You realize you have a problem in your athletic department when your football team wins more games than your basketball team. Such is the case at the University of Iowa.
The Hawkeye basketball team lost their opening round game at the Big Ten Tournament Thursday and finished the season 10-22. The Iowa football team won the Orange Bowl game earlier this year and concluded its season 11-2.
Speculation is running high regarding the future of Iowa basketball coach Todd Lickliter. Lickliter has recorded three losing seasons at the school and it doesn't look good for the former Coach of the Year (at Butler University).
This isn't what Iowa Athletic Director Gara Barta envisioned when he hired Lickliter to replace unpopular Steve Alford. Barta was hoping Lickliter could restore some glory to the program (re: Ralph Miller, Lute Olson, Tom Davis)
There are apparently deep cracks in play . Players are leaving and so are the fans. It seems like at the end of the season, one of the biggest questions is what players will leave the program (voluntarily or involuntarily). Fans are showing their displeasure by not attending games. Attendance is below 9,000 and may be as low as about 5,000. Ouch! Fans frequently complain about Lickliter's style of play.
With all this negativity, Lickliter probably will not return as coach. The odds are definitely not in his favor.
Apparently, he will receive a $2.4 million payout if it is the end. And Lickliter will probably resurface at another school. But Hawkeye fans would have preferred winning seasons and NCAA tournament appearances
What do you think about the Lickliter situation?
2 comments:
barta and licklighter wont be buddied up on sunday afternoon to watch all the tourney finals and then selction show, instead licklighter is visting family in indy and barta is back in iowa city making a few phone calls, and hopfully a press confrence monday morningand he better bring the tissue,
Who do you think would be a good choice for the new coach?
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