Bill Fennelly

[BigJCy]

Crooks wouldn’t answer Birch’s question today if she was planning on coming back next year.

If 2 of our big 3 leave, I think it has to be it for Bill, unfortunately. I’m all for one last ride, but not if it’s just duct taping a team together. Let the new staff do that.

I'm sure she likes it at Iowa State and being the fed the ball a ton but unless she dramatically changes physically and thus improving her agility, speed & jumping this may be her last season of basketball coming up (maybe overseas?). If I'm her and if some other University is going to double (maybe more?) what they are paying me at Iowa State I would seriously consider moving on and taking it. May be the last time she can ever make that type of money in her life.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I'm sure she likes it at Iowa State and being the fed the ball a ton but unless she dramatically changes physically and thus improving her agility, speed & jumping this may be her last season of basketball coming up (maybe overseas?). If I'm her and if someone is going to double (maybe more?) what they are paying me at Iowa State I would seriously consider moving on and taking it. May be the last time she can ever make that type of money in her life.

That's just it. With the new money in the WNBA, nobody is giving her big money when she has had 4 years to drop weight with every support and opportunity to do it and she hasn't.

 

[ZorkClone]

If Addy and Audi leave, Bill might as well retire. There would be no point in a lame duck coach trying to facilitate a rebuild to then just leave the next year.

 

[HarryClone]

Does Billy want the job? Has he earned it? Will he get it?

Yes, no, maybe (in that order)

Edited to expand a bit: I think there’s a world in which Pollard/whoever the AD is gives Billy a shot and tells him to bring in new assistants too so he can save a few hundred thousand dollars on coach salaries. If it works it’s a feel good story and maybe more alums stay connected to the program, if it doesn’t then move on after 4-5 years (presumably under a new AD). I don’t think it’s a good idea, but it might be the smoothest option at the end of Pollard’s tenure. Idk.

 

[ISUCubswin]

Does Billy want the job? Has he earned it? Will he get it?

I’ve heard he won’t be the next HC.

My bigger concern would be JP or Sanders requiring he remain on staff for the next HC which may limit some HC options. I know there is a history of the athletic department playing an active role in who gets hired as assistants for our non-revenue generating sports.

If the next HC wants Billy on staff, I’m all for it. But it should be the HCs decision.

 

[ZorkClone]

Kinda of an aside on the NIL stuff, but I am bit tired of the media telling us all of our players are giving us sweetheart deals. (This includes FB, MBB, and WBB)

Like we don’t just happen to be the only school with players that just love us so much they’d give up on making double just to play here.

It plays into the narrative of poor ole Iowa State, which I imagine why it gets repeated so often.

 

[Challenger06]

I would be very curious to see where we rank in women's basketball player "payroll." I can't imagine there's that huge of a gap between us and most everyone else. Football, yes. Women's hoops, not significant enough to use that excuse.

Well Olivia Miles is apparently making $700k in NIL money at TCU. She was a 2nd team all-American.
We also have a 2nd team all-American: Audi Crooks. Think she’s anywhere close to that?
Without Crooks we score a grand total of 26 pts yesterday. 26 points.
Time for ISU to pay up for our franchise player…

 

[SECyclone]

Does Billy want the job? Has he earned it? Will he get it?

IMO

Yes, No, Sure as heck hope not

 

[IcSyU]

Well Olivia Miles is apparently making $700k in NIL money at TCU. She was a 2nd team all-American.
We also have a 2nd team all-American: Audi Crooks. Think she’s anywhere close to that?
Without Crooks we score a grand total of 26 pts yesterday. 26 points.
Time for ISU to pay up for our franchise player…

I'll bet Audi is making more this year to play collegiate basketball than the highest earning year of 99% of CFers lives so please excuse me if I don't feel too bad for her.

TCU is also still playing basketball. And hosting. So I'd say maybe Miles earned it. This junior class has GROSSLY underachieved. Ultimately that's on Bill. It doesnt matters if its Xs and Os or strength or scouting or development...the buck stops at Bill...but the players also have some responsibility.

Audi has the Georges Niang conundrum in front of her and its her call. Maybe she just plays basketball and has no desire to continue past college but she's happy to get a free degree out of it.

If she wants the professional career of basketball she desperately needs the Niang transformation because her shtick isn't going to translate.

 

[Challenger06]

I'll bet Audi is making more this year to play collegiate basketball than the highest earning year of 99% of CFers lives so please excuse me if I don't feel too bad for her.

TCU is also still playing basketball. And hosting. So I'd say maybe Miles earned it. This junior class has GROSSLY underachieved. Ultimately that's on Bill. It doesnt matters if its Xs and Os or strength or scouting or development...the buck stops at Bill...but the players also have some responsibility.

Audi has the Georges Niang conundrum in front of her and its her call. Maybe she just plays basketball and has no desire to continue past college but she's happy to get a free degree out of it.

If she wants the professional career of basketball she desperately needs the Niang transformation because her shtick isn't going to translate.

