There is an entire website devoted simply to the current amount required to buyout Indiana basketball Coach Tom Crean. As tomcreanbuyout.com tells us, that amount is currently $4,000,000,000; and on July 1, 2017, the sum drops to $1,000,000.
The fact that a URL of this sort even exists, tells you what a strong level of discontent is present within the Hoosier nation. Today, their wish was granted, as he was officially let go. An official release has just been sent out.
Dick Vitale’s unprofessional info-mercials for Crean while he was calling the Purdue-Indiana telecast was yet another indicator (and there were many, including the whole NIT debacle) that Crean was at the end of his rope.
Crean, who’s career in Bloomington has played out like a basketball Ron Zook of sorts (elite recruiter, inconsistent in regards to maximizing that blue chip talent) was under contract until the end of the 2019-20 season. He has one truly elite agent, when you consider what an amazing deal he negotiated for his client. Now we move on, so
How Much Does Indiana Basketball Have to Spend?
Loren Tate wrote in the Champaign News-Gazette:
SEC officials made it public that long-term members of that conference received more than $40 million in media distributions in 2015-16. Big Ten distributions are widely reported as greater … which means, basically, Illinois can pay a basketball coach $20 million (plus perks) over six years and never blink.
The Big Ten check is in the mail, and distributions will leap further with the new rights contract.
In order to get a top notch candidate, the whole regime change (contract plus buyout(s)) costs could be in the $27-37 million range when all is said and done. That might be tremendous c.r.e.a.m. but as the Wu-Tang Clan famously told us, “cash rules everything me.”
Who will Indiana Basketball have to Compete with in the Coaching Marketplace?
The first domino to fall was NC State. Missouri has already hired Cuonzo Martin. Washington opened up yesterday. Many of the same candidates for the Indiana basketball job could be in the mix for the Illini job, which is still open.
Whoever the new coach is, hopefully he does not continue the Donald Trumpian relationship with the media which has been the Indiana basketball status quo since it was established by Bobby Knight.
Indiana Basketball Coaching Candidates
Kevin Keatts is the 44-year-old UNC-Wilmington head man and he might just be the next big thing in the basketball coaching world. He’s won the conference in both of his first two years on the job and may get a third this March.
Gregg Marshall is the new Shaka Smart- leader of a mid-major powerhouse who will be linked to every open power five job, every season, until he finally leaves. Many Illini basketball fans would be overjoyed if they bring him up from Wichita State.
He’s a Wisconsin native and son of B1G basketball royalty. His father Dick Bennett, took a moribund Badgers program and returned them to national relevance, culminating with a 2000 Final Four appearance.
Bennett has taken Thomas Jefferson’s university, a longtime afterthought in hoops, and put them at eye level in the ACC with Duke and North Carolina.
The man with the same name as the legendary crooner has made sweet music with the Cavs, becoming the only ACC coach to win 16 conference games in consecutive seasons, and one of three in ACC history to enjoy back-to-back 30-win seasons overall.
183-80 in eight seasons at UVA and 252-113 in 11 seasons overall. As of Feb. 19, UVA ranks first nationally in scoring defense (55.8 ppg), third in turnovers per game (9.8), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48), 19th in scoring margin (+11.8), 22nd in field goal percentage defense (39.9%), 24th in fouls per game (16.3) and 34th in field goal percentage (47.8%).
Player development is one of his main specialties, as he’s developed five future NBA Draft picks since 2011. Look at the current reigning ACC player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon. Now a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks, he was recently named to the NBA Rising Stars game.
Archie Miller
The Dayton Head Coach might be the new Shaka Smart: an annual March Madness “flavor of the month.” ADs typically overrate NCAA Tournament performances in the criteria for making hiring decisions.
It’s perfectly understandable given how college basketball is a very strange and lopsided game on the business end. How many times have you heard “I don’t care about college hoops until March” from the layperson? Hence postseason success overshadows the regular season drastically, and then assumes disproportional weight from publicity and revenue standpoints.
Miller is a lot more than that just March madness success though; he’s a program builder who has developed something special in central Ohio. As an added bonus, his wife, Morgan Miller already hates one B1G rival Northwestern, having Tweeted vitriol directed at the Wildcats just a few months ago.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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