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Beard

there is no next time around. Not for IU and not for Beard.

He is a candidate because there are only a few coaches who could succeed at IU right now and he is one of them. There will not be another time because if IU tanks for another 4 years the fan base will be gone and so will the NIL money.

I DO think Beard is a strong candidate for the IU job.

I also think people who say Buzz Williams is a candidate are the same ones who used to say Lon Krueger was a candidate, and the people who say Mick Cronin is a candidate are the same ones who used to say John Calipari was a candidate.
What makes you think Beard IS a candidate. We keep hearing that he is actually not. And why do you actually think only a few coaches who could succeed at IU? I think there are a number of coaches who would do well. And IU is not going to lose its fan base OR it’s NIL money.
 
He's not an "IU" guy, so no. He is a damn good coach that has won at three different places. What he has quickly managed at a normally downtrodden Ole Miss BB program (13-22 pre-Beard), in the best league in the country, has been pretty impressive. He coaches with a style that has an edge to it that I think IU fans would welcome. Add in the resources available at Indiana that he currently does not have, and I think his success level only climbs. He does have a great respect for what he learned from Bob Knight, which is obviously very impactful on his coaching. That tells me he gets what the Indiana program means to its fans and how great it could be again with the right person at the helm. That's why.
I was talking about May not Beard.
 
What makes you think Beard IS a candidate. We keep hearing that he is actually not. And why do you actually think only a few coaches who could succeed at IU? I think there are a number of coaches who would do well. And IU is not going to lose its fan base OR it’s NIL money.
A bunch of Dolsons around these parts.
 
I'm not saying he's the guy, but the dude can flat-out coach. He'll make some high-major D1 school quite happy in the not-too-distant future, imo.
And if he would be very interested in coaching at IU, after interviewing him, then I hope Dolson/Whitten take the jump.
Do not want to look back in a few years when he’s kicking everybody’s ass…especially IU.
 
If that's true, I would go with the order you typed them... And my excitement level would diminish a fair bit from May to Drew, and then a fair bit more from Drew to Cronin.

But...any of those 3 would right size our program, and get us headed in a better direction. And there are a million reasons, if that's true, why they'd be zeroing in on those guys. And probably the most applicable one would be...most others weren't interested. If I somehow found out they didn't look in to McCollum and/or McCasland, and just focused on those 3 fellas. I'd be incredibly disappointed in them.
My approach to the coaching search is this: If it doesn't come from Dolson or the potential coach himself, I pay no attention. Remember last time? There were dozens upon dozens of "sources say" reports that this guy or that guy was getting hired. And then--BOOM--freaking Woody.
 
My approach to the coaching search is this: If it doesn't come from Dolson or the potential coach himself, I pay no attention. Remember last time? There were dozens upon dozens of "sources say" reports that this guy or that guy was getting hired. And then--BOOM--freaking Woody.
For sure...but sitting and idly waiting until its announced... what would I do with the multiple hours a day I'm reading and typing about all the rumors and sourced info?
 
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There are compelling basketball specific that make him one of the better fits out there right now.

But the IU job is, and should be, about more than basketball. And I think this is where his connection with RMK is causing people to speak out of both sides of their mouths when talking about Beard, and also failing to see the downsides he has a coach, and then obviously not acknowledging the very real risks associated with hiring him.

Both sides of their mouths... Many people use personality, and the ability to handle the IU spotlight as reasons why a guy like McCollum shouldn't be hired. But completely discount that the only time Beard had a job anywhere near the stress and environment the IU job involves...he "cracked" and had an awful drunken incident with his fiance, and lost that job because of it. Other than his short Texas stint, he's had the luxury of coaching in relative anonymity.

Downsides as a coach...he runs a "bully ball" system. He wins with it. It would actually probably fit the B10 conference pretty well. But it isn't pretty. And to some fans, that will end up mattering. And again...the response to this might be..."who cares if he wins"? I'd ask why its a negative for a guy like McCollum then? He's also had something like 6 head coaching jobs in 13 years. So...how well equipped is he to build and then maintain a high level program? Lots of assumptions being made here...and I suspect those assumptions come largely because he has ties with RMK.

And then the real issue... and I've posted this a couple times recently. Its NOT just whether or not he's innocent or guilty of some horrendous DV incident. And its not just the moral issues that whole incident presents. Its the very real risk that he might do something that normally wouldn't warrant him being fired, that because of that past incident, would almost certainly force Dolson/Whitten to "cancel" him. Or even more likely... if his fiance, at any point, feels like she wants to revise the story again. He's toast. And again, the RMK connection here, I think, is causing many people to just discount those things as non factors.

