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Why Coach Fran Will Retire at Iowa!

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LuteHawk

HB Legend
Nov 30, 2011
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First of all, he has revived a depleted program with four
straight 20 win seasons (25-13, 20-13, 22-12, 22-11) and
in the process he has an NIT 2nd place trophy and three
straight bids to the NCAA Tournament with 2 wins and 3
losses.

Secondly, he and his family enjoy the atmosphere of Iowa
City and the area high schools for their boys. Connor will
be playing tor the Hawkeyes in the near future. Fran really
wants to be in Iowa City and gives the Iowa Hawkeyes
some stability.
 
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Hawkeye fans want a basketball coach who really wants
to be in Iowa City. We don't need a coach who looks to
Iowa as a stepping stone to a bigger job.

This is why Coach Fran is a good fit. He wants to be here
and will probably retire here. We had enough of the Todd
Lickliters and Steve Alfords of the basketball world.

Bottom Line: Be thankful that Fran wants to be here and
continues to improve the Iowa basketball program.
 
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Just reading what people write I see very few if any fans who really don't like Fran- totally different ball game than when we had Alford here. Some like myself question his coaching but we could do worse and far worse as far as likeability. As far as Fran retiring here way too early to speculate about that as Fran won't get fired here but could very easily move on by choice. The Pittsburgh rumors tell me that Fran has left himself open to other positions but let's see where all that goes.
 
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I agree with what you're saying, LuteHawk, but I wish a certain segment of our fans would stop telling us to "be thankful" that Fran is here or wants to be here. It comes across as if we don't deserve him.

I appreciate what he's done to revive the program and that he has many good qualities, not has a coach and as a human being. However, if he produces another senior class that cannot finish close games at least 45-65% of the time and does not find a gritty, hard-nosed leader at a guard position to instill some emotion and attitude into his teams, I will appreciate him less and less, to a point where I will call for a change.

Maybe the juveniles currently calling for a change are right and he's peaked. I think it's premature and want to see what he's serving with his second course. Here's hoping it doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth like the first. In the meantime, I wish him, his family, and of course the team I root for much success and accolades! :)
 
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LuteHawk said:
First of all, he has revived a depleted program with four
straight 20 win seasons (25-13, 20-13, 22-12, 22-11) and
in the process he has an NIT 2nd place trophy and three
straight bids to the NCAA Tournament with 2 wins and 3
losses.

Secondly, he and his family enjoy the atmosphere of Iowa
City and the area high schools for their boys. Connor will
be playing tor the Hawkeyes in the near future. Fran really
wants to be in Iowa City and gives the Iowa Hawkeyes
some stability.
Click to expand...
LOL, that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.

He needs to achieve some legit accomplishments....like Wisconsin and Iowa State have. Conference tourney championships, Sweet Sixteens, maybe even a Final Four. If they can do it then we damn well can.

Not every Iowa fan is okay with just 20 wins and an NCAA appearance, especially when coupled with end of season collapses and embarrassing season ending losses.
 
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I always say where's there's smoke there's fire. It does sound like Dixon has come very close to signing on with TCU and then we can all see what happens from there. The media doesn't speculate about Fran taking that job if he hasn't put out feelers through his agent that he would listen to other offers. That said we don't know what he will do including retiring at Iowa. I have often wondered if Fran would stick around to coach his boys here and we may get an answer to that sooner than we may have expected. In the Navy we used to say when you assume... you can fill in the blank :)
 
HawkPT said:
Hawkeyemark... the "media" speculates rampantly. Journalism isn't what it used to be.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%- don't even get me started on the media. However, that stuff usually doesn't come out of nowhere. It doesn't mean that Fran has actively started seeking other positions behind the scenes but it does seem a pretty good bet that he has made it known that he would entertain offers. Aside from that we don't know much of anything.
 
I agree with the OP. I mean it's progress. It could be worse. We are competing in the big ten somewhat. Maybe these last few seasons will prompt better talent. Tho having 2 top 100 prospects as seniors should produce some success of the coaching is not the issue.
 
hawkeyemark said:
I agree 100%- don't even get me started on the media. However, that stuff usually doesn't come out of nowhere. It doesn't mean that Fran has actively started seeking other positions behind the scenes but it does seem a pretty good bet that he has made it known that he would entertain offers. Aside from that we don't know much of anything.
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So, when would he have done this... put out hisfeelers. They probably have just landed in Iowa. He hasn't even had a chance to defragment.

