Buehrle>Wood

Weber said no to SIU

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 07:16 PM) It's already a complete PR disaster. And any coach is doomed from the start. He's not in your eyes because it's your guy, but that won't make one difference. Any hire is the same at this point. That may be true. But at least Chicago likes Theus and we can around the BoT.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 07:00 PM) I saw a list of schools that Theus went after only to get passed over, that list was not full of prime basketball schools. He's a wildcard, that is for sure. At this point though, it's the only way to save us from a complete PR disaster. Other coaches will be doomed from the start.

Nebraska picked Tim Miles over Groce as well. I don't think Theus was ever considered for that position.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 06:45 PM) It's amazing how much the media can influence people's opinions on the AD and the probable coaching hire. What exactly is it that makes it Thomas's fault that none of the "big splash" hires came to Illinois? I'm sure this will be an easy answer because you were all present for the negotiations. And, since when did "overtures" to coaches start counting as misses for the AD? I would think that if a coach denies interest in a job offering immediately kind of implies that there was no amount of negotiating that would change their mind about it. What exactly is it that makes Groce a bad hire? Is it his track record of being a good recruiter, including actual Chicago recruiting experience, something that the aforementioned "big splash" hires do not have? Is it his ability to win games of actual importance, giving him the majority of Ohio's NCAA victories as well as 2 MAC Championships, something his predecessor could not do despite the better record in the regular season? Did I mention that his entire current team is returning for next year, which would likely mean that we are hiring him a year before he becomes a "rising star," which would give him a very similar track record to one Bill Self? Does he just need a big name to be a good hire? How is that working for Minnesota? Similarly, Tom Izzo wasn't exactly a flashy hire and look how that turned out for Michigan State. Is Groce my first choice? No, but that doesn't mean he is a bad choice. I'm not asking for a splashy hire. If you have a big name, great. If not, well, you better have a track record as a good coach. And outside of a three game sample size, he doesn't. 34-30 in the lowly MAC and never finished better than 3rd (Bill Self won 71% of his conference games at Tulsa, Bruce Weber won 69% of his games at SIU). Overall, he won just 60% of his games. Who cares what he has coming back to Ohio next year? We're going to base this hire around what he might do in the future in a bad basketball conference? Tom Izzo coached at MSU before. Groce has no ties to the state of Illinois. What is this Chicago track record? He obviously did a great job making DJ Cooper out of South Holland come to Ohio, but out side of that I do not see much.

On his Twitter.

Theus! Theus! Theus! Since were below the bottom of the barrel anyways, might as well appease to the two crowds we've been ignoring for so long, the BoT and Chicago

Mark Tupper said the BOT nixed the hire for now. Awesome. I'm actually at the point where I'm rooting for those guys.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 06:10 PM) Seth Davis ‏ @SethDavisHoops "People" have good jobs. AD also scaring em away RT @Devblair: why does it seem people are staying clear of the Illinois job? Looks like it. Thomas has completely messed this situation up. He needs to be gone if Groce is the hire.

When is the last time a Big Ten school hired a MAC coach? I honestly don't know. I know Geno Ford won the conference two years in a row and got rewarded with the job at Bradley.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 06:30 PM) There is still some hope! Illinois Basketball ‏ @IlliniHoops Contrary to reports/sources, there will not be an #Illini press conference today. Nice.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 06:21 PM) Jerrance would have been a better hire than Groce. Jerrance would have been one of the worst possible hires But perhaps you're right. At least we don't know yet whether or not he is a mediocre head coach, like Groce has proven to be, and he at least has in state connections, unlike Groce. I mean if we are going to hire a guy for simply being a good assistant coach, might as well be our own.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 03:46 PM) At what point do you chalk up your disappointment to the fact you have unrealistic expectations? Was Weber really that big of a hire? 2 conference titles in the MVC (1 shared) 3 average seasons and 2 tourney appearances with 1 sweet sixteen. Groce's year this season mirrors alot of Webers second to last season at SIU. Took a team from under .500 to 29-8 with a sweet sixteen run. 11-5 in conference to Webers 14-4. Weber coached in the far superior MVC, won at a much better rate, won the league twice, and went to the sweet sixteen. Groce is 34 and 30 in the MAC, never finished higher than third, and did go to the sweet sixteen. Oh yeah, Weber coached in the state while Groce never has. Yeah, I think its safe to say Bruce Weber was a lot better hire than John Groce

