Reynolds: Coaching search...

[TylerDurden]

People assess college coaches incorrectly.

People look at wins/losses, conference titles, awards, etc...

Really what you should be looking at is where the coach has brought his program relative to where they "should" be.

For example, lets assume the default position for Kentucky in the SEC is #1 and South Carolina is #8. Next year, if South Carolina finishes 3rd, makes an NCAA tournament, and wins a game; doesn't that mean Horn did a better job the Calipari if he finishes 2nd and happens to make a Sweet 16?

People just look at the Sweet 16 and ignore how far it took to get there. A Sweet 16, at UK, is basically a punt.

Bringing that back to someone like Fife. Maybe (it probably is) IPFW "should" be right at the bottom of their conference (they have no facilities, support, fans, and compete in a state of high performing teams). If he finishes 5th, that is saying something.

It is the same sort of thing that is said when Bo Ryan takes a perpetual bottom dweller in Wisconsin and makes them into an perennial tournament team.

Scheinder at Kansas State football is probably the best example. KSU has absolutely no business being a +football program and for a decade thats exactly what HE made them. The distance to a Big 12 title is significantly different for KSU relative to a Oklahoma or Nebraska.

This is a good point.

IPFW is a commuter school, with no resources, that plays buy games to pay the bills.

This year they played at Cincinnati, Xavier, Valpo and Purdue
Last year they played at Wisconsin, Washington State, Gonzaga, Toledo and Michigan State
The previous year they played at Xavier, Michigan State (home), at Marquette, Nebraska and Purdue

It's not a similar situation to BU.

I'm not advocating Fife for the BU job, but his record reflects the realities of the school.

[Beninator]

That's reasonable, Indy BB. I'm not saying I'm right, just that I'd be less excited, from a fan's perspective, than I would about other names we've been connected to.

Agree... Given what I think that we have in our recruiting class under JL, firing JL to bring someone in like Fife, would leave me extremely underwhelmed!

[Buesch N Chips]

Agree... Given what I think that we have in our recruiting class under JL, firing JL to bring someone in like Fife, would leave me extremely underwhelmed!

I agree. Everyone has to remember, the new hire has to be better than Jim Les. Not just in wins and losses, but you gotta throw everything else in as well. You got rid of one of your own and probably burned a bridge or two or three. Whatever happens with this hire must make up for that, A journeyman mid-major coach won't do.

[AZ BU Fan]

He is old T

If 55 is old, what is 56?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm feeling really young at 56!

Old Guys Who Can Still Kick A$$
Clint Eastwood, 78
Robert Duvall, 77
Dick Butkus, 66
Robert DeNiro, 65
Gary Busey, 64
Sly Stallone, 62
Mean Joe Greene, 62
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 61
Nolan Ryan, 61
Ted Nugent, 60
George Foreman, 59
Vladamir Putin, 56
Bruce Willis, 56
Hulk Hogan, 55
Billy Bob Thornton, 53

[JBinPeoria]

I could get behind Dane Fife. I loved him as a player at Indiana and he learned coaching from one of the best!

[Da Coach]

I could get behind Dane Fife. I loved him as a player at Indiana and he learned coaching from one of the best!

Who is that? Kelvin Sampson?

I am a bit baffled. Can someone tell me what Dane Fife has done that makes him a better candidate to coach Bradley than Jim Les?

I thought the BU job was said to be drawing interest from some pretty high level and successful names? Would the people who were dissatisfied with Jim Les never finishing higher than 4th in the MVC be satisfied with a coach who has a losing record and has never finished higher than 4th in the god-awful Summit League?

Here is Dane Fife's record, and no matter how you slice it, Jim Les' record is far superior.-
Dane Fife has coached at IPFW since 2005.
In 6 seasons his record is a really lousy 82-107-
2010-11 18-12, 11-7 RPI 180
2009-10 16-15, 9-9 RPI 224
2008-09 13-17, 8-10 RPI 228
2007-08 13-18, 9-9 RPI 218
2006-07 12-17 RPI 243
2005-06 10-18 RPI 291

His team has only had 2 marginally plus .500 seasons out of his 6 seasons.
He has only once finished with a +.500 record in the extremely weak Summit League.
They have never played in an NCAA game, and never made any postseason tournament.
Despite the IPFW Mastodons playing in the extremely weak Summit Conference, after 6 seasons Fife has never finished higher than 4th seed.
He has never finished with an RPI in the top 1/2 of D1 schools, and this year's RPI of 180 is the first season better than 218.

[BradleyBrave]

I agree. Everyone has to remember, the new hire has to be better than Jim Les. Not just in wins and losses, but you gotta throw everything else in as well. You got rid of one of your own and probably burned a bridge or two or three. Whatever happens with this hire must make up for that, A journeyman mid-major coach won't do.

Agreed. We didn't upgrade in 2002, we had better do it this time.

[BradleyBrave]

I am a bit baffled. Can someone tell me what Dane Fife has done that makes him a better candidate to coach Bradley than Jim Les?

I thought the BU job was said to be drawing interest from some pretty high level and successful names? Would the people who were dissatisfied with Jim Les never finishing higher than 4th in the MVC be satisfied with a coach who has a losing record and has never finished higher than 4th in the god-awful Summit League?

