AD Jamie Pollard Gets Another Mulligan at Iowa State

by Husker Mike on Apr 27, 2010 7:02 AM CDT in Nebraska Husker Basketball

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard must be living a charmed life. Once again, he's been bailed out by another school after making a bad hire. In 2008, Auburn hired away Gene Chizek despite his 2-14 record in conference play. Today, Creighton will introduce Greg McDermott as the new Bluejays head basketball coach despite McDermott's 18-46 career losing record in Big XII conference play. Two weeks ago, Clone Chronicle's Mark Kieffer labeled Iowa State's basketball program "A Bigger Mess Than I Thought Was Possible." Pollard probably had plenty of reasons to dismiss McDermott, but couldn't afford to. (See 2005 Nebraska basketball with Barry Collier.)

So Iowa State was looking at a struggling program when suddenly, Iowa State gets a second chance. Already former Texas A&M and Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie is showing interest in the Cyclones. Pollard has a track record of doing better on the second try. Paul Rhoades took the Cyclone football team to a bowl game this past season, and his reaction after upsetting Nebraska in that eight turnover debacle became a YouTube sensation.

Will Pollard strike again after being bailed out once again? Iowa State sure would hopes so.

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We're getting good at coaching searches.

by CrossCyed on Apr 27, 2010 8:08 AM CDT reply actions

I don't get the

Creighton love for McDermott either…..

Go Big Red Nebraska!
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by Jon Johnston on Apr 27, 2010 8:22 AM CDT reply actions

He’s a great recruiter and has a track record of success in the MVC. He was very good friends with Dana Altman, plus Bruce Rasmussen (Creighton’s AD) is a Northern Iowa grad. Their bromance has been strong for 10+ years…

Hang 'em!!!

by Screwface on Apr 27, 2010 2:34 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Shows

how much I pay attention to what’s going on with basketball…..

Nice to see you around, btw!

Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
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by Jon Johnston on Apr 28, 2010 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions

This formula worked for Creighton 16 years ago...

Hire a Big 8/12 coach with a losing conference record who’s getting run out of town. That was Dana Altman at K-State, and it’s McDermott at ISU.

by Husker Mike on Apr 27, 2010 9:38 PM CDT up reply actions

Nebraska will trade its Coach

Please take our Coach Iowa St…….we would like Danny Nee back….Fire Doc Sadler

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by thehusker on Apr 27, 2010 3:52 PM CDT reply actions

You're kidding, right?

I mean, I know Doc had an off year this year, but Nee?

by Husker Mike on Apr 27, 2010 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Nee

did well, but really last it his last two years…… that was too bad.

But yeah, I don’t think firing Doc Sadler at this point will solve anything….. it’s going to take a lot of patience to build a basketball program.

Go Big Red Nebraska!
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by Jon Johnston on Apr 28, 2010 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions

The Mayor is back in town.

Fred Hoiberg announced as the new ISU men’s basketball coach. Presser in Ames this morning.

And, FWIW, McDermott did pretty well at Wayne State and UNI before struggling at ISU. He might be a better fit for the MVC than he was for the Big 12.

"...when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to."
— Martin Luther

by Go Big Rev on Apr 28, 2010 7:42 AM CDT reply actions

Pollard gets a mulligan...

…and he hits it out of bounds, too.

We'll carry the banner high!
Bring On The Cats

by TB on Apr 28, 2010 7:43 AM CDT reply actions

Dunno about that...

…most people didn’t have Paul Rhodes on their candidate list before he showed up at the presser. It’s sure unconventional…

by Husker Mike on Apr 28, 2010 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions

At least Rhodes had some coaching experience

We'll carry the banner high!
Bring On The Cats

by TB on Apr 29, 2010 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions

exactly.

Fred is a big name, but what has he done as a coach? Front office work and some pretty decent NBA playing experience doesn’t mean jack. I like the guy, and there is a lot to be said for getting the fans back into the team…but I dunno.

Word around here in central Iowa is that McDermott couldn’t relate to the players at all. He had the coaching chops, but the players just didn’t like him. I’m guessing it’s mostly because at UNI, he had smart kids who were of average athletic ability. At ISU, he gets the opposite with a bit of ego attached. That didn’t work well. Hence ISU’s decision to hire Nick Nurse away from the Iowa NBA-D team. I sat close to Nurse on the bench and interviewed him a few times…and he was great at managing NBA level egos. I think that’s why ISU hired him, and now he’s back with the Energy because he didn’t want to go to Omaha with McDermott.

If Hoiberg can recruit, he’ll be okay I think.

"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"

GO BIG RED!

by Brian Speers on Apr 29, 2010 8:17 PM CDT up reply actions