Tom Crean's Hot Seat

[TheBall]

When are these coaches going to learn that the grass is not always greener. In my opinion (and I know some disagee), Crean was a better coach than Buzzy (discussion for another thread, but I though Buzzy was a product of a gr8 opportunity for success rather than a gr8 coach).

Anyway, Crean was set up to become one of the most established coaches in the country at Marquette. Now he's going to get fired.

Had Crean stayed at Marquette, he would be in his 16th season at a school he regularly took the dance. A school that he took to the final 4 with a future nba finals Mvp. He likely would have continued to make consistent tournaments at Marquette. Marquette pays their coaches in the high end of the range. His fan base would have plenty of patience with him and it would be a good situation. He would be seen as the guy who resurrected the program.

Instead he bolts to Indiana and is about to miss the tournament for the 5th time in his 7 year tenure.

I don't understand why some of these guys think it is necessary to mess with happy. I know Indiana is on that highest blue blood level (at least it was) while marquette is more of an excellent program in the next notch down. But he showed that you can reach the highest level of success from Marquette, and Al showed that you can win it all out of Marquette. It's not easier to win a championship just because you hop over to a bigger name (in perception only) than where you have had success. There are more billy gillespie's out there than john calipari's.

As a Nova fan, we remember when Kentucky tried to hire Jay in 2006. Many think part of the reason why Jay stayed (quoting, "don't mess with happy") was because he was with Rollie at nova during the 80's and followed Rollie to unlv in the 1990's. That didn't work out so well for Rollie, and fortunately Jay was there to see it. The 2009 scare when the 76ers went after him was a bit different, as who can blame a coach for wanting to try a different level of competition. But he made it pretty clear when he passed on that offer that he had put the effort into building his program and he was going to see the results through long term.

A great thing about our conference is that we seem to have guys genuinely committed to their programs. Jay at Nova. Obviously JTIII is a gtown lifer. Cooley has bounced around a bit as an assistant, but usually in new england, and he's a providence kid. Can't see him getting the itch to jump. They pay him well too. Lavin has no need to leave provided the johnnies want him. He's don't the ucla thing, he has it out of his system. Big Doug is in a spot that looks like it is his long term. I don't know as much about Chris mack, but he is at his alma mater. Don't know as much about holtmann. Obviously Purnell and Willard might not have the options of sticking it. I think Wojo is smart enough through his experience at Duke to appreciate the hard work that goes into program building and the value of stability for him as it relates to his success. If he were just a guy looking for the next gig, he would have left duke years earlier than he did. (of course when coach k retires, marquette will be sweating, but you can't blame Wojo if he wants that job).

How many times do you see guys have good success and then make a jump for another rebuild and a marginal raise and then they are looking for jobs a half decade later? Pete Gillen to Virginia. Tommy amaker to michigan. Rick Barnes was no better at Clemson than he was at PC.

It seems to be the exact opposite of the norm roberts/ tim welsh effect (when a school holds on to a bad coach just a couple years too long and sets the program back half a decade).

[RDinNY]

Some jobs are hard to pass up. Indiana is one of them. I have so much respect for Jay for turning down Kentucky. Hard to do even after you've seen other good coaches get run out of town.

[Bill Marsh]

Agree that Indiana is one of those jobs that's hard to turn down. If I'm not mistaken, Crean was a Big Ten guy (MSU asst) before he was a Marquette guy, so a Big Ten coaching job my always have been his ultimate career goal.

Also agree with the point, "don't mess with happy." Read a lengthy piece recently about Mark Few, the college coach for whom I have the ultimate respect. "Don't mess with happy" was exactly his stated reason for staying at Gonzaga. For some guys, it's a fit and they're smart enough to know how good they have it.

Agree with all the points about the stability of BE coaches. I believe that Holtmann is solid at Butler. He came from a Head Coach position at Gardner Webb to take an assistant's position at Butler. In an article in which he explained his decision, when he considered the pros and cons, ultimately it came down to, "But it's Butler!" Clearly he thinks of this as a high level job, one he never thought he'd be HC of. This was a job he was happy to come to just an assistant. I have to think he's delighted with the job and will be there a long time. Not saying that he's a lifer there like JT III, JW, or Cooley, but I think it would take a lot to get him to move. This is a dream job for him.

[milksteak]

The whole situation at IU is weird. Supposedly, for years, many in the athletic department thought Crean was a really weird guy (certainly would explain his strange sideline antics) and found him mentally taxing. Ultimately, many are tired of his antics. Combine that with the lack of recent success and ruined relationships with Indiana AAU/high school coaches and...yeah, it's not good.

