JPCIVOP

Gives us time to get this thread to 2000!

And to boot, we have tournament play...

So... Brad would be an out of this world hire?

That is a thing about McCollum; have watched a lot of Drake over the last month, and they grind out all their games. Relentless, but I do wonder whether that approach will hold up at the highest level. He could be the next Tony Bennett. I suspect he'll show us at Iowa, and am not counting him out.

So it is fun to see Vogel's name; that would be a left-field hire of someone who's never led a college program. But he also had a stretch where he was one of the best coaches in the NBA. Has a title. Better postseason record than Stevens. Currently a consultant, rather than in a head job. I would take a flier on Vogel if he wanted the job.

Think Iowa will get him, and he'll be very good. Am amazed at what he's done this year; basically took a roster of DII players and won the Valley. Winning isn't boring.

Holding on!

Keeping the fingers crossed. What Goodman means by interesting: I think - based on his information - he sees IU entertaining the idea of Beard and ultimately passing. I think Goodman thinks we might kick the tires on Self, go after McDermott or take a big swing at Mick Cronin. Guess he also thinks Brownell is in play if things go a certain way. Not sure about where he sees McCollum (or Schertz) fitting in. Hoping this is all his fantasy world; we'll see what comes out.

Have been holding off on mentioning Fran Dunphy; almost short-circuited IU's Sweet Sixteen run in 2013!

This article puts some numbers to that. https://www.wishtv.com/sports/indiana-among-top-states-that-nba-players-call-home/

I'm going to disagree a little here; Knight would have won anywhere, won titles anywhere. But there is a way that Indiana - as a state - has a unique basketball culture. 'Hoosiers' isn't just a fiction. In the Big Ten, there isn't another state where basketball means more. Knight tapped into that, but it runs deeper than him.

These would also fit the criteria of a guy no one is discussing and a veteran coach looking for a challenge. Self Few Beilein Billy D

But 71% the last two years. And the argument is that the last two years is more indicative of where things are going. He's doing so well this year, after losing four pretty big contributors after last year's Elite Eight team. I've been lukewarm on Brownell the whole time, but I'm softening to the idea.

It's like Woodson, except that Woodson had never coached in college, where Brownell has coached a top-25 team the last two years. Think your point is true in this way: it does feel like talking ourselves into a candidate.

So this will sound crazy; I'm starting to see the outline of a Brownell hire making sense. His best two years have been the last two, which coincides with the NIL era. He would have better NIL at IU than Clemson. He's coached at this level before, and has engaged and beaten the best teams in the country often enough to know what an eilite team looks like up close. Think that's the argument. Can't tell if it's the Coaching Search Stockholm Syndrome talking...

Have been following this from afar; have I understood right that it seems like she had a hand in holding off on Fitzgerald and going ahead with the Cignetti hire? After all IU's success last year in football, I'm sure the anti-Whitten contingent is grinding their teeth.

Promise this will be my first and last Chris Beard post; with this framing, his career arc - just basketball - warrants said obsession. Pitino - one of the best college coaches of this era - agrees. Taking TT to the Finals is like taking Minnesota to the Finals. You can check the records all the way back to the 70s; they were a decent program, but the success they've had since is built on what Beard did. And before he was fired at Texas (for all the reasons that have been litigated) he had them as literally one of the best teams in the country. On the basketball merits, there is nothing to suggest that he would be anything but excellent. The other things (sizable as they are) are the only things at issue.

There's really nothing like BTB on a Friday during this coaching search. Truly unique...

Seems like things are coming to a head around here...

The golden days of the 2025 Coaching Search...

And Jeff Rabjohns is already hedging; talking about how much of a 'no' he has been. Now saying it's a maybe 20% possibility. This is a fun pastime...

Sounds like Beard is the big reveal from the Hysterics; the plot thickens!

Spent more time in this just now than I should have; someone did mention the low number of returning minutes and the COVID stuff. They also didn't get their freshmen to contribute a bunch that year; not a lot of really productive players on that team. Was also right before the portal opened up in a more meaningful way; the UNLV team the next year was better, but was an almost total roster reshuffle from the 2021 team. Kind of a perfect storm of bad roster makeup/talent acquisition.

Think some of it is the jump in level of play, think some of it is that UNLV hasn't put a lot of resources toward their program; so an interesting mix. It is the one hiccup he's had, so worth noting.