It's not easy being Tom Crean

[OliviaPope40 6,558]

As fans we will never be happy with the coach because his name is not Bob Knight. 

[KingPG21 6,587]

As fans we will never be happy with the coach because his name is not Bob Knight. 

I'll be perfectly happy with anyone that has us competing for the B1G every year, makes the dance every year, and gets us to a final four something like at least once every 5 years

[Bittersince87 209]

I'll be perfectly happy with anyone that has us competing for the B1G every year, makes the dance every year, and gets us to a final four something like at least once every 5 years

Indeed.

[JSHoosier 20,317]

We haven't seen good coaching for 25 years.  We are very smart about basketball, but we are not always good basketball fans.  We have a large group of people who sit behind a keyboard saying things they wouldn't say to his face.  Patient?  We will never be patient.  Because no matter what, unless a coach is undefeated and winning by 30 we will continue to nitpick where we went wrong.  I see you have 2 posts, but I doubt you are new.  But, I will say this.  Stick around for our first loss and tell me whether or not we seen good coaching.  Every game we lose people act like it was the worst coached game ever.  I have never seen people commend Crean after a loss.  So I must disagree.  We will never be patient.

The patience would eventually wear out, but he'd have more leash from the fans if he had actually built on those two years.  If we'd shown a tendency to be playing our best at the end of the season instead of limping to the finish.  If the issues  we've discussed (zone offense, half court offense, turnovers, etc) had shown improvement.  None of those happened though, he didn't build on those two years, limping to the finish has happened every year save 1, and the same issues plague us every single season with no improvement.

[Miller'sTheMan 1,652]

So if he doesn't make it past the sweet sixteen this year what does he have to do to make you think he isn't good enough to take us anywhere. Cause that would be 8 years with 3 sweet sixteen appearances being the best he could do, and only one big ten championship. At some point he has to do better than a sweet sixteen every other year, or at best two years in a row. And we shouldn't ever have to reload, but with his shotgun style of recruiting we do way too often. 

What does him making a sweet 16 have to do with my post? I never even mentioned the sweet 16. 

[KingPG21 6,587]

What does him making a sweet 16 have to do with my post? I never even mentioned the sweet 16. 

 

 

 

If we go to a final 4 say this season then Crean absolutely should stay. I am higher on Crean than most (hence the name) but I think this is the prove it year for Crean but the idea that Crean can't take us anywhere regardless of what he accomplishes this season is simply false to me.  

 

My question was what does he have to do to make you think he isn't good enough to take us anywhere. I just took the furthest he has ever taken this program, the Sweet Sixteen, as a leaping off point. Some of you guys act like Crean should be getting all the time in the world, regardless of what he actually accomplishes on the sideline.

 

I'm just going to go on record that I don't get the Final Four talk with this group of players. We still haven't had the chance to see if they can actually play even decent defense against a team that isn't awful, our best player goes through stretches when he just wants to chuck up a bunch of horrid shots. Our second best player has a bad habit on having tunnel vision, and we're relying heavily on a true freshman big to be our anchor defensively. Not to mention our coach's only time making it past the Sweet Sixteen took an extraordinary player to do so. 

[323SGrant 1,176]

I believe most, including me, agree, per the article, leave the kids alone. However, as previously mentioned, he doesn't win enough as the coach at IU. After many years as IU coach, It was hard for me to believe he couldn't even make the NCAA (or NIT) a couple of years ago. I'm not expecting much from him based on his tenure at Marquette and IU. It would have been nice to have seen IU playing with the strong teams last night in Chicago. I just don't think he has the ability to get to the Final Four or win an NCAA Championship while at IU.

[BlueDevil 8,693]

My question was what does he have to do to make you think he isn't good enough to take us anywhere. I just took the furthest he has ever taken this program, the Sweet Sixteen, as a leaping off point. Some of you guys act like Crean should be getting all the time in the world, regardless of what he actually accomplishes on the sideline.

