TJ best coach we have ever had?

[SeventhSon]

TJ is great obviously but we need to keep in mind his team plays in the arena that Johnny built (figuratively speaking).

God, imagine back in '80 if ISU had instead hired that Krwz-y-wooski guy they interviewed -- whoo-hee man... Talk about a bullet dodged!

 

[alarson]

His current track record is tough to argue with. Though you really need more time. After 3 years Eustachy had 2 years of undefeated home games, and had a national championship-level team in year 2. Fred's tenure was also one of the most exciting eras of ISU basketball. A couple more years at this kind of level though and it won't even be a question.

I don't see Orr as directly comparable. He was clearly the right guy for the times and great at getting hilton magic going, but he also lost a bunch on the road and during his last 8 seasons he only won one tournament game and finished in the bottom half of the conference 6/8 years (and one of those others was a tie for 4th/5th). Clearly a lovable guy and an important figure in ISU lore but best coach? I don't know that you can say that about someone who went to one sweet 16 in 14 seasons.

 

[cyatheart]

I would say Floyd was a way better basketball coach, but he wasn’t here long.

 

[Cyrocks]

Would have loved to have seen what Maury John could have done at Iowa State. He was here for just a short time due to death, but was turning the ISU program around.

At the same time, things happen for a reason. Had John not passed away when he did, Iowa State may never had been in the running for Orr.

 

[inCyteful]

As a basketball coach, it seems that way.

As a comedian, it will be tough to top Johnny.

Johnny was a very good coach but WONDERFUL ambassador for ISU and the right person at the right time.

His teams didn't play a lot of defense.

I have to say TJ has him beat on the X's and O's - Close between TJ and Eustachy there.

Here is why I think TJ is going to be legendary:

Of the 8 current 1 and 2 seeds, all of the teams have 1 or more players listed in most All American 1st, 2nd or 3rd teams except for 1.

Your ISU Cyclones. Wish I had the time to see how often that has happened - I am guessing not very many.

No coach in America gets more out of the players he has than TJ. Period.

 

[CYclist]

All you people saying Johnny, I understand the admiration he gets. He built it, but there was never that great team that was there competing for the NC, or really ever a conference championship. I'd guess you could take a best of roster of his teams and we've had multiple teams since then that would handle them. Certainly 99-00 would and a couple of the Hoiberg years would. This team this year would beat them too.

I'll always love Johnny for everything he did, but we've gotten so much better since then too.

 

[NorthCyd]

Too soon to have this discussion IMO, but the early returns look really good.

 

[awd4cy]

Not if you ask UNLV rebel grl

 

[chadly82]

In 5 years we will def know the answer!

 

[swiacy]

L.E. is my answer to the trivia nut cup question that I throw at my Cyclone and Hawkeye friends, Who is the only ISU coach in football or basketball that won consecutive conference championships and was immediately fired? Sad but true. I'm gonna say Ken Trickey for a laugh who had my all time favorite named player Hercle "poison" Ivy. But I rank it Eustachy-Floyd-Hoiberg-TJ-Orr. Floyd was really good and could recruit, he got Dedric Willoughby I think among others but he didn't stick around long enough. Hoiberg and Orr were all about scoring more than the other team if it too 90+. Can't move TJ any higher until he wins Conference and Hilton South which could happen soon.

 

[gocy444]

I’m too young to remember Johnny. There’s been two coaches in my lifetime that have made me feel a certain type of way. Those were Fred and Campbell. There is now 3 coaches that make me feel that way.

 

[jsb]

It's hard to know because the good coaches haven't stuck around and frankly neither have the bad coaches.

It's kind of crazy how most of the coaches have kind of the same resume. A sweet 16, a conference tournament championship, a finish around second in the conference, an early exit from the tournament.

If TJ sticks around, I don't see any reason why he won't be the most successful coach in school history.

 

[Agclone91]

TJ is awesome, but the most notable thing for me is that he has surrounded himself with phenomenal assistants and gives them the reigns - Very CEO-like. KG, Blount, and Schmidt seem to have as much, or more, involvement during the games as TJ. Seems it's almost always one of those guys at the center of the huddle with the white board.

 

[xboxfever]

All you people saying Johnny, I understand the admiration he gets. He built it, but there was never that great team that was there competing for the NC, or really ever a conference championship. I'd guess you could take a best of roster of his teams and we've had multiple teams since then that would handle them. Certainly 99-00 would and a couple of the Hoiberg years would. This team this year would beat them too.

