Coach Search 2017 IU Candidate: Billy Donovan (OKC Thunder)

[Yogi's Picnic Basket]

First and foremost would be Billy D. After that, I'd like to see CC return to the program. I'm sure he has to have some kind of recruiting pull with what he did in the B1G and playing in the NBA. Fife would be another great Hoosier addition. However, the most important recruit right now is Billy D!

I agree but if we had him his first call is Fife. Those two alone are great. Fife has been the lead guy on a few 5 stars there. I think Heirman is next call. He is always getting an extra 4 star from somewhere along with usually another good kid or 2. His relationships around the state are great as well. After that you just need good coaches who connect with the players. If we got even 2 of those assistants along with Billy a banner would be hung within 4 years.

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[Yogi's Picnic Basket]

For instance Shane Heirman has Jaren Jackson, Brian Bowen, Jacob Epperson and Jordan Poole this year. When the worst of 4 kids on a high school team is going to Michigan you have connections.

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[AZ Hoosier]

32 minutes ago, Yogi's Picnic Basket said:

 

Idk about Wittman but I could see Woodson doing it. My ideal staff would be this.

HC: Billy Donovan
Associate HC: Fife
S/C: Lyonel Anderson/seems to really get along with the players
Recruiting Coordinator: Calbert or Jared Jeffries
Recruiting assistant: Shane Heirman( La Lumiere's HC) consistently good and recruits kids to join program every year
Senior Advisor: Mike Woodson
Running out of names for spots guy: Aj Guyton


Fill the rest in with whoever, but this staff gives us an awesome head coach, young up and comer in Fife, ex NBA coach and good defensive guy in Woodson, Heirman has had great success and he will keep in state kids at least interested in us, Anderson gives us a nitty gritty guy who the players really like, Guyton who is another coach in Indiana that is an IU legend and the whole key is Calbert or Jeffries. I would take Jeffries first because he was so well respected in the NBA and an IU great. He isn't too old for kids not to know and I may be biased because he is my favorite Hoosier of all time but I think he would kill it. We logically only get a few of these guys so I would say Fife, Jeffries, Heirman and Woodson along with Billy D and I dont think it would be hard to keep Anderson.



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Let's just make you the HC. I mean, what is this crap?

You bring Billy Donovan in as HC and pick his staff for him? Let's get the coach first... then let him pick his staff. I get that this is all speculation and that you're having fun with it, but seriously?

[HoosierX]

25 minutes ago, AZ Hoosier said:

Let's just make you the HC. I mean, what is this crap?

You bring Billy Donovan in as HC and pick his staff for him? Let's get the coach first... then let him pick his staff. I get that this is all speculation and that you're having fun with it, but seriously?

Hmmm you say you get it but it doesn't seem like you do.

[Hoosierfan2017]

Donovan could put Ken Nunn on the coaching staff for all I care. I'm not worried at all about him bringing in quality assistants. 

[A.j. Nigh]

2 hours ago, Yogi's Picnic Basket said:

 

Idk about Wittman but I could see Woodson doing it. My ideal staff would be this.

HC: Billy Donovan
Associate HC: Fife
S/C: Lyonel Anderson/seems to really get along with the players
Recruiting Coordinator: Calbert or Jared Jeffries
Recruiting assistant: Shane Heirman( La Lumiere's HC) consistently good and recruits kids to join program every year
Senior Advisor: Mike Woodson
Running out of names for spots guy: Aj Guyton


Fill the rest in with whoever, but this staff gives us an awesome head coach, young up and comer in Fife, ex NBA coach and good defensive guy in Woodson, Heirman has had great success and he will keep in state kids at least interested in us, Anderson gives us a nitty gritty guy who the players really like, Guyton who is another coach in Indiana that is an IU legend and the whole key is Calbert or Jeffries. I would take Jeffries first because he was so well respected in the NBA and an IU great. He isn't too old for kids not to know and I may be biased because he is my favorite Hoosier of all time but I think he would kill it. We logically only get a few of these guys so I would say Fife, Jeffries, Heirman and Woodson along with Billy D and I dont think it would be hard to keep Anderson.



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I'm sorry, but from the current staff, the only guy I never wanna see on an IU sideline again after this year other than Tom Crean is Lyonel Anderson.  Acts like a total tool IMO and as strength and conditioning coach has no business a) being on the bench where he is b) chest bumping players at mid court during timeouts c) being more inside the timeout huddle than players and d) picking injured players up and single handlely carrying them to locker room.  He's an absolute embarrassment to watch and an extentsion of Crean's lack of control.