Interesting thing about Holtmann...he has great ties to the East Coast from his time at Gardner-Webb. He's well-liked in the coaching circle. If he has continued success, IMO, he is a darkhorse replacement for Coach K or UNC Roy. In addition, a lot of top-talent Indiana kids have gone to UNC and Duke for college ball. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but it is certainly a possibility down the road.

[stever20]

Crean got the dreaded vote of confidence...
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... fred-glass

so doesn't sound like it's hot this year. next year on the other hand....

[HoosierPal]

Crean has $11 million left on his contract, so IU will have to come up with some big bucks to dump him. The Athletic Department is finally in black ink after many years of red ink, so I'm not sure the AD will axe him. Someone would have to come up with the money from outside the Dept. They are too late for invoking any 'acts detrimental to the university' clause that all contracts now have. He had a mess this past summer and fall with off court issues for 4 or 5 players. That is too far down the road to pull that rabbit out of the hat.

This hasn't stopped the press and Twitter from scouting for replacements. The popular candidate appears to be Archie Miller, who has done a fantastic job at Dayton the past two years. Everyone realizes that Brad Stevens won't be leaving Boston this soon.

Crean is a Big Ten guy, having learned the trade at Michigan State under Izzo. No way he was going to stay at Marquette long term.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

The popular candidate appears to be Archie Miller, who has done a fantastic job at Dayton the past two years.

Good news for the Flyer Faithful: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... -tom-crean

Indiana AD Fred Glass 'bullish' on coach Tom Crean (CBS Sports.com - March 5, 2015)

Following a poor showing from Indiana's basketball team on Tuesday, Hoosiers athletic director Fred Glass decided to publicly stand up for Tom Crean, his embattled coach.

"I'm bullish on Tom," Glass said in an interview with ESPN's Andy Katz. "He's done a really good job with these guys. It's ridiculous to say that someone is coaching for his job for one game and that it would be up or down in one game."

Consider that a vote of confidence if you will.

Crean's Hoosiers lost to Iowa 77-63 at home Tuesday night. The Hoosier faithful have grown restless now that Crean hasn't been able to match the success from the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons over the past two years. Both of those teams ended up going to the Sweet 16.

Indiana now sits at 19-11 and 9-8 in the conference. CBSSports.com Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm currently has Indiana in the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed.

Glass also said in the ESPN interview that Crean's buyout has nothing to do with why he'll be retained.

[marquette]

http://www.tomcreanbuyout.com/

[TheBall]

And for what it's worth, I think crean is a solid coach. He resurrected marquette out of c-usa (which was actually a pretty good platform for success at that time). I think every day buzzy should write crean a thank you card for leaving that program in such gr8 shape and giving him the chance to succeed.

Hey, maybe one more year for crean, one more year for Purnell, and then crean moves to Chicago? Why not? And Jamie Dixon can mote to south orange new jersey to coach at the rock.

[DudeAnon]

The popular candidate appears to be Archie Miller, who has done a fantastic job at Dayton the past two years.

Good news for the Flyer Faithful: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... -tom-crean

Indiana AD Fred Glass 'bullish' on coach Tom Crean (CBS Sports.com - March 5, 2015)

Following a poor showing from Indiana's basketball team on Tuesday, Hoosiers athletic director Fred Glass decided to publicly stand up for Tom Crean, his embattled coach.

"I'm bullish on Tom," Glass said in an interview with ESPN's Andy Katz. "He's done a really good job with these guys. It's ridiculous to say that someone is coaching for his job for one game and that it would be up or down in one game."

Consider that a vote of confidence if you will.

Crean's Hoosiers lost to Iowa 77-63 at home Tuesday night. The Hoosier faithful have grown restless now that Crean hasn't been able to match the success from the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons over the past two years. Both of those teams ended up going to the Sweet 16.

Indiana now sits at 19-11 and 9-8 in the conference. CBSSports.com Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm currently has Indiana in the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed.

Glass also said in the ESPN interview that Crean's buyout has nothing to do with why he'll be retained.

People say lots of things. I remember when Arizona offered Sean Miller the job and he told the media something like "I love Xavier and Cincinnati, so that is where I am staying" and literally the next day he announced he had taken the Arizona job. I do think they will keep Crean until the buyout becomes less ridiculous though.