tom crean new IU coach

[Screw_Michigan]

per AP and espn

Hoosiers pick Marquette’s Crean as new coach
Eds: ADDS details.
AP Photo CAKJ102
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana University will hire Marquette’s Tom Crean as its basketball coach and is expected to introduce him at a news conference Wednesday.
University trustee Philip Eskew confirmed the hiring. Eskew said Crean had signed a letter-of-intent with the university and was meeting with his team Tuesday night.
Team spokesman J.D. Campbell said a news conference had yet to be scheduled.
The hiring comes near the end of a tumultuous six-week period in which former Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson resigned amid an NCAA scandal, interim coach Dan Dakich replaced him and then lost four of seven games.
Dakich also suspended guard Jamarcus Ellis for disciplinary reasons for the Hoosiers’ game at Penn State, and announced Tuesday that Ellis and guard Armon Bassett had been kicked off the team for missing two scheduled events.
Crean, who led Marquette to the Final Four in 2003, will responsible for rebuilding not only Indiana’s reputation as a national power but also its sullied image as a squeaky clean program.
“I think he’s a great choice,” Eskew said. “He has a Big Ten background, a Midwest background, he’s recruited in the state of Indiana and he has an impeccable record, so I think Indiana is on the road to recovery.”
Now the question is what kind of team will Crean inherit.
Starting forwards D.J. White and Lance Stemler both finished their senior seasons, and it’s uncertain whether Bassett and Ellis, two of the starting guards, will return after being punished for missing an appointment last week. When they didn’t show up to run laps the next day, Dakich decided to dismiss them from the team.
On Monday, freshman Eric Gordon is expected to announce whether he will declare early for the NBA. Most figure, he’s leaving, which would leave Indiana without all five of its regular starters from last season.
Crean went 190-96 in nine seasons at Marquette. He leaves for a job that came open after Sampson’s latest alleged missteps with the NCAA.
Sampson left in February amid a phone-call scandal that brought five allegations of major infractions from the NCAA. Dakich’s promotion to interim coach fueled threats of a player boycott and the Hoosiers (25-8) never recovered. They lost four of their final seven games, including a last-second defeat against Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals and an 86-72 loss to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Since firing Bob Knight in September 2000, a move that sharply divided Indiana fans, the Hoosiers have failed to find a suitable successor. Mike Davis, who replaced Knight, never won enough to satisfy Indiana’s rabid fans, and it took Sampson, Davis’ successor, less than two years to stain the university’s once-impeccable reputation for playing by the rules.
Sampson took the Indiana job in March 2006 and two months later was penalized by the NCAA for making 577 impermissible phone calls between 2000 and 2004 when he was coaching Oklahoma.
The second wave of charges emerged in October when a university investigation found Sampson and his staff made more than 100 impermissible calls while still under recruiting restrictions and that Sampson participated in at least 10 three-way calls, another violation of the NCAA’s punishment.
Athletic director Rick Greenspan called the violations secondary, imposing a one-year extension of the NCAA’s recruiting restrictions and pulling a $500,000 raise. The Hoosiers also took away one scholarship for the 2008-09 season.
However, an NCAA report released Feb. 13 by Indiana claimed Sampson provided false and misleading information to investigators from both the university and the NCAA, failed to meet the “generally recognized high standard of honesty” expected in college sports and failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the program.
Sampson has denied intentionally providing investigators with false information.

[King Crimson]

good hire, IMO. sort of wonder why they didn't go after him 2 years ago? Shine?

on the other hand, Oklahoma State dumps Sutton and it's apparently not being well-received. Gottlieb is slamming OSU AD Holder all over the radio this afternoon. in OKC, in KC, etc.

audio of OKC interview. supposedly, the KC one he ratcheted it up.

http://www.cosmoscowboy.com/misc/Gottlieb.mp3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Screw_Michigan]

i was pretty surprised to hear the news of crean going to bloomington, but as i thought it over, the more i thought it was a good hire. did a great job at marquette, big ten guy (and unfortunately a central michigan alum) and a terrific recruiter. and best of all, he doesn't come with blood on his hands.

eric gordon should think of dwayne wade and stay at least another year. if he decides to pull the "this isn't the coach i came to play for" shit, then he's going to really fuck himself.

[Shoalzie]

i was pretty surprised to hear the news of crean going to bloomington, but as i thought it over, the more i thought it was a good hire. did a great job at marquette, big ten guy (and unfortunately a central michigan alum) and a terrific recruiter. and best of all, he doesn't come with blood on his hands.

eric gordon should think of dwayne wade and stay at least another year. if he decides to pull the "this isn't the coach i came to play for" shit, then he's going to really fuck himself.

Crean will be a great fit but he'll have to come in and have to restock the cupboard after White graduated, Basset and Ellis were kicked off the team and Gordon likely declaring early. IU won't have to worry about any funny stuff with him like they had with Sampson. Next year might be a mediocre year for them but expect him bring the Hoosiers back up to the top of the conference within two years. The MSU-IU games are going to have some extra juice...that's for sure.

