Indiana connection - Why?

[capovito]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

 

[BA47591]

I agree, but being able to connect to us is important. The coach and the identity of the team resonating with the fanbase is as important as immediate success I think. We're still IU. There are a couple of age appropriate guys out there that check the boxes .

 

[bsmitty08]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

True but look at other good programs and who they hired.
UK pope
Duke- Scheyer
UNC- Davis
Villanova- Neptune
Purdue- Painter
mSU-Izzo

Not saying we should go with an IU connection but it is very common among better programs

 

[ANOTHERBANNERYEAR]

True but look at other good programs and who they hired.
UK pope
Duke- Scheyer
UNC- Davis
Villanova- Neptune
Purdue- Painter
mSU-Izzo

Not saying we should go with an IU connection but it is very common among better programs

Well would you just look at them! Amazing

 

[TR32]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

Sounds like you want Izzo or Pitino? Multiple final fours?

 

[wi_hoosier]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

I simply take the mention of connection as it means it is possible that the candidate would reciprocate interest.

 

[TR32]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

We need a coach who can win a national championship. There is a big difference between winning consistently and winning a title.
Greg Gard wins consistently. Will he win a championship? Probably not. He is a good coach though.

Cronin, on the other hand has lost to McCaffrey, Musselman, Alford in NCAA tourney games. He has 1 final four despite having 3-5 NBA players on his roster every single year. May got there without any.

At least with Pearl you have a guy who has gotten his teams better over the years. He has a shot at it. When he has NBA talent he has really good seasons. I give him credit for how he has done late in his career.

You have to focus on bringing in someone who can do that. There really aren't very many choices one you ask that question. I don't want Cronin and his ugly pimp suits on our sidelines. He will go out and buy players and then complain when they have no heart. He is perfect for UCLA. Leave him there.

 

[Crossblock]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

Here is the problem with the Indiana connection and tracking it back to Knight. I had the privilege of being on Campus from 1974 to 1977 and seeing Knight in his prime and two of the greatest basketball teams ever to Play the Game. And Yes, Knight Coached effectively for many years and won two more National Championships after that. But if You look at things after 1994, His record wasn't as good, and We had several NCAA early exits. I'm 73 Years Old. Those of Us Who were there for the Glory years are dying off, many of Us are not in a State of Health to attend games consistently, our working Years and high earning years are behind Us, so We can't support the program financially like We could 25 Years ago.
We haven't won a National Championship in almost 40 Years, so people under the age of 55, probably weren't connected to the program or have much memory of 1987. So much of the fan base can't connect to Knight and the great years.
In addition the game has changed with spreading the floor for 3 point shots, spacing, and skills and recognition.
If anything, We need to start from scratch and hopefully build a new Era of Success. To do this We need to hire the best person available to rebuild and hopefully lead this program for the next 15 to 20 years without considering any connections to IU.

 

[Jssanto]

In my opinion a HC must:
1. Be able to attract and sign a coaching staff.
A. One staff member who can develop bigs.
B. One staff member who can develop guards.
C. One staff member who can teach shooting.
D. One member who can be an in game X and O coach.
E. All members of the staff need to be able to watch film and scout opponents.
2. The coaching staff needs to attract players to the program.
A. Attract players because the players believe they can be developed into NBA level players at this school.
B. Lobby for NIL dollars. Like it or not money is an influence for all and a deciding factor for some.
3. The coaching staff needs to be able to develop those players.
A. Position specific development. Defensive rim protection, 3 point sharp shooting, game IQ, etc. Players are better in year two than year one with us.

I also would prefer a guy (or girl, I just want to win) to be younger. Late 30s to high 40s. That should allow for enough experience and yet a guy who, if successful, can stay for 20 years.
I do not think a prior attachment to IU is at all important.

 

[ams66]

We need a coach who can win a national championship. There is a big difference between winning consistently and winning a title.
Greg Gard wins consistently. Will he win a championship? Probably not. He is a good coach though.

