Mike Thomas was an unimaginative cookie cutter ad. Other people did similar things, therefore the same thing will work here. Hiring coaches is an art, not a science. Once people see something that works and try to formulate it in a little bottle, it loses its potency. Sometimes there are ‘great’ coaches in the wrong spot, and it just doesn’t work out.
Thomas didn’t realize beckman didn’t build the success at Toledo and couldn’t coach, and that groce just is not a major program coach. But hey, they had a couple of decent years in the MAC and that formula has worked for others recently. I doubt his thought processes went any deeper.
Whitman does not appear to be that way at all. Seems he has a good handle on and considers nuance, intangibles, etc… and/or at least has a well thought out, long term vision unique to Illinois. We’ll see exactly how his tenure plays out, but I like it so far. It’s been frustrating under BU at times, but that’s because we expect more and basketball is in a much better spot than before.