IU close to naming Tom Crean new head coach

by Mike Rutherford on Apr 1, 2008 6:00 PM EDT in News

This according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com.

Trying to put a tumultuous few months behind it, Indiana University is on the verge of naming a new coach, Tom Crean of Marquette, a source with the school told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Tuesday.

The Hoosiers have to hope that the hiring goes more smoothly than the awkward parting with former coach Kelvin Sampson.

Indiana is awaiting a letter of agreement from Crean before a deal is finalized, and a tentative news conference has been scheduled for Wednesday to make an announcement.

Three words: Renew. This. Series.

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Argh!

As an IU alum I like the move, but still hate the guy personally.

UofL-IU would be a great series to renew.

by xjjeep90 on Apr 1, 2008 6:05 PM EDT reply actions

Talk about..

...april fool's type headlines.

Marvin Stone dead? (not funny, but everyone who saw that headline thought: that's a terrible april fool's joke)

Crean to Indiana? That's an april fool's headline if I've ever seen one.

Yikes. What a weird day. Feel terrible for Marvin Stone's family.

by CardsFan922 on Apr 1, 2008 7:42 PM EDT reply actions

or is that another April Fool joke? I hope it's true and wow, I hope they will renew our series with IU.....what happened and why did IU stop playing us anyway? I thought years ago it was because Denny and Bobby butted heads in recruiting but once Bobby Knight was gone, they still wouldn't play U of L and I don't know why. Anyone?
Sorry about Marvin Stone. Sad.

Linda

by Linda on Apr 1, 2008 8:54 PM EDT reply actions

Big Four Doubleheaders in the Eighties

We used to play them (Indiana) in Indianapolis on a Saturday in early December in alternating years. The Big Four were Louisville, UK, Notre Dame, and Indiana. The problem with the concept was that is was a pseudo round robin...pseudo in the sense that we never met UK, Indiana never met ND, precisely the meetings we WANTED to see. We only played ND and Indiana. UK only played Indiana and ND. Indiana only played UK and U of L. ND only played U of L and UK. I'm gettin' dizzy.

Of course, Indiana beat us in the round of 16 in the early nineties despite the efforts of my bandaged up main man, Tick Rogers.

Good night, Roz

by Roz on Apr 1, 2008 9:27 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks Roz...

Yeah, I remember those foursome events/games and I even attended some of them. I think you are right on in your theory but I also vaguely remember that Bobby and Denny butted heads (over recruiting I think) and things started to unravel to the point that IU wouldn't play us at all....whatever the reasons, I would love to start playing IU again. Throw Crean into the mix and whoa baby !!!!!

Linda

by Linda on Apr 1, 2008 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes! I remember them too.

Bobby and Denny were prety even in that series--Denny might hold an edge.

That--and the recruiting--pissed Bobby off, I'm sure...

by frankpos on Apr 2, 2008 7:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Hey Frank

I know Tick was Mr Basketball in KY, but didn't know that Jeff Mullins was as well. I remember him playing well for Duke (then unhated).

By the way, I trace the BEGINNING of the end of the Cardinals Dynasty, The Team Of The Eighties, to a particular delineation in time. That is, when Wade got the UT job, and Mr Kentucky, Allan Houston, of course, went to play for his Dad. After that, we just started to slowly unravel from our high perch.

by Roz on Apr 1, 2008 9:37 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, I'd agree with that

That was the first major unraveling of a potentially great team for Denny--and a sign of bad things to come (such as Milt as a Tiger!)

Coincidentally, I was talking to Wade at the donor dinner. He can laugh about it now--ruefully--but to say that Tenn didn't work out, would be an understatement.

by frankpos on Apr 2, 2008 7:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Crean will always be a dick

The big question is will I like Marquette more without him? I loved Al McGuire, and I like the players pretty well. Also, I will ALWAYS have a bit of a warm spot in my heart for them since they eliminated UK in the tourney to make it to the Final Four in 2003. In the end, it may depend on who Marquette hires.

