Coaching Candidate Thread: Ben McCollum

[Magnanimous 4,603]

Who? He’s the best D2 coach in the country and is a Midwest guy. He’s 231-30 in the last eight seasons with eight conference championships and two national titles. He’s also 39 years old. The guy is more accomplished and consistent than any of the old, fat schlubs with sporadic success we’re now stuck with as a consolation prize. McCollum’s teams are some of the top offensively in D2 as well.

I know...”are you kidding?” or “not a shot does he deserve to coach IU.” IUBB is in a weird place right now. If we’re not getting our white whale, let’s go the Ohio State (football) route and hire our Jim Tressel.

[IU Scott 2,375]

2 minutes ago, Magnanimous said:

Who? He’s the best D2 coach in the country and is a Midwest guy. He’s 231-30 in the last eight seasons with eight conference championships and two national titles. He’s also 39 years old. The guy is more accomplished and consistent than any of the old, fat schlubs with sporadic success we’re now stuck with as a consolation prize. McCollum’s teams are some of the top offensively in D2 as well.

I know...”are you kidding?” or “not a shot does he deserve to coach IU.” IUBB is in a weird place right now. If we’re not getting our white whale, let’s go the Ohio State (football) route and hire our Jim Tressel.

If you go that route then try to get Tonnegal at IWU

[trc1969 39]

Could easily consider Greg Tonagel as well, 3: NAIA Div. II National Championships (2014, 2016, and 2018) with and overall record 420-108 with Indiana ties.

IU Scott beat me too it....lol

Edited March 20, 2021 by trc1969

[zsmithey4 224]

I’m sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous? Hire a D2 coach? Might as well close up the basketball program. Come on. Let’s delete this thread now. Embarrassing.

[Hovadipo 56,170]

I could drive an hour up SR 46 to watch one of the best coaches in D2 take over an Indiana D1 program and pay about 10% of the ticket price. 

[Magnanimous 4,603]

16 minutes ago, zsmithey4 said:

I’m sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous? Hire a D2 coach? Might as well close up the basketball program. Come on. Let’s delete this thread now. Embarrassing.

He’d coach circles around Archie.

[Stuhoo 80,781]

51 minutes ago, Magnanimous said:

Who? He’s the best D2 coach in the country and is a Midwest guy. He’s 231-30 in the last eight seasons with eight conference championships and two national titles. He’s also 39 years old. The guy is more accomplished and consistent than any of the old, fat schlubs with sporadic success we’re now stuck with as a consolation prize. McCollum’s teams are some of the top offensively in D2 as well.

I know...”are you kidding?” or “not a shot does he deserve to coach IU.” IUBB is in a weird place right now. If we’re not getting our white whale, let’s go the Ohio State (football) route and hire our Jim Tressel.

Damn straight 

[Stuhoo 80,781]

Or Beard or Oats.

They’re really good too.

 

[Zachetology 282]

This isn't the craziest idea.

[Magnanimous 4,603]

15 minutes ago, Zachetology said:

This isn't the craziest idea.

 

[Hardwood83 4,773]

25 minutes ago, Zachetology said:

This isn't the craziest idea.

No, but a MONSTER risk. 

I've written a few times "hire the best coach you can" and I'll stick with it. If this is the best guy available, then hire him......but wow, it better work out or it will be epic. 

[LamarCheeks 18,922]

Not sure how apt the comparison to Tressel is.

Tressel had a few years as a Div. I assistant before going to Youngstown State. 

McCollum has never coached above the Div. II level. 

 

[zsmithey4 224]

2 hours ago, Magnanimous said:

He’d coach circles around Archie.

It doesn’t matter if he would coach circles around archie. Are we really going to even act like hiring a D2 coach is a remote possibility or going to bring us any sort of success? It would be the joke of all jokes if we hired a D2 basketball coach to come to IU it would be completely embarrassing. This thread shouldn’t exist.

[Zachetology 282]

1 hour ago, Magnanimous said:

 

IU complete me.

[Rico 3,037]

Bo Ryan worked pretty good for Wisconsin...

[Ryno6284 2,675]

Congrats to Coach McCollum on the title win today!  Hell of a coach, just wouldn't appease this fanbase!

[Stuhoo 80,781]

The birth of Northwest’s two mantras came shortly after that.

One was “Impose your will.” McCollum stole inspiration from the fifth century B.C. book “Art of War,” wanting his players to be proactive in all aspects of life, whether that was attacking a workout or sprint drill or responding to an official’s call.

“If you don’t respond to it and move onto the next play, you’ve imposed your will on it,” McCollum said. “You’re going to act how you act regardless of what’s going on.”

McCollum also believes in the words “Culture wins.” He’s learned there’s one type of player he doesn’t mesh with it, and that’s someone he describes as “moody.”

The coach works hard to make sure those guys don’t end up on his team. He does extra research on personalities, and it’s probably not a coincidence that 13 of the 14 players on this year’s roster came from places that are within two hours of Maryville — a town of about 12,000 tucked in the northwest corner of Missouri.

McCollum also has created his own rule with recruits: He wants them to pick up his phone call, but he promises that the conversation won’t last more than four minutes. That way he can develop a relationship while also catering to the faster-paced lifestyle of millennials

[Stuhoo 80,781]

Curious what Demo and Uspshoosier think:

 

[Kentuckysucks 2,259]

Be a great hire for Iowa.

[Stuhoo 80,781]

80-54 winner in the championship game.

That’s strong