They should have just let him leave when he tried to run out of there!. Of course the one who “got his hand up late” asked him the most softball question ever about how much Nunge means to the team. I do think Fran has a history with Emmert and the other questioner has been over to Fran’s home for dinner and plays golf with Fran’s kids!
I agree with most everyone here. It was an embarrassing interview. Incredibly terse in answer to that first question. I completely understand him not wanting to be there, but, wow, just handle the questions, all of them, in a professional manner.
Media obligations are a stipulated responsibility in his contract and it never ceases to amaze me how ill-prepared coaches like Fran are for tough questions after a loss. You’re being paid a king’s ransom while your skilled 18-22 year olds do your bidding and then you want to sit there and refuse to be an adult? I’m sure the players see it differently and maybe even as him standing up for them, but I’d be pretty embarrassed as a player to see my coach act like a child.
From reading Iowa boards a couple of those guys have continually railed on McCaffrey and his inability to get over the hump or win big, whatever superlative you want to use. I think McCaffrey has a chip on his shoulder to an extent. In Iowa basketball history they have had some real good coaches Lute Olsen, George Raveling, Tom Davis. Tom Davis is viewed as an institution but he also did a lot of his winning on the back of the work Raveling did. McCaffrey will most likely become the winningest coach in Iowa history in the next 2 years sticking around the same amount of time as Tom Davis but they will never look at McCaffrey the same way they did as Tom Davis.
I think it’s different to in the perspective he coaches 2 of his sons and I am sure it’s tough for his kids to see their dad continually criticized. Fran has done a good job where it’s not always easy recruit, heck he was able to recruit and help develop a possible 2 time poy.
I would also say the tone a media member uses such as “dysfunction” when they have had a great offense bothers him. There are numerous other ways to frame that question.
I think for the talent Iowa has they do very well. This year Michigan has beaten a number of ranked teams. It maybe this is Michigan year.It would be pleasant to see what Iowa’s coach said last year when he beatMichigan and Garza scored thirty three points.
Well, Big, I don’t think the basketball Gods were with them! I mean, they ran their offense with no dysfunction and Michigan didn’t stop them, it MUST have been something!
I mean it’s possible the offense wasn’t dysfunctional, but I also wouldn’t characterize it as functional. Let’s just say it wassss… statistically problematic?
Young people today, so sensitive. Fran was ruined by all those participation trophies I guess.
Fran’s behavior is ridiculous and embarassing. He’s a grown man acting like a child.
I was a bit surprised at how little credit Garza gave HD’s defense. I’m sure that when you average 30 a game or whatever you always think you can go off but I don’t believe he missed a bunch of bunnies. Seemed to me HD did an absolutely elite job of not letting Garza get position.
So if your team was a top team on the offensive end for many years and a local media scribe wants to say their offense was dysfuctional after a single game you wouldn’t be insulted??.Look at Iowa basketball on wiki and just realize what they go through as a program. The state of Iowa has had many terrific basketball players from Marcus Paige to Kirk Hirich, to Harrison Barnes to Nick Collison. Iowa can’t get those type of guys they went to UNC and Kansas. Actually look back to how many great high school players played ball in the D that Michigan didn’t get.
That doesn’t give you permission to be a complete d*ck in nearly every postgame press conference. Newsflash: Every coach deals with criticism all the time. Heck, Izzo has dealt with a lot of criticism this year. It’s not hard to answer questions in a respectful manner
Yeah I mean… Fran can be insulted if he wants. I don’t know if his employer cares if he acts like this. I don’t know if his players care either. It’s definitely not a huge deal. I just think it makes him seem like a real jerk. Coaches get asked sensitive(ish?) questions about their teams pretty often. Most coaches aren’t as rude as Fran, or at least not as often. Media types get disrespected by coaches pretty regularly, and I’m not a huge fan of that kind of attitude.
At the end of the day I understand it is not remotely part of Fran’s job to impress me. Still doesn’t mean I’m impressed.
I don’t know…the last question Fran was asked respectfully posed the same theme–no use of the word “dysfunction.” The reporter mentioned that the assist total was way down (he could have added that Iowa scored roughly 30 points below the per game average), asked if there was something that Michigan did (“did they force you guys to drive a lot more…”) that might account for the offensive shortfall (my term, not his), and Fran responded:
“That question’s been asked and answered.”
[End of presser]
I’m just not seeing how Fran comes out of this looking like anything better than extremely petulant.