[MuchoBulls]

I am surprised by this move. Shoalzie hit the nail on the head about the potential rebuilding job that he may have at IU.

[FLW Buckeye]

Shine,

Any chance Crean reinstates the two that were recently booted from the team?

[Q, West Coast Style]

Wazzu Job > IU Job

Sin,

Tony Bennett

[Shoalzie]

Shine,

Any chance Crean reinstates the two that were recently booted from the team?

Supposedly, missing that meeting wasn't the only bad thing those two have done. Crean should start with a clean slate but who's to say what he'll do.

[Screw_Michigan]

Wazzu Job > IU Job

Sin,

Tony Bennett

Bennett has a lot more latitude and margin for error in Pullman. He's still really young and has a solid program already in place to build off. He knows exactly what the future has for his program and he's "overachieving" with what he has, a great position to be in if you're a coach. Not to mention even if he pulls a tits-up season in a few years, he won't have to worry about rabid fans (like at IU) calling for his job.

If Bennett comes to IU, he's facing possible (more like probable) NCAA sanctions, one less scholarship, an empty cupboard, a serious pressure cooker in Bloomington (especially for someone so young). I can understand why Bennett would pass on the IU job and I believe that Crean is a much better fit than Bennett would be. Bennett is waiting for a similar job to open up in a few years, but if you ask IU fan, there is no better job than the one in Bloomington.

[Mustang]

Wazzu Job > IU Job

Sin,

Tony Bennett

Bennett has a lot more latitude and margin for error in Pullman. He's still really young and has a solid program already in place to build off. He knows exactly what the future has for his program and he's "overachieving" with what he has, a great position to be in if you're a coach. Not to mention even if he pulls a tits-up season in a few years, he won't have to worry about rabid fans (like at IU) calling for his job.

If Bennett comes to IU, he's facing possible (more like probable) NCAA sanctions, one less scholarship, an empty cupboard, a serious pressure cooker in Bloomington (especially for someone so young). I can understand why Bennett would pass on the IU job and I believe that Crean is a much better fit than Bennett would be. Bennett is waiting for a similar job to open up in a few years, but if you ask IU fan, there is no better job than the one in Bloomington.

Yeah, there might not be as much pressure but I look at that as kind of a cop out. You're given an opportunity to coach at one of the 1/2 dozen storied programs in all of college basketball.........and you turn it down??? Sure, you can have your own little niche in BFE Washington, but you get to play your games on Pacific Time Zone and the state of Washington isn't exactly a basketball hotbed for talent. Enjoy your anonymity. At IU, as a young coach, you have the potential to coach here a long, long time and carve out a legacy, kind of like a certain coach hired here in the early 70's. OK, the cupboard is kind of bare here right now.........but that won't last. This is a great basketball state, ripe with talent and TONS of kids want to play for IU. Great basketball coaches relish such given opportunities. IU is no stepping stone. It's a final stop for a good coach. Now Crean gets that opportunity. Good move, Tony. Enjoy Pullman.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Good get for IU (I think). Crean has been my "dream hire" for ND for a few years now.

[Screw_Michigan]

Yeah, there might not be as much pressure but I look at that as kind of a cop out. You're given an opportunity to coach at one of the 1/2 dozen storied programs in all of college basketball.........and you turn it down??? Sure, you can have your own little niche in BFE Washington, but you get to play your games on Pacific Time Zone and the state of Washington isn't exactly a basketball hotbed for talent. Enjoy your anonymity. At IU, as a young coach, you have the potential to coach here a long, long time and carve out a legacy, kind of like a certain coach hired here in the early 70's. OK, the cupboard is kind of bare here right now.........but that won't last. This is a great basketball state, ripe with talent and TONS of kids want to play for IU. Great basketball coaches relish such given opportunities. IU is no stepping stone. It's a final stop for a good coach. Now Crean gets that opportunity. Good move, Tony. Enjoy Pullman.

I agree with everything you said. I'm not excusing Bennett for not taking the IU job. Remember there are coaches who stick around forever at a certain place for god knows what reason logically. I believe Rome was saying the other day that Ben Howland spent like 15 years at Cal-St. Santa Barbara or something like.

And I understand you're bitter, but it'll be alright. The future is bright for IU...for now.

[M Club]

I am surprised by this move. Shoalzie hit the nail on the head about the potential rebuilding job that he may have at IU.

rebuilding a basketball program takes what, five minutes? why would you let a couple rough seasons in a meh conference dissuade you from leaving milwaukee? i'm sure iu is part of his 15-year plan and not his five.

It's a final stop for a good coach.

you're entirely delusional. knight strung iu along till he finally scored that dream job at ttech.

[Mustang]

Michigan.......also a final stop for a coach. No stepping stone...unless your name is Amaker.

