Lickliter done. Resemblance to UM Football coaching situation?
There are a ton of parallels between Lickliter and Rodriguez in their situations. Granted, Iowa basketball isn't Michigan football by any means but they had still been nationally relevant for a longer time than most people realize.
Transfers gutted that program plain and simple. However, toward the end of the year they started playing above their individual levels as a unit the same way TL's Butler teams used to do. Obviously the community had become complete disenfranchised with the Lickliter era so he had to go, right?
I'm not so sure. Who is out there that is going to be able to replace a former national coach of the year and going to get better talent to Iowa? I think they're signing off on three more years of rebuilding just as it seemed TL had begun to right the ship.
In the same way I feel it would be foolish if Michigan fires RichRod after a 7-6 season with some noticeable, but not earth-shattering improvements including a few rival losses. I get the picture that many people see firing coaches as a quick fix. Well, in my opinion it simply isn't. Watching the Iowa situation against the Indiana situation (where they've committed a 10 year contract to Crean) will be relevant in my eyes to the Michigan football coaching situation. I'd like to know others' thoughts as well.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
There's one huge difference between Lickliter's and Rodriguez's situations. Lickliter wasn't really going to progress next season, but if Rodriguez can make it to 2011, this team will be primed for a nice run. The defense and offense will be veteran units with many highly regarded players in their 4th season.
That's the big difference. The talent level is pretty close to where it needs to be, but the players need a year to hit their stride.
1. Did Lickliter have moles within his own program undermining him and selling him out? (No, but Rodriguez did.)
2. Did Lickliter have his biggest media outlet questioning and criticizing him before he even started on the job, and then when on the job, trying at every turn to disrupt, crash, and ruin the program just to show they were right in the first place? (No, but Rodriguez did.)
3. Was Lickliter given a fair chance, the same one give Alford, Dr. Tom Davis, and George Raveling? (Yes, but Rodriguez hasn't.)
Maybe I need to go read some "Black Heart Gold Pants," but outside of the university pulling the rug out too quickly and transfers, I don't see many similarities.
1. Played his terrible kid
2. One did not
March 16th, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^
One of the few good moments this year was when Lickliter made that 3 in Crisler and the entire Maize Rage started cheering for him.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:43 AM ^
*CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP* NEP-O-TIS-MMM *CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP*!
Football and basketball ever compare. So Dr Tom Davis was able to make Iowa one of the Top 64 teams in the country on a fairly consistent basis. Big fucking deal. All it takes is a handful of players, and one or two of them to stick around long enough to mature a bit and you basketball team is better. Uh, well, in most cases, anyway.
As for Rodriguez: there's no friggin' way to guarantee he'll be successful at Michigan. It's just a matter of faith in the program, the name, and hoping like hell he isn't a guy who made it at one other school for a nice three-year run and will flop under the microscope because it's a totally different ball game.
Rodriguez and Michigan have caused each other a lot of heartburn. It looks at this point as if they both deserve the shitpile they're in.