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EIU Fans Brought Back to Reality

R

Rage On

Member
Jul 20, 2006
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What were the names that EIU fans were throwing around at the beginning of their search for a new basketball coach? Were any of those names Lickliter?

Look, EIU got a good coach and one that should make their fans happy. But, if you recall, they all thought they'd be seeing someone like Kruger, Majerus, or Gillespie. As always, they thought the world revolved around their little program and, as usual, they were the only ones thinking that way.

Think about the arrogance of EIU's fan base for a minute. Since the late 70s they have gone from Lute Olson to George Raveling to Tom Davis to Steve Alford and now to Todd Lickliter. They have certainly not improved their coaching talent during those years. In fact, one could argue that because of their arrogance and lack of realistic expectations, they have downgraded coaching talent with every change at the head coaching position. And don't try to tell me that the fans didn't play a significant role in helping each of the former coaches in their decision's to move on.

This is unequivocal proof that their unrealistic expectations and blind arrogance are hurting their program.
 
Rage On said:
They have certainly not improved their coaching talent during those years. In fact, one could argue that because of their arrogance and lack of realistic expectations, they have downgraded coaching talent with every change at the head coaching position.
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Lickliter clearly has more coaching talent than Steve Alford's hair.
 
It is going to be tough for Iowa or Iowa State to ever pull in a BIG name coach in anything other than wrestling. It is the curse of being a school in the State of Iowa. Fortunately, I believe ISU fans realize this. Other than Johnny Orr coming from Michigan in the days when coaches salaries were not completely out of control, we will probably never be able to pull off a hire of this magnitude again. I do think we have been fortunate to get some very good basketball coaches that weren't high profile names when they took the job. Ourfootball success has not been as good but hopefully that will change with Chizek.

Iowa is really no different then ISU when it comes to their coaching selections over the past, they just don't realize it. They really haven't pulled in anybody that was a top notch proven coach at a major university. Alford was a big name because of his playing career. I believe this may end up being a good hire for them. But it is still a gamble for them, no different than when ISU has had to make their hires.
 
I love it, EIU did everything they could to avoid going mid-major again. I guess after you get turned down by everyone on your list it is time to realize you are not a premier job in basketball.
 
puckwarrior said:
It is going to be tough for Iowa or Iowa State to ever pull in a BIG name coach in anything other than wrestling. It is the curse of being a school in the State of Iowa. Fortunately, I believe ISU fans realize this. Other than Johnny Orr coming from Michigan in the days when coaches salaries were not completely out of control, we will probably never be able to pull off a hire of this magnitude again. I do think we have been fortunate to get some very good basketball coaches that weren't high profile names when they took the job. Ourfootball success has not been as good but hopefully that will change with Chizek.

Iowa is really no different then ISU when it comes to their coaching selections over the past, they just don't realize it. They really haven't pulled in anybody that was a top notch proven coach at a major university. Alford was a big name because of his playing career. I believe this may end up being a good hire for them. But it is still a gamble for them, no different than when ISU has had to make their hires.
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Oh don't give me that kind of inferiority complex.....I prefer to think we don't need to hire "flashy" coaches to succeed in this state. Right now I think it's a big game. Coaches have a few years of success and all of a sudden they demand double salarys.

One of the things I like most about Greg Mcdermott is he's a salt of the earth guy that doesn't appear to want to squeeze ever last penny he can out of the university. He reflects a lot of what the people in this state are all about. Now I just hope he has some great success and if he does he will be my favorite coach at ISU(other then Johnny Orr...).
 
Knownothing said:
They will run him off in 5 years.
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If they gave Alford 8 years, 9 if he stayed, they will give this guy more than 5 years. I think he is a good coach, like GMAC and any other mid-major moving up, they have to demonstrate they can recruit the really good players to the school over the long haul. It is not easy, but that is why they get the big bucks.
 
