IUrocker

If Woodson is here next year just for the “deserving” factor of giving him one more year to try to turn it around before he decides to walk away on his own, i think I’d much rather it be done after this year instead of risking that chance. He may very well get a couple good guards in the portal, but then we’ll just get to see them do their job of trying to feed the ball into the post. I would obviously hope to be wrong but this staff getting players we are lacking doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see them being in a game plan used to be successful. Like someone else said either on this site or the other, Dolson could ask Woodson for a clear plan for next year on how he can get this fixed, and it could end up just being a matter of Woodson telling Dolson what he wants to hear. If Woodson gets another year, gets players in the portal, and turns it around before riding off into the sunset, then great, I hope he does and would be rooting for him. On the other hand, if the rest of this season gets ugly(ier) than it already is, then hopefully they pull the plug peacefully and get started on hiring the guy who we can be confident in for the next decade or more and get this thing rolling for our future. The right guy can definitely get McNeeley to stay on board.

This is my line of thinking as well, unless Dolson has already spoken with May about the job and it’s just a matter of him knowing to wait it out until it’s his time to take over here. Obviously I think it’d be pretty telling if other destinations open up for May next season he decides to stay put.

If Dolson knew he wanted May and caught wind that Ohio State may try to go after him, do you think he’d try to get him after this season before it happened if that’s what it took? I guess that’s kinda hard to tell. Just thinking even though IU would be his dream job, being successful at a place like Ohio State could probably keep him there. This isn’t me hoping we move on from Woodson after this season. I mean if it happens then cool but if not I’m not gonna be upset. I’m certainly pulling for Woodson to get all he needs to make next year a successful one if he’s indeed here.

Let’s say Dolson has Dusty May in mind and wants him to be the next guy in line. I wonder if at this point he thinks the only way we get him is to make the move asap in hopes he doesn’t end up spending time somewhere else, or if he’s not really worried about the when and thinks we’ll get him whenever once it’s time to pull the trigger Obviously if IU is his dream job he would come, but I wonder if it would matter to Dolson to not want to risk having an extra destination in between FAU and IU and get it done sooner than later. Like I said, maybe if we do spend more time with Woodson and Dusty gets picked up by another P5 school, it won’t matter and he still comes…or maybe if he already knows he’s lined up to come to IU and plans on just sitting tight at FAU til the move is made.

Nice, yeah that’s true. I guess if he’s able to get Davis and Queen on board then that obviously puts more in the bag that he’s got available for next year who would be great additions. I understand the whole thing about maybe he at least deserves another year because of what he did the first two, and I get that, but I just wonder if knowing he was kinda like a bridge guy to get the program back on track, is there already talk about thinking we’re able to get his replacement as soon as after this season, or are things leaning more towards no talks about that yet and waiting until at least after the 2024 season regardless of the outcome of season and ‘24 recruits he’s able to secure? i wonder if at this point it’s a matter of even people in his circle (who would be the ones to talk him into stepping aside) know he’s a guy who isn't gonna be willing to change his style. “Just got to keep working” has been his go-to response to a lot of things lately.

Yep, I’d much rather be done with him now knowing he doesn’t have any future players lined up other than Liam. Everything else is looking like mostly portal additions that he’s gonna have to scrounge up, which another coach suited for a long term build that wants to take us where we want to go is more than capable of doing himself anyways with our resources. Woodson getting a new group of guys in the portal is fine and dandy, but haven’t we been shown to this point that he’s gonna be unwilling/unable to use them correctly in an effective college ball style?

Well hey, at least we know their practices are translating to games….

The way things have gone lately and how it just seems to be people/media saying the team needs to be fixed and Woodson can’t fix it, won’t, etc…I wonder if there’s a certain way the rest of this season could go in Woodson’s own mind that would make him say ok, I need to step aside after this season and let the next guy take over…or if no matter how bad it goes, he’s going to think he still needs to be the guy to be here next year. I’m guessing his stubbornness is going to make him think he needs to be the guy, but there’s got to be something in him that eventually wakes him up to be ok with stepping aside if it ends up being the case. I also wonder like others if the lack of recruiting and only having one guy in the bag is a sign that the staff thinks the end is near, or just happens to be the way they are going about things. Do I hope like heck that Woody gets everyone he wants out of the portal next year and we have a great season? Absolutely….but I sure hope it doesn’t end up being a case of it just buying him more time of not knowing how to use them properly and we continue to go through the same stuff we’re going through now. I just don’t think he’s the type of coach at this point in his career that’ll change what he’s doing. Getting portal guys we “need” is great, but if he refuses to use them like he should then what’s the point.

Yeah I’m just ready to be done with the whole wondering which version of team we’re gonna get every single game. If we happen to pull off beating Wisconsin it isn’t gonna make me think all is fixed and will stay that way the rest of the season, unfortunately. Would love to end up being wrong on that but the things that have led us to this Jekyll and Hyde consistency of play could/should be fixed by now by the coaching staff and we just haven’t seen it. I like Woodson and appreciate what he’s trying to do for IU, but I think he had that mindset of “I’ve coached in the NBA for 30 years, so I can coach anywhere” and thought he’d just be able to out-coach everyone he goes up against, and obviously we’ve seen that its not working out like he thought it would. Like I said, if we can beat Wisconsin and it sets us off to go on a big streak of positive consistency and we see the changes we think should be made then great, I hope it happens..but I think there’s too many problems we’ve seen that could have been fixed by now at this point that just seem to be unwilling for some reason.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I almost wonder if the Dusty May thing had already been talked about with Dolson. I’ve heard/saw somewhere that when Dusty signed extension with his team there was a clause that enabled him to leave for IU. Dolson getting Woodson could have been a part of a plan that includes what happens AFTER Woodson’s time here. Hire Woodson to get the ball rolling again and repair what needs to be fixed, and then when he’s ready to give it up, we move onto the next planned step. I’m not gonna sit here and say that’s a sure thing and claim as fact, but it’s certainly a scenario that could have some validity to it. Just a matter of when. I agree that Woodson won’t be fired, but he could surely have some people talk to him about a job well done, got things back on track, now let’s hand it over to this next guy who can put in this work needed for the college basketball landscape while you ride off in your golf cart enjoying life and still be a part of the program in a different light.

