[JonDMiller]

I think if you had a blind resume, with no team names, and no name of the coach and were told that Iowa's next coach:

-Had turned around three programs and made it to the NCAA at all three stops
-won three straight league titles
-averaged in the 70's the last three years, wants to play uptempo
-spent a decade as an assistant at a high major program and had recruited high major talent during that time
-Had turned down strong overtures from two Big East jobs to see the Iowa opportunity through to its end
-had been a head coach for well over a decade...

people would have said 'Yes, I am very interested in this guy'.

Agree? Disagree?

[Hawkeye1690]

Agree, but it would have been interesting to see if anyone could have figured out who it was.

[DuffMan]

Very much agree. People get too wrapped up in names, when the simple reality is there are over 300 DI head coaches out there, less than half are well known.

[Hawke]

I agree. Under that scenario I think most people would be very excited in the hire. And it seems that people are getting excited in Iowa Basketball again as we hear from Coach Fran and learn more about him. He strikes me as being very thourough, confident, and competent. He will have the program turned around in very short order. Barta made a great hire.

[Hawke]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye1690

Agree, but it would have been interesting to see if anyone could have figured out who it was.

That would have been a very long guessing game.

[okobojihawk]

I totally agree Jon.

After todays Presser several thousand people jumped off of the fence
and on to the bandwagon. People are getting excited.

[DDThompson]

Agree.

[Scotttyd]

Just keep in mind how excited we all were when Ferentz was hired (who??) and how excited we were when Alford was hired.

I never heard of him prior to this search, but we gotta support him, and I am definately hopefull

[DBorwig316]

I was very impressed with Coach McCaffery's press conference today. He looked much more confident and composed in one day here at Iowa than Lickliter did in three years. He definately seems to understand what he's up against here and is willing to embrace the challenge. He got me to climb down off the fence and has won my full support as our coach.

[imported_ankle23]

Impressive hire. Let's keep Barta around for awhile.

[homes]

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

I think if you had a blind resume, with no team names, and no name of the coach and were told that Iowa's next coach:

-Had turned around three programs and made it to the NCAA at all three stops
-won three straight league titles
-averaged in the 70's the last three years, wants to play uptempo
-spent a decade as an assistant at a high major program and had recruited high major talent during that time
-Had turned down strong overtures from two Big East jobs to see the Iowa opportunity through to its end
-had been a head coach for well over a decade...

people would have said 'Yes, I am very interested in this guy'.

Agree? Disagree?

In answering your hypothetical as you constructed it, you would get "Agrees". However, for this opening at this time, if you had added, head coaching jobs at only mid-majors, you would have had a lot of "not interested" responses.

I think we got the right coach for Iowa. McCaffery certainly is the anti-Lickliter, who was the anti-Alford, but McCaffery is not Alford. It's not quite circular, thank God.

[Warhawks77]

Originally Posted by imported_ankle23

Impressive hire. Let's keep Barta around for awhile.

we'll see.......I guess Brands wasn't a bad hire though.......but we'll see.

[LG210]

Agree--and if his name had been floated out there like Forbes, Keno, Barbee, etc., I don't think the reaction from the fan base would have been the same--I think people would have come around a lot sooner if they simply knew more about him when he was announced.

[Nikos]

He looks like a firey coach. I like that. Lots of enthusiam!


Good job, Barta!

[DowsHawk]

Fran should get a longer honeymoon period now everyone knows how broken the program is. He probably coming into an easier situation with some kids who have seen the floor and can eat up some pt while he builds. The recruiting class looks like they'll all show up and the talent there is okay. If he can show some glimmer of hope, people may even start to come to the games.

The best thing to look forward to is the fan base shouldn't be divided into the Tom Davis vs Steve Alford issue or the Steve vs. Lick issue. I think most people are ready to get into a lets make the Hawks better mode.