IU Prof

Well, by definition, if Brad could still get cold feet then it's not a "done deal." If we're still vetting candidates at this point, then that's not a good sign, given that we've been told Dolson has been in search mode for over a year.

There is a difference between slow and boring. UConn was in the 300s in pace last year, but I don't think anyone would say they were boring. The issue with McCollum is experience at this level. Not style of play.

How tragically comedic will it be if DMV was right all along and it ends up being the Turge.

People have been saying for a while the leaks would start coming soon. But then when they don't like the nature of the leaks, they don't want to believe it.

Agreed. Although I'm hoping that the rumors that Dolson "had his man" were right, but that that guy was Few (I've ruled Brad out at this point...just think there'd be more smoke from non IU insiders at this point if he was effectively committed to taking the job).

If Goodman is right, and we aren't getting a top tier candidate, it might make sense to circle back on an idea someone floated last week...Greg Gard.

Not at all. He thinks Beard is the best coach we're going to be able to get, but doesn't think we'll hire him. Time will tell on the first part, but I agree on the second part. I think his take on the search at this point is just as, if not more, credible than anything else I've heard to date, given his connections.

The above having been said, I will also say that Goodman's tweet is once again kind of vague about what's sourced and what isn't. The favorable interpretation - Jeff heard from an agent that a guy who clearly would be down our list was just contacted for the first time by IU. This leads him to conclude that Drew, Otz, etc., are out if we're only now reaching out to 3rd tier candidate. The less favorable interpretation- Jeff knows first hand that Drew, Brad, and Otz are all out, since he's close to all of them. My intuition is #2, but my heart hopes it's #1.

I want to believe the insiders here, and hope they keep posting, but I think Goodman's track record on searches recently is stronger. So until proven otherwise, I think this is probably a pretty good, if disappointing/depressing, view of where things stand.

It was!

How to say you haven't read the thread, without saying you haven't read the thread...

Posted just as an FYI: https://youtu.be/MjBbgdEUqMY?si=4lnAjC3ztUpIIpcQ

Agreed. The Turgeon stuff got moved to a different thread, but the Beard stuff is way more distracting, contentious, and repetitive.

In all seriousness, it should be easy to determine if Dolson is at Gainbridge today for the ladies game.

I was wrong...all it took was one new Beard rumor.

Not to pour cold water on this, but based on a quick check, I didn’t see any return flights scheduled back home to either location on the books for today. That suggests that it might not be a coordinated business meeting.

One can certainly interpret Beard's record as someone who could win here. But you could also interpret it as Beard putting together an outlier season or two early at Texas Tech, and then reverting to his actual ability level there after. He wouldn't be the only coach that shines bright early at a school, but is unable to maintain it. Again, what McCasland has done at Texas Tech makes Beard's 3rd and 4th seasons there more concerning.

That's fair. Although I'd point out that McCasland's success at TTU suggests that it's not such a difficult place to win at after all, making Beard's final two seasons there more concerning.

That's totally fair. I'm just talking final records. I have no doubt Beard's teams are consistently more competitive. But I don't think people would sign up for those end results. People keep saying "Beard wins." But he actually doesn't.

Not really. Here are Beard's records at Power 5 schools (omitting the shortened, final season at UT): 18-14 (6-12) 27-10 (11-7) 31-7 (14-4) 18-13 (9-9) 18-11 (9-8) 22-12 (10-8) 20-12 (7-11) 21-9 (10-7) Take away a big year 3, and that's very Woodson-esque. If I showed you that resume with any other name attached to it, people wouldn't get nearly as excited as they do when it's Chris Beard. And that's before we even get into the baggage.

Does he, though? Most of his career at the power conference level looks a lot like Woodson, especially recently.

If we could actually be in a position where Brad is the ceiling and Otz is the floor for this search, then Dolson deserves a lifetime contract.