[Alford Bailey]

4 hours ago, A.j. Nigh said:

I'm sorry, but from the current staff, the only guy I never wanna see on an IU sideline again after this year other than Tom Crean is Lyonel Anderson.  Acts like a total tool IMO and as strength and conditioning coach has no business a) being on the bench where he is b) chest bumping players at mid court during timeouts c) being more inside the timeout huddle than players and d) picking injured players up and single handlely carrying them to locker room.  He's an absolute embarrassment to watch and an extentsion of Crean's lack of control.

100% agree

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

7 hours ago, Yogi's Picnic Basket said:

I agree but if we had him his first call is Fife. Those two alone are great. Fife has been the lead guy on a few 5 stars there. I think Heirman is next call. He is always getting an extra 4 star from somewhere along with usually another good kid or 2. His relationships around the state are great as well. After that you just need good coaches who connect with the players. If we got even 2 of those assistants along with Billy a banner would be hung within 4 years.

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I would love to see Fife sitting on our bench, but I can't see him making a lateral move unless he's gotten very clear signals that he's not Izzo's (age 62) heir apparent.  And even if he's gotten those signals, I can't fathom him moving into another assistant coach position but rather making a move back into a head coach position.   And now with his resume, he could probably land in a pretty good conference.  Donovan's only 51 and if Fife has head coaching aspirations, and I'm sure he does, he's not going to want to wait around until Donovan left.

[bigrod]

I'm sorry, but from the current staff, the only guy I never wanna see on an IU sideline again after this year other than Tom Crean is Lyonel Anderson.  Acts like a total tool IMO and as strength and conditioning coach has no business a) being on the bench where he is b) chest bumping players at mid court during timeouts c) being more inside the timeout huddle than players and d) picking injured players up and single handlely carrying them to locker room.  He's an absolute embarrassment to watch and an extentsion of Crean's lack of control.

Totally agree. I'm not sold on his training program either.


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[Tom White]

8 hours ago, Yogi's Picnic Basket said:

Fife has been the lead guy on a few 5 stars there. I think Heirman is next call. He is always getting an extra 4 star from somewhere along with usually another good kid or 2. 

Guys, I really don't care how many stars a player has next to his name. I would much rather wind up with a roster like Butler puts together, where each player knows his role and does it well. Oh, and many of them stick around for four years.

I just worry that so many of these 4-5 stars guys are more interested in playing for themselves and not the team.

[the possum]

13 minutes ago, Tom White said:

Guys, I really don't care how many stars a player has next to his name. I would much rather wind up with a roster like Butler puts together, where each player knows his role and does it well. Oh, and many of them stick around for four years.

I just worry that so many of these 4-5 stars guys are more interested in playing for themselves and not the team.

Well said. I say this is the one thing that has been missing from IU other than a good sound coach for many years now. 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Guys, I really don't care how many stars a player has next to his name. I would much rather wind up with a roster like Butler puts together, where each player knows his role and does it well. Oh, and many of them stick around for four years.

I just worry that so many of these 4-5 stars guys are more interested in playing for themselves and not the team.

The coaches that rally that talent has the best chances of winning though. And proper scouting can find the 4/5 star kids that want to win and learn. They certainly exist.


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[WayneFleekHoosier]

Well said. I say this is the one thing that has been missing from IU other than a good sound coach for many years now. 

Besides Yogi, Zeller. IU hasn't recruited well. Crean was willing to take talent to take talent. That's why we offered 21 of the top 50 this year.

A good recruiter hones in on the person, the player, and the fit. Good fits can be found with 5 stars and 4 stars too. Zeller, Yogi, Watford offer examples.

But when you are forced to expand your search over and over you start to lose focus of what counts.


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[Brass Cannon]

3 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

The coaches that rally that talent has the best chances of winning though. And proper scouting can find the 4/5 star kids that want to win and learn. They certainly exist.


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Cody and Yogi for example. God imagine if Donovan had those 2 ugh

[JSHoosier]

7 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Cody and Yogi for example. God imagine if Donovan had those 2 ugh

Give him that 2012 lineup...

Great, now I want to walk to Bloomington and fire Crean myself.

[Brass Cannon]

28 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

Give him that 2012 lineup...

Great, now I want to walk to Bloomington and fire Crean myself.

Only now. I've been ready to fire him since Syracuse and considering it since Nebraska the year before

[Bgaines99]

If this is true, and I hope it is, yeah we'll be back in the "good ole days" of being guaranteed on average 20 wins per year, which is admirable and fine with me but we'll have some lean years too. Don't be fooled that we'll be a 1, 2, or 3 seed every year or that we won't be upset like some of his high seeded teams were. 