I'm just going to go on record that I don't get the Final Four talk with this group of players. We still haven't had the chance to see if they can actually play even decent defense against a team that isn't awful, our best player goes through stretches when he just wants to chuck up a bunch of horrid shots. Our second best player has a bad habit on having tunnel vision, and we're relying heavily on a true freshman big to be our anchor defensively. Not to mention our coach's only time making it past the Sweet Sixteen took an extraordinary player to do so.

Totally agree with the final four talk. This group had a lot of improving to do. Will be interesting to see how this group gels and improves as the season progresses but they still play 0 defense.

[JSHoosier 20,317]

 

If we go to a final 4 say this season then Crean absolutely should stay. I am higher on Crean than most (hence the name) but I think this is the prove it year for Crean but the idea that Crean can't take us anywhere regardless of what he accomplishes this season is simply false to me.  

 

I really don't see this team making the Final Four so there is that.  The guy that was supposed to be the missing piece is still just a true freshman, we rely too heavily on a shot that is unreliable, and after being beyond atrocious on defense last season we just gave up 70 points to Austin Peay.  That's setting aside that the late season swoon has happened every year save for 1.

 

A poster on this very board said last season Crean could show his coaching chops, and it wasn't particularly impressive.  He's just not much of a coach, not good not bad but mediocre.  I've said it before and I'll stand by it, that one Final Four run was a fluke and he's never going back; frankly I'd be stunned if he ever got back to the Elite 8.

[Chips&Dipo 1,464]

This might be an unpopular opinion, but when we talk about Crean's tenure here thus far isn't it unfair to include the first three years? That wasn't due to his inability to coach, it was due to self imposed sanctions IU applied to themselves because they decided to hire a cheater for a coach a couple years prior.

 

When he was going through those first few years, everyone was applauding him for changing the tides so IU could be a respectful academic and well behaved basketball team. Now that we know more about the basketball side, people use those years to tack on his resume to make it look worse than it would otherwise.

 

You can make an argument that since the 2011-2012 team we have only been to the sweet 16 twice and sorely underperformed with the number 1 team in the country (and arguably with the following years team), we have had off the court issues, but to include the years when Crean was trying to bring IU back from the grave now just because you want him gone isn't appropriate.

 

Sorry for ranting.

[biteoftheapple 4,115]

He is the only coach in America, that a part of the fanbase is willing to give a 3 year pass.

[Chips&Dipo 1,464]

He is the only coach in America, that a part of the fanbase is willing to give a 3 year pass.

He is also the only coach in america of any significance that took a job knowing that you were going to be under post season bans and recruiting limitations for three years.

[biteoftheapple 4,115]

Then you better ask to get his coaching record adjusted.

[HoosierAloha 30,068]

This might be an unpopular opinion, but when we talk about Crean's tenure here thus far isn't it unfair to include the first three years? That wasn't due to his inability to coach, it was due to self imposed sanctions IU applied to themselves because they decided to hire a cheater for a coach a couple years prior.

When he was going through those first few years, everyone was applauding him for changing the tides so IU could be a respectful academic and well behaved basketball team. Now that we know more about the basketball side, people use those years to tack on his resume to make it look worse than it would otherwise.

You can make an argument that since the 2011-2012 team we have only been to the sweet 16 twice and sorely underperformed with the number 1 team in the country (and arguably with the following years team), we have had off the court issues, but to include the years when Crean was trying to bring IU back from the grave now just because you want him gone isn't appropriate.

Sorry for ranting.

Even if you throw out the first three years Crean is only about the 5th/6th best coach (numbers wise) in the B1G, not including Maryland.

[Chips&Dipo 1,464]

Even if you throw out the first three years Crean is only about the 5th/6th best coach (numbers wise) in the B1G, not including Maryland.

I totally agree that he is lacking. I am only saying make an argument on the poor job he has done since 2012-2013 (I thought 2011-2012 was is best performing team), don't try and tack on the first three years when any coach in America would have done poorly just to try and make your argument look stronger.

 

Not you specifically, just generally.

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,521]

In summary....

