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re: Tom Crean is our MF Coach

Posted on 3/16/18 at 1:54 pm to
Posted by Crowknowsbest
Member since May 2012
25891 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 1:54 pm to
I think I read that Fox actually stopped going to speak at booster clubs and such, which is very, very dumb.

The reality for UGA basketball is that football is a behemoth. You have to have the right attitude about that. You can't passively sink into that shadow. Embrace it, and use that huge, rabid fan base to your advantage.

Examples: Crean should be doing speaking engagements with Kirby at every opportunity and should be at as many youth camps in Atlanta as possible to generate fans at the ground-level.
This post was edited on 3/16/18 at 1:57 pm
Posted by WG_Dawg
Hoover
Member since Jun 2004
86589 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:00 pm to
We have the great opportunity of using football to help market, I would think. I'm not sure what the schedules are but it seems like we should try to piggyback on football's success like you mentioned. 90K people in town for G-Day? Cool let's have a meet and greet or shootaround or something that morning. Fan/picture day in August? Let's have a practice in teh steg that's open to the public.

I feel like there are a ton of ways we could have better marketed the program that fox didn't take advantage of, although part of it may just be his personality. Kirby and Crean seem like extremely extroverted, outgoing guys that can talk to anyone. Fox seems more low key and introverted and not really the best guy to be pumping up your program.
Posted by Crowknowsbest
Member since May 2012
25891 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:03 pm to
quote:

I would think. I'm not sure what the schedules are but it seems like we should try to piggyback on football's success like you mentioned. 90K people in town for G-Day? Cool let's have a meet and greet or shootaround or something that morning. Fan/picture day in August? Let's have a practice in teh steg that's open to the public.

Exactly. The marketing machine and audience are in place because of football. UGA basketball needs to use that.
Posted by DawgCountry
Great State of GA
Member since Sep 2012
30600 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:12 pm to
3 years ago, CMR and CMF were at the UGA Alumni event at the CFB HoF. Things like that to drum up support amongst the alumni, boosters would go a long way. Needs to happen more often. Not just a one time thing.
Posted by S1C EM
Athens, GA
Member since Nov 2007
11585 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:22 pm to
Crean comes off as a genuinely good guy. That's really good to see. Have to say, I'm excited to watch some games next year.
Posted by fibonaccisquared
The mystical waters of the Hooch
Member since Dec 2011
16898 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:23 pm to
quote:

I don’t know... he was fired from a better program. Could have been issues out of his control to an extent. I’m glad we at least spent some $$ on a big name. Hopefully he can get and keep some momentum going the program has been needing.


That's really more of an indictment against Indiana than anything else. I think SVP summed it up pretty well after the firing:
LINK

After inheriting a program with 1 returning scholarship players, reduced scholarships, and very strict academic sanctions that had to be met, Crean unknowingly had inherited what amounted to a dumpster fire... and after the time you might expect to recover from that (3 seasons), compiled a 70% win rate, 2 outright B1G championships, and a coach of the year award in 16 before being fired in 17... never mind significant losses from the team the year prior, injuries during the year that contributed to a meh season.

quote:

Crean compiled a 356-231 record in 18 seasons at Marquette and Indiana from 1999-2017. His teams have reached postseason play during 13 of those campaigns, with nine NCAA appearances and four NIT bids. Crean led Marquette to the 2003 NCAA Final Four and has reached four Sweet 16s at Marquette and Indiana. All told, Crean’s teams have been ranked in the Associated Press and/or USA Today polls during 12 seasons, including top-10 finishes in 2003 and 2013.

Individually, Crean has coached eight players who have won All-America honors. All 52 seniors to play for Crean during his head coaching career have earned a degree.

