We would not be an all time great program today if not for the championships under RMK.
You don't - and can't - know that.
IU gave RMK the environment, support, recruiting base, resources and freedom to be highly successful as a coach, and he responded to that with coaching championship teams - and being a great contributor to IU as an educational institution. IMHO, it took both IU and RMK together to do that; RMK didn't do it all by himself.
That's why I think IU is a very under-performing program right now . . . IU has as much potential as any other program to have top 10 performances year-in and year-out. If the fan base didn't feel that way we wouldn't be carrying pitchforks and torches regarding a coach who currently has a team with a 13-3/3-0 record.
Back to RMK - something happened somewhere along the way, where RMK began to believe that he was the only reason IU was successful at basketball . . . rather than the partnership between him and the school. And when that happened, he began to hollow out - something was eating at him from the inside-out - both as a coach and in his commitment to IU as an educational institution. It was like he felt that IU wasn't grateful enough to have him, rather than him being grateful to have IU as an employer - and if there's ever a sign you've stayed too long in a job, that's it.
Maybe he should've taken the O$U job when Gary Williams got that job . . . maybe he would have been in a better frame of mind about what he was doing, plus he could've retired from his alma mater . . . or maybe he should've gone to Arizona or New Mexico when whoever it was out there that courted him, so he could have had a fresh start. In any case, he stayed at IU for longer than was healthy for either him or IU's bball program . . .
. . . what we're left with now is a sad ending to what was a
great run, and then a very good run . . .
. . . and that's OK . . . it's very clear that now is the time to put RMK behind us - which IMO includes replacing Crean, as Crean is really the transition out of the RMK era (with it's tormenting, head-shaking mess of an aftermath) to IU's future, which simply ain't Crean . . .
. . . so let's get on with it. Let's hope RMK's health issues get behind him, let's wish Crean well, and then let's look for the next guy who will lead IU to it's right and proper place as an all time great program. It's time to let go of what's keeping us down, and grab hold of the next run at greatness . . . .