The fact that we have a new president really does give me more hope than before. She’s big into sports and wants to win. If Woodson does indeed get talked into stepping aside to let someone else deal with this, I’d be more excited about the next coaching search than before. I know Coach Cignetti hasn’t actually won a game here yet, but he’s a complete 180 from what we’ve ever had before and he’s literally someone who is trying to change the way perceive IU football. Just makes me think if they’re willing to go out and get someone like him to change the brand of IU football, then why not basketball with our next hire..

Most people were surprised and happy/relieved that we went ahead with getting rid of Tom Allen and actually getting a no-nonsense guy like Cignetti to try and renew the way people look at IU football. Maybe something like that could give people hope that when it does come time to part ways with Mike Woodson that it kinda loosens the strings a bit on what type of guy we go out and get to turn IU basketball into what it should be. For instance, someone like a Chris Beard may not seem as unlikely of a prospect now that we’ve seen what they actually did with the football hire. Not saying I’m pulling for him one way or the other, but interesting to wonder if the football move they actually made could show proof that they’re a little more willing to go a different route to get things turned around once our bridge time with Woodson is over. I could be completely wrong and it’s just my personal optics on the situation, but it really just seems like Dolson made the Woodson hire with something in mind that went beyond what happens after Mike Woodson is coach.

If Woodson does end up being gone, whether it be after this year or next, what’s the more likely scenario that it happens? Will it be hard for Dolson to want to fire him because of who he is and being an alum? Would Woodson be willing to walk away on his own? Maybe there was a plan to begin and Dolson already knows who his successor is going to be. Hire Woodson for a few years to get things back on track, and then when he’s ready to be done, the next guy in line comes in. I thought I remembered a while ago someone saying that when Dusty May signed his last extension, it included some type of out clause involving IU. This isn’t me giving up on the season, and hope Woody gets this thing going, just discussing our next move and how it may go down.

Right, that’s true, I agree with that. I forgot we had such a big lead throughout that game.

Looking back, kinda crazy to know we have only won by double digits twice so far this season, the most being 13 points to Harvard. Obviously a win is a win and I’ll take them however we can get them, but I’m certainly ready to see an all around dominant game where we blow a team out by 25+ like we’re supposed to be capable of doing

I hope if he ends up winning here that we are a destination good enough for him to make it his last stop before he calls it quits. If a bigger “football school” comes after him, hopefully he’s happy enough here to say thanks but no thanks. Maybe with his age that just may be the case anyways.

That’s a pretty cool view for an office

Glad I read this before I posted, as you beat me to it. The main thing he said when asked what his goal here was, he kept it short and sweet and said “to change the way people think”. His little speech to the crowd before the game: culture shift at its finest. I couldn’t stop laughing at how bada$$ it really was. That’s how you get people to “change the way they think”. People are saying “what an idiot, OSU and Michigan don’t suck at all”, and that’s not the point at all. It’s him getting people in the program to have the mindset that we aren’t afraid of anyone, and “don’t take a backseat to anybody”.

JMU fans saying Indiana will be just a stepping stone for him and if he goes like 16-8 over his first couple years here then bigger programs are gonna come calling. He’s 62 years old. I’d like to think if we have our resources in order for football and he gets this thing rolling, we should be his final stop if things go well. No reason why we can’t be a program he enjoys coaching at until he retires if he’s the guy who puts us on the map.

I saw JMU released a statement by him. Obviously he thanked JMU for his time there and how proud he was of what they accomplished, and then ended it with “This is a challenge…but I’m confident as a head coach that we’re going to open some eyes nationally and in the Big Ten conference..”

Excuse me while I go run through a brick wall haha

Heck yeah! I wanna see him back on the Pat McAfee show talking about IU FOOTBALL. JMU fan forum already has a 3 page coaching search thread going that was made about 25 minutes ago. First post in it was “this thread blows already…might as well get it started” lol

Cig is also probably well aware that if he comes here and it works out like he’s gonna plan on doing, it’ll make him look like a God here with how bad our history in the sport has been. He’ll be way more of a savior figure being a success at IU than the likes of Duke, right? He’s got something to prove and proving it at IU will be more special than Duke I would think.

Some JMU folks on their board think that if this isn’t announced by this afternoon it bodes well for them and he won’t be coming. Thinks at that point he’s playing IU to try and get more out of JMU or Duke haha. I just don’t see that happening. I bet Dolson presented him with a solid plan to help get him a good start to get this thing turned around.

I really liked that clip of him with Pat McAfee and crew. I think it’d be cool if once he is indeed named coach, he was able to make his way back to talking with Pat about getting the job. I’d be curious to see how Pat reacts knowing he’s obviously an Indy guy. I bet he’d be pretty pumped. Also wanna see what that Michigan State guy on the show thinks who said he wanted him to be new coach there, which obviously didn’t happen haha