Easily Kruger for me. Always thought very highly of him, couldn't fault him for taking the NBA money/opportunity, and have enjoyed watching his success (somewhat modest) with UNLV and Oklahoma. I think way more of him than Groce, who never should have been coaching at a Big Ten level.
You'd probably have to go back to Gene Bartow. We thankfully have not had many "failed" coaches in the last 45 years.
I think Gene Bartow was the first Illini coach to leave for another college program. Bartow went to UCLA in 1975 after just one year at Illinois.
IMO, Groce's big achilles was he swung for "fence" on PG too much (Snider's, Brunson, simpson..etc). If he had recruited a "TJL like" PG sooner, he would have been more successful. I think he was a "players coach" too...which doesn't always work.
He was an exactly-as-athletic Larry Bird type.
Can someone tell me if I should be feeling anxiety over this news? Thanks in advance
And they would be happy with that? Without doing much homework, that seems underwhelming to me. Certainly not like taking Roy Williams from Kansas.
Groce seems like he would been an absolute star in so many professsions, I’m just not sure basketball coach at a power conference school is one of them.
Especially if he wins the title this year...it would be a nice coda on his Gonzaga career...and about the only move he could make that would seem like moving up.
Mark Few is not leaving Gonzaga for anything! He grew up in the Northwest and has spoken many times about how much he enjoys the wildlife and style there. He has a machine right now and has a tremendous class coming in next year, and I'm sure every year thereafter as long as he wishes.
