Tough day for EIU hoops hopes

My opinion is that they’ve gotten so bad and fans are so apathetic they can’t afford to hope an up and coming mid major coach like DeVries will be a homerun. They will need more of a splash hire. Maybe a former power five coach that had success but retired recently and can come in for 2-3 years and groom whoever the long term hire might be.
What’s Thad Motta up to?
 
The longer he is at EIU the better it is for ISU, is the way I look at it. EIU does not want to pay the buyout to can him, and then have to turn around and hire a new coach that is going to cost them more millions. For as much money as they have rolling in over there, they really seem to be spending it as fast as it comes in. Remember during Covid that EIU had to borrow money from the university to pay the bills, that was after all the coaches agreed to give back 10% of their salary, and did except freerents who said he would and never did.
Lawsuits can bleed a lot of bucks out of an AD.
 
Good information. I have found acceptance rates from various sources of 15.1, 15, 15, 15, 13, 12 and 11.9%. Regardless, quite selective. I wonder if there is a "preferred walk on" acceptance program in addition to their scholarship athlete one.
Isn't Jack a legacy student, his Mom graduated from ND and his Dad coached there. That is a full ride at Iowa.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rosshm16
Isn't Jack a legacy student, his Mom graduated from ND and his Dad coached there. That is a full ride at Iowa.
How so? Neither in-state university offers kids full rides based on parent's affiliation with the university. Perhaps you're being sarcastic.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: mikeiastat
I really doubt they are making a killing on the woman's game. If you look at the financial statements of both ISU and EIU WBB is a money loser. Both schools are selling a lot of tickets, but they are priced at a fraction of what MBB tickets cost. The secondary market does not count or make money for the university. Hard to make much money when tickets through the university are ten bucks a ticket, it helps, but far less than one home football game.
I'm not sure any women's program turns a profit but anything you can generate will help out the overall budget.

Switching topics I'm guessing that the Iowa Women's program drawing more national attention and crowds the is driving him crazy. I've had more than one Iowa fan tell me that Iowa MBB playing second fiddle to Iowa State really burns Fran. I'm guessing being 2nd most popular BB program at your own school does not sit well.
 
I'm sure he feels a bit indignant about it, as the winningest coach in program history, like you said, and coming off a run of tournament appearances. He probably feels like he should be allowed to have a rebuilding year. But man, attendance is pretty bad right now. It's not a good situation
IMO, he probably would be given more leeway if he wasn't such an asshat. He's just not that well liked for a long time coach, and a lot of fans are undoubtedly turned off by his temper.
 
I don't think Fran wants to be in Iowa City and hasn't wanted to be there for quite some time. He can't find a ride out of town though, and they're paying him too much money to quit.

Between Ferentz and Fran, Goetz has her work cut out for her to transition to a new era in both football and basketball. Barta left her in a very unenviable position.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: SEIOWA CLONE
Lisa would fit nicely and be a perfect groundbreaking replacement for Frances
Personally, I would love to see it. And I mean that in all seriousness. Men coach the women's game why can't a woman coach the men's game? And I think Bluder's men's team would be a hell of a lot tougher than what Fran has now.
 
  • Agree
  • Like
Reactions: Acer88 and rosshm16
My opinion is that they’ve gotten so bad and fans are so apathetic they can’t afford to hope an up and coming mid major coach like DeVries will be a homerun. They will need more of a splash hire. Maybe a former power five coach that had success but retired recently and can come in for 2-3 years and groom whoever the long term hire might be.
Steve Alford...
What’s Thad Motta up to?

Has a better job at Butler
EIU hit it out of the park with the last Butler MBB coach they hired...
 
Personally, I would love to see it. And I mean that in all seriousness. Men coach the women's game why can't a woman coach the men's game? And I think Bluder's men's team would be a hell of a lot tougher than what Fran has now.
It's coming. Former Lynx player Tamara Moore was hired a few years ago as the head MBB coach at Mesabi Range College in northern Minnesota.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: NWICY
In both football and BB there is a segment of their fan base that is tired of their current head coach and would like to see them retire. This group believes that both Freerents and Mad Fran will be willing to walk away from millions owed to them if they are fired because they love the university and see it as a good will gesture to EIU and the fan base from both coaches. It's a crazy idea, but they do not want to pay the buyouts if they are fired.

EIU will give Fran a couple more years at least, in my opinion, because they do not want to seem like one of the schools that rushes to fire a coach.

Iowa fans fantasize about playing in the CFP and NCAA tournament (past week one). Since Kirk and Mad Fran pretty much wrote their own contracts (Barta just signed them), I can't believe some well off booster would not pay out their buyout amounts. The longer they keep Fran the more he is going to alienate boosters and fans if he doesn't produce way better results than he has the last 14 years.

Look at the amount of money that is being paid out to those coaches in football and basketball over the years. Does Iowa not have anyone with that kind of clout? Iowa fans seem bitter that we have Elwell helping with NIL, yet they seem not to have, except for the thing Swarm beer and vodka thinking that will help (of which most men's basketball fans are buying a lot of right now :) due to there inability to compete.)

I just don't see Goetz letting this go on for another year. With the expansion of the B1G, its only going to hurt them more later than she doesn't do something to stem the tide. But then again Iowa fans are OK with "average". I swear most of their fan base is 60+ age. Look at Ferentz third oldest active coach in D1 football at 68. Fran is 64, Campbell is 43, and TJ is 46. An aging coaching base like Iowa even Bluder is 64. Fennely is 66. Eventually things will change, but keep doing what you are doing Iowa if that is what you are all happy with.
 

Help Support Us

Become a patron