2008 Woodie Awards
Which Division-I men's basketball coach would you most like to see fill the vacancy left by Steve Alford?
Point/Counterpoint
DI Sports Staff
Issue date: 3/27/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois
Good things come in threes.
Chris Lowery, if Iowa successfully goes that hiring route, would become the third-consecutive Southern Illinois head coach to move into the Big Ten ranks, with Matt Painter and Bruce Weber paving the way. After both men led the Salukis, Painter took Purdue to the NCAAs his first season and Weber coaches perennial Big-Dancing Illinois.
A trend, however, isn't the best reason to hire Lowery, although the track record of Painter and Weber is promising.
Like Steve Alford when he paraded into Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Lowery is young, but it's doubtful whether any of that glam tailing Alford's intro would follow this 35-year-old into Iowa City.
Lowery was an assists man, ranking fourth all-time in Southern Illinois history as a player. That demonstrates the way his basketball mind thinks - as a team player more interested in spreading the ball around.
Then there's Alford.
Leaving the Hoosiers as the all-time scorer and leading 3-point field-goal percentage, Indiana's pretty boy was a shooter's coach. As some fans may remember, in postgame conferences, Alford responded to questions about Jeff Horner's shooting woes early in 2006 by advising that he just needed to keep shooting.
No offense to Horner or Adam Haluska, but the Hawkeyes fared better when everybody got involved.
Lowery is regarded as a great young recruiter, and ESPN's Doug Gottlieb once said his warm presence leaves little wonder to why "so many great kids want to play for him."
Combine the team-style ball and recruiting abilities, and perhaps Lowery could bring the next B.J. Armstrong to Iowa City. Knock on wood.
While I believe the other candidates are quality coaches, Lowery's pass-first concepts and 75 percent (78-26) win percentage in his young age are unmatched.
Besides, the path has already been laid.
- by Alex Johnson
Lon Kruger, UNLV
Picking a head coach to replace Steve Alford is like picking your favorite T-shirt. They all serve the same purpose, but each offers a special flare, color, and arrangement to your outfit that make it one of a kind.
Although, at this point, Hawkeye hoops fans are just glad they'll see something other than the slicked-back hair, suit, and tie of Alford. Any prospective suitor out of Barta's talent pool will likely be sufficient for the general public.
Of all the choices, I'd like to see UNLV head coach Lon Kruger take the reins of Iowa's lackluster basketball program, simply because he has extensive experience in swiftly rejuvenating teams and making them NCAA contenders.
Despite analysts pointing out Kruger has changed schools more rapidly than a juvenile delinquent and questioned how long 54-year-old coach would want to stay put in Iowa City, a quick fix is exactly what fans are looking for.
Iowa might be a football-first school because of its deep-rooted history entangled within the walls of Kinnick Stadium, but a coach willing to strive for success in a "secondary" program fits the bill.
Before Kruger's induction at UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels had plummeted into a 13-season recession that saw the arrival of nine different head coaches and two NCAA appearances that ended in first-round defeats.
This year, he took his squad, a team that virtually unheard of in the realm of college hoops, to the Elite Eight. Who would have called seven-seed UNLV upsetting the two-seed Wisconsin?
In addition, prior to his arrival at the helm of the Atlanta Hawk coaching staff in the NBA, the former two-time SEC coach of the year immediately guided each of his first four schools - Pan American, Kansas State, Florida, and Illinois - to 20-win seasons.
His Illini team was also a similar situation to the Iowa's current one. His second year at Illinois, he transformed a team that was predicted to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten into a conference champion.
Want more? He also coached numerous teams past the first round of the NCAA.
Sounds like this old dog has the tricks the Hawkeye faithful have sought after during the final years of Alford's tenure.
- By Ryan Young
Tom Crean, Marquette
At the young age of 34, Chris Lowery just took his Missouri Valley Conference Southern Illinois squad through an outstanding NCAA Tournament adventure, and he is acknowledged to be one of the up and coming coaches in the nation.
