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Coach Mike Woodson Megathread


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1 hour ago, NCHoosier32 said:

i am definitely outspoken about having no interest in the NBA.  i know who a few head coaches are, but that's about it.  i get it, i don't count because i don't follow it.  i also admit that i was very against this hiring, and so far feeling really good about how things are going.  the thing i will not agree with is that many kids outside of Indiana families knew who Mike Woodson was before this hiring.  most of today's bball fans and players barely think the head coach matters in the NBA.  they definitely don't think the assistant coach matters.  i'm not saying i agree or disagree really, but my 17 year old son and his buddies are very big NBA fans and pretty high level high school players and they don't know many of the NBA head coaches and absolutely no assistant coaches.  i know.  i know.  that is just one small sampling, but i just can't see how people really believe kids 10-17 years old knew who Mike Woodson was before he got the IU job unless their parents are huge IU fans.

I 100% believe they know the PLAYERS that coach has worked with....the recognition he has developed and coached the best...and likely their coaches/aau programs have worked with people that have communicated with Mike. I think right now it's a lot of people going on TRUST....trust that a successful NBA talent developer and coach will help them grow their game. NBA pedigree will give Woody a lot. That said he will have only a few short years to capitalize on it or that glow will tarnish pretty quickly. Do they know of the MAN himself....the PLAYER...no I doubt it. More likely his story resonates with them and the connections he has in the game makes him seem more familiar.....like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon or something like that lol.

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3 minutes ago, dgambill said:

I 100% believe they know the PLAYERS that coach has worked with....the recognition he has developed and coached the best...and likely their coaches/aau programs have worked with people that have communicated with Mike. I think right now it's a lot of people going on TRUST....trust that a successful NBA talent developer and coach will help them grow their game. NBA pedigree will give Woody a lot. That said he will have only a few short years to capitalize on it or that glow will tarnish pretty quickly. Do they know of the MAN himself....the PLAYER...no I doubt it. More likely his story resonates with them and the connections he has in the game makes him seem more familiar.....like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon or something like that lol.

again, just my opinion, and not saying he isn't a good coach.  not saying this won't work.  i just definitely disagree that any kid outside of Indiana families knew before he got this job that he was an NBA assistant coach that had worked with this player or that player.  all they know is who the best players are and who they like and want to emulate.  many are starting to know now because he is the head coach at Indiana and they are looking into his resume.  not that any of this really matters, but there's no way kids in North Carolina knew Mike Woodson was an assistant for the Knicks before he got this job.  

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1 minute ago, NCHoosier32 said:

again, just my opinion, and not saying he isn't a good coach.  not saying this won't work.  i just definitely disagree that any kid outside of Indiana families knew before he got this job that he was an NBA assistant coach that had worked with this player or that player.  all they know is who the best players are and who they like and want to emulate.  many are starting to know now because he is the head coach at Indiana and they are looking into his resume.  not that any of this really matters, but there's no way kids in North Carolina knew Mike Woodson was an assistant for the Knicks before he got this job.  

Kids in Georgia and New York probably would've more than Indiana to be honest. Kids that are fans of the Knicks and Hawks as well regardless of where they are from. 

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1 hour ago, IUFLA said:

That may well be, but if you look at the beginning of this thread some of the big NBA fans were the most skeptical of Woody's hiring...

+1

I think that my complete lack of prior knowledge of Coach's NBA experience was why I was an early supporter of him being hired (after the Dunkin Donut eating guy fell through - what was his name again?).

I saw his record with fresh eyes and realized it was really good (considering the teams he coached - excellent).

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16 minutes ago, DC2345 said:

Kids in Georgia and New York probably would've more than Indiana to be honest. Kids that are fans of the Knicks and Hawks as well regardless of where they are from. 

fair enough, but i still don't think kids in NC know who any of the Hornets assistant coaches are.  

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29 minutes ago, NCHoosier32 said:

again, just my opinion, and not saying he isn't a good coach.  not saying this won't work.  i just definitely disagree that any kid outside of Indiana families knew before he got this job that he was an NBA assistant coach that had worked with this player or that player.  all they know is who the best players are and who they like and want to emulate.  many are starting to know now because he is the head coach at Indiana and they are looking into his resume.  not that any of this really matters, but there's no way kids in North Carolina knew Mike Woodson was an assistant for the Knicks before he got this job.  

