i know someone who played under him when he was an asst at xavier, and he says the same thing.
Coaching Carousel (Basketball)
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sacraig
- The desert
Honestly, that reminds me a bit of our search that landed Groce. Which is wonderful. You know, he has been successful at Akron. Maybe he's ready for a crack at the Hoosiers!
I imagine he has a very good idea of what a HC's experience is like in Bloomington. I doubt his primary source is very complimentary.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
It's all fun and games making fun of Indiana fans and lord knows I'm loving seeing them struggle, but that is one of the best jobs in the country and having so frequently been the "delusional fan base" I always find that stuff this time of year really silly and gross.
The teams whose fanbases truly care about basketball deserve basketball success. True for us, sadly true for Indiana by the same token.
This is one of the worst CBB seasons in recent memory on that metric, not good for the sport.
The teams whose fanbases truly care about basketball deserve basketball success. True for us, sadly true for Indiana by the same token.
This is one of the worst CBB seasons in recent memory on that metric, not good for the sport.
sacraig
- The desert
I agree(ish) except for the part about it being one of the best jobs in the country. If that were true, they wouldn't have people (allegedly) turning them down in droves. Therefore, it's pretty unequivocally not one the best jobs at the moment.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Sometimes these things happen. Kentucky has been through this, North Carolina had a legendary disaster of a search that led to Matt Doherty, Tennessee and USC football. One of the biggest public embarrassments of a coaching search ever brought zillionth choice bad fit joke Pete Carroll to LA.
Every factor that makes a good job ultimately, in the grand scheme and grand sweep of time, flows from having a large and passionate fanbase. Which is as it ought to be.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Top 1 Expectations with a fanbase stuck in reliving 20th century results.
When the donors control who starts and who sits on the bench, that's a problem. Once Woodson was forced into retirement, he stopped caring and began starting Goode and Leal and sat the overrated and underachieving players like Carlyle and Myles Rice
I understand Indiana fans have had unrealistic expectations for 40 years but those expectations are the most realistic now more than ever (after 35 years of being average). I have a had time believing IU isn’t a top 15 job.
But I understand why someone might not leave a top 30 job for Indiana.
Since 2002, Indiana has finished beneath Iowa on Kenpom about half the time. Before this year, they were neck and neck with Iowa for 7th place in B1G wins since 2000.
IU is Iowa with UNC expectations. That's why coaches aren't chomping at the bit to go there.
And look, I'm the first one to say that you can't just focus on recent history when people dog on our program (btw even with our down years this millennium, we're still a top 4 B1G program of the last quarter century). But here is the difference, we have been successful throughout multiple eras with different coaches at the helm. Indiana's success died when Knight was run out of town.
The other difference is, as delusional as we are, we know we're not a blue blood. Sleeping giant? Maybe. A top job in the country? Negative.
IU is Iowa with UNC expectations. That's why coaches aren't chomping at the bit to go there.
And look, I'm the first one to say that you can't just focus on recent history when people dog on our program (btw even with our down years this millennium, we're still a top 4 B1G program of the last quarter century). But here is the difference, we have been successful throughout multiple eras with different coaches at the helm. Indiana's success died when Knight was run out of town.
The other difference is, as delusional as we are, we know we're not a blue blood. Sleeping giant? Maybe. A top job in the country? Negative.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
What's really funny about the Brad Stevens thing is I know there are a ton of delusional IU fans that think they just need to throw enough money at him and he'll come running, which is absolute bunk.
On the contrary, I think if both IU and UI came open in the same year, coaches would be hotter on our tail than IU.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
And it's especially silly because Stevens to them simply represents an unattainable object the acquisition of which would validate their perceived prestige for the program, it's just the inverse of the "delusional fan" stuff.
Stevens having dominated the Horizon League during the transition from Bush to Obama is basically neither here nor there in this analysis.
Jon Gruden was exactly this same sort of figure in football, and look where that ended up.
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
Stevens to Indiana is what Frost was to Nebraska. Sometimes being told no is a good thing.
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
Interesting nugget for Indiana: Their season SRS rating has improved so much in the past six weeks that this is now considered the best Indiana basketball team since Crean's 27-8 team in 2016.
I'll say it again, this is the best Indiana Hoosiers basketball team in the past nine seasons.
I'll say it again, this is the best Indiana Hoosiers basketball team in the past nine seasons.
I don't think he's the win big kind of guy, even with more resources. He's had losing conference records in 9/12 seasons. His conference winning percentage is .377. I get that Northwestern is a tough place to win, and he's done a good job, but I don't think that record is good enough to get hired by a program with the resources to win big. So the question is would it make sense to move to a mid-tier major conference team, like a Minnesota or something like that, and either build it up or use it as a stepping stone? Kind of a risky proposition when the alternative is staying at Northwestern where it looks like he'll never be fired.
Maybe he can't find a better opportunity elsewhere or maybe he wants to stay and turn Northwestern into a perennial winning program given his Chicago roots. I don't think Chris is going to find significantly better opportunities elsewhere unless a school like Oklahoma or a dormant ACC power gives him a call. A school that would be a step up above Northwestern.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
I am impressed with Chris. He has taken NW to big dance 3x in 12 years including 2023 and 2024. That is walk on water for NW.
He beat Purdue and Zedey multiple times. I believe at school with $NIL and less academic requirements he could coach a top 20 program. I would hate to see him at IU with their resources. A better landing spot more similar to NW but higher would be Notre Dame.
He is at home and comfortable at NW. He probably was hoping for shot at Duke job. He is only 50.
I think him and Villanova(Neptune should get fired) would make a lot of sense. His Dad lives out there now and his brother in law is a high school coach around there I’m pretty sure.
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