Most recently at Indiana, Crean inherited a program with only one returning player, pending NCAA probation and scholarship restrictions due to poor academic performances. He compiled a 166-135 record from 2008-17. Indiana was 28-66 in his first three seasons before compiling a 138-69 mark in his final six years in Bloomington, including a pair of outright Big Ten Championships in 2013 and 2016. Indiana was ranked in each of those last six campaigns, including 11 weeks at No. 1 during 2012-13. Crean was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, the same season he was a finalist for Naismith National Coach of the Year honors. Three Hoosiers earned All-America honors under Crean – Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (2016), Cody Zeller (2013) and Victor Oladipo (2013).

Crean inherited a program faced with reduced scholarships due to a deficient APR score. Four years later, the Hoosiers sported a perfect score of 1000 and maintained that mark for four years.

Crean served as head coach at Marquette from 1999-2008, leading the program to the 2003 Final Four and four more NCAA bids. Marquette also participated in three NITs under Crean and reached the 2004 quarterfinals. Marquette obtained AP top-25 rankings during six of Crean’s last seven seasons in Milwaukee, including final rankings of No. 9 in 2003, No. 12 in 2002, No. 20 in 2007 and No. 25 in 2008.

Crean was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2003, with Dwayne Wade earning Player of the Year honors in 2003 as well. Three Marquette players earned All-America accolades under Crean – Wade (2002 & 2003), Travis Diener (2005) and Dominic James (2007). After Crean departed for Indiana, two of his Marquette players later earned All-America honors – Jerel McNeal in 2009 and Lazar Hayward in 2010.

Crean’s winning ways were well established before he became a head coach. In 10 seasons from 1989-99, Crean was a member of the staffs at Michigan State, Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh. Those squads combined to win four regular-season and two conference tournament titles. They also reached postseason play eight times (five NCAAs and three NITs). The season before assuming the reigns at Marquette, Crean helped Michigan State to a 33-5 finish and the Final Four in 1999.


That's not baggage, that's an inability to recognize what your program is in the modern era... Indiana living in the past and expecting their coach to deliver that level of results.
Posted by WG_Dawg
Hoover
Member since Jun 2004
86589 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:25 pm to
Another thing I love that hasn't really been mentioned much...the dude took the job without even coming to Athens! We flew down there to do the paperwork and brought him up after he announced it. Honestly does anyone know the last time (if ever) TC has even been to Athens? The dude was dying for this job and wanted it so bad he moved his wife and 3 kids up here without even checking it out. Man I love that.
Posted by SumterCoDawg
Member since Apr 2015
5178 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:36 pm to
Oh it's clear he's excited as hell at this opportunity, and he truly believes he can win and win big here. I think he and Kirby can have a mutually beneficial relationship, something CKS and Fox didn't seem to have, which can go a long way to the success of their respective programs.
This post was edited on 3/16/18 at 2:40 pm
Posted by BMC398
Atlanta, GA
Member since Apr 2011
322 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:57 pm to
This thread is great.

T Minus 3 years and counting until he’s blackballed from all state high schools and has to go recruit out of state.

I think the program will get better.

It’s not going to get where you want it to though.
Posted by WG_Dawg
Hoover
Member since Jun 2004
86589 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 2:59 pm to
All we're asking for is to actually win a tournament game once in a while. If you don't think Tom can do that you're off your rocker
Posted by SumterCoDawg
Member since Apr 2015
5178 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 3:00 pm to
Are you the same retard who was saying Ron Hunter would've been a better hire?
Posted by K9
wayx....BOBO IN '19
Member since Sep 2012
24132 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 3:33 pm to
quote:

I think he and Kirby can have a mutually beneficial relationship, something CKS and Fox didn't seem to have, which can go a long way to the success of their respective programs.




lol
Posted by SumterCoDawg
Member since Apr 2015
5178 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 3:35 pm to
Enlighten me on what is funny, Mr. Anti-Kirby/Pro-Fox.
This post was edited on 3/16/18 at 3:38 pm
Posted by fibonaccisquared
The mystical waters of the Hooch
Member since Dec 2011
16898 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 4:13 pm to
quote:

T Minus 3 years and counting until he’s blackballed from all state high schools and has to go recruit out of state.


