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2020-21 Indiana Athletics thread

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  • Originally posted by Bball View Post
    It's hard to understand how Fife could have these issues and baggage at IU, but coached and lasted on Izzo's bench for 10 years until his alma mater came calling.
    Yeah that was my thought. He lasted a decade under Izzo at a vastly superior MSU program. So my gut reaction was to think IU is the problem here since IU has such a poor track record over the last quarter century.

    Bottom line: Woodson’s his way or the Highway style better win. Simple as that. If he wins, no one will have problems with decisions like this. If not.......

    Between this and the Northwestern debacle, Woodson definitely gives off a “my way or the Highway” vibe. Again, fine if you win...

    Fife should have stayed with the proven college coach at the much better program.
    Last edited by Sollozzo; 03-24-2022, 10:47 AM.

    Comment


    • LOL Fife sounds like a ****ing train wreck according to what Rabjohns wrote on Peegs and what I've heard elsewhere.

      Was upstaging Woodson in the locker room, privately telling people Woody wouldn't last and that it was his job, wouldn't return phone calls to people, was talking about how bad NIL was to recruits and apparently didn't have the recruiting connection in state that he had represented.

      It also sounds like he has some ....interesting....political beliefs that he was very vocal about and that may have played a role as well.


      Comment


      • Say what you will about Woody but he obviously has some massive balls. I didn't agree with the NW decision at all, though I guess in the end it didn't matter much, but I do agree with this one based on everything that I've heard.


        Comment


        • One interesting thing is that about two-three weeks ago, there were rumors that Kenya Hunter would be leaving the program. Those have quieted a bit and I am hoping that the reason we heard those was that Hunter was tired of working with Fife and basically told the program him or me.


          Comment


          • Originally posted by Bball View Post
            It's hard to understand how Fife could have these issues and baggage at IU, but coached and lasted on Izzo's bench for 10 years until his alma mater came calling.
            Did you ever wonder to yourself why Fife who was pretty successful at a very small program at a very young age, never got offered a job in 10 years on Izzo's bench?

            He was never even the clear HC in waiting at MSU and yet he never got another job and even more strangely was very rarely even mentioned in interview searches.

            Not saying there's any legs to that, but it's a thought I had last night as I was thinking about all of this.


            Comment


            • I’d be surprised if this was all one sided (I.e. 100% blame on Fife). That would be believable if this was Fife’s first stint as an assistant at a large program, but it’s a bit hard for me to believe that he could do fine with Izzo at a superior program, yet morph into someone that no one wants to be around as soon as he came to IU.

              Of course people connected to Woodson/IU are going to immediately put things in the media that makes them look better. That’s par for the course on any story like this.

              At the end of the day I don’t really care who our assistants are and am not losing sleep over Fife leaving. But one thing is clear - this is clearly Woodson’s program. At the end of the day he has to win.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post

                Did you ever wonder to yourself why Fife who was pretty successful at a very small program at a very young age, never got offered a job in 10 years on Izzo's bench?

                He was never even the clear HC in waiting at MSU and yet he never got another job and even more strangely was very rarely even mentioned in interview searches.

                Not saying there's any legs to that, but it's a thought I had last night as I was thinking about all of this.
                Until all of this went down, I assumed Fife turned down any offers while at MSU. Not that he never got any. I think, like many, I was shocked he left MSU for an assistant gig at IU. ...Unless, of course, it was as the coach-in-waiting role at IU. Especially given Woodson's age.

                I would have more expected Fife to be the main assistant, if not given the title of assistant HC or something, than being fired.

                Fife's hiring, much like Matta's, only made sense (from the outside looking in) in bringing in experienced coaches to help guide Woodson thru his first foray into coaching college basketball. And in Fife's case, with the assumption if not promise he was the heir apparent. As said, especially given Woodson's age.

                If we were to assume Fife was damaged goods and no program was interested in him during his 10 years at MSU, then that doesn't answer this question:
                Why did Izzo keep him around?
                Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                ------

                "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                -John Wooden

                Comment


                • Originally posted by Bball View Post

                  Until all of this went down, I assumed Fife turned down any offers while at MSU. Not that he never got any. I think, like many, I was shocked he left MSU for an assistant gig at IU. ...Unless, of course, it was as the coach-in-waiting role at IU. Especially given Woodson's age.

                  I would have more expected Fife to be the main assistant, if not given the title of assistant HC or something, than being fired.

                  Fife's hiring, much like Matta's, only made sense (from the outside looking in) in bringing in experienced coaches to help guide Woodson thru his first foray into coaching college basketball. And in Fife's case, with the assumption if not promise he was the heir apparent. As said, especially given Woodson's age.

                  If we were to assume Fife was damaged goods and no program was interested in him during his 10 years at MSU, then that doesn't answer this question:
                  Why did Izzo keep him around?
                  I didn't say he's damaged goods, I'm just suggesting he may not have the easiest personality to work with. MSU may have been the right fit for him all along.