Listen, he may very well have interest, but if you've just gone through the grinder that Iowa has been through, you're simply catching a breath and loving on the kids, their families, and the coaching staff. Feelers come later.

Until then, many will speculate anyway.
 
HawkPT said:
So, when would he have done this... put out hisfeelers. They probably have just landed in Iowa. He hasn't even had a chance to defragment.

Listen, he may very well have interest, but if you've just gone through the grinder that Iowa has been through, you're simply catching a breath and loving on the kids, their families, and the coaching staff. Feelers come later.

Until then, many will speculate anyway.
Click to expand...

I would guess that coaches that have an interest in possibly changing jobs have their agents talking to the people who make hiring decisions. The agents stay in the know about all the behind the scenes stuff. Pittsburgh may well know that they will lose Dixon and that Fran seems a possible candidate for replacement. Somebody talks and the media runs wild with it. Whether that reaches a level where Fran himself has any interest we have no way of knowing.
 
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hawkeyemark said:
I would guess that coaches that have an interest in possibly changing jobs have their agents talking to the people who make hiring decisions. The agents stay in the know about all the behind the scenes stuff. Pittsburgh may well know that they will lose Dixon and that Fran seems a possible candidate for replacement. Somebody talks and the media runs wild with it. Whether that reaches a level where Fran himself has any interest we have no way of knowing.
Click to expand...
We actually have no way of knowing any of what you just guessed. Not this early anyway.
 
Let's just say for hypothetical sake, that Fran up and leaves (for who cares where)......................

My guess is he takes his boys with him. Maybe even a couple transfers and incoming recruits as well.

While I don't think we fall back to Lickliter ball under the next coach, unless he's just that bad, it would be a majority of the next recruiting class' time at Iowa before they're back to the level Fran has us at right now.......which got us a season sweep of Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan and our highest regular season ranking in nearly 30 years.

But that's just my opinion. Maybe one of you can paint a better picture of what would happen if Fran leaves now.
 
grosie#2 said:
Not yet at the Tom Davis level. Needs to get to a final 8 and 16. Also needs to recruit a good pt. guard.
Click to expand...
Tom Davis did not get to a round of 8 Ravelings amazing recruiting class got to a round of 8. you take that 1 season away and pull up almost any other 3 or 4 year stretch under the good DR and Fran's last 3 or 4 years is almost identical.
 
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What media is speculating Fran to Pitt? Nobody that I have seen and I'm media. I have seen several Pitt shortlists and Fran isn't on any of those. There is no smoke whatsoever that I can tell. The only Fran to Pitt rumors have been on internet boards and that ain't traditional media. If Tom or Blair say it, then that would be smoke also.
 
NorthCentralHawk said:
I agree with what you're saying, LuteHawk, but I wish a certain segment of our fans would stop telling us to "be thankful" that Fran is here or wants to be here. It comes across as if we don't deserve him.

I appreciate what he's done to revive the program and that he has many good qualities, not has a coach and as a human being. However, if he produces another senior class that cannot finish close games at least 45-65% of the time and does not find a gritty, hard-nosed leader at a guard position to instill some emotion and attitude into his teams, I will appreciate him less and less, to a point where I will call for a change.

Maybe the juveniles currently calling for a change are right and he's peaked. I think it's premature and want to see what he's serving with his second course. Here's hoping it doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth like the first. In the meantime, I wish him, his family, and of course the team I root for much success and accolades! :)
Click to expand...
This is where I'm at. Very well said.
 
Suterman said:
What media is speculating Fran to Pitt? Nobody that I have seen and I'm media. I have seen several Pitt shortlists and Fran isn't on any of those. There is no smoke whatsoever that I can tell. The only Fran to Pitt rumors have been on internet boards and that ain't traditional media. If Tom or Blair say it, then that would be smoke also.
Click to expand...