In short...very good coach. Basketball wise he'd be a good overall fit. But he's not THE PERFECT candidate, like he's become on here with many in the last few weeks.
Really! Is there a perfect candidate?
What makes you think Beard IS a candidate. We keep hearing that he is actually not. And why do you actually think only a few coaches who could succeed at IU? I think there are a number of coaches who would do well. And IU is not going to lose its fan base OR it’s NIL money.
Well ! Now we have it. Fire Dolson and hire zeke because he knows who can do well at Indiana.
My approach to the coaching search is this: If it doesn't come from Dolson or the potential coach himself, I pay no attention. Remember last time? There were dozens upon dozens of "sources say" reports that this guy or that guy was getting hired. And then--BOOM--freaking Woody.
Yeah! Well I have inside sources so when I say something it’s fact. Trust me.
 
Really! Is there a perfect candidate?

Well ! Now we have it. Fire Dolson and hire zeke because he knows who can do well at Indiana.

Yeah! Well I have inside sources so when I say something it’s fact. Trust me.
There is not a perfect candidate...no. Beard is as far from perfect as many other candidates are. If he weren't an RMK surrogate, his name would not come up hardly at all on this board.
 
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There is not a perfect candidate...no. Beard is as far from perfect as many other candidates are. If he weren't an RMK surrogate, his name would not come up hardly at all on this board.
We're talking about other good coaches with no IU or RMK connections, including other coaches with scandalous history, so why wouldn't we?
 
We're talking about other good coaches with no IU or RMK connections, including other coaches with scandalous history, so why wouldn't we?
My point is...to many, he's basically the best and only candidate we should be talking to. And if we don't, then IU basketball is somehow weak, or not serious about winning. He isn't that good of a coach to make that leap in his importance.
 
My point is...to many, he's basically the best and only candidate we should be talking to. And if we don't, then IU basketball is somehow weak, or not serious about winning. He isn't that good of a coach to make that leap in his importance.
He has an intensity that is appealing. We haven't had that since Sampson probably. Crean was animated on the sidelines, but it was more of a spastic energy tnan intensity.
 
He has an intensity that is appealing. We haven't had that since Sampson probably. Crean was animated on the sidelines, but it was more of a spastic energy tnan intensity.
I guess I haven't paid enough attention to that. His in game mannerisms seem fairly subdued, to me. But his pressers, and how he interacts with his players...I guess, sure...

In the end...he's had one job that even started to approach the level of scrutiny and prestige that the IU job brings and provides...Texas. And by many accounts, he didn't handle it well. I just don't get the love fest.
 
There is not a perfect candidate...no. Beard is as far from perfect as many other candidates are. If he weren't an RMK surrogate, his name would not come up hardly at all on this board.
Dude this is BS to meet your goody 2 shoes folks agenda of those who think they are better than everyone else and want to be judgemental when they don't know all the facts. Beard is one of the top coaches in college basketball which is why his name is brought up. Every coach who pulls off a big win in college BB get his name on the list here. He is a Tom Penders surrogate. Plenty of other names come up and they had no affiliation with RMK.
 
Dude this is BS to meet your goody 2 shoes folks agenda of those who think they are better than everyone else and want to be judgemental when they don't know all the facts. Beard is one of the top coaches in college basketball which is why his name is brought up. Every coach who pulls off a big win in college BB get his name on the list here. He is a Tom Penders surrogate. Plenty of other names come up and they had no affiliation with RMK.
You want moral guidance, get a priest. I want to win basketball games and I’m sick of us weighing any factor other than which coach gives us the best chance to do that.
 
You want moral guidance, get a priest. I want to win basketball games and I’m sick of us weighing any factor other than which coach gives us the best chance to do that.
1000 %. A lot of people around here demand that our next coach be a teetotaler, a Sunday school teacher, and a virgin. Can we just get a winner please?
 
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If not Beard, I could get on board with McCollum. But he poses some problems with our fanbase.