                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post
                    Say what you will about Woody but he obviously has some massive balls. I didn't agree with the NW decision at all, though I guess in the end it didn't matter much, but I do agree with this one based on everything that I've heard.
                    I don't know... I'd think could NW have been turned into a win, it keeps IU out of the play-in game. Which then gives them more rest heading into a Thurs or Fri game. And prep time for them to study their opponent. And maybe a better seeding.

                    Of course... butterfly effect... Maybe with a NW win, they feel less pressure to win in the BTT and would've gotten bounced quicker and who knows how it plays out.

                    But given my druthers, I'd rather have had a win against NW.

                    Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                    ------

                    "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                    -John Wooden

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post
                      and apparently didn't have the recruiting connection in state that he had represented.

                      .
                      This is where some of this seems as though IU is just dumping stuff in the media to make him look bad.

                      Blaming an assistant who has only been here one year for recruiting seems far-fetched to me. Recruiting falls almost exclusively on Woodson. Weren’t him and Matta brought in because they are supposed to be such good living room guys?

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by Sollozzo View Post

                        This is where some of this seems as though IU is just dumping stuff in the media to make him look bad.

                        Blaming an assistant who has only been here one year for recruiting seems far-fetched to me. Recruiting falls almost exclusively on Woodson. Weren’t him and Matta brought in because they are supposed to be such good living room guys?
                        Recruiting is definitely not a solely Woodson thing, Kenya Hunter is here exclusively because of how good he is on the recruiting trail and his connections.

                        A major part of Fife's hiring was that he represented he could be the guy who could recruit in Indiana again because of his connections in state.

                        Of course whe we start to think about this, it really doesn't add up either as MSU lost plenty of guys to Purdue while Fife was there.

                        Bottom line, regardless of what happened, it seems like this was not a good fit from the jump that somebody tried to force because of the IU connection.


                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Bball View Post

                          I don't know... I'd think could NW have been turned into a win, it keeps IU out of the play-in game. Which then gives them more rest heading into a Thurs or Fri game. And prep time for them to study their opponent. And maybe a better seeding.

                          Of course... butterfly effect... Maybe with a NW win, they feel less pressure to win in the BTT and would've gotten bounced quicker and who knows how it plays out.

                          But given my druthers, I'd rather have had a win against NW.
                          Hmm, interesting scenario, but I think I'd go against you and say, winning the UM game and Illinois game is way more important than the NW game and if they had gotten a false sense of security going into the BTT and maybe been bounced, I don't know that they make the tourney at all.


                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post

                            Recruiting is definitely not a solely Woodson thing, Kenya Hunter is here exclusively because of how good he is on the recruiting trail and his connections.

                            A major part of Fife's hiring was that he represented he could be the guy who could recruit in Indiana again because of his connections in state.

                            Of course whe we start to think about this, it really doesn't add up either as MSU lost plenty of guys to Purdue while Fife was there.

                            Bottom line, regardless of what happened, it seems like this was not a good fit from the jump that somebody tried to force because of the IU connection.
                            Because Purdue is a great program in its own right with a ton of stability? Why would anyone choosing Purdue over another Big 10 school be a surprise?

                            A one year sample size just seems like a bit of a stretch to me.

                            Some people you mesh with. Some you don’t. It happens. But the whole “Fife was 100% to blame” angle is just laughable to me when he spent 10 years doing fine at a better and far more successful program.

                            Last edited by Sollozzo; 03-24-2022, 01:07 PM.

                            Comment


                            • I tend to think I lean toward the idea this was a Dolson hire that was thrust upon Woodson. As was probably Thad Matta fitting this bill too. Now that Woodson has the gig, a year under his belt, a NCAAT berth, and a lot of Knight fans drooling over him, he's exercising his leverage.
                              He's not interested in an heir apparent.
                              He's not interested in anyone seeing him as a stopgap or transition coach.

                              Matta is probably safe to continue earning/getting his check because we all know, Matta is not interesting in coaching again, and Woodson is probably free to ignore him. So he's no threat to Woodson, nor a PR threat for people to speculate about when Matta could be taking over.

                              Dolson probably did tell or imply to Fife that he'd be in line to follow Woodson in a couple of years. It's hard to imagine Woodson being more than a 3-5 year hire as far as what could be counted upon. A 63 (now 64) year old Woodson might think he can coach until he's 85, but an AD hiring someone like Woodson would probably be more thinking 70 would be about all they could realistically hope for. If he's successful, and can coach beyond that, and wants to, that would be gravy. But reality becomes a factor when you start talking about coaching college into those later years.
                              Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                              ------

                              "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                              -John Wooden

                              Comment


                              • Durr hits the portal...
                                Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                                ------

                                "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                                -John Wooden

                                Comment

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