Preach!!! Well said - awesome postAfter 4 years, we saw zero progress. We were 5-18 last year and the same ol' 2-16 in the B1G we've been the previous 2 seasons. To justify a 5th year, I'd have at least liked to see an upward trajectory, even if we were still in the bottom third of the B1G. I like Josh and want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's trying to be pragmatic and not just keeping his friend on the payroll.
So, I guess my question is, what level of progress should Josh want to see after 5 seasons? To me, if we're giving coaches 5 seasons, by the 5th, they gotta be in the middle of the pack in the B1G. By year 5, I would expect our team in the WNIT. During the Grentz years, that was at least the bar we could consistently clear. That is significantly more leniency than we would ever provide a men's basketball coach, but sure, this program has been a doormat so we'll set the bar low for now. Yet, here we are, 5-5 with multiple bad losses. Any hope for a spot in the WNIT is already off the rails and it'll take a herculean effort in the B1G to get us there.
Ultimately, I just wish the powers that be took some pride in this program and treated it with the respect it deserves. Again, I like Josh, a lot, frankly. I think he's made a lot of smart decisions in other sports. He needs to make some here, too. The culture and expectation level needs to be completely reset. "We Will Win!" shouldn't be the expectation for men's basketball and not women's.
And I realize I'm venting this after a win, but Butler is friggin' 0-10 on the season.
Overall | Conference | Standing | |||
Nancy Fahey (2017–current) | |||||
2017–18 | Nancy Fahey | 9–22 | 0–16 | 14th | |
2018–19 | Nancy Fahey | 10–20 | 2–16 | 14th | |
2019–20 | Nancy Fahey | 11-19 | 2–16 | 13th | |
2020–21 | Nancy Fahey | 5-18 | 2-16 | 13th | |
Nancy Fahey: | 35-79 | 6-64 |
Actually pretty impressive to be 2-16 in the B1G and somehow not finish lastSometimes this loyalty thing carries way to far.....
Overall Conference Standing Nancy Fahey (2017–current)2017–18 Nancy Fahey 9–22 0–16 14th 2018–19 Nancy Fahey 10–20 2–16 14th 2019–20 Nancy Fahey 11-19 2–16 13th 2020–21 Nancy Fahey 5-18 2-16 13th Nancy Fahey: 35-79 6-64
Sometimes this loyalty thing carries way to far.....
Overall Conference Standing Nancy Fahey (2017–current)2017–18 Nancy Fahey 9–22 0–16 14th 2018–19 Nancy Fahey 10–20 2–16 14th 2019–20 Nancy Fahey 11-19 2–16 13th 2020–21 Nancy Fahey 5-18 2-16 13th Nancy Fahey: 35-79 6-64
Checked the game stats and play by play. Illini led 4-0 after the first 40 seconds....then went scoreless for the next 8 minutes!!! Also 22 turnovers! Bad.Just lost to SIU, 51-66. It's our second loss to a school in the SIU system, having already lost to Edwardsville. Again, this is where we're at in year 5 of Fahey.
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her contract runs through 2025!
I don't understand how hard it can be to get this program trending the right direction. There's a lot of high school girls basketball talent in our state. Even if you don't want to rely on that as your base, which I'm not sure why you wouldn't, U of I and Big Ten women's basketball should be way above beyond having to reach toward a Division III coach. It's beyond ridiculousness how far this program has sunk, and as much as Josh has done for football and espcially men's basketball, and that DEFINITELY is the priority and I thank you Josh for Brad Underwood and Bielema, come on....you have to do better with women's basketball. It's an incredibly low bar to clear at this point. Let's goWhitman has generated and spent huge sums of money and revived the mens basketball program. It looks promising that he may have saved the football program from permanent irrelevance. I wish WBB was good too, but I’m hardly disappointed in Whitman. He will get it fixed, but he has to prioritize spending and he went after the big money programs first. I’d guess this is her last year unless they show some significant progress. I was hoping for that, but so far it doesn’t look good.
You’re disappointed in Whitman’s total tenure as AD or just his performance as it concerns women’s basketball. Hard to argue with the latter, but I’d say you’re crazy if the former. BU hiring is a success, Football is a mixed bag. Wouldn’t call Lovie a success by any means, but got the team to a bowl game and I think raised the level of exposure for the team overall. And BB sure looks like success. Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?I’m going on record- this contract is embarrassing. I may be alone in saying this- but I am disappointed in Whitman as the top guy
You’re disappointed in Whitman’s total tenure as AD or just his performance as it concerns women’s basketball. Hard to argue with the latter, but I’d say you’re crazy if the former. BU hiring is a success, Football is a mixed bag. Wouldn’t call Lovie a success by any means, but got the team to a bowl game and I think raised the level of exposure for the team overall. And BB sure looks like success. Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?
Sure it would be nice if the women’s b-ball team was better (and hopefully his next hire to head the program will be better), but that it isn’t doesn’t come close to out weighing Whitman’s success.
I used to record all the ladies games I could get on my hulu strams.....now I just read about them .......a 6-64 B1G record will tend to dismay my enthusiasm greatly.....Losng to SIU Edwardsville and SIU Carbondale is outrageous. Fahey talked about scoring 80 points a game...fugs sake, good programs expect this...we are still scoring around 50,, 60 or 70 against teams any other teams in this conference would destroy. Yes, Josh needs to act like the Illini women basketball team is an immediate concern.
Perspective. As you say Whitman has been improving facilities right and left - using borrowed money. He has operated in the red in all but two years since he has been here:Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?
I think he has been an excellent AD 99 per cent of the way... cannot understand why the womens basketball program has been so lackluster and without success for any time except the few years Grentz coached. I know it's not Whitman to blame for so much mediocrity...just, now so much is made of the men and why are we accepting below .500 play for women?I used to record all the ladies games I could get on my hulu strams.....now I just read about them .......a 6-64 B1G record will tend to dismay my enthusiasm greatly.....