Crean vs Hurley

[auror]

Not to mention he’s terrible at roster construction and routinely recruited players far below IU’s level.

Indiana fans felt he couldn't recruit Indiana.

Honestly, I like that Hurley has won 25 games at 2 smaller schools. Reminds me a bit of Bill Self's path. Hopefully we're the Kansas and not Illinois, although if he has the success that Self had at Illinois we'll be A-Okay as a program in general.

 

[boog204]

While Crean is not my number one choice, I think people are underrating him in a major way. The job he did turning around Indiana was pretty remarkable. He took over a team that I believe only had walk-ons and was on three years probation. He slowly built a team absolutely bereft of talent and in four years had them as the preseason #1 team in the country. That's 6-25 in year one to the #1 team in the country in year 5. For a couple of years, they were outstanding (3 years of 27+ wins) but obviously underachieved. Crushing him for "only" getting to the sweet sixteen is a similar argument to people in the 90s saying that JC was not a big game coach.

After that, something changed and the quality of play diminished, recruiting was not as fervent, and the IU fans turned on him. My father-in-law, an IU alum and huge supporter, despised him by the end.

Yes, Crean is a "weird" dude. In another thread someone stated, "well, he had DWade" and ridiculed his final four at Marquette. Good. He had a stud player and was able to capitalize on that. Not sure how that's a negative. All in all, he's an upgrade over a KO, a guy who has shown he can coach a team into the final four, and I have little doubt that he would have us as a 20+ win team in a short time, make us a national name worth mentioning, make us fun to watch again, and bring in some players.

Other than Hurley, I'm not sure I can positively say that about many of the other realistic coaching options that have been floated and even with Hurley, there's some assumption as opposed to certainty as he's never done it on the "big" stage as of yet. Just my $0.02.

 

[tentoes4rings]

To me, what sets them apart is Hurley’s years in high school/prep school coaching. His experience there is critical in connecting with recruits and more importantly developing players (something KO never learned). He’s seen these young men develop at high school and college stages in contrast to Crean. Hurley is on the rise similar to our old friend JC.

He’s Starting to peak in college and we look at him in comparison to how we looked at Calhoun when he was at Northeastern. The major difference is obviously the UConn expectations for Hurley is much higher.

I hope we get Hurley.

Hurley's reaction alone to his brother's team making the tourney makes me want him. Definitely the top choice for me, just saying I think Crean is a solid fall back option.

 

[intlzncster]

Are you saying you want an easy on the eyes coach? Might I interest you in a Mr. Diaco?

Ha, no. I just don't want someone with his own internet meme. He coaches with his tongue out. It's weird.

 

[intlzncster]

To me, what sets them apart is Hurley’s years in high school/prep school coaching. His experience there is critical in connecting with recruits and more importantly developing players (something KO never learned). He’s seen these young men develop at high school and college stages in contrast to Crean. Hurley is on the rise similar to our old friend JC.

He’s Starting to peak in college and we look at him in comparison to how we looked at Calhoun when he was at Northeastern. The major difference is obviously the UConn expectations for Hurley is much higher.

I hope we get Hurley.

Calhoun was way, way ahead of Hurley though. Guy had 250 wins before stepping on campus. Had a conference winning percentage of .800. In his last 7 years, he won the conference 6 times.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't know what Hurley is but Crean is Pasqualoni of basketball.

 

[SirHypeAlot]

Hurley's reaction alone to his brother's team making the tourney makes me want him. Definitely the top choice for me, just saying I think Crean is a solid fall back option.

^^^^ this

and read this article before his success at URI. I'm all in.

Brother helped Hurley become Dan the Man

 

[SubbaBub]

Calhoun was way, way ahead of Hurley though. Guy had 250 wins before stepping on campus. Had a conference winning percentage of .800. In his last 7 years, he won the conference 6 times.

Anyone out their now with a similar resume?

 

[huskyinfl]

Tom crean = Dr. Armond

 

[Towney007]

I really don’t hate Crean at all. I just hear he’s kind of a rough personality to be around. I’ve heard some wild stories from Indiana.

He’s also a really good coach and a big upgrade over Ollie. I’d be fine with him - my superficial issue with him, like I’m assuming everyone else’s is - is that he seems like a retread.

Hurley is shiney and new and yes I prefer him over Crean, but I’m not entirely sure he’s better.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Tom crean = Dr. Armond

“Gampel Pavilion. The most beautiful basketball arena I’ve seen in my whole life. Jonathan XIII needs some dog rejuvenation surgery though.”

 

[Guapo]

Wow, gotta say after the first few responses; I was not expecting to get this many relatively pro-Crean comments.

Again, not saying he's number 1; I just think we could do worse.

 

[Matrim55]

Crean is supposed to be a decent human being and he has an eye for under-the-radar talent, but he's an awful in-game coach, he almost never lands the big fish, and he wasn't able to take Indiana beyond the Sweet 16. He failed to win 20 games in 3 of his final 4 years at IU – how would he do in Storrs?

Bottom line is he's a guy who's never had significant success unless he had a generational talent (Wade).

Now, we don't know if Hurley will ever get there. But he started at a nothing high school and built it into a power. Then he got a job at a small D-1 school, and turned that into a regional power (and his successor has kept that going). Then he moved up a level to a mid-major, and has turned them into a power.

Every step is another rung on the ladder, with no skipped steps. No escalators, one might say.

It doesn't mean he's going to be the right guy for this job. But he's a young-ish coach on the come-up, has nearly 2 decades of head coaching experience, and nearly one decade as a college head coach.

Hiring Hurley represents "we want to be really good again." Hiring Crean would be "we don't want to be that bad again."