Scott Dolson didn’t even know a whole lot about Woodson until the hiring process. Admittedly, I had only heard of players like himself and I do follow the NBA often. Mainly Celtics and IU players. 

My bet is kids in the future will relate Mike Woodson as the coach of the Indiana Hoosiers and unless directly recruited will know very little  if anything about his NBA stint or Mike Woodson the player.

As for the hire, Im going to let results show me the way. So far, it appears to be trending up but I’ve been fooled by off season hype more than once 👍 

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39 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

I can only speak for myself, but my concern had to do with his ability to put a team and staff in place, not his X and O ability. 

Like I said, I'll be the first to admit I was surprised at Woody's NBA coaching chops. The further I dug, the more I liked.

As for your concerns, I take it those have been allayed by Woody's quick start?

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8 minutes ago, NCHoosier32 said:

fair enough, but i still don't think kids in NC know who any of the Hornets assistant coaches are.  

Then are they really that big of fans? If you watch the local broadcasts of your local team, often the announcers are going to speak on the top assistants and their roles. Many local broadcasts will do interviews with the assistants in between quarters or during halftime, etc. 

I wouldn't expect anyone to know the full lineup of assistants of any team, I don't know the Celtics full staff, but if you're a fan of a particular team I'd expect you can probably name and assistant or two. 

As a Celtics fan, if you followed the '08 championship team, everyone knew who Tom Thibdeau was as the lead assistant. Everyone (meaning fans) knew Tex Winter was Phil Jackson's assistant. People who follow the Miami Heat knew who David Fizdale was in the early Wade/LeBron years, etc., etc. 

This is going back long before your son would have been paying attention, but people at the time of the Pistons mid-2000's teams knew Woodson was Larry Brown's lead assistant on their title team.

Pacer fans in the Larry Bird coaching era knew Rick Carlisle and Dick Harter. 

 

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I’m gonna go ahead and drop this here as well incase some may wonder about the reality of the Steven’s to IU possibility.

Second hand info but I wouldn’t share if I didn’t whole heartedly trust my peeps.

•10m was on the table. (Let that sink in)

•The interest was absolutely there.

•There was interference by someone on the IU side that pissed the whole deal away. 😡 

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I was one that was very disappointed about the hire initially and pretty vocal about it, but that was when I didn't fully understand the hire. I wanted IU to hire a proven college program builder. Look at what Chris Beard did at Texas Tech or Eric Musselman at Nevada and Arkansas or what Scott Drew has done at Baylor. Guys with a proven track record of building college programs. That's what I wanted for IU. 

I viewed hiring Woodson as very lazy by Scott Dolson. Hiring an "IU guy" for the sake of hiring an IU guy. It just reeked of laziness to me, and I was vocal about it that first day. I also was aware of Mike Woodson and viewed him as fairly boring. If I was a fan of say the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings or Orlando Magic and my team hired Woodson as the HC, it would be a very uninspiring hire. 

Then HSN went down for a few days. We couldn't post, so I followed what Woodson and Dolson were saying closely. We had the Thad Matta hire and Woodson and Dolson both spoke at the presser and to other media. We heard what Woodson's former players said about him in terms of development and relating to players, etc.

When HSN was live again, I came back and said that if this was Dolson not being lazy but actually being extremely forward thinking with NIL coming and building a real NBA program/factory (not necessarily one and done) that plays a style of basketball that recruits want to be in and has the support staff that prepares players for professional basketball, with a coach that has been there and done it, then I'm fully onboard. 

I don't mean turning IU into Kentucky in terms of the one and done model, but more turning IU into a destination for players that want all of the things that come with being supported in achieving their dreams, while winning. Player development, up tempo/pro style offense, support staff such as Thad Matta and additional off the court support, and a top notch coaching staff that has been there and done that.  

I now see that Dolson had a vision. It wasn't a lazy "get me the most available IU guy" hire. It was get me the guy that can connect the past to the future. Get me the guy that can build a forward thinking program that honors the past, but builds a program that the top players want and need to be a part of. Give me the guy with connections all over the world of basketball and the experience to connect with top players trying to improve and become men. 

