It is hard not to like, and more importantly, respect Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean.
From his unbridled enthusiasm to the manner in he works the officials with that mischievous grin, he is both entertaining and effective. Perhaps though he has been too effective, as he has advanced the reclamation of the IU basketball program to a level that few thought would occur so early in his tenure, all the while making it look easy and doing it without much fanfare.
His bring your hardhat and lunchbox if you are going to play on my team mentality has served him brilliantly, and in the process enabled Indiana to beat some teams they had no business even competing with. At the risk of getting pummeled (Both physically and verbally) I will remind those of you who bleed cream and crimson that Indiana had no business beating Kentucky, Ohio State and Michigan State this year, and without Crean I doubt seriously if they would have.
Sure the talent level has improved dramatically since his arrival, largely in part to his relentless approach on the recruitment trail. Landing Cody Zeller was the first domino, and by most accounts his incoming recruiting class is heralded and capable of putting some of those who played significant minutes this year for Indiana squarely on the bench next season.
Couple that with their triumphant return to the NCAA tourney and the expectations in “Hoosier Nation” are sky high.
Go in to a barbershop in Southern Indiana and ask them what they expect out of the troops next season and they will tell you nothing short of an NCAA tourney title will suffice. Some will even tell you that if IU could play the NBA champs at Bloomington, they just might defeat them too.That being said, I am here today to offer the following as the pseudo voice of reason (Of all people, me you are thinking, right?) and to provide an alternative opinion in terms of these lofty expectations.
Now I am not implying that Indiana basketball fans are overzealous or expect too much, (No way right?) but it is nothing short of mind boggling how short their collective memories can indeed be. Sure, by virtue of a rather unexpected and quite encouraging season, this program is now poised to get back to where the IU faithful firmly believe it belongs, despite where they were just three years ago. While I personally feel Crean needs (and deserves) at least two more years to take things even higher, I seriously wonder if those who worship Indiana basketball will give him that after such a quick trip back to respectability. While Crean would never admit such, you know he must be thinking similar thoughts. Allowing Zeller to progress and providing time for the maturation of the incoming freshmen is something he no longer has, and while he knew expectations at IU were high, there is no way in the world any coach can be prepared for the “OK, now you better win a championship” mentality that exists amongst those who eat, drink, and sleep the candy striped warm ups.
Look, Crean is no dummy, and he was correct what he told the administration in Bloomington shortly after being hired that the program was in worse shape than it was portrayed in his hiring process. IU agreed and tacked on more money and the that is starting to look like a great decision. The fact remains that this return to glory is just beginning and will indeed take more time and hard work. Crean is undoubtedly the right man for the job, but will he be given a realistic opportunity in terms of the timeline for success, one that has already been unfairly shortened by this seasons turn of events? Probably not.
The real danger here is losing a talented coach who can have a better opportunity come along, one with a willing new employer who will gladly provide the funds needed to buyout his contract and call him their own. Impossible? Not really.
After all, this is no longer amateur sports and the business at hand is about the money that a winning pedigree provides.
Money that allows a successful coach to provide for his great grandchildren, and that is precisely why those who truly call the shots at IU need to circle the wagons around Crean and tell him to take his time and continue to do things right.
Do not allow ridiculous expectations to force the hand of a coveted resource, one that could bear fruit for years to come.
I join the throngs saluting IU basketball. I just wish their expectations moving forward matched those of the coach.
Danny Bridges can be reached at Bridgeshd@aol.com
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