Cronin, on the other hand has lost to McCaffrey, Musselman, Alford in NCAA tourney games. He has 1 final four despite having 3-5 NBA players on his roster every single year. May got there without any.

At least with Pearl you have a guy who has gotten his teams better over the years. He has a shot at it. When he has NBA talent he has really good seasons. I give him credit for how he has done late in his career.

You have to focus on bringing in someone who can do that. There really aren't very many choices one you ask that question. I don't want Cronin and his ugly pimp suits on our sidelines. He will go out and buy players and then complain when they have no heart. He is perfect for UCLA. Leave him there.

National Championships are very elusive. Only a small number of active coaches have won one. Only 14---ever---have won more than one. A lot of things including luck need to converge to make that happen and coaching ability is only one.

If you limit yourself to working coaches who have proven they can do it, that is Bill Self, Scott Drew, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, and Dan Hurley. Pitino and Izzo are in their 70s. Self and Calipari are in their 60s. Do you think any of them are interested in the Indiana job, and Indiana would hire them?

Beyond that, an educated guess is the best you can do. Having made a Final Four is probably a decent filter though not an exclusive one. Mike Davis had that.

 

[yeard]

I think connection is a thing because it goes both ways. A coach who has a great job at a great program wouldn't have any motivation to leave if it wasn't for the connection. They might not otherwise be interested in the job considering the state of IU basketball. I'm all in on May. the only reason he would leave mich is because of his connection to the program and the area.

 

[mrhighlife]

I can't hurt. But it shouldn't be the first criteria in deciding who to offer the job too.

 

[asindc]

The only criterion I must have is college coaching experience. Beyond that, I’m good with checking off other boxes as long as the process produces the right coach, regardless of the criteria used.

 

[UncleMark]

I'm all in on May. the only reason he would leave mich is because of his connection to the program and the area.

Exactly. The IU connection is what makes the job attractive to a guy like May. Without it, we're just another job opportunity to him.

 

[ams66]

I don't see why May would leave now. He's young enough he can wait for our next coach to flame out and then make a move with a really established B1G record. In the meantime he can use our interest as leverage for a pay boost. Ann Arbor is as nice as Bloomington and the university has a bit more prestige as an institution.

 

[kkott]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

IU ties are irrelevant. The only tie we need is for a coach to win like RMK did. Everyone will align behind that. And, as we've seen with Woody, having an IU tie and losing will get you on the outs with the fanbase... real or otherwise.

 

[kkott]

I don't see why May would leave now. He's young enough he can wait for our next coach to flame out and then make a move with a really established B1G record. Ann Arbor is as nice as Bloomington and the university has a bit more prestige as an institution.

I'll give you a few reasons: NIL, support, and (supposedly) easier academic standards. If you want to build a winner and NC contender, those make it a lot easier.

 

[asindc]

I don't see why May would leave now. He's young enough he can wait for our next coach to flame out and then make a move with a really established B1G record. In the meantime he can use our interest as leverage for a pay boost. Ann Arbor is as nice as Bloomington and the university has a bit more prestige as an institution.

It is far from certain that another opportunity to coach IU will come along.

 

[ams66]

It is far from certain that another opportunity to coach IU will come along.

True. All depends on who else we would hire and how he performs.

 

[trailrunner]

Considering what May has accomplished at FAU and taking a bottom feeder to the top of the conference in his first year, I expect Dolson to put a full court press on May. Plus he would dominate in state recruiting.

 

[ams66]

Close game for May at OSU

 

[trailrunner]

Close game for May at OSU

Love the way May effectively uses his two big men.

 

[VanPastorMan]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

The best coach for IU is one who some connection to Coach Knight. He can even say, "I was Coach Knight's paper boy" On the serious side, we like some connection because we want a coach who loves IU like we do. What happens with the state of IU basketball really means something to us. We bank on someone with a connection so they might care enough. I don't think Calvin Samscum cared a thing about IU. He spat on what Coach Knight had created which is a team that won, kids went to class, and the rules were followed.

