Why? They just hired the National Coach of the Year in football.
Joke of a hire
- Thread starter sparkeyreturns
- Start date
We're on the basketball board. True, the football hire was a grand slam out of the park.
This is why we should wait on this one. IMHO.
Ok, but basketball isn't nor should it be the only indicator of a good athletic admin.
There were probably shenanigans going on during the Woodson hiring. Devries is Dolson's guy, so maybe let it play out?
No, but would you be surprised that 10 years from now DD is a top coach in the conference and McCollum is unable to attract top players to Iowa and mired in the perennial 7-8 B1G spot???
The answer to that is also no. So honestly, we should all be cautious, but sit back and be optimistic to see what DD does at Indiana.
A couple of the boxes I don't think he has checked yet IMHO (maybe he does in the future):
The core of his players were brought from his previous team. So they understood the assignment and the system/role they were playing. That is not necessarily being successful in the portal. At least to the level he would need to attract talent to be successful at IU. He had a big year at Drake, that shouldn't be understated, but what would his success have been in the B1G with that group? What would Stirtz success been? That is unanswered. Could he attract the players needed at IU, also unanswered. Just because IU has big money and Big, but fading, history does not equate to automatic recruiting attraction.
Secondly, Wearing different hats at a D2 is in now way being the same CEO as it would be at Indiana. It's like saying the successful GM of Gray's Cafeteria would for sure be successful as the CEO of Cracker Barrel. They are not the same. Could he be successful, yeah sure Pearl certainly has been, but one doesn't indicate the other.
Again, McCollum might be great somewhere, but that is not anymore certainly than DeVries being ungreat... or great honestly.
I understand being cautious, but you say McCollum is incomplete analysis, then you have to be fair and say DD is incomplete analysis. He lost his best player for the year in game 8 due to injury, and their other top ball handler at the beginning of conference play. They beat Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Iowa State. Do you think McC has his record if Stirtz and say Mascari were lost for the season?
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According to his mentor, people in the know, call our new coach D-ROCK.
Do you think he is a top 6 coach in the Big Ten.
No clue. I guess we'll see.
And I refuse to use D-Rock ... he's not some white rapper from The Bronx.
Could you imagine if Woody inherited a 9-23 team?
Archie has inproved Rhode Island from year 1 to year 2 with shitty nil, and next season look for him to increase his winning.
Serious question, besides the current state of being a winning program, which if winning the job is not usually open, what makes a destination sexy?
I've heard this a lot, Indiana isn't sexy, Indiana can't get any coaches to want to come, etc ,etc. Does Indiana have a big fan base? Check. Does Indiana have resources? Check. Can you win big at Indiana? Check. The only thing that has been missing the last 20+ years is a good hire. And quite frankly, if a coach doesn't think they can win at Indiana with all of those resources at their disposal then I would want them here anyway... because they wouldn't be successful.
Gonna get up to .500 in conf play?
From 6-12 to 7-11. He's got them on a rocket ship to the top of the A-10.
Can't hardly believe the reasonable one on here is a UK fan. Thank you.
Overall, yes. In conference, not much. Depends on how you define success.
Like UK fans thought Scott Drew was coming to UK, so many IU fans thought they were going to get a home run hire. After you come back to earth that you aren't going to get a hire that guarantees immediate relevance, then the bargaining process comes into play. And yes, we need to give him a chance.
I think in place of “sexy” you could put “prestigious”. During Knight’s winning years, if a high school player told his buddies he was being recruited by Indiana, that was impressive and meant the player was good. IU may still be “sexy” to coaches because they are older and remember when IU dominated college basketball. Players today know IU for its middle of the pack, average status.
There are a lot of schools with both excellent resources and good coaches. That’s what makes it so difficult to get to the upper echelon and once there, to stay there.
I’ve always believed that IU could win big with any top 25 basketball coach because of the built in advantages. I’m still trying to figure out how Woodson could be in the NBA for 40 years and not know how to coach college. I do think DeVries is a top 25 coach, and so we will see if my theory is correct or if IU is Rubik’s cube of media, expectations, politics, etc. that only a chosen few can succeed at.