  1. His winning percentage is too high. Our fans aren’t used to that and might piss themselves.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. His defense is too stifling. We prefer losing guys and a lot of miscommunication on the floor.
  5. He’s won too many coaching awards at his level and we know that won’t translate to the mighty Big Ten.
  6. He only beat Vanderbilt by 11 this season and we know IU would beat the Commodores by 25 points.
  7. 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
We might beat Vandy by -25
 
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Interesting that Chris Beard has never lost to a lower seeded team in the NCAA Tournament. The lowest seeded team he has lost to is a #4 seed, pretty impressive. Ethics be damned, make the call, Dolson.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock:

  • 2015–16 Season: The Trojans, as a No. 12 seed, defeated No. 5 seed Purdue 85–83 in double overtime in the first round. They were eliminated in the second round by No. 4 seed Iowa State, 78–61.
Texas Tech University:

  • 2017–18 Season: The Red Raiders, seeded No. 3, defeated No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin 70–60 in the first round, No. 6 seed Florida 69–66 in the second round, and No. 2 seed Purdue 78–65 in the Sweet 16. They were eliminated in the Elite Eight by No. 1 seed Villanova, 71–59.
  • 2018–19 Season: Texas Tech, a No. 3 seed, won against No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky 72–57 in the first round, No. 6 seed Buffalo 78–58 in the second round, No. 2 seed Michigan 63–44 in the Sweet 16, and No. 1 seed Gonzaga 75–69 in the Elite Eight. They advanced to the National Championship game after defeating No. 2 seed Michigan State 61–51 in the Final Four but fell to No. 1 seed Virginia 85–77 in overtime.
  • 2020–21 Season: The Red Raiders, seeded No. 6, defeated No. 11 seed Utah State 65–53 in the first round but were eliminated in the second round by No. 3 seed Arkansas, 68–66.
University of Texas:

  • 2021–22 Season: The Longhorns, as a No. 6 seed, defeated No. 11 seed Virginia Tech 81–73 in the first round but lost to No. 3 seed Purdue 81–71 in the second round.
 
There is not a perfect candidate...no. Beard is as far from perfect as many other candidates are. If he weren't an RMK surrogate, his name would not come up hardly at all on this board.
Yeah. That is your opinion. The truth is most idiot fans think they know who would do great here. Idiots!
 
There is not a perfect candidate...no. Beard is as far from perfect as many other candidates are. If he weren't an RMK surrogate, his name would not come up hardly at all on this board.

I could not disagree more. Yes, there are many other candidates, but when you look at Beard's track record in the NCAA Tournament, his success is extraordinary. He has a 14-6 record in the NCAA Tournament, has never lost to a lower-seeded team, and the lowest-seeded team he has lost to is a #4 seed.

Saying that Beard wouldn't be desired by IU fans if it were not for his association with Bob Knight could not be further from the truth...
 
I could not disagree more. Yes, there are many other candidates, but when you look at Beard's track record in the NCAA Tournament, his success is extraordinary. He has a 14-6 record in the NCAA Tournament, has never lost to a lower-seeded team, and the lowest-seeded team he has lost to is a #4 seed.

Saying that Beard wouldn't be desired by IU fans if it were not for his association with Bob Knight could not be further from the truth...
I've noticed when IUN doesn't like a particular candidate, even if it's just suggesting Dolson should talk to him, he starts throwing shade on them. He said Brownell's only supported because he played with Cheaney and coached under or was coached by Jim Crews. Neither of which I knew or remembered. But, IMO Beard and Brownell should both be looked at.
 
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Cronin's latest remarks are the worst, because they are weird and not just angry. They were 17 points up and choked the game away. He was critical of the players in a sarcastic way and said the crowd's nervousness had affected the players. I think he's talked his way out of consideration.

Also....I don't know if Rabjohns has any credibility, just mentioning what he said. I do think Beard is out of the picture based on so many 'insiders' saying so. There would be pushback if he was the choice.
I think there is push back for anyone not named May or Stevens. Some St Johns fans probably didn't like Pitino getting hired. Some Houston fans may have thought Sampson was a bad hire. I assume those camps got pretty quiet once the programs turned around.
 
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Really! Is there a perfect candidate?

Well ! Now we have it. Fire Dolson and hire zeke because he knows who can do well at Indiana.

Yeah! Well I have inside sources so when I say something it’s fact. Trust me.
Try reading again. I said I thought there were a number of coaches who could do well at Indiana. Do you disagree?
 
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1000 %. A lot of people around here demand that our next coach be a teetotaler, a Sunday school teacher, and a virgin. Can we just get a winner please?
And some guys don’t care if a guy is a woman beater and an alcoholic, as long as they can win some games. Until the next incident and we have to fire him. Some people didn’t learn a lesson from Sampson.
 