While disappointed at first, I quickly changed course after seeing/hearing the vision. 

 

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23 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Then are they really that big of fans? If you watch the local broadcasts of your local team, often the announcers are going to speak on the top assistants and their roles. Many local broadcasts will do interviews with the assistants in between quarters or during halftime, etc. 

I wouldn't expect anyone to know the full lineup of assistants of any team, I don't know the Celtics full staff, but if you're a fan of a particular team I'd expect you can probably name and assistant or two. 

As a Celtics fan, if you followed the '08 championship team, everyone knew who Tom Thibdeau was as the lead assistant. Everyone (meaning fans) knew Tex Winter was Phil Jackson's assistant. People who follow the Miami Heat knew who David Fizdale was in the early Wade/LeBron years, etc., etc. 

This is going back long before your son would have been paying attention, but people at the time of the Pistons mid-2000's teams knew Woodson was Larry Brown's lead assistant on their title team.

Pacer fans in the Larry Bird coaching era knew Rick Carlisle and Dick Harter. 

 

fair enough.  kind of a silly argument for me to worry about, but i just disagree.  i was a HUGE NBA fan in the 80s, but i didn't know who any of the assistant coaches were.  i guess kids are way more into assistant coaches than i realize and than when i was their age.  i just personally don't believe that.  

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Just now, NCHoosier32 said:

fair enough.  kind of a silly argument for me to worry about, but i just disagree.  i was a HUGE NBA fan in the 80s, but i didn't know who any of the assistant coaches were.  i guess kids are way more into assistant coaches than i realize and than when i was their age.  i just personally don't believe that.  

Agree, definitely a silly discussion (I'm not arguing, just having a discussion), but it's the offseason what else do we have to talk about?

I would question what you mean by "huge NBA fan"? I was a kid in the 80's and I knew Jimmy Lynam was a Sixers assistant, I knew Chris Ford was a Celtics assistant and I knew Mike Dunleavy was a Lakers assistant. 

But I'm also a really small sample size. 

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31 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Like I said, I'll be the first to admit I was surprised at Woody's NBA coaching chops. The further I dug, the more I liked.

As for your concerns, I take it those have been allayed by Woody's quick start?

Very much so. I am thrilled with everything he has done since being hired. I am bullish on the future of the program at this point, and even think next year can be pretty special. 

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5 minutes ago, BGleas said:

I was one that was very disappointed about the hire initially and pretty vocal about it, but that was when I didn't fully understand the hire. I wanted IU to hire a proven college program builder. Look at what Chris Beard did at Texas Tech or Eric Musselman at Nevada and Arkansas or what Scott Drew has done at Baylor. Guys with a proven track record of building college programs. That's what I wanted for IU. 

I viewed hiring Woodson as very lazy by Scott Dolson. Hiring an "IU guy" for the sake of hiring an IU guy. It just reeked of laziness to me, and I was vocal about it that first day. I also was aware of Mike Woodson and viewed him as fairly boring. If I was a fan of say the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings or Orlando Magic and my team hired Woodson as the HC, it would be a very uninspiring hire. 

Then the HSN went down for a few days. We couldn't post, so I followed what Woodson and Dolson were saying closely. We had the Thad Matta hire and Woodson and Dolson both spoke at the presser and to other media. We heard what Woodson's former players said about him in terms of development and relating to players, etc.

When HSN was live again, I came back and said that if this was Dolson not being lazy but actually being extremely forward thinking with NIL coming and building a real NBA program/factory (not necessarily one and done) that plays a style of basketball that recruits want to be in and has the support staff that prepares players for professional basketball, with a coach that has been there and done it, then I'm fully onboard. 

I don't mean turning IU into Kentucky in terms of the one and done model, but more turning IU into a destination for players that want all of the things that come with being supported in achieving their dreams, while winning. Player development, up tempo/pro style offense, support staff such as Thad Matta and additional off the court support, and a top notch coaching staff that has been there and done that.  

I now see that Dolson had a vision. It wasn't a lazy "get me the most available IU guy" hire. It was get me the guy that can connect the past to the future. Get me the guy that can build a forward thinking program that honors the past, but builds a program that the top players want and need to be a part of. Give me the guy with connections all over the world of basketball and the experience to connect with top players trying to improve and become men. 