Klee and Prep Bullseye saying Jerrance is gone if Groce is hired. Even better.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 02:02 PM) Name someone Ben Jacobson. This is a guy who would be a terrible hire, but still has a much better resume than Groce.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 02:52 PM) Which everyone agrees he's very good at. For those against the Groce hire, I agree, it's not exciting. But what the hell is the alternative? Reggie Theus? . Anyone? This guy is very low. Decent Big Ten schools should not be considering coaches from the god awful MAC, let alone coaches who can't even win the conference.

QUOTE (Brian @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 01:35 PM) If, if, if. I'm starting to believe that most Illinois fans don't deserve a successful coach. We don't appear to be getting one either way.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 02:03 PM) Haugh made a good point today. If Akron makes an open shot Ohio doesn't make the tournament and this guy is never considered. He may turn out to be the greatest coach in Illinois history he may be awful. It will all come down to recruiting Yep, if Akron makes that shot, Tim Jankovich looks like the far superior candidate.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 05:29 AM) As opposed to all the other amazing options out there right now? It's responses like this that give Illini fans they rep they have, and puts any coach behind the 8 ball to begin with. None of us know how it will turn out. Cherry picking a stat doesn't prove it one way or another. Cherry picking a stat? The only stat (3 and 2 tournament record) that even puts him in the conversation has to be cherry picked. He is awful in every other regard outside of a selective three game sample size.

John Groce...I feel like this is a bad dream. Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and he is old news.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 26, 2012 -> 06:43 PM) But this "as good" stuff is kind of ridiculous. Go look at Bo Ryan's D1 record before taking over for Wisky. Crean was like 50% at getting to the tournament at Marquette, had a final four run with D-Wade, but was blown out of the gym once he got there. Except for this last year Beilen hasn't done much at Michigan. It's just not a slam dunk that a big name hire will do anything for you. Ask Minnesota fans how Tubby has worked out. Heck, the best coach in the Big Ten had ZERO head coaching experience, and look what MSU's been the last decade. Bo Ryan at least came from Wisconsin. Crean came from a major program. Illinois is on the verge of hiring a guy who is barely above .500 in a conference that is essentially a low-major and has no connections to the state of Illinois.

If John Groce is indeed even in remote consideration, just LOL. What a complete disaster.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 23, 2012 -> 10:52 PM) Some random Illini board I was reading had a guy that found a plane going from Indy to Willard, speculating that Stevens is on it. Don't know much about Steven's last year, but any particular reason why they were so much worse? Players leaving? The plane stuff is a long running message joke for coaching searches of any kind. But yeah, it landed like an hour ago and is coming back tonight. And because, yeah, Howard and Mack were gone. Mack to the NBA.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 23, 2012 -> 08:19 PM) If the Illini hire him, they better hope you're right. If he's anything like Lickliter, the athletic department will add another to the line of people they are paying not to coach their teams anymore. I was kidding. I don't really know. But fwiw, Hayward was a Stevens recruit. Mack presumably was too. Not sure on Howard.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 23, 2012 -> 08:16 PM) I wonder how much better Stevens is than Todd Lickliter. Same school. Lickliter had 2 Sweet 16s and Stevens had 2 finals games, albeit with Lick's players. Lickliter is now an assistant at Miami OH, still getting checks from Iowa. What an awful hire he was. Stevens was clearly the genius behind Lickliter.