Sound like a great candidate?
Sure, he also sounds just like Steve Alford when he was hired eight years ago - no thanks.
Lon Kruger is another one of the hot names being passed around Internet circles, but there seems to be concern over his inability to stay put at one place for a long-term endeavor - not what Iowa's looking for.
Everyone's favorite body-painter, Bruce Pearl, would be a signature hiring for Gary Barta. But ask yourself, if two years was enough for him at Tennessee, where he rivals icon Pat Summit for popularity, how long will he stay at Iowa?
Just what Iowa needs, another coaching search in two years.
In looking for the best fit to fill Iowa's head-coach position, look no farther than Milwaukee.
If it's Division-I experience you seek, Marquette head coach Tom Crean has taken the Golden Eagles to the postseason seven times, including a magical trip to the Final Four in 2003. His eight-year tenure in Milwaukee also suggests that he is the type of coach who does not shop around often.
How about player development?
Well, he once coached this fellow named Dwayne Wade - heard of him before?
Wade alone makes more players drafted into the NBA for Crean than Iowa witnessed under the Alford era.
For officials hoping to fill up Carver-Hawkeye arena, Crean might be able to help - the nine biggest crowds in the storied history of Marquette basketball have come during his tenure.
The man simply has everything you want in a head coach.
He has experience, a successful background, and development skills, and he has studied the game at basketball powerhouses Pittsburgh and Michigan State.
Most importantly, Crean, by all accounts, is a low-key guy who cares about the university and lacks any of the characteristics Hawkeye fans used to loathe in their former leader.
- by Sean Monahan
Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
Picture the next men's basketball coach at Iowa. Do you see him ranting maniacally to referees in between cracking his players up on the bench? Do you imagine him sweating through his bright marigold blazer even though his team is up by 18 points? Do you want him showing up to a women's basketball game shirtless with "IOWA" painted on his chest?
I do. But there's more to Bruce Pearl than the well-documented high jinks. Pearl is to the NCAA what Larry Brown is to the NBA; he picks up a struggling program and fixes it quickly.
After serving as an assistant coach at Iowa in the late-80s, Pearl took over at Division-II Southern Indiana, which had posted 10 wins the previous season. In his first year, the program won 27. Two years later, the Screaming Eagles won the D-II championship.
Pearl subsequently took the reins at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and led the school to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2005. In 2005, the Panthers finished 26-6 and made it to the Sweet 16. He was named Horizon League Coach of the Year three out of his four seasons in Milwaukee, and he became the second-fastest coach in NCAA history reach 300 wins, needing just 382 games.
In 2005, Pearl signed on to lead Tennessee. Although the Vols had won only 14 games in 2004, the team managed 22 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth under Pearl. This year, the Vols secured a five seed in the tourney and cruised into the Sweet 16 before losing to Ohio State, 85-84.
A return by Pearl to Iowa City would likely produce similar success. In his six seasons as an assistant coach, the Hawkeyes made the Big Dance five times. The move would also unite Pearl with Big Ten standout Tyler Smith, who he recruited out of high school at Tennessee. At the very least, Pearl's endearing antics would finally bring some positive attention to the Hawkeye program.
- by Paul Kazmierczak
Good things come in threes.
Chris Lowery, if Iowa successfully goes that hiring route, would become the third-consecutive Southern Illinois head coach to move into the Big Ten ranks, with Matt Painter and Bruce Weber paving the way. After both men led the Salukis, Painter took Purdue to the NCAAs his first season and Weber coaches perennial Big-Dancing Illinois.
A trend, however, isn't the best reason to hire Lowery, although the track record of Painter and Weber is promising.
Like Steve Alford when he paraded into Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Lowery is young, but it's doubtful whether any of that glam tailing Alford's intro would follow this 35-year-old into Iowa City.