I'll always love Johnny for everything he did, but we've gotten so much better since then too.

Johnny was a great coach, great person, great ambassador for ISU and helped ISU basketball reach new heights. He’s the reason for Hilton Magic. He is however overrated to a lot ISU fans. He made the NCAA tournament 6 times in 14 seasons and only made it out of the first weekend once. If this years team makes the sweet 16, T.J. will have already accomplished more in three seasons then Johnny did in his career at ISU.

 

[ClubCy]

The emotional swings on this board are intoxicating. Last night it was TJ doesn’t make adjustments, TJ can’t coach offense, TJ needs to sacrifice defense for offense, and more. Today he might be the best coach in Iowa State history. Saturday he could be the worst again!

 

[jsb]

Johnny was a great coach, great person, great ambassador for ISU and helped ISU basketball reach new heights. He’s the reason for Hilton Magic. He is however overrated to a lot ISU fans. He made the NCAA tournament 6 times in 14 seasons and only made it out of the first round once. If this years team makes the sweet 16, T.J. will have already accomplished more in three seasons then Johnny did in his career at ISU.

I’m pretty sure he made it out of the first round more than once. He only made it out of the first weekend once.

Also the bones of our basketball program were very bad before he came. His ncaa tournament years were pretty solid after his first.

 

[clone52]

Tough to top Orr… unless TJ takes us to a Final Four this year. Sure, TJ resurrected a program that Prohm killed, but Orr built a program that barely existed before his arrival.

I was going to say Eustschy, but then realized outside of 1999-2001 he actually didn’t do a whole lot outside of party with coeds.

the top 5 are clearly Orr, Floyd, Eustachy, Hoiberg and TJ, right?

I'd go Orr number 1. He showed he was a great coach at Michigan, resurrected Iowa State BB, but couldn't get to an elite level. I seem to remember they should have had a great team in the late 80's but had problems with guys like Mack and Mark Baugh maybe?

I think I'd have to go Hoiberg #2. He edges out TJ just based on sustained success. If TJ goes to the tournament next year or goes to the Elite 8 this year, he passes Hoiberg.

TJ is #3. I think Floyd and Eustachy are great X's and O's coaches but TJ is right up there with them, especially with the defense. Floyd had a great first 3 years, but had a dud in year 4. Had he stuck around and showed that was a 1 year blip, then he would have jumped up on the list.

I'd go Floyd #4 and Larry #5. Larry improved on Floyd's last year's record with a sophomore Fizer and had 2 amazing seasons, but then went into a rebuild. Just as bad as Floyd and rebounded a bit in his last year, but I'm not sure he was going to go to the level he had with 2 of the greatest players to ever play at Iowa State. Would have been interesting to see what he did with Stinson and Blalock, though.

 

[clone52]

I’m pretty sure he made it out of the first round more than once. He only made it out of the first weekend once.

Also the bones of our basketball program were very bad before he came. His ncaa tournament years were pretty solid after his first.

correct. 2-4 in round 1.

 

[xboxfever]

I’m pretty sure he made it out of the first round more than once. He only made it out of the first weekend once.

Also the bones of our basketball program were very bad before he came. His ncaa tournament years were pretty solid after his first.

Correct. Meant to type first weekend. Edited to fix.

 

[clone52]

His current track record is tough to argue with. Though you really need more time. After 3 years Eustachy had 2 years of undefeated home games, and had a national championship-level team in year 2. Fred's tenure was also one of the most exciting eras of ISU basketball. A couple more years at this kind of level though and it won't even be a question.

I don't see Orr as directly comparable. He was clearly the right guy for the times and great at getting hilton magic going, but he also lost a bunch on the road and during his last 8 seasons he only won one tournament game and finished in the bottom half of the conference 6/8 years (and one of those others was a tie for 4th/5th). Clearly a lovable guy and an important figure in ISU lore but best coach? I don't know that you can say that about someone who went to one sweet 16 in 14 seasons.

One thing I will say is that it wasn't a single peak for Orr. He got them to peak in the mid 80's and dove down, got back up, then 2 terrible years and then finished with a couple more tournament teams. He couldn't get to the elite level but he wasn't a flash in the pan either.

Floyd, Eustachy and Hoiberg weren't around long enough to know if they could have recovered from downturns in the program, so I can't put them higher than Orr.