Half of us believe Indiana is an irrelevant, has-been program that should be happy to win any recruits we can get and any success we have is better than Crean's first 3 seasons. They don't want to regress back to Indiana's most putrid days in its entire history. They are content. "We should be happy to have player X" versus the alternative of the player being happy to have Indiana. That's the mindset of half.

The other half expects us to win recruits, win games, represent the university with dignity and behave like the Blueblood school. Just WIN in all facets.


The reality is we are in the middle. We win some recruits, we win some games, and we sometimes represent the university with dignity. We have hope from some of the good seasons and despair based on some of the others. Recruiting is a roller coaster of successes and failures as well. We are a program in limbo. We are considered a second tier program nationally by media and recruits.

I am a shoot for the stars person. There is zero reason IU can't be one of the BEST. We are a legitimate Blueblood based on history, resources, and fandom. We need to act like it.

I am not as certain as some in the fact that Crean can't get us there, but I KNOW, he needs stud players to do so. Hence my obsession into recruiting. Crean is more reliant on talent and athleticism than your average systems based coach.

[BlueDevil 8,693]

Take those years out and you get 85-45 (41-31) if I did the math correctly.

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,521]

Also the comments saying any coach would have struggled as much as Crean for 3 years is absurd to me. Sanctions are tough but if you can sell Mississippi State basketball you can sell Indiana basketball. UNC and Syracuse are doing well despite sanctions and likely sanctions. We gave him an extremely long leash IMO. Then, along came Zeller.

[Walking Boot of Doom 18,170]

In summary....

Half of us believe Indiana is an irrelevant, has-been program that should be happy to win any recruits we can get and any success we have is better than Crean's first 3 seasons. They don't want to regress back to Indiana's most putrid days in its entire history. They are content. "We should be happy to have player X" versus the alternative of the player being happy to have Indiana. That's the mindset of half.

The other half expects us to win recruits, win games, represent the university with dignity and behave like the Blueblood school. Just WIN in all facets.


The reality is we are in the middle. We win some recruits, we win some games, and we sometimes represent the university with dignity. We have hope from some of the good seasons and despair based on some of the others. Recruiting is a roller coaster of successes and failures as well. We are a program in limbo. We are considered a second tier program nationally by media and recruits.

I am a shoot for the stars person. There is zero reason IU can't be one of the BEST. We are a legitimate Blueblood based on history, resources, and fandom. We need to act like it.

I am not as certain as some in the fact that Crean can't get us there, but I KNOW, he needs stud players to do so. Hence my obsession into recruiting. Crean is more reliant on talent and athleticism than your average systems based coach.

Your description of the two halves of the fan base is absurd. Everyone wants to win, and we're recruiting at a high level ever since Zeller.

The dividing factor within the fan base is patience. How much do you have? Half the fan base has another couple years of patience left, and are hoping a grand coaching option comes up, the other half has lost all patience and wants the change now.

Everyone wants to win. Pretending like your side of the fan base is the only one that wants to win and my side is a bunch of losers who don't care is ridiculous.

[Feathery 4,005]

He is also the only coach in america of any significance that took a job knowing that you were going to be under post season bans and recruiting limitations for three years.

Wrong. Calipari and Pitino both were interested but IU isn't. Say what you want about them but we have a mediocre program and they have both won national championships since Crean has been here.

As for Crean he regressed in year 3 in conference. Increasing win totals vs cupcakes means little to me. When it mattered he regressed, it counts.

I think it ends up being a 2 year process for him to cement himself and be here for many more years or for him to get fired. He must have a good year this year. He has to win something (Big Ten, BTT, NCAA) and make a deep run (Elite 8 plus). He must also have a good enough team next season to stay towards the top of the conference and make the dance comfortably in a "rebuild" year plus have us poised for another deep run after that. He fails anywhere along the way he needs to be gone.

Ultimately the past is the past. It's what can he do going forward that matters. He has been given time, maybe too much, and what he does over the next 18 months will make or break him at IU.