While disappointed at first, I quickly changed course after seeing/hearing the vision. 

 

I love it Gleas! I felt/feel the same way with the same wants for the program.

I do like how Matta was retained as well as Kenya Hunter. Then add Fife and Rosemond and its starting to smell like someone is serious about relevancy once again. Finally.

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Just now, BGleas said:

Agree, definitely a silly discussion (I'm not arguing, just having a discussion), but it's the offseason what else do we have to talk about?

I would question what you mean by "huge NBA fan"? I was a kid in the 80's and I knew Jimmy Lynam was a Sixers assistant, I knew Chris Ford was a Celtics assistant and I knew Mike Dunleavy was a Lakers assistant. 

But I'm also a really small sample size. 

when i say huge fan, i could tell you everyone's best players, watched every game i could, collected NBA cards like a maniac, bought posters, you name it.  i was a big stats kid.  i did not know who the assistant coaches were though.  i am a very small sampling size, but i was as big of an NBA fan as anyone could have been back then.  

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6 minutes ago, Inequality said:

I love it Gleas! I felt/feel the same way with the same wants for the program.

I do like how Matta was retained as well as Kenya Hunter. Then add Fife and Rosemond and its starting to smell like someone is serious about relevancy once again. Finally.

Completely agree. I think you used a great word there with "relevancy". With the way Dolson and Woodson are building this, the plan seems to not just be improvement but to be relevant and a top college basketball program again. 

IU is not only investing in the head coach, but investing in top assistants and a top notch support staff. The plan seems to be to show players that IU will not only give you everything you need to develop while you're there, but also continue to support you for the rest of your life. 

I'm onboard! 

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2 minutes ago, NCHoosier32 said:

when i say huge fan, i could tell you everyone's best players, watched every game i could, collected NBA cards like a maniac, bought posters, you name it.  i was a big stats kid.  i did not know who the assistant coaches were though.  i am a very small sampling size, but i was as big of an NBA fan as anyone could have been back then.  

I guess I just don't understand how you could be that into it and not know who some of the assistants are? I don't mean every assistant for every team or anything (nobody fan is going to know that) but assistants are often (not all the time but often) mentioned during broadcasts, especially if the assistant is a hot candidate for a head job. 

It just seems odd that someone could be that big of a fan and never hear an assistants name?

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I was lukewarm on the idea of Woodson when he was hired. TJD coming back, the eye opening commitment of Tamar Bates, and assembling a top-notch coaching staff has changed my point of view. As I move toward being older (47), I have to hope that us older guys know more than people realize, and can still get it done. I was also thinking that maybe Woodson’s early recruiting success could be an effect of having the power  of fully united group of IU alumni/ex players/ coaches, not to mention 30+ years of NBA credibility behind you. The momentum will be hard to stop, at least until we hit the court.

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2 minutes ago, BGleas said:

I guess I just don't understand how you could be that into it and not know who some of the assistants are? I don't mean every assistant for every team or anything (nobody fan is going to know that) but assistants are often (not all the time but often) mentioned during broadcasts, especially if the assistant is a hot candidate for a head job. 

It just seems odd that someone could be that big of a fan and never hear an assistants name?

well, i can't say i never heard an assistant mentioned.  my memory is waaaaaaaaaay to bad for that.  i'm sure i heard a name here and there, but it didn't stick.  it was just trivial to me as all i cared about was my team and who the good players were and some of the head coaches.  so hard for me to believe that that wasn't and still isn't normal, but the only hard evidence i have are the varsity boys at my high school.  none had heard of Woodson and a couple said they don't even know that many NBA head coaches.  again, very small sample.  

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Realizing that we're all totally biased, and new coaching hires always bring optimism, I have to remind myself that the proof is always in the actual pudding - but this time seems very different.  It's almost like we've been trying to build our house by ourselves for the last couple decades and finally hired a reputable construction crew.

In a sense I'm enjoying the fact that it seems the rest of the B10 and CBB world have already discounted this overhaul of the program.