But I'm giddy thinking we could be nearing the end of Clapper Crean and mediocre coaching. 

Billy D @ Florida (1996 - 2015)
Year	Wins	Losses	NCAA Tournament
1996-97	13	17	No
1997-98	14	15	No
1998-99	22	9	Sweet 16
1999-00	29	8	National Final
2000-01	24	7	Lost in 2nd Game
2001-02	22	9	Lost in 1st Game
2002-03	25	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2003-04	20	11	Lost in 1st Game
2004-05	24	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2005-06	33	6	National  Champions
2006-07	35	5	National  Champions
2007-08	24	12	NIT
2008-09	25	11	NIT
2009-10	21	13	Lost in 1st Game
2010-11	29	8	Elite 8
2011-12	26	11	Elite 8
2012-13	29	8	Elite 8
2013-14	36	3	Final Four
2014-15	16	17	NIT
	467	186
	60%	Win %

[Jeff_Boy_Ardee]

I would love to see Fife sitting on our bench, but I can't see him making a lateral move unless he's gotten very clear signals that he's not Izzo's (age 62) heir apparent.  And even if he's gotten those signals, I can't fathom him moving into another assistant coach position but rather making a move back into a head coach position.   And now with his resume, he could probably land in a pretty good conference.  Donovan's only 51 and if Fife has head coaching aspirations, and I'm sure he does, he's not going to want to wait around until Donovan left.

Also worth noting, though Fife was an IU guy, he is from Michigan. I believe he was considering transferring to Michigan State when Knight was let go and was part of the team that asked they make Davis HC.

[theriverpilot]

7 minutes ago, Bgaines99 said:

If this is true, and I hope it is, yeah we'll be back in the "good ole days" of being guaranteed on average 20 wins per year, which is admirable and fine with me but we'll have some lean years too. Don't be fooled that we'll be a 1, 2, or 3 seed every year or that we won't be upset like some of his high seeded teams were. 

But I'm giddy thinking we could be nearing the end of Clapper Crean and mediocre coaching. 

Billy D @ Florida (1996 - 2015)
Year	Wins	Losses	NCAA Tournament
1996-97	13	17	No
1997-98	14	15	No
1998-99	22	9	Sweet 16
1999-00	29	8	National Final
2000-01	24	7	Lost in 2nd Game
2001-02	22	9	Lost in 1st Game
2002-03	25	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2003-04	20	11	Lost in 1st Game
2004-05	24	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2005-06	33	6	National  Champions
2006-07	35	5	National  Champions
2007-08	24	12	NIT
2008-09	25	11	NIT
2009-10	21	13	Lost in 1st Game
2010-11	29	8	Elite 8
2011-12	26	11	Elite 8
2012-13	29	8	Elite 8
2013-14	36	3	Final Four
2014-15	16	17	NIT
	467	186
	60%	Win %

Pretty impressive record for a SEC powerhouse football school.

[Hoosierfan2017]

19 minutes ago, Bgaines99 said:

If this is true, and I hope it is, yeah we'll be back in the "good ole days" of being guaranteed on average 20 wins per year, which is admirable and fine with me but we'll have some lean years too. Don't be fooled that we'll be a 1, 2, or 3 seed every year or that we won't be upset like some of his high seeded teams were. 

But I'm giddy thinking we could be nearing the end of Clapper Crean and mediocre coaching. 

Billy D @ Florida (1996 - 2015)
Year	Wins	Losses	NCAA Tournament
1996-97	13	17	No
1997-98	14	15	No
1998-99	22	9	Sweet 16
1999-00	29	8	National Final
2000-01	24	7	Lost in 2nd Game
2001-02	22	9	Lost in 1st Game
2002-03	25	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2003-04	20	11	Lost in 1st Game
2004-05	24	8	Lost in 2nd Game
2005-06	33	6	National  Champions
2006-07	35	5	National  Champions
2007-08	24	12	NIT
2008-09	25	11	NIT
2009-10	21	13	Lost in 1st Game
2010-11	29	8	Elite 8
2011-12	26	11	Elite 8
2012-13	29	8	Elite 8
2013-14	36	3	Final Four
2014-15	16	17	NIT
	467	186
	60%	Win %

I'm expecting down years. Every school has them, even Kentucky and Duke. I'm just expecting higher highs and not as low of lows under our next coach.