Lowery was an assists man, ranking fourth all-time in Southern Illinois history as a player. That demonstrates the way his basketball mind thinks - as a team player more interested in spreading the ball around.
Then there's Alford.
Leaving the Hoosiers as the all-time scorer and leading 3-point field-goal percentage, Indiana's pretty boy was a shooter's coach. As some fans may remember, in postgame conferences, Alford responded to questions about Jeff Horner's shooting woes early in 2006 by advising that he just needed to keep shooting.
No offense to Horner or Adam Haluska, but the Hawkeyes fared better when everybody got involved.
Lowery is regarded as a great young recruiter, and ESPN's Doug Gottlieb once said his warm presence leaves little wonder to why "so many great kids want to play for him."
Combine the team-style ball and recruiting abilities, and perhaps Lowery could bring the next B.J. Armstrong to Iowa City. Knock on wood.
While I believe the other candidates are quality coaches, Lowery's pass-first concepts and 75 percent (78-26) win percentage in his young age are unmatched.
Besides, the path has already been laid.
- by Alex Johnson
Lon Kruger, UNLV
Picking a head coach to replace Steve Alford is like picking your favorite T-shirt. They all serve the same purpose, but each offers a special flare, color, and arrangement to your outfit that make it one of a kind.
Although, at this point, Hawkeye hoops fans are just glad they'll see something other than the slicked-back hair, suit, and tie of Alford. Any prospective suitor out of Barta's talent pool will likely be sufficient for the general public.
Of all the choices, I'd like to see UNLV head coach Lon Kruger take the reins of Iowa's lackluster basketball program, simply because he has extensive experience in swiftly rejuvenating teams and making them NCAA contenders.
Despite analysts pointing out Kruger has changed schools more rapidly than a juvenile delinquent and questioned how long 54-year-old coach would want to stay put in Iowa City, a quick fix is exactly what fans are looking for.
Iowa might be a football-first school because of its deep-rooted history entangled within the walls of Kinnick Stadium, but a coach willing to strive for success in a "secondary" program fits the bill.
Before Kruger's induction at UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels had plummeted into a 13-season recession that saw the arrival of nine different head coaches and two NCAA appearances that ended in first-round defeats.
This year, he took his squad, a team that virtually unheard of in the realm of college hoops, to the Elite Eight. Who would have called seven-seed UNLV upsetting the two-seed Wisconsin?
In addition, prior to his arrival at the helm of the Atlanta Hawk coaching staff in the NBA, the former two-time SEC coach of the year immediately guided each of his first four schools - Pan American, Kansas State, Florida, and Illinois - to 20-win seasons.
His Illini team was also a similar situation to the Iowa's current one. His second year at Illinois, he transformed a team that was predicted to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten into a conference champion.
Want more? He also coached numerous teams past the first round of the NCAA.
Sounds like this old dog has the tricks the Hawkeye faithful have sought after during the final years of Alford's tenure.
- By Ryan Young
Tom Crean, Marquette
At the young age of 34, Chris Lowery just took his Missouri Valley Conference Southern Illinois squad through an outstanding NCAA Tournament adventure, and he is acknowledged to be one of the up and coming coaches in the nation.
Sound like a great candidate?
Sure, he also sounds just like Steve Alford when he was hired eight years ago - no thanks.
Lon Kruger is another one of the hot names being passed around Internet circles, but there seems to be concern over his inability to stay put at one place for a long-term endeavor - not what Iowa's looking for.
Everyone's favorite body-painter, Bruce Pearl, would be a signature hiring for Gary Barta. But ask yourself, if two years was enough for him at Tennessee, where he rivals icon Pat Summit for popularity, how long will he stay at Iowa?
Just what Iowa needs, another coaching search in two years.
In looking for the best fit to fill Iowa's head-coach position, look no farther than Milwaukee.
