Each of the last 4 coaching fires has been a bad fit at IU. I don't necessarily feel that any of them are poor coaches at the right place but each had a style that didn't work for Indiana fans. Winning is always paramount but it didn't feel right even with wins.
These are a few of my thoughts on what I remembered and respected from the teams under CK. 1. Max effort was a given
2. Unselfish passing was a given
3. The shot fake drew lots of fouls and easy points
4. The players were prepared for whatever was thrown at them. CK seemed to always let them work through challenges without giving the timeout. He didn't seem to like the other teams to go back to their bench getting the confidence from knowing that IU was shaken.
5. Each guy knew EXACTLY what his role was. The guy that set the screens and got their blockouts were just as valuable as the leading scorers. The bench guy knew exactly what they were on the floor to give. MD was done once he gave up the keys in order to get the prized recruits.
6. The better players played the most minutes and were expected to play great but it was the CULTURE that was the focus. It wasn't all about that star. If the star drives the bus, then the team won't reach it's potential.
7. CK knew all of the players strengths and their weaknesses. The offense and their game plan was based on what was needed to expose the opponents weakness. I felt like AM ran the exact same formula and just hoped it would improve or work well enough each game/opponent.
8. With CK there was a huge hate for losing. Everyone is a competitor and prefers winning but it's totally different for some. I think some of the players' desire to do anything to avoid a loss is because of the culture that CK created and demanded.
9. The coach took the losses personally. Hearing a press conferences from TC or AM would kill me when they explained how the team needed to get mentally tougher or certain players were soft. That killed me as a fan. He needs to own that he didn't get those guys ready or didn't put them in a position to success and grow in confidence. That arrogance of acting like they have it all figured out but the guys on the team are the problem. As someone that played many sports through the years, I learned to always put it on myself if my team didn't win. I can't sit back and blame less gifted guys or less experienced guys and act like I won my matchup so I am better than a teammate. We all win together or no one acts like they won.
10. If you play smart, you don't have to be the tallest and just the highest to win. Indiana basketball was pure enough that playing the game the right way was more important that making the highlights. TC did a lot of things right and won a decent amount of games at IU, obviously winning the Big Ten several times. He also recruited some really good players. The problem was that he wanted the team to out athlete the opponent. His formula was never about playing smarter or with the better game plan. It was all about his players having enough talent to beat their opponent. As we all saw, that works when your team is loaded but any rebuilding year or lighter in talent years result in a lot of losing.
Knowing a lot less about the coaching options than AD Dolson and many others, it is tough to know who the best fit at IU would be. I am just hoping this list is close to what he is looking for as well. My hope is that Chris Beard is that guy but who knows. He seems to have a lot of traits that CK had and his teams have always played the right way...even when they lose most of their team after their nice runs in 2018 & 19. John Beilein or a former IU guy could probably work as well but I am still hoping it's Chris Beard. Many coaches could find a way to win but I am also hoping that the Culture fits Indiana basketball.
These are a few of my thoughts on what I remembered and respected from the teams under CK. 1. Max effort was a given
2. Unselfish passing was a given
3. The shot fake drew lots of fouls and easy points
4. The players were prepared for whatever was thrown at them. CK seemed to always let them work through challenges without giving the timeout. He didn't seem to like the other teams to go back to their bench getting the confidence from knowing that IU was shaken.
5. Each guy knew EXACTLY what his role was. The guy that set the screens and got their blockouts were just as valuable as the leading scorers. The bench guy knew exactly what they were on the floor to give. MD was done once he gave up the keys in order to get the prized recruits.
6. The better players played the most minutes and were expected to play great but it was the CULTURE that was the focus. It wasn't all about that star. If the star drives the bus, then the team won't reach it's potential.
7. CK knew all of the players strengths and their weaknesses. The offense and their game plan was based on what was needed to expose the opponents weakness. I felt like AM ran the exact same formula and just hoped it would improve or work well enough each game/opponent.
8. With CK there was a huge hate for losing. Everyone is a competitor and prefers winning but it's totally different for some. I think some of the players' desire to do anything to avoid a loss is because of the culture that CK created and demanded.
9. The coach took the losses personally. Hearing a press conferences from TC or AM would kill me when they explained how the team needed to get mentally tougher or certain players were soft. That killed me as a fan. He needs to own that he didn't get those guys ready or didn't put them in a position to success and grow in confidence. That arrogance of acting like they have it all figured out but the guys on the team are the problem. As someone that played many sports through the years, I learned to always put it on myself if my team didn't win. I can't sit back and blame less gifted guys or less experienced guys and act like I won my matchup so I am better than a teammate. We all win together or no one acts like they won.
10. If you play smart, you don't have to be the tallest and just the highest to win. Indiana basketball was pure enough that playing the game the right way was more important that making the highlights. TC did a lot of things right and won a decent amount of games at IU, obviously winning the Big Ten several times. He also recruited some really good players. The problem was that he wanted the team to out athlete the opponent. His formula was never about playing smarter or with the better game plan. It was all about his players having enough talent to beat their opponent. As we all saw, that works when your team is loaded but any rebuilding year or lighter in talent years result in a lot of losing.
Knowing a lot less about the coaching options than AD Dolson and many others, it is tough to know who the best fit at IU would be. I am just hoping this list is close to what he is looking for as well. My hope is that Chris Beard is that guy but who knows. He seems to have a lot of traits that CK had and his teams have always played the right way...even when they lose most of their team after their nice runs in 2018 & 19. John Beilein or a former IU guy could probably work as well but I am still hoping it's Chris Beard. Many coaches could find a way to win but I am also hoping that the Culture fits Indiana basketball.