General Coach Candidate News

[str8baller]

16 minutes ago, johnsoniu said:

Hard to judge his recruiting chops, Happy Valley and South Bend are hard sells to basketball recruits

If you look at his resume, he’s Indiana to the core. I bet he knows what every HS gym and coach’s office looks like in the state. I’d bet he could recruit the state here. Whether he could effectively stretch beyond that to the high profile AAU programs and whatnot, might be a different story. 

[Dillion]

I think the major problem for Woody right now is the 25 class. I’ve heard that 3 different families have complained about Woodson not coming to one of their kids games like other head coaches. Two of these kids should be slam dunks for IU. Maybe Woody knows he doesn’t want to do it anymore after this season. 

I also know a family well that isn’t too happy with Woodys lack of involvement like the other head coaches are that are recruiting him. It’s their main concern right now and they want to be shown love by the head coach.


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[Hornsby]

When you say wholesale changes, what does that include? Staff overhaul? Personnel overhaul? What exactly.
A complete overhaul to the support staff is needed, but who is actually executing the plan? Woodson? Dolson? Buckner or Whittman? I’ve seen nothing from Woodson that leads me to believe he’s capable of assessing and evaluating a staff at this level. I mean Fife was a forced hire who was run off within a year, Walsh and Hunter were already on staff under the previous regime, and Rosemond was a recommendation hire from his buddy Kenny Payne. I’m just not sure Woodson is capable of pulling off one competent assistant hire, let alone three. And even if he does, is he actually going to listen to them?
It’s just one big mess that is going to get bigger, especially if know Woodson is on borrowed time as is. 

100% correct. He may be back next year but I don't expect much of anything to change.

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[rcbowla]

I also know a family well that isn’t too happy with Woodys lack of involvement like the other head coaches are that are recruiting him. It’s their main concern right now and they want to be shown love by the head coach.


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This along with@Chris007 post along same lines are completely alarming and tell us all we need to know. He is not willing to put everything he has into this job. If that's the case then so long Woody. How can an AD be ok with this?

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[southernindianahoosier2]

4 hours ago, Bankshot said:

As a taxpayer and Indiana Alum, I'd like to know how and why we think hiring two straight athletic directors with no previous experience as division 1 (or even D2) ADs is wise, good management, good stewardship, or defensible when other, more qualified candidates were available.

And, in my opinion, this kind of thinking/failure is a root cause issue for IU's now multi-decade athletic mis-management problems, and plays a direct part in our problems and failures when ADs routinely make or are involved in multi-million dollar decisions that spend or waste at least some public funds.

IU has a long standing history of making blunder after blunder in the hiring and firing portion of athletics.

I would also like to know exactly how we ended up hiring Mike Woodson in this last hiring approach. (Note: I like Woodson, he's a beloved former player and IU legend. I just don't understand at all how we ended up hiring him out of what should have been a pursuit to find the best possible candidate. I.e., another in a long string of terrible hiring mistakes , IMO.)

IMO, if you want to know why IU is still lost and struggling after so long, it's because we have made many, many terrible hiring/firing decisions...bad AD hires, bad coach hires, keeping coaches too long, and possibly a few bad president hires too. (Many of these mistakes were made by inexperienced or unqualified people who themselves should never have been hired).

We need PROVEN competence and experience from the president down. If you hire unproven amateurs you're likely to get sub-par results. Successful organization simply do not operate like this.

Sorry, meant for this to be in the ‘Complain’ thread.

I believe the last 2 Ads were hired when we didn’t have a sitting president.

from what I’ve read on the board, so @Chris007 correct me if I’m wrong… but it sounds like guys like Gonso, Isaiah, Buckner and “blue ribbon” committees over reach and make decisions on who to hire as coach, and who to hire as AD.
 

Meaning there’s too many hands in the cookie jar and decisions are made that benefit these people personally (the non athletic department individuals that somehow have power mentioned above) vs. making decisions based on what’s good for the university. 
 

The AD is then essentially a pushover with no real vision. I.e. these individuals prop up a patsy (I think Gonso hired glass), and fans wonder why there is no accountability ever, glass leaves and we hire his assistant, then old IU guard makes the push for Woodson.

that’s the theme I’m getting at, is no one in the athletic department is leading the ship 

[Bankshot]

11 minutes ago, southernindianahoosier2 said:

I believe the last 2 Ads were hired when we didn’t have a sitting president.

from what I’ve read on the board, so @Chris007 correct me if I’m wrong… but it sounds like guys like Gonso, Isaiah, Buckner and “blue ribbon” committees over reach and make decisions on who to hire as coach, and who to hire as AD.
 

Meaning there’s too many hands in the cookie jar and decisions are made that benefit these people personally (the non athletic department individuals that somehow have power mentioned above) vs. making decisions based on what’s good for the university. 
 

The AD is then essentially a pushover with no real vision. I.e. these individuals prop up a patsy (I think Gonso hired glass), and fans wonder why there is no accountability ever, glass leaves and we hire his assistant, then old IU guard makes the push for Woodson.

that’s the theme I’m getting at, is no one in the athletic department is leading the ship 

 

Yes! I've heard that stuff too (don't know for sure how true and accurate it is or not) but it is EXACTLY the kind of short-sighted and questionable upper management behavior I'm referring to.

Indiana hasn't just been bad for almost 30 years because we're cursed or because there aren't any capable coaches out there. Most of our wounds have been self-inflicted. 