Here is Dane Fife's record, and no matter how you slice it, Jim Les' record is far superior.-
Dane Fife has coached at IPFW since 2005.
In 6 seasons his record is a really lousy 82-107-
2010-11 18-12, 11-7 RPI 180
2009-10 16-15, 9-9 RPI 224
2008-09 13-17, 8-10 RPI 228
2007-08 13-18, 9-9 RPI 218
2006-07 12-17 RPI 243
2005-06 10-18 RPI 291

His team has only had 2 marginally plus .500 seasons out of his 6 seasons.
He has only once finished with a +.500 record in the extremely weak Summit League.
They have never played in an NCAA game, and never made any postseason tournament.
Despite the IPFW Mastodons playing in the extremely weak Summit Conference, after 6 seasons Fife has never finished higher than 4th seed.
He has never finished with an RPI in the top 1/2 of D1 schools, and this year's RPI of 180 is the first season better than 218.

Good questions and good points.

I guess I have to ask though, what made JL a better candidate than Jim Molinari at the time?

[Beninator]

Good questions and good points.

I guess I have to ask though, what made JL a better candidate than Jim Molinari at the time?

Didn't the committee look at style of play for determining at large bids this year?

[Da Coach]

Good questions and good points.

I guess I have to ask though, what made JL a better candidate than Jim Molinari at the time?

Maybe you don't remember, but we have probably had 5,000 threads and tens of thousands of posts over the last 9 years discussing this. And now Jim Les is gone and no longer coaching here. If the answer to this isn't clear now, it will never be. So we don't need to try to bring up another chance to bash JL.

The issue at hand is the hiring of a new coach, and some are promoting Dane Fife. I am sure he is a good guy and will be a good coach somewhere, someday. But I have yet to see any reason why Bradley should consider the youngest coach in D1, who has a bad losing record, only once finished above .500 in the Summit League, has never been in any kind of postseason tournament, has never finished higher than 4th. Plus he has no recruiting connections in Illinois that are apparent, and none of the players he has had that were significant contributors were from Illinois.

[Beninator]

Dane Fife is a name on the coaching list that should be easily winnowed from any serious contention. At least I hope this is the case!

[Braveman]

55 is old...ha, ha....

Jim Larranaga is 61 and being talked about to replace Keno Davis...
Coack K is 64...

Coach K isn't starting at 64.. he is 64..

FWIW- Last few BU coaches ages when they hired on...

Joe Stowell 39
Dick Versace 39
Stan Albeck 55
Jim Molinari 37
Jim Les 38/39(turned 39 after hire before season)

[lefty]

Good questions and good points.

I guess I have to ask though, what made JL a better candidate than Jim Molinari at the time?

I think that's a valid question. I don't know that I'm a Fife fan to be honest but I don't think this is a bash of JL either.I do agree the adminstration should be able to back up there choice though.

Maybe the cases are different. That Administration wanted rid of Mo and this one thinks someone can do better than JL. I don't know.

[JBinPeoria]

Who is that? Kelvin Sampson?

I am a bit baffled. Can someone tell me what Dane Fife has done that makes him a better candidate to coach Bradley than Jim Les?

I thought the BU job was said to be drawing interest from some pretty high level and successful names? Would the people who were dissatisfied with Jim Les never finishing higher than 4th in the MVC be satisfied with a coach who has a losing record and has never finished higher than 4th in the god-awful Summit League?

Here is Dane Fife's record, and no matter how you slice it, Jim Les' record is far superior.-
Dane Fife has coached at IPFW since 2005.
In 6 seasons his record is a really lousy 82-107-
2010-11 18-12, 11-7 RPI 180
2009-10 16-15, 9-9 RPI 224
2008-09 13-17, 8-10 RPI 228
2007-08 13-18, 9-9 RPI 218
2006-07 12-17 RPI 243
2005-06 10-18 RPI 291

His team has only had 2 marginally plus .500 seasons out of his 6 seasons.
He has only once finished with a +.500 record in the extremely weak Summit League.
They have never played in an NCAA game, and never made any postseason tournament.
Despite the IPFW Mastodons playing in the extremely weak Summit Conference, after 6 seasons Fife has never finished higher than 4th seed.
He has never finished with an RPI in the top 1/2 of D1 schools, and this year's RPI of 180 is the first season better than 218.

Dane Fife did not play for Kelvin Sanction. He played for both Bob Knight and Mike Davis and was a starter in Indiana's 2002 National Championship runner up team. He was also awarded Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year that season. I also agree with Indy_BB that his performance in the Summitt league, while not stellar, is much higher than one would expect given the resources at a school like IUPFW. I view Dane Fife as a real up and comer who will have a fine career ahead of him wherever he ends up. I think he deserves a look.

[srw]

Coach K isn't starting at 64.. he is 64..

FWIW- Last few BU coaches ages when they hired on...

Joe Stowell 39
Dick Versace 39
Stan Albeck 55
Jim Molinari 37
Jim Les 38/39(turned 39 after hire before season)

Thanks Braveman.

We all get old...

Im just saying, I don't expect the hire to be at that age. Remember this will be someone who has likely (except sidjohn) been in coaching for 10-15 years.