Old Friend

I'd offer him more than that. He is FAR more a tactician than Donovan, and he's a defensive genius. I wonder if anybody realizes that in the 2009-2010 season, no team scored more than 61 points against Butler all season until Duke scored 62 in the NCAA Final? He's all about communication, and he plans for each team better than any coach in America. If we're going after an NBA guy, Stevens would be my choice 10 times out of 10. I'd offer him as much money as we possibly can, a 10 year deal, and make him say no.

I'm not sure I understand any sentiment behind firing or being upset with Fred Glass. He didn't hire Crean, and Crean wasn't going to be let go early in his tenure. He just wasn't. Those of us (and I am most definitely in this group) who didn't like what we saw on the floor in years 2 and 3 (offense standing, turnover problems, poor defense, etc) were unhappy with his having a free pass and wondered if he fit. But we were somewhat silenced by the signing of Cody Zeller, Yogi Ferrell, etc. Then we won the Big Ten in year 5. There was no time Crean was going to be fired, no matter what anyone thought. He has a couple of down years, seat gets hot, but he still has Yogi, and then a decent (on paper) recruiting class. Wins the Big Ten last season. The first real time it made sense to make a change, Glass made a change. He got football right, at least so far; and Indiana is miles ahead of where it was under DiNardo and Lynch. (Hoeppner would have been so good. Damn.) Baseball is strong, our traditionally strong non-revenue sports (soccer, swimming, tennis) are strong. Women's basketball has made huge strides following the Jim Izzard days. And we're making money as a department. What are people upset with Glass for?

I said last week, and I know this sounds like a cop out, that I don't follow things closely enough to know. I don't have an answer for who I want. I have a few for who I don't think fit, and Donovan's on that list. Nothing against him in particular, but I don't think he fits what we need. I need Fred Glass to know. I would support Donovan like I supported Crean initially. Crean very quickly proved he wasn't the right fit (in my opinion); so that support waned.

And my opinion is that a "proven winner" isn't all we need. You said before this isn't all you think is important, but you keep coming back to it.

Like I said, you see it different than I do. Some of the opinions here seem idiotic to me; like people have no idea where they are or why it's important. That's because I see things differently than you do, and I don't expect you to agree with me. That said, I don't expect to get attacked, either. You're entitled to your own opinion, just like I'm entitled to mine. I don't agree with you. You don't agree with me. So? We need a lot of things. Not "just" anything. I'm very worried about relationships in our state because recruiting the east and south hasn't exactly worked out very well.

"Just because" sounds like a 4th grader with a very red face. Your "informed" opinion is what....? That Donovan is a fit at Indiana? What makes that an informed opinion? I'd love to know.

He's not coming. Irrelevant. Good retort because I think he's a better fit than Donovan because of the other qualifications; but you're right. Based on what I said, he's out.

What in the hell do you think an opinion is? I couldn't care less what you think of my opinion. I sure don't care about yours. See above if you want more; and when you start YOUR argument with "just because......doesn't mean?" You aren't standing on anything, either my friend.

1) Someone who doesn't have a Kentucky background. He does. 2) Someone who's not an east coaster. He is. 3) Someone who's not an NBA guy. He is. 4) Someone who loves to recruit. He does not (friend of mine was an assistant of his at Marshall) 5) Someone who wants to recruit locally and has relationships locally. He does not. There are other reasons, and you don't have to agree with any of them.

God.....why do you need more than "I don't think he fits?" Why do I need to explain myself any more than that? The guy is from and of the east coast. We've recruited kids from there for, what, 17 years since Knight left? He's an NBA guy, now. That's not Indiana's culture in my mind. It's just not. I didn't say you said it was the only qualification, but I copy/pasted your whole post. What else did that one say? Winning is not the only fit, either....hence my Calipari reference. It has to be a cultural fit too; and if you don't understand that, you're either too young to have the same view I do or you don't understand Indiana's history in the way I see it. All of that matters. Again...my opinion. You don't have to agree with it. There can be no "legit" reason with you. I know it and you know it.

No. Not at all. I don't think he fits. I don't think Gregg Marshall fits, either. I don't think Dane Fife fits.

No, genius. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't feel like wasting my time explaining it to someone who has no interest in anyone else's opinion. I've explained myself multiple times over the course of the last few years; so go back and do your own research if you want to know. I don't need to do it again; but if you want to take the easy road, feel free.

This is what you said. I copy/pasted it. Every word of your post; and this is what I was responding to. Nothing more. If you are saying a two time NCAA champ doesn't fit Indianas culture I think that might be part of our problem. Your qualifications in this statement are exclusively 2 NCAA championships. I know Calipari only has one; but his teams are in the discussion all the time. Hell, Adolph Rupp had 4. Why don't we hire a guy like him? NCAA titles are not the sole qualification to be the head coach at Indiana in my opinion. Yours may differ, but that doesn't make me wrong. It just means you see it differently; and if you talk to former players, they don't want an east coaster any more than I do. I want the right fit whoever that is, and I don't think it's Donovan, regardless of how many titles he's won.

You and I see this program very differently, and I won't win the argument, so I'm not going to waste anyone's time.

No...I wasn't. Get over yourself. I'm done with this. Have no interest in arguing something so incredibly dumb.

Read the thread. I was responding to something he said.

Not according to your qualifications above.

I'm speaking of this one, and I don't know that it was panned. If you guys think BD is a better fit than Alford would be, I respectfully disagree with you, but I'm done with the back and forth over hypotheticals. I do laugh at the people who think they have sources that say it's absolutely BD. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/04/11/ucla-steve-alford-sexual-assault-pierce-iowa-2002/2074995/

No. That's not what I' saying. John Calipari has national championships, too. Do you want him? Let's keep things in context.

Defended before he knew facts is VERY different than "covered up." Come on...get real. As soon as the facts came out, he issued a very public and very sincere apology for saying what he did; and he's just a coach who defended a player. Covered up? No. That did not happen.

I disagree. I think he's a very different coach here than he would be anywhere else. Bill Belichick was awful with the Browns. For example.

Hhmm.... I'm not sure that's exactly what happened. You might want to research that.

Keep in mind fellas....Alford at Indiana is a very different hire and coach than Alford at Iowa or anywhere else. The "fit" matters; and he's been able to consistently recruit Indiana kids no matter where he's been. Just food for thought, as I know he's not a popular choice. I don't think his resume matters much. He'd be FAR better at Indiana than either Miller brother or Billy Donovan; and I simply do not understand the love affair with Donovan. I know he has a great resume, but he's not (in my mind) a fit at Indiana. This place is still unique and has its own culture. He and that culture don't mix..

Fool's Gold. 9 Wasted Seasons Buying Into Platitudes, Wade's, and Harbaugh's.

I think we'll have a wait too; but I'd offer Stevens $8 million/year for 10 years and make him say no.