Link(s)? What is the thought process here?

quote:

I think the program will get better.


Quite frankly, it would be hard to not improve over zero tournament wins in 9 years under the previous staff.

quote:

It’s not going to get where you want it to though.


Define where you think we want to go? If we can start to consistently make the tournament and occasionally win 1-2 games, I'm fricking ecstatic. Just making the tournament 50-60% of the time would be a pretty substantial improvement and would improve our standing with in-state recruits who often see UGA as an "also-ran" in basketball. Make the tournament, win a game or more, and you move into the realm of a top 25-ish program... that little number next to your team helps an awful lot come recruiting season. It's not quite the same as what we have in-state with football, just knowing the disparity in perception between UGA's football and basketball programs, but if we hold most of the better players in-state that we're after that don't leave for the UK/Duke/Kansas/etc of the world, we have a dramatically better chance to finish in the top 3-4 teams in the league which will usually be good enough for the tournament.
Posted by S1C EM
Athens, GA
Member since Nov 2007
11585 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 4:23 pm to
Another discussion on Crean's firing from Indiana. All-in-all, I think most objective folks in the business would say this was an awesome hire for the Dawgs.

LINK
Posted by devils1854
Franklin
Member since Aug 2014
6356 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 6:04 pm to
His energy, passion, and intensity is contagious.

I dont know how well he will be in Athens(but I think its a good hire), but he will bring a buzz to the program, and thats partly what we need.
Posted by tween the hedges
Member since Feb 2012
20257 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 6:34 pm to
I was thinking that too. Maybe it’s better he didn’t see the Steg
Posted by K9
wayx....BOBO IN '19
Member since Sep 2012
24132 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 6:56 pm to
quote:

Enlighten me on what is funny, Mr. Anti-Kirby/Pro-Fox.



its just funny how you throw random stuff out there without any semblance of proof to back it up.

Posted by SumterCoDawg
Member since Apr 2015
5178 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 7:17 pm to
quote:

I think he and Kirby can have a mutually beneficial relationship
This is called an opinion, based on what others have noted, which is that Crean and Kirby are both extroverts and passionate about selling their product everywhere they go. Oh, and there is that little fact that today Crean talked about how beneficial it was, when he was at Michigan State, that their 3 major programs were all working with each other and he's glad to be at a place where he'll have that opportunity again.

quote:

something CKS and Fox didn't seem to have,
Well to start, Fox was extremely upset at Richt's firing (canceled practice because he was so distraught) and he was butthurt when Kirby stole the show by giving that speech at halftime of a basketball game asking for 93k at G-Day. Those two didn't get off on the right foot and never seemed to groove. I've seen as many supportive tweets from CKS for the equestrian team as I have for basketball.

quote:

which can go a long way to the success of their respective programs.
I'm sure when Kirby is bringing in recruits a week before signing day, he would rather stop by the Steg when it is rocking and show recruits watch a fun style of basketball rather than getting our dicks kicked in by South Carolina or some other middle of the road team. Based on his press conference today, Crean is going to use the passion for the football team to his advantage, rather than squander it like Fox did. So yeah I'd say that having two of the three major athletic programs at this university pulling in the same direction might just have a positive impact on their performance long-term.

I'll be sure to write a three page essay with citations next time, oh and I hope you like my new sig quote
Posted by K9
wayx....BOBO IN '19
Member since Sep 2012
24132 posts
Posted on 3/16/18 at 7:29 pm to
quote:

he was butthurt when Kirby stole the show by giving that speech at halftime of a basketball game asking for 93k at G-Day.


proof? again, you just throw shite out there to make a point and i guarantee you have zero proof of that. Just a wild assumption.


The other two things you quoted i didnt read because i wasn't talking about that shite and you typed way too much.

quote:

I'll be sure to write a three page essay with citations next time, oh and I hope you like my new sig quote




hey, it could still happen.
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