Magisterium

actually I think, given his health, Matta might at least ponder it for a moment not sure what other "gray hair" might be out there at this point in time

how about a package a la Michigan (Howard w/ Assoc Head Coach Martelli) that goes: Head Coach Nored and Assoc HC Matta?

I'm not saying Archie should go all-out run game with THIS roster--only that some players (again, especially Lander) seem to really struggle in the sets Archie likes to run, and might be more comfortable with a more up-tempo offense. But IIRC Archie's teams have seldom if ever taken that approach.

some of these guys (especially Lander) appear to struggle in half-court sets and I suspect would play considerably better in an all-out running game--but I guess that's not in either Archie's background or his nature to install at IU.

temporarily

IMO it's hard to imagine this team being "quite good" unless the offense is completely overhauled, either by the head coach or by some new assistant

I'm beginning to wonder if a serious drop-off in attendance is the only thing that might move the needle for the powers-that-be. It would be pretty hard to pass that off as "message board overreactions"

it sounds like the other in-state NCAA tournament sites are putting the cap on attendance at 25% but IU is putting it at 500 people maybe they'll use COVID as a pretext to do something similar next season...to keep things "contained"

actually, at this point I'm about 97% convinced that the IU Administration and BOT are perfectly content with Archie's first 4 years on the job, no matter what happens in the remaining conference games or in the BTT--even if the team doesn't make the NCAA tournament and I expect any modest improvement next season will result in an extension set the bar low enough and you'll never be "disappointed"

FWIW when I listen to DD, I almost get the feeling his main attitude towards Miller is one of pity, not anger. He apparently thinks AM is just in over his head and not ready for a P5 program like IU. DD seems to reserve most of his anger for Glass and certain members of the BOT. I assume that, when he took over for Glass, Dolson came in with every intention to keep Miller for AT LEAST 5 seasons, regardless of results. That still appears to me to be where the program is headed. For me that assumption has had the odd effect of a perverse sense of serenity: I don't expect particularly good results, I don't get them either, and in any event it probably doesn't move the needle for at least another 12 months. At that point Dolson can IMO simply no longer avoid having to make SOME decision about the basketball program.

not sure who "the next Archie Miller" is, but I assume that's what we would get if Dolson pulls the plug in March, 2022. just hope it's a less expensive version next time around.....

I doubt if Chris Beard would even take a phone call from IU at this point in time

IU offered what was (at the time) one of the top 8 highest salaries in college BB to a thirty-something guy who'd never been a head coach in a power conference before--not exactly a cost-cutting move IMO. And, IIRC, still more today than PU pays Painter in terms of official salary. But Glass did so expecting much better results than Miller has so far produced. And in doing so, he structured Miller's contract so it is nearly as expensive (pro-rated) to fire him as it was to hire him, at least up until 4/1/2022. We're rapidly approaching a point in time where those among us who still vividly remember what it was like from about 1973-1993 will be far outnumbered by those who have spent most, if not all, of their lives experiencing IU as having (to paraphrase Dakich ) a BB program no different than every other BB program--whether that was the intended effect of the IU Administration or not. I vacillate a great deal these days about the possibility of IU once again having an "elite" BB program. Sometimes I feel those days are gone for good, other times I feel it is still possible but the powers-that-be, for whatever reasons, don't want to do what it would take. One thing, though, that I do not vacillate about: if the quality of results Miller has to date produced are indeed acceptable to those decision-makers, those results most assuredly can be obtained by a large number of coaches, many of whom would happily do so for considerably less money than IU is currently paying for those meager results.

pretty much agree except that by now Brad has to know that, if he came back to college coaching, with his name recognition and NBA pedigree the recruiting would largely take care of itself--I don't think Saban likes recruiting (Dabo, on the other hand, I suspect does) but Saban's name and the Alabama brand have to make recruiting at least somewhat less of a grind than it is for most other head coaches. I think it would be much the same for Stevens if he left the NBA and returned to head up an elite college program. Unfortunately, I also think IU no longer belongs in that category, so it would probably be at a school like UNC, Kansas or Duke.

Covid may not be necessary for that to occur

I think he may be referring to this: "You’ve said something like this several times now and it really doesn’t make any sense. The Celtics have made the ECF three out of the past four seasons. They have two budding superstars under the age of 25. They’re not going to fire Brad Stevens. And if they did, plenty of other NBA teams would jump on him immediately after. He’s not coming back to college, and if he did it wouldn’t be to coach at IU." But I could be wrong, so caveat lector

doubt if that would matter to Dolson and the BOT, especially after the Sampson debacle

doubt if Dolson wants any part of him: https://wacotrib.com/news/baylor-gets-3-years-probation-ncaa-accepts-other-self-imposed-penalties/article_e150b3c5-9710-5ae4-bf63-2455f5b50451.html

makes me think the coach & management are still committed to replacing Rodgers (with Love, presumably) and maybe didn't even expect to be playing for a Super Bowl berth at the end of this covid "season" anyway look for Rodgers to be on the trading block in the off-season

sounds like the 49ers are already talking with the Lions' new GM about a trade for Stafford

last I looked Trent Williams, Cam Robinson and Alejandro Villanueva were all UFAs who play left tackle there are also some other guys who mostly play right tackle FWIW

I'd rather try for Stafford--he at least has had some "elite" seasons before his injuries piled up. Darnold hasn't shown me much so far, and just putting him behind the Colts' OL doesn't guarantee his play will improve dramatically. To me, he's essentially a more mobile Eason with less arm talent. Rather than give up draft capital for him and hope he "blossoms" w/ the Colts, I'd almost prefer to try to sign Fitzpatrick for a year and make Eason the starter-in-waiting. And maybe also sign one of the free agent OTs and use #21 on either a premier CB if one's there, or on one of the edge rushers who probably will be there.

if so that tells me the Colts' "Luck-Rivers" window has closed and it's officially a rebuild--don't see either of those QBs leading the Colts to the Super Bowl, no matter how good the OL and RBs are

IIRC some people close to the situation at the time indicated that it WAS because Bennett preferred a lower-key program and fanbase and not, in fact, because of how IU (i.e., Greenspan) treated his sister. I expect Bennett talked at length with his Dad about what coaching in the B1G 10, especially at a place like IU, would be like. IMO Bennett never WAS coming to IU, and Beard never IS coming to IU; I strongly suspect that, if Archie struggles the rest of this season and again in 2021-22, then the pool of potential replacements will be more guys similar to what Archie was 5 years ago. If so, I at least hope Dolson doesn't give them the same kind of sweetheart deal that Glass gave to Miller--no point in over-paying for mediocre results 2 times in a row. I think that money would be better spent at this point in time on the football program.

yes, the buyout is (approx.) $10 million after April 1st but, perhaps more importantly, it's only about $3.5 million after April 1st of 2022, which is why I suspect AM is in no danger currently. Even if he somehow misses the tournament again. If he does, however, I would assume both he and Dolson realistically regard next season as make-or-break. Which IMO they should.