Coaches don't leave the Big 11 for the Mountain West—especially after seven consecutive winning seasons.
But that's the move Steve Alford
made on Friday, when he left Iowa City to replace Ritchie McKay in New Mexico.
In many respects, Tubby Smith leaving Kentucky for Minnesota is an analogous and equally perplexing coaching move—and it will shield Alford and the University of Iowa from more intense scrutiny.
That said, the Iowa basketball program deserves scrutiny...especially from Hawkeye fans.
You'll recognize the only two names in Hawkeye history who have won longer and more regularly than Steve Alford: Tom Davis and Lute Olson. In eight seasons, Alford led Iowa to two Big 11 Tournament titles and three NCAA berths. But he was also below .500 in conference play and didn't win in those trips to the big dance.
More damning for Alford, however, was the fact that he never ingratiated himself with the Iowa fan base. Alford's detractors cited his hair more often than his record as a reason to dislike him.
His Indiana roots, Bobby Knight discipleship, and failure to woo booster clubs helped to form underlying biases. But Alford's public support of guard Pierre Pierce after an arrest for sexual assault in 2002 gave Iowa fans the more substantial cause to hate their head coach.
How Alford's departure will be remembered depends largely on whom the Hawkeyes hire to replace him. Among the names already being tossed around as possible successors are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M), and Bruce Pearl (Tennessee).
I don't see any reason any of those coaches would be interested in the job.
Spare me the bit about Gillispie's Big 11 roots and displeasure with Big 12 basketball. And yes, I'm aware that Pearl has history at Iowa (as an assistant under Davis).
Right now, Gillispie and Pearl have better players, better facilities, and, quite frankly, better fan bases at their respective universities.
That's where the Hawkeye introspection comes in.
Iowa is a football-first state—always will be, always should be. But the university's basketball facilities are below the Big 11 standard. While Carver-Hawkeye has made for great home court advantage over the years, its 15,500 capacity has only been a rumor in recent seasons, even for marquee games.
Those empty seats weren't intended to spite Alford...they were just empty.
The fact that Alford cited New Mexico's facilities and commitment to basketball in Friday's press conference should be a red flag for Iowa followers. New Mexico is willing to spend up to $20 million to upgrade the Pit, and already boasts a sparkling new practice venue. Their new athletic director, Paul Krebs, has made upgrading the basketball program a stated goal.
Iowa's new athletic director, Gary Barta, is
buying up hostile domain names and redirecting them to the athletic website. Now he's faced with his first critical coaching hire, one that will start to define his legacy and impact how Hawkeye fans remember the Alford departure.
The talent at Iowa is another issue. Adam Haluska carried this year's team to a winning record. His only support came from Tyler Smith, who will likely follow Alford to New Mexico—or at the very least transfer from Iowa. With the status of recruits and incoming transfers uncertain, there is literally no one else to build around.
The 42-year-old Alford was a big name for the Iowa program, one that drew national media attention—and more than a few recruits—to Iowa City.
If the athletic department can snag a Pearl, Few, or Gillispie, then Alford's departure is a
win-win. However, because of the aforementioned deficiencies at Iowa, I think a more realistic, mid-major candidate pool would include Dana Altman (Creighton), Chris Lowry (S. Illinois), and Gregg Marshall ( Winthrop).
The Hawkeyes shouldn't expect any more from those three than they got out of Steve Alford.
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