I know which I'd prefer.

Again, not saying he's number 1; I just think we could do worse.

There are about a dozen mid-major HCs I'd rather take a flier on before Crean. Hiring Crean is "we're kind of giving up, we just don't want to be an embarrassment anymore."

If you can't get Indiana to a Final Four you sure as hell can't get UConn there.

 

[bfair]

Crean shouldn't even be on UConn's radar. I get he is a name coach but he offers little upside to the program. Hurley has most of the tangibles and upside we thought we were getting with Ollie, albeit with slightly different recruiting ties, plus he is a better coach.

100 percent

 

[Matt1010]

Crean gets a completely unjustified bad rap. Overall he did a great job with Marquette. The 02-03 final four season with Wade was one of the best in program history. He also went 69-31 upon entering the Big East (making the tournament all 3 years).

He then inherited a TERRIBLE situation at IU and turned it into back to back sweet sixteens appearances by years 4 and 5. Once he got the program back on its feet they made 4/6 tournaments before he was fired, and had very good teams in 3/6 of those years finishing Kenpom #9, #3 and #11. You can argue that those teams underperformed in the NCAA tournament, but they lost to national champion UK (Kenpom #1), final four Cuse (Kenpom #9) and runner up UNC (Kenpom #2). Sure it would have been nice if those teams went further but it's tough to be so critical on a 3 game sample. It's not like he was getting upset by double digit cinderella stories.

He's also a proven recruiter who has brought in multiple 5* players.

Outside of people thinking he's a weird guy what's not to like...

 

[B1GEast]

I’ll give Crean this. His agent is doing a great job of getting him mentioned for just about every job opening up across the country, regardless of whether the schools have any mutual interest.

Why are you giving Crean the credit? That's what he pays his agent to do.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Tom Crean is Dwight Schrute

 

[B1GEast]

But I saw someone say that Crean would be a nightmare hire. Why?

People on this board got upset because KO couldn't lock down top New England recruits. Just take a look at how many top Indiana recruits decided to play elsewhere. Trust me, by the end of Crean's tenure, that fan base couldn't wait for the ax to fall on his neck.

 

[Matrim55]

You can argue that those teams underperformed in the NCAA tournament, but they lost to national champion UK (Kenpom #1), final four Cuse (Kenpom #9) and runner up UNC (Kenpom #2). Sure it would have been nice if those teams went further but it's tough to be so critical on a 3 game sample...

It's an 18-year sample. Crean's never won a postseason tournament – not in Conference USA, not in the Big East, not in the Big 10.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

I’m in Louisville for business this week - and caught a lot of local sports radio today - and they are having similar conversations regarding coaching (and dissimilar in a sense that they are crushed for missing the tourney whereas we knew for certain it wasn’t happening). But, for two hours I listened to the hosts and callers come up with names. The most common ‘want’ was Chris Mack. There were some former Pitino disciples (mainly Donovan) but a thought that none of these would come based on how the Pitino firing went down. There was a lot of Gregg Marshall too. Regardless, the name I did not hear...not once...was Crean. And these folks are geographically close to IU. To me, that speaks volumes. As much as I loathe Louisville, their fans are passionate and knowledgeable about hoops. I strongly lean toward the potential of Hurley or other up and comers rather than a retread. If we’re going to take the retread route, I’m sure there are better options.

 

[intlzncster]

and read this article before his success at URI. I'm all in.

Brother helped Hurley become Dan the Man

Discerning readers will note that a big part of Dan Hurley's 'come back' at Seton Hall was due to a new coach: our own George Blaney. Neat little tie in.

 

[Uconnrick]

Heard a lot of people at IU hated the guy. Pissed a lot of people off in the admin.

FWIW, Georgia has contacted him about the job.

A good friend of mine is an IU fan. He claims that Crean failed to recruit the state of Indiana hard enough. That's a big deal there. That, and not winning enough.

 

[intlzncster]

Anyone out their now with a similar resume?

Not a chance. Coaching carousel is too quick these days. He was at Northeastern for 13 years. Guys like that only last 6 these days.

 

[whaler11]

Crean is supposed to be a decent human being and he has an eye for under-the-radar talent, but he's an awful in-game coach, he almost never lands the big fish, and he wasn't able to take Indiana beyond the Sweet 16. He failed to win 20 games in 3 of his final 4 years at IU – how would he do in Storrs?

Bottom line is he's a guy who's never had significant success unless he had a generational talent (Wade).

Now, we don't know if Hurley will ever get there. But he started at a nothing high school and built it into a power. Then he got a job at a small D-1 school, and turned that into a regional power (and his successor has kept that going). Then he moved up a level to a mid-major, and has turned them into a power.

Every step is another rung on the ladder, with no skipped steps. No escalators, one might say.

It doesn't mean he's going to be the right guy for this job. But he's a young-ish coach on the come-up, has nearly 2 decades of head coaching experience, and nearly one decade as a college head coach.

Hiring Hurley represents "we want to be really good again." Hiring Crean would be "we don't want to be that bad again."

I know which I'd prefer.


There are about a dozen mid-major HCs I'd rather take a flier on before Crean. Hiring Crean is "we're kind of giving up, we just don't want to be an embarrassment anymore."

If you can't get Indiana to a Final Four you sure as hell can't get UConn there.

He turned Wagner into a regional power? He didn’t even go to an NCAA tourney there.

 

[whaler11]

Discerning readers will note that a big part of Dan Hurley's 'come back' at Seton Hall was due to a new coach: our own George Blaney. Neat little tie in.

Sounds like a potential coach in waiting.