 

[trailrunner]

If Michigan takes one from the Spartans they will be conference champions in May’s first season.

 

[ams66]

The best coach for IU is one who some connection to Coach Knight. He can even say, "I was Coach Knight's paper boy" On the serious side, we like some connection because we want a coach who loves IU like we do. What happens with the stae of IU basketball really means something to us. We bank on someone with a connection so they might care enough. I don't think Calvin Samscum cared a thing about IU. He spat on what Coach Knight had created which is a team that won, kids went to class, and the rules were followed.

Sounds nice but how did that work out with Woodson?

 

[VanPastorMan]

Sounds nice but how did that work out with Woodson?

A lot of us were excited because we thought we were getting Knight extension in the person of Woodson. He turned out to not be so.

 

[kmathum]

Considering what May has accomplished at FAU and taking a bottom feeder to the top of the conference in his first year, I expect Dolson to put a full court press on May. Plus he would dominate in state recruiting.

I think we'll probably end up with May which is OK. I just think we can do better. I see him as having the same ceiling as Crean.

 

[kkott]

Love the way May effectively uses his two big men.

If you're contrasting it to how we struggle playing our 2 bigs it really has less to do with coaching than Wulf is a much more multi-skilled big with terrific perimeter skills. I'd say if you rated all 4 bigs on shooting, handle and passing (perimeter skills), UM's guys would rank 1 and 2 in those categories. And, they came to UM like that, not a ton of Dusty's handiwork there, except maybe for work he did with Vlad at FAU. Now, it should have never taken CMW that long to recognize we played better with 1 big; that's on him.

 

[trailrunner]

I think we'll probably end up with May which is OK. I just think we can do better. I see him as having the same ceiling as Crean.

Crean had Wade at Marquette and Oladipo and Zeller. May has not been blessed with that talent level.

 

[trailrunner]

If you're contrasting it to how we struggle playing our 2 bigs it really has less to do with coaching than Wulf is a much more multi-skilled big with terrific perimeter skills. I'd say if you rated all 4 bigs on shooting, handle and passing (perimeter skills), UM's guys would rank 1 and 2 in those categories. And, they came to UM like that, not a ton of Dusty's handiwork there, except maybe for work he did with Vlad at FAU. Now, it should have never taken CMW that long to recognize we played better with 1 big; that's on him.

One of the big guys will leave the paint to open up room and then slide in on outside shots to rebound. They move around more than ours do. The lane never seems clogged up. I agree that Wolf is very talented. Wood look good in a Pacer’s jersey.

 

[IUfanBorden]

I agree, but being able to connect to us is important. The coach and the identity of the team resonating with the fanbase is as important as immediate success I think. We're still IU. There are a couple of age appropriate guys out there that check the boxes .

Remind me of Kelvin Sampsons "IU connection"?

 

[TR32]

National Championships are very elusive. Only a small number of active coaches have won one. Only 14---ever---have won more than one. A lot of things including luck need to converge to make that happen and coaching ability is only one.

If you limit yourself to working coaches who have proven they can do it, that is Bill Self, Scott Drew, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, and Dan Hurley. Pitino and Izzo are in their 70s. Self and Calipari are in their 60s. Do you think any of them are interested in the Indiana job, and Indiana would hire them?

Beyond that, an educated guess is the best you can do. Having made a Final Four is probably a decent filter though not an exclusive one. Mike Davis had that.

"who CAN win a national championship"

Crean couldn't beat a zone. But had he only played against man-man teams he might have had a shot in 2013.

 

[trailrunner]

Drake tied at home with 3 minutes left

 

[bailey777]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Indiana connection as consideration in coaching search.
SB irrelevant IMO. We are experiencing that strategy now. Any coach wants to win and should be evaluated on his body of work not whether he was manager or player at IU, whether coached at another school in IN or whether he grew up here, etc. We need a coach that is proven and has won consistently - not just one trip to Final 4 (like Crean).