Geezus. And if Audi had teammates like TCU’s Suarez, Hunter and Miles we’d be preparing to play UConn.
Breaking news: any decent coaching candidate that interviewed for the ISU women’s bb job would ask Pollard: “what’s your NIL situation?”
For once I agree with Fennelly; our primitive and underfunded NIL budget makes his job very hard.

 

[CycloneBob]

Here’s my offseason strategy.

Assuming every starter comes back, there’s two calls I’m making

Jenna Twedt, UNI leading scorer. From Benton HS. Took 7 threes a game. Give her Hannah Belanger role. We are desperate for more confident shooters

Elise Jaeger, UNI leading rebounder with 10 boards a game. Will shoot 3s if left open. From Valley. Promise her AB/Crooks replacement off bench at a minimum with chance to start at 4.

Potential con - both play good defense so wouldn’t mesh with our scheme

Thanks for your comments, but, IMO and I've seen Elise Jaeger play many games in high school and AAU, she isn't a Big 12 talent. Good at UNI, but not enough of an upgrade we need.

 

[ZorkClone]

Geezus. And if Audi had teammates like TCU’s Suarez, Hunter and Miles we’d be preparing to play UConn.
Breaking news: any decent coaching candidate that interviewed for the ISU women’s bb job would ask Pollard: “what’s your NIL situation?”
For once I agree with Fennelly; our primitive and underfunded NIL budget makes his job very hard.

Who is paying more than 750k to their WBB team? Certainly not most of the big 12.

Buts always poor Ole Iowa State nevermind Bill is one of the highest paid in the big 12.

 

[Jnecker4cy]

He brought in Harris, Hansford, and Paulk in to fill those roles the past two years, but they haven’t been good enough to be Big 12 starters. He needs someone good enough to send Hare to the bench, but he hasn’t proven he can get that and we don’t have a lot of positive energy to sell right now.

I am saying he finds or goes after seniors or grad transfers with only 1 year to play. That is who he can sell the last year he is coaching to. Come play with Audi, make our team better.

 

[cyfan92]

Look at our fan support versus 90% of women's basketball. This is a better job than Bill is coaching to.

I thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in retirement!

 

[cincy_cy2014]

I am saying he finds or goes after seniors or grad transfers with only 1 year to play. That is who he can sell the last year he is coaching to. Come play with Audi, make our team better.

I believe that goes against his philosophy of getting 2+ years of eligibility for players from the portal.

 

[AuH2O]

Geezus. And if Audi had teammates like TCU’s Suarez, Hunter and Miles we’d be preparing to play UConn.
Breaking news: any decent coaching candidate that interviewed for the ISU women’s bb job would ask Pollard: “what’s your NIL situation?”
For once I agree with Fennelly; our primitive and underfunded NIL budget makes his job very hard.

It’s the CF constant idea that ISU has no NIL because they are not trying or are not creative, etc.

Sorry you can’t “innovate” your way around a modestly sized alumni in a low population state, a tight ass fan base, and no big donors while also not having the dumb luck of getting to feed off of Ohio State and Michigan football media value.

Big NIL for WBB likely comes from donors that dictate the money get spent on WBB. If they are diverting discretionary funds to a massive money losing venture like WBB, that’s their choice. But that is not an investment. Like schools spending discretionary money on wrestling. That’s a luxury and a passion project

 

[ZorkClone]

It’s the CF constant idea that ISU has no NIL because they are not trying or are not creative, etc.

Sorry you can’t “innovate” your way around a modestly sized alumni in a low population state, a tight ass fan base, and no big donors while also not having the dumb luck of getting to feed off of Ohio State and Michigan football media value.

Big NIL for WBB likely comes from donors that dictate the money get spent on WBB. If they are diverting discretionary funds to a massive money losing venture like WBB, that’s their choice. But that is not an investment. Like schools spending discretionary money on wrestling. That’s a luxury and a passion project

I have to wonder if it’s easier for and AD when their schools only has expectations to be good in one or two sports.

Take Penn State for example, their fan base seem to not care at all about how bad their MBB and WBB is, but do spend lots of resources on FB and wrestling

 

[dahliaclone]

A buddy sent me this yesterday and I thought there was no way it was true. I looked it up...and it's true. Pretty sobering. Sorry if already posted.

 

[Buster28]

Just my two cents here (note that the actual value is around 1.85 cents): I believe Audi will finish her undergrad degree. I do not know if it will be at ISU. It seems she truly loves this university, but the personal goals in the back of her mind may go unrealized if she remains (league titles, advancing past round one, etc.). I'd heard she was offered a lot of money after the Stanford game to play in the SEC, then offered an obscene amount of money to play at a different SEC school after last year. I'm sure there will be another big offer thrown her way this year. It might be hard to turn down the opportunity to try something new just to see what it's like and to experience some things I'm sure she expected here, but so far has not seen, especially if the price is right. Addy (and Jada) are likely in the same boat. Both could be huge to another program looking for that final piece to their puzzle. I hope we don't lose any of them, but I also would never blame them for taking a chance on a change of scenery based on the results they've seen so far.

 

[IcSyU]

Also, if the three discussed leave, rip the bandaid off and start over now instead of waiting through an atrocious year next year.