Successful organizations that truly pursue excellence do not do business this way.

[southernindianahoosier2]

6 minutes ago, Bankshot said:

 

Yes! I've heard that stuff too (don't know for sure how true and accurate it is or not) but it is EXACTLY the kind of short-sighted and questionable upper management behavior I'm referring to.

Indiana hasn't just been bad for almost 30 years because we're cursed or because there aren't any capable coaches out there. Most of our wounds have been self-inflicted. 

Successful organizations that truly pursue excellence do not do business this way.

So I guess to answer how did we end up with Woodson:

”old IU guard” props up pushover AD because of perfect timing with no president, then “old IU guard” forces new AD to hire “their guy”.

 

[Bowhunter]

I say it every time there is a possible coaching change. I’m grew up watching Bruce Pearl win at Southern Indiana. He is older but still has the enthusiasm as one much younger. He said IU was his dream job and he has plenty of connections to Indiana high schools. His past was a tad bumpy at times but all those rules have changed now. If we go looking for another coach I would have him in my top three. Most proven coaches will be unrealistic. I promise you he is better than anything we have had in a long time. 

[HoosierTrav]

5 hours ago, Chris007 said:

I think the major problem for Woody right now is the 25 class. I’ve heard that 3 different families have complained about Woodson not coming to one of their kids games like other head coaches. Two of these kids should be slam dunks for IU. Maybe Woody knows he doesn’t want to do it anymore after this season. 

This is a fireable offense IMHO. If you aren’t up to the task to show up for one of the biggest responsibilities you have as a coach, then step aside. Not landing kids that want to come here (Sisley and Mullins) and potentially losing them to in league rivals is infuriating. 
 

Gotta say Chris…..really didn’t want to see that today. Lol.
 

 

[KYHoosier]

Dusty May and Josh Schertz may end up being great coaches at big time universities in the future but there is no way you can convince me either are ready or qualified to become IU's next coach. Both should prove themselves in the P5 ranks as winners before they are asked to coach one of the biggest pressure cooker jobs in all of college bball.

My top, realistic candidates would be Shaka Smart, Greg McDermott, Scott Drew, Chris Beard (don't agree with his character, but you at least give him an interview), and Bruce Pearl. I think IU could land one of these coaches and all could handle the job and win here. You can risk going after another unproven coach.

Edited January 22, 2024 by KYHoosier

[Hornsby]

This along with[mention=7005]Chris007[/mention] post along same lines are completely alarming and tell us all we need to know. He is not willing to put everything he has into this job. If that's the case then so long Woody. How can an AD be ok with this?

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Archie was a bad coach but he did hit the state hard. Woodson is not 100% invested in this so who cares if there is an offseason meeting. He is only getting older and he isn't suddenly going to live and die this job 24/7 like many other coaches would do

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[TheWatShot]

50 minutes ago, rcs29 said:

This along with@Chris007 post along same lines are completely alarming and tell us all we need to know. He is not willing to put everything he has into this job. If that's the case then so long Woody. How can an AD be ok with this?

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I also found it disturbing when someone posted the other night that none of the staff was out recruiting this weekend. No idea if that's true or not, but coaches and their assistants should never not be recruiting, at least if they have any aspirations of staying in this profession. 

[Hornsby]

I also found it disturbing when someone posted the other night that none of the staff was out recruiting this weekend. No idea if that's true or not, but coaches and their assistants should never not be recruiting, at least if they have any aspirations of staying in this profession. 

I jokingly said Woodson took off to Arizona to golf with quinn for a few days. Sadly it may not be far off

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[Kentuckysucks]

4 minutes ago, TheWatShot said:

I also found it disturbing when someone posted the other night that none of the staff was out recruiting this weekend. No idea if that's true or not, but coaches and their assistants should never not be recruiting, at least if they have any aspirations of staying in this profession. 

Sure sounds like they know the end is near.

[Hoosierfan2017]

Is Woodson really that lazy? 

[TheWatShot]

1 hour ago, Dillion said:

I also know a family well that isn’t too happy with Woodys lack of involvement like the other head coaches are that are recruiting him. It’s their main concern right now and they want to be shown love by the head coach.


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I'm not making excuses for Woodson, but this is a big reason why we need someone younger. A lot of recruits these days want people to "show them love." You see it on social media constantly, recruits practically begging for coaches to notice them and reach out to them. Perhaps they lack a significant father figure in their lives? Whatever the reason, Woodson doesn't seem like the type of coach who will play that game. Probably why we're not making any kind of inroads at the high school level lately. 

[Kentuckysucks]

2 minutes ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

Is Woodson really that lazy? 

He's old not necessarily lazy.  He also never had to recruit in the NBA.  

[Stuhoo]

In my opinion, Bruce Pearl would not be the guy that spends 200 days on the road beating the bushes in high school gyms either. 

[Trish]

6 hours ago, Chris007 said:

CC has a spot on the staff as long as he wants one. No matter the coach.

I could see that, especially with him leaving the Pacers to join the Hoosiers. He might have that “legacy” contract like Tim Garl.

[Kentuckysucks]

3 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

In my opinion, Bruce Pearl would not be the guy that spends 200 days on the road beating the bushes in high school gyms either. 

Why you think that?  He's like Tom Crean after a dozen diet cokes but a great coach too.