Old Friend

I feel like the Irish guy in a Scottish bar here, but I feel compelled to say Dakich called this a long time ago. I like the guy because he doesn't say what everyone else wants to hear, and he's right all the time about the stuff people don't want to hear. (Queue knives, mugs, and rocks thrown at my head as I dive out the door)

That wouldn't surprise me at all. Michael McRobbie is not someone who likes opposition, and in some ways, he's done very well for Indiana University. In others? He's been a disaster. But...the endowment has grown exponentially; the place looks incredible; more and more applications are being received from international students and from students "out of state." In his eyes, he's doing well. I just wish he didn't siphon money from athletics and give to academia. But...he does.

Couple of good people have run recently; but votes are scarce. The current trustees are entitled, arrogant, and devoid of ideas except on research, buildings with names on them, and celebrations like the current 150 Year. Pat Shoulders for example? A complete yes man for McRobbie and as entitled a guy as you'll ever meet. He has no interest in stirring the pot where he lives. Most are like that, and the two I know of (Dr. Mike Wilcox in particular) who have run recently and been defeated think like many here do. Most don't.

Dude, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You're fishing. I'm not biting. And you're throwing out jabs with no merit because you don't know what else to do. Why not be a normal human being and ask for the same stuff I talked about (on my end) w Chris? You'd rather pick a fight? You're that insecure because you don't have intel on something you have to go on the offensive and assume nobody else can possibly be telling the truth? I'm 100% not trying to "big time" anyone. A public board does not mean everyone has to share everything or everyone they know. You've de-railed the thread enough. Sleep tight.

You're living it. I'm not here to fight with you, but it's a very petty thing to assume the worst of someone because he won't spill some things on a public board. And that's on you, not me.

Probably because the contract isn't done.

That would make it easier for you, wouldn't it? Someone so starved for decent information that he comes to a public message board looking for pieces of....who knows what? Finds some people who actually do know a little bit but won't mention names publicly or tell stories others would prefer to stay private and it just drives them NUTS!! So...they post things like you just did and pretend nobody here could possibly know anything about anything, and paints people into a corner. Something about.....textbook.

YES!!!!! I can get completely on.board with that.

Good. He's not for you. But he's also not a complete dick. His day job is to get ratings. Like Rush Limbaugh, he says outrageous things so people will call and get all amped up one way or the other. I doubt he believes much of the outrageous stuff he says. You can make a judgement off his radio personality if you want to, but I know him. And I know his friends. A complete dick he is not.

Good. This will be well received, I think.

A lot of that is radio schtick. He's a very different person on the golf course or in public. He did a ton for Tyler Trent. Always doing things for kids at Riley. I haven't seen the confrontational guy in public. I guess my overall point is don't judge a radio personality and apply it to mean "that's who he is." Not at all true. For many radio guys, I'd imagine. One of the biggest jerks I ever met in person was a beloved radio host in Indianapolis, so it goes both ways.

What details do you want? I'm not irritated at all. I'm just saying the narrative's wrong, and it is. He isn't "anti IU." He is "anti how IU has done things" and I think he's right. You're painting with a broad brush and making claims that aren't accurate. He IS a good person. Take a peek at what he's done just this month with his bikes for kids campaign. I'm not asking anyone to believe me based on just saying so, but you all have the ability to find information on your own, so do it. Or...bow to the narrative and run with it. Your call. What details do you want? That I agree with him on his stance that the athlete code of conduct was and is an awful idea? That he believes as I do that like him or not, Knight built the culture we all know and want back at Indiana, but have run away from those players? That the board of trustees is a bunch of clowns and yes men/women? I agree with all of that. Doesn't mean I hate IU. It means I love IU. What details do you want?

Send me a PM and I'll tell you exactly why I feel that way. Not for public discussion.