Screw-
Not bitter. I'm not the IU fan Shine (alum) is. I like IU but mostly because I live here and that's the name on the paycheck (and they eliminated Carolina in '81 and '84....bless Zeke and Dakich). IU is team #3 behind them Dukes and Louisville. Anyway, you make a good point. Sometimes, coaches will stay at a "lesser" program because the wife is from there, the schools are good, he's comfortable in a small pond, he's got a mistress, he's making decent enough coin....comfort isses. But that's rare. Most of these guys have egos and want to achieve on the biggest stage they can. If you can achieve at IU, the state is yours. Coach Knight was (and still is to some extent) very powerful in this state. And maybe, as your former post alluded to, Bennett didn't really want all that.

Regardless, the Crean hire has gone over pretty well here. Shine is on board so that's a good sign. Former players, IU and Marquette alike, all have great things to say about the new coach. They've got the coach they wanted in place. NCAA violations don't play well here and the its a good bet the locals don't have to worry about that any more. Now all that's needed is some time.......and a few players won't hurt. But that will take care of itself. Maybe now, local stars will stop going to Duke and Carolina.

[M Club]

Michigan.......also a final stop for a coach. No stepping stone...unless your name is Amaker.

you left out ellerbe. he left under the pretense of termination to pursue greener pastures. i should google to find out where.

[Mustang]

Good point. Michigan should be a terminal spot for a basketball coach. Sure is for football.

[MuchoBulls]

I am surprised by this move. Shoalzie hit the nail on the head about the potential rebuilding job that he may have at IU.

rebuilding a basketball program takes what, five minutes? why would you let a couple rough seasons in a meh conference dissuade you from leaving milwaukee? i'm sure iu is part of his 15-year plan and not his five.

He was given whatever he wanted at Marquette and he didn't have to worry about any $$$$ going to football. You're going to call the Big East a "meh" Conference?

Milwaukee is not that bad of a city. I wouldn't exactly call Bloomington a budding metropolis.

With Gordon leaving and those 2 players being suspended his rebuilding might take a bit long than 5 minutes. He's a great coach, so he should be able to get it done the way he did when he took over Marquette.

[M Club]

i was actually calling the big ten a meh conference.

you've equated good city with size of city.

i doubt we'll see the day iu basketball struggles with money on account of their football program.

rebuilding indiana and rebuilding marquette are two entirely different things. all he has to do to attract recruits to iu is get kids excited about them; at marquette he had to develop an actual sales pitch. five minutes is relative. next year will obviously be difficult, and maybe the next year too, but two years is reasonable in cbb for a rebuilding project. and this isn't a resurrection: he can soften the transition a bit by coaching well, which he presumably does.

[Shine]

Checking in well after the "breaking news" portion of this hire but still wanted to toss the ol 2 cents in since I'm the resident Hoosier fan round these here parts.

Tom Crean was the absolute perfect hire at this point in time for IU basketball. The "big name" guys being tossed around (Pearl, Pitino, Barnes, Calipari, Izzo) were unrealistic and/or poor fits for varied reasons. The "family" guys were either from the NBA with no college experience (Wittman, Woodson, Thomas, Frank), too young/unproven for the gig (Fife) or didn't have the pedigree to merit the position (Alford). Going the young/up-n-comer route (Grant, Bennett, Miller, Brownell) has a level of risk involved that frankly IU couldn't afford right now. Although FWIW the guy that sat atop my list after Sampson was fired was Miller. That leaves Crean.

He's the perfect mix of a young guy since he's only 42 but with 9 years of major college HC experience under his belt you remove a ton of the "unproven" variable from the equation. Being a Midwest guy is huge in terms of understanding the region and the cultural factors that are in play. Having a background in the Big 10 allows him to fully comprehend the dynamics of the league. His academic track record is stellar and there isn't the slighest hint of rules violations with him, a HUGE thing coming on the heels of the Sampson debacle.

His numbers match up very favorably with guys like Pitino (Providence) and Barnes (Providence/Clemson) when they were at second tier schools in major conferences. Once Pitino got to a major player he became legendary and Barnes has UT competing at a high level despite any discernable coaching skills. Crean scored some solid talent while at Marquette and (bias showing) now that he's at a place like IU he should only be able to increase the caliber to kid he's able to land.

No doubt the road ahead is a bumpy one. I fully expect the next 2 years to find the name "Indiana" not being announced on Selection Sunday. That's the price you have to pay when you allow an incompetent coach to stick around too long and replace him with a rulebreaker. The wildcard in all this is what, if any, further sanctions IU gets hit with this summer. I'm hopeful that the fact IU self-reported and then self-punished along with firing all guilty parties will mean minimal further penalties. But any time the NCAA gets involved you can toss "logic" and "reasoning" out the window.

The right guy is in place though, so no matter what the NCAA decides to do the future (albeit long-term) is bring in Bloomington.

[L45B]

Yeeeeeaaahhhh, I'm gonna need you to come to practice on Sunday, too.

[Mustang]

^^^^^^^^Rack!!!! Brilliant!