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5 minutes ago, Zuckerkorn said:

Realizing that we're all totally biased, and new coaching hires always bring optimism, I have to remind myself that the proof is always in the actual pudding - but this time seems very different.  It's almost like we've been trying to build our house by ourselves for the last couple decades and finally hired a reputable construction crew.

In a sense I'm enjoying the fact that it seems the rest of the B10 and CBB world have already discounted this overhaul of the program.

Dang it Zuckerkorn!  Who cares about what kinda pudding they serve!?  Let's see these guys win some games!!  😂

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49 minutes ago, Inequality said:

I’m gonna go ahead and drop this here as well incase some may wonder about the reality of the Steven’s to IU possibility.

Second hand info but I wouldn’t share if I didn’t whole heartedly trust my peeps.

•10m was on the table. (Let that sink in)

•The interest was absolutely there.

•There was interference by someone on the IU side that pissed the whole deal away. 😡 

My guess would be Shoulders....

40 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Let the guessing begin!

I got Buckner...😁

...but I could see it being Buckner if he was trying to pave the way for Woodson.

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4 minutes ago, NCHoosier32 said:

well, i can't say i never heard an assistant mentioned.  my memory is waaaaaaaaaay to bad for that.  i'm sure i heard a name here and there, but it didn't stick.  it was just trivial to me as all i cared about was my team and who the good players were and some of the head coaches.  so hard for me to believe that that wasn't and still isn't normal, but the only hard evidence i have are the varsity boys at my high school.  none had heard of Woodson and a couple said they don't even know that many NBA head coaches.  again, very small sample.  

I would agree that kids currently in high school right now are too young to remember Woodson from coaching the Hawks, unless they had some connection to following his teams there. They may even be too young to remember him with the Knicks. 

But it is stunning to me that a 17 year old basketball player would call himself an NBA fan and not know who many of the current head coaches are. How would they not know Brad Stevens, Greg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Steve Kerr, Ty Lue, Nick Nurse, etc., etc. You'd know most of those guys just from watching a few recent playoff series or NBA Finals. 

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14 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Agree, definitely a silly discussion (I'm not arguing, just having a discussion), but it's the offseason what else do we have to talk about?

I would question what you mean by "huge NBA fan"? I was a kid in the 80's and I knew Jimmy Lynam was a Sixers assistant, I knew Chris Ford was a Celtics assistant and I knew Mike Dunleavy was a Lakers assistant. 

But I'm also a really small sample size. 

Hearing of a name is one thing...but KNOWING the coach (what he is good at/known for/worked with) I think is another. I doubt any of these kids KNEW Mike Woodson. They KNEW what he shared with them...and related with them...and probably mostly what their coaches and close to them in basketball circles knew. That coach knows A LOT of people...has WORKED with a lot of people over the years...INTERACTED with a lot of people in the game. Yeah I've met so an so in Houston and this guy in Atlanta etc etc. They looked at the guys in the NBA that he has developed and worked with and they trust a guy that has been around the game at that high level and worked with people in the KNOW for a long time....so they trust him. If Mike Woodson just showed up on their caller id would they have recognized him....probably not...but once they asked around and the people they trust shared their interactions and views of him.....BINGO...now these kids can say they feel like they KNOW him. To me it is very much that Woody's circle of influence and people he has interacted with in his decades in the NBA and basketball has led him to leave a mark and make enough influence that when he comes calling and these kids start inquiring about him...they get quality feedback that he is a man that knows what he is talking about in regards to basketball and the NBA and should be respected and given the time to listen to. Guess that is my analysis. So going back...no I didn't think he had name recognition. He didn't have the influence, innovation on the game that would attract...but I simply did not know how wide a net Woody's connections in the world of basketball go....and how respected he truely was. I'm happy to see I was wrong. He wasn't a guy that the league has just passed by. Even though it has evolved and owners want young exciting coaches that a NBA lifer like Woody is still very much respected and appreciated in the league and in the game of basketball itself that when these kids look into him...they get the seal of approval from those around him. Very happy I was wrong...and that like you thought..this wasn't a fall back lazy hire...a lot of thought went into it. Because if you just hire Mike Woodson and don't surround him with the talent of coaches and connections we have...it definitely wouldn't have worked AT ALL!

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