Suterman, in my post I meant "smoke" more in the sense that Fran may have his agent checking out the landscape of what may seem out there if we see his name popping up on any lists. I personally don't see Fran as the happy camper wanting to ride Iowa out to retirement but who knows? As far as the media angle a poster yesterday mentioned reports out of Pittsburgh linking Fran to that job with Dixon moving on but you would know more about that aspect of it than we do here. In Fran I think we have an unconventional coach very hard to predict what he will do.
 
bizkitsngravy said:
Tom Davis did not get to a round of 8 Ravelings amazing recruiting class got to a round of 8. you take that 1 season away and pull up almost any other 3 or 4 year stretch under the good DR and Fran's last 3 or 4 years is almost identical.
Click to expand...
Raveling could recruit but it took Tom Davis to get them to the final 8. Fran's ok but still can't recruit like Tom Davis. Fran's teams also seem to fade toward the end of the season. This yrs. team really lost it at the end.
 
grosie#2 said:
Raveling could recruit but it took Tom Davis to get them to the final 8. Fran's ok but still can't recruit like Tom Davis. Fran's teams also seem to fade toward the end of the season. This yrs. team really lost it at the end.
Click to expand...

What? What? Tom Davis was run off, not only because he couldn't recruit, but because he wouldn't. Stories from Iowa kids like Raef LaFrenz, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich - Davis wouldn't even take the time to visit them so they went to Kansas.

Davis was a terrible recruiter.
 
Hawk_4shur said:
What? What? Tom Davis was run off, not only because he couldn't recruit, but because he wouldn't. Stories from Iowa kids like Raef LaFrenz, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich - Davis wouldn't even take the time to visit them so they went to Kansas.

Davis was a terrible recruiter.
Click to expand...
I agree. Fran may not have gotten any of those guys over Kansas either, but you can damn well bet he would have hounded them constantly for years.
 
grosie#2 said:
Not yet at the Tom Davis level. Needs to get to a final 8 and 16. Also needs to recruit a good pt. guard.
Click to expand...

Davis got to his elite 8 and one of 2 sweet 16 with Raveling players. Flip side look what Fran inherited for players. Look at year 5 till his last year when they were all Tom Davis players. 1 sweet 16. For the record I was a Tom Davis fan but it's funny how some look past all the talent Davis inherited and had his most success with them when taking a shot at Fran.
 
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From Hawk central article, “It’s going to be a really different experience for me next year,” McCaffery said, “when I look out there and those guys aren’t here.”
 
I just want to see Fran continue to improve with HIS job.

He appears to be stubborn in a way, just like KF.

He doesn't seem willing to improve in certain ways, when it comes to in game decisions and to how he runs his team.

I think we have the right man for the job, as long as he continues to GROW and improve while he is here.

If he does that, and his recruiting continues to an TYLER COOK type path, then look, out, the sky is the limit.

If not, well, we have seen the limit.
 
Hawk_4shur said:
What? What? Tom Davis was run off, not only because he couldn't recruit, but because he wouldn't. Stories from Iowa kids like Raef LaFrenz, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich - Davis wouldn't even take the time to visit them so they went to Kansas.

Davis was a terrible recruiter.
Click to expand...
Our program was disrupted when Davis got a lame duck year the same year Collison and Hinrich were seniors. He really couldn't recruit them because he no longer had a job at UI. Hinrich was a verbal to ISU until Tim Floyd left for the Bulls. Collison would probably have been a Hawk if Davis had been fired and not given the last year. Thank you President Mary Sue Coleman.
 
Damn, you would think that we finished 10th in the big ten and were sitting at home watching other teams play in March. IMO we have improved every year and we started as low as we could, do some of you not remember being excited if we played a Big10 game within single digits. We have been in the dance 3 years in a row (first time that has happened since like 93) and not only that were in the round of 32 2 years in a row, so its not like we completely shit the bed. Its also not like we are recruiting piss poor in the next 3 years, because realistically our next 3 years are pretty solid. Not to mention we have some intriguing young guys who are currently on the roster.
 
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LuteHawk said:
First of all, he has revived a depleted program with four
straight 20 win seasons (25-13, 20-13, 22-12, 22-11) and
in the process he has an NIT 2nd place trophy and three
straight bids to the NCAA Tournament with 2 wins and 3
losses.

Secondly, he and his family enjoy the atmosphere of Iowa
City and the area high schools for their boys. Connor will
be playing tor the Hawkeyes in the near future. Fran really
wants to be in Iowa City and gives the Iowa Hawkeyes
some stability.
Click to expand...

Oh god I hope not!
 
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