Because DeVries would have likely been gone. He was Iowa’s first choice.
Of course, and it also makes Indiana one coaching hire away from going back to the blue blood status that they have/had/expect/whatever. That's why I never buy into the narrative of "we have to get this one right or the program is dead". Is it a bit harder to attract talent versus when you have recent success, sure. But it's done all of the time. Kids are fickle. And they come and go often. What matters is the coach.
There are a lot of schools with excellent resources, but not all put it into basketball and with the passion of Indiana. That is still there, even if dormant.
I just don't buy the whoa is me no "sexy" coach wants to come to Indiana anymore. Again, I think there was but one, maybe "sexy" that was willing to be open to leave what they have built. That was Beard. And by all accounts he WANTED the Indiana job. Stevens has no interesting in going back to college coaching. And honestly, I'm not sure he would be as good after being out of it for over 10 years. Jay Wright? Please, there was a reason he wanted out several years ago. A lot has changed, that's not a ding on Indiana. Pitino is 70 years old and an East Coast guy who is in his element in NYC. He's not leaving to go anywhere. Likewise, Pearl I believe is at a place where he is wrapping up and looking for transition to his son taking over. That's not Indiana. Drew? He didn't leave for Kentucky either? Oats? What motivation does he have to leave for anywhere right now? I could have seen Otz, but the narrative is true that he and his wife love Iowa State. Add on he got a healthy extension. May? I'm sure he would have been all over Indiana last year. And in the long run, do we know he will be better than DD? McCasland? Sounds like he is a Texas guy who wants to stay in Texas. So what are we talking about?
Actually I just really wanted the current Drake coach. But I'm over it. We could have hired someone worse. We could have hired Beard.
In all fairness, Woody inherited a roster in 2021 with guys that had played together and stayed from the previous coach. By many accounts, a veteran roster.
DD had to get 10 guys out of the portal.
If we’re looking at what Archie is doing next season, it’s been another bad year for IU. Go Hoosiers!!!
Does his son get NIL money or he is coming for the love of Pop? (And sacrifice his money so dad can spend more elsewhere.)
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I love some good father-son sports drama.
I remember when Knight brought Pat here to play and fans thought it was awful that he would give up a scholarship for his own kid.
And yet, Patrick went on to become Bob's "all-time favorite Indiana player" so Knight had the last laugh on all those doubters. (cough, cough)
I went off the rails initially, I had been on the "Wright track". Lol
Here's what a cooler head thinks:
I think he'll duplicate his Drake results at IU. Losses won't be blow-out losses regularly. I do think his injuries this season cost him 4 wins. I think he's a blend of Greg Gard and Dusty May. He's the type of coach that can win you some conference tournaments. He hasn't won an out right regular season conference title but that's tough to do anyway in the Big Ten. I think we can be Illinois good consistently. Accomplishing that in the Big Ten means you have enough to get to the second weekend every few years.
We'll never know the who's or the what's behind this search.
Here's what a cooler head thinks:
I think he'll duplicate his Drake results at IU. Losses won't be blow-out losses regularly. I do think his injuries this season cost him 4 wins. I think he's a blend of Greg Gard and Dusty May. He's the type of coach that can win you some conference tournaments. He hasn't won an out right regular season conference title but that's tough to do anyway in the Big Ten. I think we can be Illinois good consistently. Accomplishing that in the Big Ten means you have enough to get to the second weekend every few years.
We'll never know the who's or the what's behind this search.
And while that's better than what we've been for a good while, any of dozens of good college coaches should be able to achieve that at a place like IU. I don't think it's what many of the people who remember regular conference championships and banners every 5 years or so were hoping that Dolson was aiming for.
"Rock Star" ~ per Marco Killingsworth
Unfortunately, the attention can be more damaging then helpful. With WhatsSnapInstaToc I can't imagine the distractions players face every day. It used to be that celebrity was the reward of excelling, now it's an inprocess expectation and fluctuates madly.
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I am very surprised that DROCK said the quiet part out loud- Latest: Harry Hondo