If it's Division-I experience you seek, Marquette head coach Tom Crean has taken the Golden Eagles to the postseason seven times, including a magical trip to the Final Four in 2003. His eight-year tenure in Milwaukee also suggests that he is the type of coach who does not shop around often.
How about player development?
Well, he once coached this fellow named Dwayne Wade - heard of him before?
Wade alone makes more players drafted into the NBA for Crean than Iowa witnessed under the Alford era.
For officials hoping to fill up Carver-Hawkeye arena, Crean might be able to help - the nine biggest crowds in the storied history of Marquette basketball have come during his tenure.
The man simply has everything you want in a head coach.
He has experience, a successful background, and development skills, and he has studied the game at basketball powerhouses Pittsburgh and Michigan State.
Most importantly, Crean, by all accounts, is a low-key guy who cares about the university and lacks any of the characteristics Hawkeye fans used to loathe in their former leader.
- by Sean Monahan
Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
Picture the next men's basketball coach at Iowa. Do you see him ranting maniacally to referees in between cracking his players up on the bench? Do you imagine him sweating through his bright marigold blazer even though his team is up by 18 points? Do you want him showing up to a women's basketball game shirtless with "IOWA" painted on his chest?
I do. But there's more to Bruce Pearl than the well-documented high jinks. Pearl is to the NCAA what Larry Brown is to the NBA; he picks up a struggling program and fixes it quickly.
After serving as an assistant coach at Iowa in the late-80s, Pearl took over at Division-II Southern Indiana, which had posted 10 wins the previous season. In his first year, the program won 27. Two years later, the Screaming Eagles won the D-II championship.
Pearl subsequently took the reins at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and led the school to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2005. In 2005, the Panthers finished 26-6 and made it to the Sweet 16. He was named Horizon League Coach of the Year three out of his four seasons in Milwaukee, and he became the second-fastest coach in NCAA history reach 300 wins, needing just 382 games.
In 2005, Pearl signed on to lead Tennessee. Although the Vols had won only 14 games in 2004, the team managed 22 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth under Pearl. This year, the Vols secured a five seed in the tourney and cruised into the Sweet 16 before losing to Ohio State, 85-84.
A return by Pearl to Iowa City would likely produce similar success. In his six seasons as an assistant coach, the Hawkeyes made the Big Dance five times. The move would also unite Pearl with Big Ten standout Tyler Smith, who he recruited out of high school at Tennessee. At the very least, Pearl's endearing antics would finally bring some positive attention to the Hawkeye program.
- by Paul Kazmierczak
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
ryan
posted 3/27/07 @ 10:21 AM CST
If I recall correctly, T. Smith came to Iowa because Pearl was hired at Tennessee.
stephen
posted 3/27/07 @ 11:30 AM CST
Yes, T. Smith did leave Tennessee after Pearl was hired. As a UW-Milwaukee alum and current Iowa grad student I would love to see Pearl back in black and gold (the colors of UWM - FYI). (Continued…)
William R. Vinall
posted 3/27/07 @ 8:05 PM CST
Lots of Luck Alford haters you got your wish. There dosn't appear4 to be a quality Div. I. coach out there who wants to come to Iowa at the moment maybe in a few years but not now. (Continued…)
Rick
posted 3/27/07 @ 9:19 PM CST
TO BAD PEARL DECLINED AND YOUR FIGHTING WITH KENTUCKY FOR A COACH TO FILL THE JOB. WHICH SCHOOL WOULD YOU PICK? GOOD LUCK ON YOUR COACHING SEARCH THAT ISN'T GOING TO END ANY BETTER THAN WHAT ALFORD DID. (Continued…)
Mike Klein
posted 3/27/07 @ 10:19 PM CST
I think you should look up our old coach, Steve Yoder, who gave Wisconsin a consistent spate of mediocre seasons in the late 1980s. Or, for a bit of comic redemption, bring back ole' Clem Haskins and see if he can do to you what he did to Minnesota. (Continued…)
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