He's right. I really don't get the hatred for Dakich. I just don't. He's got a far greater insight to the program than any of us by 50x, he does love the school and the program despite the narrative otherwise. He's not bitter he wasn't hired long term; and he's right. Schilling, Ostrom, and Flint ALL cowered to players. I really don't understand the negative opinions of Dakich. If you don't like the way he says things, I say grow a pair. And if you believe the false narratives about him, I say do your own digging and stop listening to people who don't know what they're talking about in this case. Dakich has a unique perspective on the program none of us has. He has so much inside information it would make your collective heads spin. I know the guy, and all he wants is for Indiana to win and do so with people who understand what this program is. It's so easy to just believe the people who say "he's nothing but an ungrateful blowhard because he's bitter he wasn't hired." That is absolutely, 100% not the case. I absolutely agree with him that Indiana's winning culture was built by a coach and his players over 29 seasons, and Indiana ran away from that. 20 years later, we're all still searching; and his answer is the same as mine. "Go back to what built that culture. Indiana is a unique place, and it's time to treat it as such."

Mind expanding on this? I agree McRobbie should be gone for myriad reasons, but the BOT is a bunch of yes men and women who have their own agendas. They won't vote him out. HE has to fire Glass, and he won't because Glass is doing as he asks. Glass won't fire Miller (and I have zero belief he should...in fact, I don't even understand the suggestion) or Allen right now because both programs are in relatively good shape; and both better than they were within the last decade and basketball since 2016. Everybody wants to win, including Fred Glass. The suggestion above that he doesn't is moronic. But you don't win by constantly changing coaches when things don't happen right away. That's a recipe for losing and building a horrible culture no coach will be attracted to. I guess I see Indiana Athletics as on an upward trend. I know there are people who want an immediate fix. Me? I want consistency. I want to get old and stay old. That doesn't happen overnight. But in basketball? It's happening.

Right. You fire a coach who has the #1 team in the country and who just won your first conference title since 2002. Got it. I already said the first extension in year 2 or whatever was idiotic. So um....do you have any idea what you're talking about or are you just another agenda drive rube who wants Glass gone without even an elementary understanding of the big picture? Who said other top programs wanted him? Who said he was ever the right hire? What I did say was Glass had no choice but to extend him when he did. Why do I think you'd have called Glass an idiot had he fired Crean as you suggest after he had that team in 2013? So ..um....that's what.

Whether or not anyone cares has nothing to do with your statement that Glass can't evaluate coaches. Everyone wants to win. But....Fred Glass job? To make money. To educate athletes and represent Indiana University well. He has done all of those things. You think he (an alum and bigger fan than most) doesn't want to win? He's put millions of dollars in facilities. He's built the brand as much as he can. Take a look at Michael McRobbie who's after east coast money and very much an academic idealogue. HE is the one who doesn't care about winning. Not Glass. And he's Glass' boss. He's the one saying "make money." I'll grant that Glass' athletic bill of rights is idiotic and hamstrings coaches. But....McRobbie loves it and agrees with it. All I'm saying is you're putting too much blame on one guy

Crean recruited with a shotgun. He often had over 50 offers out there, and he took whoever said yes. "Creaning" sometimes if he liked one shiny thing over another. Never built teams, and once in a while, the pieces fit. His 2 conference titles were followed by 8th and 10th place finishes, so consistency was a problem. Toward the end? His recruiting suffered and he learned (well, maybe he hasn't learned because the pattern has continued at Georgia) the hard way that he needs more than one 5* kid to have a good team, and never seemed to buy into "get old and stay old." I was low on him early because his half court offense was stagnant. I watched Verdell Jones stand for 3 years. I'm bullish on Archie because I saw changes last season late in the year. I saw him jettison Jake Forrester, who just wasn't a Big Ten player, but WAS his recruit. I saw improvement in Green's defense and decision making, allowing him to be a far more efficient player. I see what Archie's doing in the recruiting department. All of that gives me optimism. Glass was hamstrung on Crean. Crean did just enough...almost all the time. He was on the hot seat a couple of times, then had 2 good teams that bailed him out. I thought the first extension was moronic. Agree 100% there. But the second one? I didn't blame Glass at all for that. Iowa is in a different division than we are, so I can't compare them at the moment. They're also the only game in town over there, and there are lineman after lineman in Iowa. That "strong farm kid" thing is very real. Michigan State? DeAntonio is a terrific coach they've had for a while. Not a bad comparison, but they're not winning the division consistently. I disagree that we're not competitive with the big 3. Our problem isn't our ability to compete. It's depth. We'll see how that continues to improve My only point is, Fred Glass is far from the sole reason for our frustration