Interesting that Chris Beard has never lost to a lower seeded team in the NCAA Tournament. The lowest seeded team he has lost to is a #4 seed, pretty impressive. Ethics be damned, make the call, Dolson.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock:

  • 2015–16 Season: The Trojans, as a No. 12 seed, defeated No. 5 seed Purdue 85–83 in double overtime in the first round. They were eliminated in the second round by No. 4 seed Iowa State, 78–61.
Texas Tech University:

  • 2017–18 Season: The Red Raiders, seeded No. 3, defeated No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin 70–60 in the first round, No. 6 seed Florida 69–66 in the second round, and No. 2 seed Purdue 78–65 in the Sweet 16. They were eliminated in the Elite Eight by No. 1 seed Villanova, 71–59.
  • 2018–19 Season: Texas Tech, a No. 3 seed, won against No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky 72–57 in the first round, No. 6 seed Buffalo 78–58 in the second round, No. 2 seed Michigan 63–44 in the Sweet 16, and No. 1 seed Gonzaga 75–69 in the Elite Eight. They advanced to the National Championship game after defeating No. 2 seed Michigan State 61–51 in the Final Four but fell to No. 1 seed Virginia 85–77 in overtime.
  • 2020–21 Season: The Red Raiders, seeded No. 6, defeated No. 11 seed Utah State 65–53 in the first round but were eliminated in the second round by No. 3 seed Arkansas, 68–66.
University of Texas:

  • 2021–22 Season: The Longhorns, as a No. 6 seed, defeated No. 11 seed Virginia Tech 81–73 in the first round but lost to No. 3 seed Purdue 81–71 in the second round.
Ethics be damned. There we go. Sigh.
 
I've never understood why there's a morally elite segment to our fanbase. To the point we've made ridiculous coaching hires for 17 years. Pushback??? WTF happened to us? Is it the 25 years of complex ptsd we have? I know we remember what it was that made us IU. There's a glint of it in why we love Cignetti. It's more than the wins. Why did we really love RMK? Sure he was genius, but he was tough as nails and so were we. Now people are holding their breath hoping to get one of the Rice Crispy elves. " Please Brad come save us I know you've not coached college ball higher than a mid-major 10 years ago and for only 7 years. But you're so dreamy." "Hopefully the low buyout for the guy that washed Fifes jock is low because he wants to be our coach." WTF, I guarantee you the guy named Dusty from the mean streets of Boca Raton will not reflect our basketball DNA.

I like the Mark Few fans. He said 15 years ago we were crazy and he'd never come here. That's OK. We are crazy. Instead of saying we want the best coach we can get that's never been on the naughty list why aren't we saying, "We want the best coach that's not a b7+ch!!!!!) ?
 
I've never understood why there's a morally elite segment to our fanbase. To the point we've made ridiculous coaching hires for 17 years. Pushback??? WTF happened to us? Is it the 25 years of complex ptsd we have? I know we remember what it was that made us IU. There's a glint of it in why we love Cignetti. It's more than the wins. Why did we really love RMK? Sure he was genius, but he was tough as nails and so were we. Now people are holding their breath hoping to get one of the Rice Crispy elves. " Please Brad come save us I know you've not coached college ball higher than a mid-major 10 years ago and for only 7 years. But you're so dreamy." "Hopefully the low buyout for the guy that washed Fifes jock is low because he wants to be our coach." WTF, I guarantee you the guy named Dusty from the mean streets of Boca Raton will not reflect our basketball DNA.

I like the Mark Few fans. He said 15 years ago we were crazy and he'd never come here. That's OK. We are crazy. Instead of saying we want the best coach we can get that's never been on the naughty list why aren't we saying, "We want the best coach that's not a b7+ch!!!!!) ?
To stand up to IU fans and donors requires exceptional toughness like crawling up the beach at Iwo Jima or climbing the cliffs on Omaha Beach. Mark Few ain’t got it.
 
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I've noticed when IUN doesn't like a particular candidate, even if it's just suggesting Dolson should talk to him, he starts throwing shade on them. He said Brownell's only supported because he played with Cheaney and coached under or was coached by Jim Crews. Neither of which I knew or remembered. But, IMO Beard and Brownell should both be looked at.

And some guys don’t care if a guy is a woman beater and an alcoholic, as long as they can win some games. Until the next incident and we have to fire him. Some people didn’t learn a lesson from Sampson.
No! We just don’t judge a person on 1 incident. You have him crucified and blackballed for life.
 
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