Curious, why didn't Larry & Bruce get along? Different agendas, personalities didn't go together, jealousy? I was always curious about that.
Bruce was a socially awkward loser who didn't know how to deal with people.
Larry was arrogant and impatient.
This is pretty close. Bruce was an odd duck. He went to our church and even coming and going from church he would not make eye contact with others and exchange any type of greeting. I mean how uncomfortable around people do you have to be to not say hello at church?
I guess he and a bunch others,like you, still pines for Larry to come back and coach:twitcy:
BTW, didn't Gene hire Larry right before he took off to Ohio St, so when Bruce took over it all went down hill from there. It's usually not easy for most coaches to work for the guy who didn't hire them....
I am not sure who is pining for Larry to come back and coach. I am pretty sure every cyclone is thrilled with our current coach.
Yes Gene hired Larry and that does add to the friction, but there was more to it than that.
I liked Gene as an AD. Totally opposite form Bruce. Hell, if I saw Gene at Hy-vee I would sometimes go down a different aisle just to avoid him because he could and would talk forever to anyone. Several times I would get home from HV and my wife would ask what took so long and I would just have to say Gene Smith and she would get it.
BVD was a horrid AD and a fool to be kind. That said, he did not let Larry down. It wasn't his responsibility to help Larry. Larry let himself down, and what happened to him is entirely his fault and no one else's and I am sure LE would agree with that. No one forced him to make terrible decisions, he did it. Personally I would have liked to keep him but Larry needed a new start and he is doing fine now and that is what matters.
I agree Bruce was a horrid AD. He was not being kind as you put it. He was letting line run out to let Larry hang himself while at the same time putting ISU and its brand in pretty serious danger. That is the part I blame Bruce for, not the drinking and partying that is clearly at Larry's feet. Bruce could have and should have stopped this much earlier at a much lower risk to ISU but chose not to in hopes it turned out the way it did.
