Dana Altman

[newAD]

I hear what you're saying, but I prefer a head coach.

In my lifetime:

Cipriano, Iba, Nee, Collier, Sadler, Miles. All prior head coaches, no NCAA wins.

Just a few assistant hires that come to mind:

Roy Williams.was good enough for Kansas

Gard was good enough for Wisconsin

Collins was good enough for NW.

Frank Martin was good enough for K-State

Steve Wojciechowski was good enough for Marquette.

Fred Hoiberg was good enough for Iowa State.

Tom Izzo was good enough for Michigan State.

Sean Miller and Chris Mack were good enough for Xavier.

If Roy Williams was good enough for Kansas the season after they won a national.championship, then an assistant coach is big enough for Nebraska.

 

[WestCoastCornhusker2]

I was told in the mid-90's (by someone in the Creighton Athletic Department) there was a "Gentlemen's agreement" NU wouldn't poach Creighton coaches," and that was why NU didn't pursue Altman when Nee got the axe. Now, where Connie Yori fits in to that - if it was ever true at all - I don't know (?).

I think Dana would indeed have gone to NU 15 years ago, but I doubt he'd ever leave Oregon now. He just built an incredible new home in Eugene .. and while not politically a comfortable place for him, I think he's got everything he's ever wanted and needed as a coach there.

What I COULD see happening, however, is NU going after his #1 assistant, Kevin McKenna. I think he could be wooed. In the short time he left Dana and was HC at Indiana State, he became MVC COY and quickly turned around a complete turd fire there. HE can coach. He was/is Miles' Craig Smith ... quickly figured it out and threw enough Phil Knight cash at him to quit his HC gig and move to tree hugger country. I could see him longing to be a HC again - especially if they win a Natty.

This is why Nebraska is falling behind, other schools that win don't have gentleman's agreements. Ohio State hires dirt bag salesman like UM that do whatever it takes to recruit and win. I loved TO so much as he was the only example how nice guys can finish first.

 

[Woodguy79]

My post was not about Dana Altman.

My apologies, Dragon.

 

[tpmcg_rivals137159]

In my lifetime:

Cipriano, Iba, Nee, Collier, Sadler, Miles. All prior head coaches, no NCAA wins.

Just a few assistant hires that come to mind:

Roy Williams.was good enough for Kansas

Gard was good enough for Wisconsin

Collins was good enough for NW.

Frank Martin was good enough for K-State

Steve Wojciechowski was good enough for Marquette.

Fred Hoiberg was good enough for Iowa State.

Tom Izzo was good enough for Michigan State.

Sean Miller and Chris Mack were good enough for Xavier.

If Roy Williams was good enough for Kansas the season after they won a national.championship, then an assistant coach is big enough for Nebraska.

we're not getting any of those guys...

 

[Red Steve]

we're not getting any of those guys...

No we are not!! It is our AD;s job to find the next one......... Now !!

 

[tro80]

Funny thing is that had UNL hired Dana back then, probably the majority of fans would have been thoroughly underwhelmed by the hire. Couldn't do it at KState and can't do it at a P5 conference would have been the majority response. I heard that opinion much more than otherwise anytime someone suggested Dana back when he was at CU.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan_rivals19671]

Funny thing is that had UNL hired Dana back then, probably the majority of fans would have been thoroughly underwhelmed by the hire. Couldn't do it at KState and can't do it at a P5 conference would have been the majority response. I heard that opinion much more than otherwise anytime someone suggested Dana back when he was at CU.

You know that's a pretty great point.

 

[newAD]

we're not getting any of those guys...

No kidding. That wasn't my point. My point was almost all of those programs (minus NW) are not bottom feeders in the history of College Basketball like Nebraska. There are teams on that list that had national championships before those hires were made. Nebraska does not have the luxury to act all high and mighty when the next coaching hire is made, because we may find out that no one with experience wants the job.

 

[tpmcg_rivals137159]

No kidding. That wasn't my point. My point was almost all of those programs (minus NW) are not bottom feeders in the history of College Basketball like Nebraska. There are teams on that list that had national championships before those hires were made. Nebraska does not have the luxury to act all high and mighty when the next coaching hire is made, because we may find out that no one with experience wants the job.

i hear you and i was being a little tongue in cheek. asst just sounds like more tight purse strings. would 'eich' have been as aggressive as the illini for an underwood-type hire, probably not, so admittedly the asst route has merit for N.

