Beard
- Thread starter yeard
- Start date
Please, if Dolson does his due diligence in finding the next coach for IU, and he decides Beard is the best answer, don’t go straight to social media or the forums and crucify/bash Beard. Be a true IU fan and support, or jump on a different college’s bandwagon. It’s not like any of the crying would have an effect after the fact.
U of L went after him hard after last season. I guess they don't have a desire to win. I think he is a great coach. Won at a school with zero resources. Took over a bad BIG school and is leading the conf 3/4 of way through. Yeah he has IU ties but name me another coach his age that has his resume?
I’ve read that in the past he’s made comments about being interested in coaching at IU if the opportunity ever came.
He took a school you've never heard of to the Final Four. In his first year UM and in first place with a replenished roster. He beat Painter last night.
You've got it backwards, only reason that he might be interested is because of ties to IU. I think there are plenty of big time programs that would take May. He is like 43(?) and could the coach for decades.
He’s 48 and in the same class as Stevens. Crazy the amount of success Stevens has had in this short amount of time. Dusty is good but Stevens is on another level.
Why would he be viable the next time around?
Once you’ve been branded as a “habitual domestic abuser” from one incident (remind people he was married prior to this with no history or reports of abuse, has 3 daughters with his former wife), you are always going to carry that one incident the remainder of your career.
Be it right or wrong, public perception seems to "fade" as time goes by. Rick Pitino is halfway back from being a total sleaze-ball. Plus, people can change their behavior and nothing but time will prove if that is true. I mean, hell, I quit drinking at least once a day. When I quit for a few years, then I might crow about it.
If not Beard, I could get on board with McCollum. But he poses some problems with our fanbase.
- His winning percentage is too high. Our fans aren’t used to that and might piss themselves.
- He’s coached too long. 16 years as a head coach is an auto-disqualification. Must have coached under 10 years and had at least one flukey run to the Final Four and your other seasons mediocre.
- His offense is too slow. Forget about the winning part of it. We prefer our offense to be out of control with a minimum of 25 turnovers per game, because that keeps the excitement level up.
- His defense is too stifling. We prefer losing guys and a lot of miscommunication on the floor.
- He’s won too many coaching awards at his level and we know that won’t translate to the mighty Big Ten.
- He only beat Vanderbilt by 11 this season and we know IU would beat the Commodores by 25 points.
- He’s from Iowa and only the greatest coaches in college come from the state of Indiana like Woodson or Alford or Whitman or Isaiah
I see Chris Beard as the best coach in college basketball. I'd hate for IU to pass because of PR fears. Give him legit talent and he could make IU special again. We'll see if Pam and Scott agree.
Stevens, May, or Wright all seem very unlikely. Any of the other names being thrown around aren't even close to Coach Beard.
I’m all in for Beard or McCollum. As BRC Buffalo said in a previous post, seems like a lot IU fans just want something to bitch about any candidate. I’m guessing most negative Nellies haven’t ever experienced the real IU tradition of basketball. Hopefully Dolson isn’t feeling obligated to listen to any of the “important people” and chooses the “safe” route. I would guess he knows what he is doing and will not go that route.
I would not agree that Beard is the best coach in CBB (Pitino, Hurley have much better credentials), but he is a hell of a coach, and I think Indiana would be next season's Michigan with either Beard or May. Both have done a tremendous job building lesser programs. I would give the edge to Beard in on-court success, and he is definitely a coach Indiana fans would immediately get behind, not that they wouldn't with Dusty, but Beard has an "edge" to him that has been missing from the program, and I think it would be a welcomed sight for all to see again. Hiring Beard would put the fear of 'gawd' into the other 17 B1G programs, especially the one just to the North. I'm not sure that same feeling comes with Dusty, but I think he would be successful. IMO.
What we hope happens and what will actually happen are not necessarily the same. Of course I hope May is successful if it is him, and on paper he looks good, but I don’t think anyone doubts more risk with May than with Beard. Beard has a superior resume and so less risk. That doesn’t mean May will not be successful but just that at this point in time when the decision must be made more risk.
Everyone gets to look at things in their own way. As far as Dusty May goes; after previously taking FAU to within a last-second shot of the '23 NCAA title game Louisville wanted him badly and Michigan wanted him more in 2024. All he has done is to take a Michigan program that went 3-17 (5-10), lost their last 9 games to finish dead last in the Big Ten last season to leading the league with 6 games left. A lot of programs would like to have that kind of singing in their choirs.
I get the argument for Pitino. He is amazing. Hurley had a ridiculous amount of talent this past two years and Clingan. I see him as a good coach and a better recruiter.
I also agree with all that you said about Beard & May 100%.
