drake; player at UNI; and IA ties.
He's our guy if he's still available.
He's our guy if he's still available.
Douglas C. Neidermeyer
HB Legend
Drakes choke job against Miami in the tournament may end up helping Iowa, had they advanced DD may have ended up moving on.
I feel confident we can avoid a similar mistake as long as we don't bring back our former AD.
Yeah I think his only real option was Wichita State. And at that point, you may as well stay put and wait another year even though Wichita is a sneaky good job since they pretty much have unlimited cash flowing into their athletic department (Koch brothers).
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