 

[Dean Pope]

Except Indiana State?

Not saying he isn't a good D-II and assistant coach, but it would be tough to justify hiring a guy who went 43-52 as a D-I head coach and had zero NCAA tournament appearances.

Well, yeah. I think he had one winning season there so technically he won in Terra Haute as well, but that is a very tough place to win at. I doubt that McKenna would even get an interview, because of sediment like you just gave. In the eyes of some, he's still unproven and that's fair. I just think he's a hell of a coach, great at talent development, talent evaluation & a fine recruiter. Plus he'd bring in a very good veteran staff. Nebraska needs to think a bit outside the box on their next hire.

 

[Dean Pope]

Funny thing is that had UNL hired Dana back then, probably the majority of fans would have been thoroughly underwhelmed by the hire. Couldn't do it at KState and can't do it at a P5 conference would have been the majority response. I heard that opinion much more than otherwise anytime someone suggested Dana back when he was at CU.

Altman's key moment at Creighton was realizing that he would struggle to recruit a top big man so he switched to the Johnny Orr high post offense and played a "stretch four" at the high post many years before the word analytics was made up. Then he filled in around those high post players with skilled Iowans and talented kids from Milwaukee among others....

He had a philosophy and a plan. It was realistic, doable. Hired great coaches who developed the talent on hand. And the rest is history.

 

[Wasker77]

There is no reason a hoops coach should not be able to win at Nebraska. Great facilities, rabid fan base, great university, great college town. Have you ever been to WSU? How does Greg Marshall recruit top talent to that campus year after year??

Koch Brothers money

 

[Suvey101885]

Altman's key moment at Creighton was realizing that he would struggle to recruit a top big man so he switched to the Johnny Orr high post offense and played a "stretch four" at the high post many years before the word angetalytics was made up. Then he filled in around those high post players with skilled Iowans and talented kids from Milwaukee among others....

He had a philosophy and a plan. It was realistic, doable. Hired great coaches who developed the talent on hand. And the rest is history.

Or we could get a young man named Rodney Buford

 

[Harry Caray]

Well, yeah. I think he had one winning season there so technically he won in Terra Haute as well, but that is a very tough place to win at. I doubt that McKenna would even get an interview, because of sediment like you just gave. In the eyes of some, he's still unproven and that's fair. I just think he's a hell of a coach, great at talent development, talent evaluation & a fine recruiter. Plus he'd bring in a very good veteran staff. Nebraska needs to think a bit outside the box on their next hire.

I'd say Nebraska is a tougher place to win at than Indiana State. Miles had one winning season here and at CSU, so by that metric he has won everyone he's been as well. I just think hiring McKenna here would seem a lot like Mizzou hiring Kim Anderson - great D-II coach and good assistant, but would be an underwhelming hire for a struggling program that needs to generate excitement. He's also already about 60 years old and probably doesn't have a whole lot of years left to take on a project like Nebrasketball.

 

[pms186]

Lot being made about Nebraska not hiring him over Barry Collier. I never actually looked at the two of them side by side and didn't remember his full background, but its hard to blame Nebraska for hiring Collier at the time.

He just had a run of tourney appearances at Butler after turning them around and in the year before we hired him, the team that he lost to in the tourney was Florida in OT who ended up in the NC game against MSU. They had NBA players and a future NBA coach.

Hindsight is 20/20. We are cursed.

 

[dinglefritz]

Lot being made about Nebraska not hiring him over Barry Collier. I never actually looked at the two of them side by side and didn't remember his full background, but its hard to blame Nebraska for hiring Collier at the time.

He just had a run of tourney appearances at Butler after turning them around and in the year before we hired him, the team that he lost to in the tourney was Florida in OT who ended up in the NC game against MSU. They had NBA players and a future NBA coach.

Hindsight is 20/20. We are cursed.

What is preplexing is that according to TO he didn't hire Altman after he canned Doc because the timing was bad for Altman. Sipple made it sound like Altman would have taken the job. Methinks Tom could hire Miles for less money and being the tightwad he is decided to go cheap.

 

[NorthWillRiseAgain]

It could happen. We just have to hope he coaches as long as Larry Brown.

And gets everyone on probation so he works his way down to Nebrasketball.