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

[Hoosierfan2017 21,004]

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. 

[JSHoosier 19,889]

37 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

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

I've wanted him gone since before last season.  The thought of that 2012 team with a real coach makes me want him gone even more.

Syracuse, Nebraska, Iowa, etc.  In hindsight so many moments that should have made it blatantly obvious to everyone that Crean is in over his head.

[CrossboneIU22 1,180]

14 minutes ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

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. 

Exactly, our down years should be an 8 or 9 seed in the Tourney

[Sota Hoosier 450]

While I 100% believe IU has at least talked to Donovan, I don't think he is a realistic candidate at this point. Too much is unknown in OKC and they are still a playoff team after-all and he is making $6M/year. If they were out of the playoffs and it was a known fact that Westbrook was leaving then maybe I see it but my gut is telling me he will not be the IU head coach next year. I'm getting excited at the idea of Archie Miller and hopefully he is next in line after Donovan. I'm pretty skeptical of Collins/Fife at this point but it would be good to have a guy like Fife in and around program. Sean Miller is interesting as well but I'd lean towards Archie due to his age and accomplishments at a tiny program (compared to IU).

I was a big fan of trying to get Bennett but if he is bitter about his sister that's his loss. It seems so logical for a guy like him to want to make the step to a top 10 program but if that's not he wants then so be it. 

I have kept up-to-date on nearly all messages on the various threads (I think) so wanted to provide that context. Remaining cautiously optimistic about who will be on the sidelines next year but I don't think anything is out of the question with who they hire...we've been let down in the past.

[Hoosier Guy 7,528]

2 hours ago, JSHoosier said:

I've wanted him gone since before last season.  The thought of that 2012 team with a real coach makes me want him gone even more.

Syracuse, Nebraska, Iowa, etc.  In hindsight so many moments that should have made it blatantly obvious to everyone that Crean is in over his head.

That 2012 team and how it ended made me see the light. If Crean couldn't win with that team, he wasn't gonna win with any team. I've wanted him gone ever since the Syracuse debacle

[theriverpilot 5,589]

I will have to agree, that Syracuse game was hard to watch.  The team looked so unprepared that night.  That was the first glaring head scratcher.  Then the game against Penn St and the total collapse at the end.  The total inability to inbound the ball or run a single inbounds play was simply sad.

[HoosierCoop 3,901]

21 minutes ago, theriverpilot said:

I will have to agree, that Syracuse game was hard to watch.  The team looked so unprepared that night.  That was the first glaring head scratcher.  Then the game against Penn St and the total collapse at the end.  The total inability to inbound the ball or run a single inbounds play was simply sad.

To watch that game unfold the way it did and knowing that you should have stepped in to stop it.  That still baffles me.

[Brass Cannon 24,291]

Anybody ever look back at the 2011 team. If it were not for very creanesque games against Minny, Iowa and Nebraska we would have had 2 straight big ten championships. 

[BGleas 7,880]

17 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Anybody ever look back at the 2011 team. If it were not for very creanesque games against Minny, Iowa and Nebraska we would have had 2 straight big ten championships. 

That, and if we're in a bracket with anyone except UK I think that team goes to the Elite 8 at minimum and probably the Final Four. 

[mark1981 1,340]

I'm trying not to get too excited, but could you imagine if Billy comes to town and all the players return? Gives me a chubby.

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[theriverpilot 5,589]

1 minute ago, mark1981 said:

I'm trying not to get too excited, but could you imagine if Billy comes to town and all the players return? Gives me a chubby.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BtownBanners mobile app
 

Dude, stop.  You're going to scare Billy away with that kinda talk!  

[HoosierCoop 3,901]

5 minutes ago, mark1981 said:

I'm trying not to get too excited, but could you imagine if Billy comes to town and all the players return? Gives me a chubby.

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[Yogi's Picnic Basket 5,004]

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?

Sign me up!! I will take the job. Can I put you down as a reference?

What is the big deal? Did I even bring up the convo about assistants and threw names out first? What is the difference between a convo of our HC and a coaching staff? They go hand in hand. All I was simply implying was guys that whoever the next coach is goes after. You got a problem you can send me a PM. But coming at me like this is a good way to lose peoples respect on a forum. WTH have we been doing for the last two months on here? Speculating who our next coach is but I cant offer who that coach should go to for his assistants? Please man!!

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[Yogi's Picnic Basket 5,004]

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.

Yeah I agree but usually the S/C guy isnt that involved during games. I would like him a lot more if he wasnt on the bench during games. He does seem to be more involved than Crean so I give him that, but he should know his place.

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[Hoosier Guy 7,528]

1 hour ago, Brass Cannon said:

Anybody ever look back at the 2011 team. If it were not for very creanesque games against Minny, Iowa and Nebraska we would have had 2 straight big ten championships. 

See that's the one year in Crean's tenure when IU actually met or beat expectations

[Brass Cannon 24,291]

24 minutes ago, Hoosier Guy said:

See that's the one year in Crean's tenure when IU actually met or beat expectations

That's because Creans failures lowered expectations. 

[recker222000 1,010]

Anybody ever look back at the 2011 team. If it were not for very creanesque games against Minny, Iowa and Nebraska we would have had 2 straight big ten championships. 

Can you give an example?

The life of what ifs.

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[AZ Hoosier 6,606]

1 hour ago, Yogi's Picnic Basket said:

Sign me up!! I will take the job. Can I put you down as a reference?

What is the big deal? Did I even bring up the convo about assistants and threw names out first? What is the difference between a convo of our HC and a coaching staff? They go hand in hand. All I was simply implying was guys that whoever the next coach is goes after. You got a problem you can send me a PM. But coming at me like this is a good way to lose peoples respect on a forum. WTH have we been doing for the last two months on here? Speculating who our next coach is but I cant offer who that coach should go to for his assistants? Please man!!

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Easy man... nobody peed in your cornflakes. It was not intended as an attack on you, so don't take it so personally...

[TrueHoosier62 1,592]

Actually, I knew a Polish man whose Doctor informed him he had sugar in his urine, so he went home and pissed on his corn flakes. But I digress.

[Hoosier Guy 7,528]

49 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

That's because Creans failures lowered expectations. 

That being said, they did have some God awful losses that year