One thing is certain, though. Because of an amusing thread several years ago on ITV, I will always think of them as the Golden Showers.

by louisville lisa on Apr 1, 2008 9:55 PM EDT reply actions

LL !

by frankpos on Apr 2, 2008 7:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Al McGuire - The English Language.

...I said it before, he was The Shit. Brooklyn. Street Wise. A National Treasure. Great Command of The Language. You all remember the language, The English Language? All from a scruffy kid from Brooklyn wou couldn't shoot the ball in the ocean. His phrases "Too much French Pastry" when someone is overly fancy with the ball, and "Teams who Press don't like to BE pressed" still endure. AND...this is important, he didn't seem to be in love with himself!!
He was, and I don't throw this one around, particularly toward men...He was "CHARMING".

He died so quietly, not much fanfare. It took a little bit from me when it happened.

He always said that his best team was not the championship team, the one with Butch, but his best team was earlier, the one with Dean "The Dream" Memminger. Ohio State beat them in the NCAAs that year.

Anybody ever meet him? Frank?? I know Mike was too young.

Allie should still be around.
Yeah, we'll laugh again, but we'll never be young again.

Roz

by Roz on Apr 2, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe

Marquette will get The General in retaliation

by sam34gtr on Apr 1, 2008 10:16 PM EDT reply actions

Al

Met McQuire shortly after he quit coaching. He was the first highly visible coach to state what has become a basketball truth -- that young men from inner city schools who can suddenly make millions by jumping early to the NBA should, by all means, do so.

He took the veil of hypocrisy off much of college basketball, and that's why many of his contemporary coaches loathed him. Went to a Marquette practice once and during an all-out scrimmage he stood in the center jump circle the whole time. The only other coach I've ever seen do that was Denny, and he didn't do it often.

The last time I saw Al McQuire he was speaking to a local gathering -- a paid appearance -- an was three sheets to the wind. All in all, an American original and a wonderful guy.

by theoldman on Apr 2, 2008 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks old man

...nice narrative on Al...he was an honest gypsy...yeah, the hypocrisy is right...and the beatified Coach K ("I just wove, Coach Knight, I wove him like a brother) of Duke even perpetuated the student athlete joker card well into this decade. "But at Duke, they actually go to class...at Duke, they come for the education, too." But if you didn't fit in, weren't good enough, you'd be discarded like a nine of clubs in a bad poker hand. All that Pap. He finally had to give it up when Brand and some of the others started leaving early, too.

No telethons for Coach K, though. I keep hearing him on commercials for cars, or some other product.

Hey Mike, how much do you need? How much is enough?

by Roz on Apr 2, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, that was very good

I always think Al was simply the Pitino of his time-- the fast talking Easterner, with a great sense for both the game and the theatre of it all.

Made for TV--as Rick will ultimately be.

I did meet Al briefly-- he was walking alone on like 3rd St. here in Louisville at midday.

I was walking toward him and looked up and was somewhat shocked to see him, striding toward me.

It was the late 70's--he had just won the title. I was in my twenties--and star struck. I could just barely squeak out "Hi, Coach."

He was very gracious. He stopped for a second, made a little small talk, said something nice about Denny, I shook his hand, and away he went--with me still with my mouth open.

by frankpos on Apr 4, 2008 7:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Frank, you lucky bastard

...and you described Al beautifully. I can almost see him. Did he have on a white suit? Maybe with a carnation in the lapel. And what a great face. All that curly black hair. I think his players, Bo Ellis, Butch, would have run through a brick wall for him. And did you notice, after he quit and went to the booth that he would always pick Louisville to go far in the NCAAs. Always. I'm sure you guys know, that Dick Enberg ("Oh My") put together a theatrical, Broadway style show about McQuire.

by Roz on Apr 4, 2008 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions