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Qualities of BBall Coach at IU


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I figure this needs to have it's own thread.  What does it take to be successful at IU.  It is not just x's and o's.  You have to be a politician.  You are in a fishbowl, which is why Archie couldn't hang among other things.  You have to be able to deal with the media, fans, BoT, doners, etc.,  so figured it makes sense to start a list.  I'll begin.

1) Need to have a strong balance between a offense and defensive scheme.  Can't be just one.  We saw how that worked with Crean.

2) Substance.  Being a cheerleader goes so far and usually wears thin when things don't go as plan.  Do you take accountability? Are you able to communicate a plan? etc.?

3) Adaptable. Having a scheme is important, as is mentioned in 1, but ultimately you aren't always going to have the horses to maintain that scheme, so can you adjust year to year, game to game, or within a game to pull out the max of the talent you have and position them to win.  Also, do they listen to those around you?  You have assistants for a reason and hopefully they are bringing alternate views, experiences, and specialties.

4) Tireless.  We need a leader who is never satisfied.  They are more motivated by not failing versus winning.  There is a subtle difference.  They will do what is necessary on the recruiting trail and in preparation to set the program and team up for success. 

5) They respect the past, but are NOT paralyzed by it. This is a big one for me.  I feel too often we have people are either weighed down by the failures if the last 30 years, the chants of doing things the right way, the traditions, etc.  I want someone who only cares about putting a winning product on the floor.  That is not to say I don't want strong ambassadors on the team and a molder of men, but there is so much noise about jerseys, names, the ghost of Bob Knight, etc., it becomes a hinderance versus a motivator. Push the program forward, stop trying the maintain the past.  

6) Arrogance.  This one speaks for itself I think, but to win and deal with the things I have alluded to at IU, you need to have some arrogance about you, but not blinding arrogance.  Like everything, there is a fine line.  The proverbial shit will hit the fan at some point and you need someone who is competent and not let the noise fold them. Take accountability and know they will be able fix it.  

 

Would love to hear more.

Edited by IUALUM03
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#5 is my biggest hurdle...we seem to be stuck in Coach Knight's shadow forever...next coach should have 0 attachment to past at IU. Just a winner. A proven one at that. A coach that your players will run through a brick wall for...

I'm showing my age a bit here, but it's 2024. Every angle of every play of every game is video'd and critiqued by thousands of people who claim to have an answer, even though they may not know $hit about basketball. 

I'm wondering how the NIL $$$ will be presented if CMW is back another season...

Unless we win out, after every loss, it's going to be the same conversations everywhere. Who/what/when will this get fixed? We live in a world where a lot of people want instant gratification/results. It's time to do it, now. Not wait, now.

Sorry, after reading this, I didn't really provide many answers. My wish list is Beard, then Pearl, then ? I'm not ignorant to what Dusty May has done at FAU, but he has no relevant connection to IU with today's players....they won't care that he's a former manager is what I'm getting at.

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I would add a demonstrated ability to recruit and develop players.  That entails talent evaluation, the ability to recruit to the system you want to play, and the ability to piece together a successful team.  Demonstrated player and team improvement with your own recruits.  So not only am I interested in experience, I am interested in someone who has been in the same place(s) long enough to fully evaluate those things.

And I agree that arrogance is a really underrated quality in successful coaches.  I mean, you are basically telling players you know more about what they are doing than they do.  You have to command respect to do that, and a little arrogance doesn't hurt at all.

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1. Emphasize GUARD play. Tournament success is, and almost always has been predicated on great guard play. 
2.  Recruit/ portal to a system based on slashing and shooting. 
3. Defensive flexibility based on personnel but always based on guarding 3 point line and rebounding. 
 

4. Distant 4th-  Be a coach that can help to bring the BIG into the 21st century regarding style of play that translates to tournament success. 

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I just want IU to hire a real, experienced Power 5 coach. 

Look at the post-Knight history. Outside of a magical 2002 Tournament run under Davis, IU's best on-court seasons have been under Kelvin Sampson and Tom Crean. 

Sampson was just starting to take off at IU, and Tom Crean went to 3 Sweet Sixteens and won 2 Big Titles in a 5 year period. Both had IU ranked in the top 10 at various points. 

Both are no longer at IU for obvious reasons that don't need to be rehashed. 

The point is, let's be a real basketball school and go hire a proven coach. Oates, Beard, Pearl, Bennett, or another Power5 coach that has a semblance of a proven track record and system, and understands how to run a program at this level. 

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1 hour ago, NCHoosier32 said:

honestly - bring an identity to this program.  is it defense?  toughness?  fast paced offense?  3 point shooting team?  don't care too much, but let's find an identity.  i'm tired of wishing we were more like the SMELLERMAKERS.    

The identity I am hoping for is winning

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