I don't really see this as an inferiority complex. I also think McDermott was a great hire. But, he wasn't coaching at North Carolina or UCLA. Pollard found what appears to be a very good coach at a program that wasn't highly recognized. No different than Floyd or LE. And they did pretty well for us. I don't remember ISU fans thinking we could get Roy Williams to come here. Iowa fans don't recognize that they aren't the king of the mountain in every sport.
 
cycloneryan said:
I love it, EIU did everything they could to avoid going mid-major again. I guess after you get turned down by everyone on your list it is time to realize you are not a premier job in basketball.
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What do you, or anyone else, know about what Iowa did to hire a coach? Other than Bruce Pearl, who can you claim they offered the job to? Nobody but Gary Barta probably knows that one. :rolleyes5cz: Stick to facts and not what you hope to be true.
 
The facts are that they made a public play for Pearl in order to placate the fan base. Big mistake. It only perpetuates their fans' blind arrogance.
 
I love how, now that it has sunk in that it will be a less than glamorous name, they are all happy. Lickliter is a good coach, but he has a lot to prove on a BCS conference level, much like McDermott.

The thing is that they were ready for Barta to open up the checkbook and get a name. So for any of these morons to say that Lickliter is not at least a slight disappointment, they are being dishonest (hard to beileve, i know).

What's really bad about this, is that they may end up succeeding in spite of the losers that are called Hawk fans.
 
That 1970 Ralph Miller team lost to Jacksonville by one point. There were 4 regionals back then and only 16 teams total in the tournament (four teams in each regional). The Hawkeyes won the Regional consolation beating Notre Dame.

Lickliter is probably an okay choice, but he wasn't Iowa's first choice. One thing that concerns me is that he is 51 and wasn't generally thought to be head coaching material evidently. Butler has a pretty good history in the Horizon League, and isn't what I would really call a mid-major. Butler is in a pretty talent rich area. It will be interesting if Lickliter can recruit.
 
Lickliter was at least their 3rd choice. Pearl laughed at them, Stallings turned them down. Hawkfan will tell you different now, but they're lying. I suspect they also preferred Altman, but UI can't compete with WalMart money.
 
joepublic said:
Lickliter was at least their 3rd choice. Pearl laughed at them, Stallings turned them down. Hawkfan will tell you different now, but they're lying. I suspect they also preferred Altman, but UI can't compete with WalMart money.
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No, no, no, you got it all wrong. Lickliter was their first choice all along, even though most of them had no idea who the guy was a week ago. I read something on a Hawk site (not saying which one) that said that Lickliter was on Kentucky's short list if Donovan said no:rolleyes5cz:.

These people have no clue, of course not too many of them are educated to begin with. No matter who they hired, it was going to be their first, and best choice, unless it was Altman, because even they couldn't spin that one.

To show you how truly little these people knew about Lickliter, before he became their coach therefore a great leader, there were people that were excited because up tempo, fast paced basketball is coming back to Carver.
 
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puckwarrior said:
It is going to be tough for Iowa or Iowa State to ever pull in a BIG name coach in anything other than wrestling. It is the curse of being a school in the State of Iowa. Fortunately, I believe ISU fans realize this. Other than Johnny Orr coming from Michigan in the days when coaches salaries were not completely out of control, we will probably never be able to pull off a hire of this magnitude again. I do think we have been fortunate to get some very good basketball coaches that weren't high profile names when they took the job. Ourfootball success has not been as good but hopefully that will change with Chizek.

Iowa is really no different then ISU when it comes to their coaching selections over the past, they just don't realize it. They really haven't pulled in anybody that was a top notch proven coach at a major university. Alford was a big name because of his playing career. I believe this may end up being a good hire for them. But it is still a gamble for them, no different than when ISU has had to make their hires.
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I don't remember LE being a BIG name coach when he came to ISU, but he turned out to be one hell of a coach. Big names have to build into big names somewhere. Perhaps TL will be the next one?
 
I don't think I said LE was a big name. I said Johnny Orr was the only big name either school has ever been able to get outside of the wrestling programs. I said both schools have had success with coaches similar to what Iowa is hiring now. What appears to be a quality coach from a smaller program. It is always a crap shoot hiring a coach so you need to take some chances some times. Some have worked, Floyd, LE, Lute Olsen, Hayden Fry, some haven't, Jim Criner, Ken Trickey, Lynn Nance.

I'm just saying that I feel ISU fans are more realistic on the type of coaches we can pull for the other schools than Iowa fans are.
 
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