Gotta get an iu guy I heard for years. Yeah that worked wonders.

 

[TR32]

Here is the problem with the Indiana connection and tracking it back to Knight. I had the privilege of being on Campus from 1974 to 1977 and seeing Knight in his prime and two of the greatest basketball teams ever to Play the Game. And Yes, Knight Coached effectively for many years and won two more National Championships after that. But if You look at things after 1994, His record wasn't as good, and We had several NCAA early exits. I'm 73 Years Old. Those of Us Who were there for the Glory years are dying off, many of Us are not in a State of Health to attend games consistently, our working Years and high earning years are behind Us, so We can't support the program financially like We could 25 Years ago.
We haven't won a National Championship in almost 40 Years, so people under the age of 55, probably weren't connected to the program or have much memory of 1987. So much of the fan base can't connect to Knight and the great years.
In addition the game has changed with spreading the floor for 3 point shots, spacing, and skills and recognition.
If anything, We need to start from scratch and hopefully build a new Era of Success. To do this We need to hire the best person available to rebuild and hopefully lead this program for the next 15 to 20 years without considering any connections to IU.

All fair. I think the fan base needs someone they can rally behind. Clearly May has offerred that to UM fans. Their wallets will open to keep him in place and probably see a way to dominate MSU for the next 20yrs because Izzos time is nearly over

 

[TR32]

Gotta get an iu guy I heard for years. Yeah that worked wonders.

Hasn't ever happened. Woodson went to IU but he is clearly an 'NBA guy'.

Mike Davis showed us that after day 1 that 3 years as Knight's assistant wasn't enough to learn the frigging offense.

Dakich was an IU guy but he never got a fair shot, and I think he would have struggled with recruiting. Maybe not. Painter seems to get guys who play hard. Dakich would have done that.

Sampson was despicable but Greenspan hired him anyway. I still remember that game in Oklahoma where he went over to tell the clock keeper something and a minute later time ran off when the refs weren't looking. Cheating sob.

Archie was a guess that didn't pay off. He wasn't an IU guy.

Beard is essentially a Knight guy, as is May, Alford, and Lewis. Beard and May, I think, would kill it in Bloomington. Alford may have been ok but probably not quite good enough. Lewis hasn't shown it.

 

[kmathum]

Drake tied at home with 3 minutes left

What could McCollum do with Michigan's talent level?

 

[Warison]

The best coach for IU is one who some connection to Coach Knight. He can even say, "I was Coach Knight's paper boy" On the serious side, we like some connection because we want a coach who loves IU like we do. What happens with the stae of IU basketball really means something to us. We bank on someone with a connection so they might care enough. I don't think Calvin Samscum cared a thing about IU. He spat on what Coach Knight had created which is a team that won, kids went to class, and the rules were followed.

I actually like this post.

A coach with Indiana ties knows what high school I went to. He knows how much this state cares. He’s livid that Purdue is getting headlines.

A coach with ties to the state is a neighbor in your driveway.

A coach without is a stranger trying to tell you how great his yard is, when you’ve never seen his yard and don’t even know where he lives.

I’m sure your yard is amazing, maybe, but you’re really gonna have to prove it, keep it up and make me want to come over to see how you’re doing it. You’re gonna really have to earn this.

 

[kkott]

One of the big guys will leave the paint to open up room and then slide in on outside shots to rebound. They move around more than ours do. The lane never seems clogged up. I agree that Wolf is very talented. Wood look good in a Pacer’s jersey.

That's my point though, with the skills they have they are a threat outside (even Golden will take 3s and I bet us a better shooter than Reanu) so they have to be guarded. Ballo can go out on the floor, but you don't have to leave the paint to guard him.

 

[kkott]

Drake tied at home with 3 minutes left

please stop this junk... we don't need to know game by game results for anyone we are considering. They are all going to lose games.