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Crean Debated Leaving Year Prior to Ouster


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1 hour ago, milehiiu said:

Rumors floating around this week, the UGA is very interested in Crean.

Wouldn't be a bad idea for both sides. Lower expectations for Crean, and an upgrade for UGA.  If he can gain any traction in Atlanta recruiting,  could have some success.  Wonder what Trendon and the Watfords would think of that?  Doubt it would make a difference,  but who knows. Either way, would increase the coaching cache of the SEC with another big name former coach yet again.

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Lots of love on here for Crean. 

Here's what I remember:

- A style of play that required uber skilled offensive players to overcome poor defensive play, high turnover rates, and overall low basketball IQ.

- A recruiting strategy(?) that placed no value on what it means to be offered a scholarship by a historical program. Instead, quantity over quality.

- A good man whose positive qualities were often overshadowed by his hyperness and quirks.

- A hit and miss ability to develop players. For every Vic or Watford there was Holloway, Perea or JBJ.

Mixed bag, if you ask me. Last visuals of a team he coached was of a team that turned the ball over at an extraordinarily high rate and who guarded at an extraordinarily low rate.

 I think he should stay behind a microphone.

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On 2/21/2018 at 4:39 PM, Milehi Fan said:

Tough to walk away from a HC gig at one of the blue blood schools, regardless of how this were going at the time.  I think Crean gets too much blame for many things, but he had maxed out his ability to consistently achieve at a high level.  

I don't think that's 100% true, so I have to respectfully disagree with you. He deserves responsibility for something he was being paid to do.  Call it blame , but I think the guy running the show absolutely owns what happens under his watch.I just don't think his ways are too set to climb any further..

I think he was confident in his approach to a fault. He was so set in certain methods of his approach that he also blocked out things that might have been useful for him to continue growing into the Indiana job.  

Good coaches who find early success in the profession often fall into that trap, and if nothing shakes the foundation of their personal pride they may hit their peak   They only "max out" if they never accept the truth about where they might have went wrong, and how they may need to grow.

 A person willing to make honest self re-evaluations periodically , then adapt , refocus, and go back to work is never really maxed out.

This SI article reveals why I think we haven't saw the best of Tom Crean quite yet, despite feeling we likely saw the best of him at Indiana.

A lot of what he might or might not do moving forward also depends on the particular program and mutual fit. My first thought on this wasn't even about Crean, but Roy Williams instead. For a long time,  I felt like he did everything he possibly could at KU and wondered why UNC would hire a guy who already maxed out at a blueblood school. I hate using him or them as an example , but in proper context (which does not include the circumstances of their respective departures) , it's apples to apples. 

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2018/02/21/tom-crean-teaching-year-harbaugh-belichick-tim-grgurich-lebron-james-dwyane-wade

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I think a school like Georgia would be a perfect fit for FCTC. Low pressure(relatively speaking), plenty of time to recruit his players into the system, and still in a good conference. I actually think he would thrive in a place like Athens. I'm glad things happened like they did this past year, but I still think he is a good coach that can lead a program well. A conference title and Sweet 16 every few years in Georgia would be plenty to keep his head above water.

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2 hours ago, Indykev said:

I would say the relationship he had with Glass was the key to him thinking about leaving.

I had always thought they had a good relationship. My impression at the time was that Fred Glass was a Tom Crean fan and that would protect Crean through some lean years.

Is that not the case?

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20 minutes ago, mchenry34 said:

I had always thought they had a good relationship. My impression at the time was that Fred Glass was a Tom Crean fan and that would protect Crean through some lean years.

Is that not the case?

No. Glass and Crean were on shaky ground for a couple of years. Crean mentioned multiple times that his next job he would have to do a better job of getting leadership/AD and himself on same page. Something about needing all university leadership and staff thinking the same way....Harbaugh even mentioned it in an interview too. No clue on specifics. and the rest is history.

Georgia would be a very good spot for him for all the assumed reasons.

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