1) Men's basketball is on the upswing, and saying anything different is driven by an agenda. Glass really had no choice but to give Tom Crean the contracts he did; and when it was time to fire him, he fired him. The current coach has had exactly one season with any of his recruits playing even a single minute and played undersized and out manned for 2 seasons. The cupboard Crean left was pretty damned bare. Jury is out on Miller to be sure, but I don't know how anyone can look at the program and see anything but positive signs. Crean screwed up the basketball program more than Glass did. Adam Herbert screwed it up a WHOLE lot more than Glass did. The bigger picture places blame on more than Fred Glass. You've always been focused on the bottom line...regardless of how the program arrived there. Circumstances matter. 2) Football.... Your criteria are...what? Indiana football has never won. Under any AD and any coach except a few years in the 1980's under Bill Mallory. But....the recruiting classes have improved and talent / depth is at a 25 year high right now. Extending Wilson was not a bad call. Wilson took Indiana to a bowl game and was immediately hired by Ohio State when he was fired. Learning what he did after the extension is bad timing more than something for which you can play the blame game. The problem Indiana has in football now? Their ceiling is 4th in their own division. Who can they hire? You can be myopic all you want and pretend Indiana can consistently compete with Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State; but that's a fool's errand. Indiana hired a guy who built a much improved defense and a guy who has a ton of great local relationships with coaches AND ties to Florida. I don't know how many times Indiana has won 5 games in back to back seasons in its history, but it's not a big number. Purdue has a HUGE recruiting advantage because it can win its division in any given year, Indiana can't. Blame Jim Delany. Indiana football has a ceiling. I know you'll call that defeatist, and I get it. But do you REALLY believe Indiana has a chance to EVER do better than 8-4 or 7-5 in that division? Seriously. Do you? With those circumstances, what do you say to prospective coaches? It sucks..but it's also reality. Indiana got completely screwed in football. As did Maryland and Rutgers, and we have dominated those two. 3) If he has no idea how to evaluate coaches, why is basketball on the upswing? Why has baseball become a Big Ten power? Why has softball become a Big Ten power? Why has women's basketball improved so dramatically? Why have swimming and diving and soccer remained powerhouse programs? I know you'll disagree, but that's the reason he has defenders.

Used to call that the "Dick Vitale" quote. You used words, but as Bob Knight would have said "you didn't say a G*d d*mned thing." I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!

His sales pitch? "I coached Victor Oladipo." Done.

Exactly. =) Until he shows the ability to get it down the field consistently, he can't get it down the field consistently. He had a high completion %, but one of the lowest YPA in the top 50 in that category. He is a .500 quarterback at best. 5-7 looks like his ceiling until it's not. He is the safe, conservative play.

I KNEW it!!!!!

That pretty well sums it up except the one who thinks Ramsey's the one who can "really give them a chance." He probably wants Ramsey to start. =) The Big Ten needs to do something about the divisions. Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers have the toughest climb in sports, and it's not close. For now, 6 wins is about all any reasonable fan can expect. Sad that Purdue can expect 8 with the same talent.

Hunter is absolutely the real deal if he's healthy. If he's healthy and 100% through the pre-season so he can integrate, I think he'll be our best player before long.