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Thanks for a great season!

votb

votb

Active member
I sit here tonight, contemplating the end of another basketball season at ISU as the Bengals played their guts out but lost 81-75 to Eastern Washington in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament. I just want to say it has been a crazy season, but one that I am incredibly blessed to have been a part of. First, my thanks to Coach O'Brien, who has been so good to work with the past four years, and made one of the toughest career choices of his life in December when he resigned. My thanks also go out to Coach Martin, Tim Walsh, Jim Potter and Shelby Lindley who have worked so hard to make this season as successful as possible. Probably most important, my thanks to the players on this year's team, led by three special seniors Chase Grabau, Kenny McGowen and Abner Moriera), who could've packed things in back in December, but decided to give it their all and work their hardest to prove that they are not the worst team in the Big Sky, no matter what the coach's and media thought before the season. It may not make sense to call a 9-21 and 7- season great, or even good...but it was a good season to be a Bengal. I'm so proud of all of you!
 
Something that Coach Martin said on the post game interview really stuck with me. In summary he stated that in a short period of time, this team went from a team that everyone thought would finish dead last in the conference to a team that was expected to take 3rd place and host a BSC tournament game. What he said could not be more true.

I cannot remember a season with more critical shots and more close games that went down to the wire. Some of those games ISU won and others they lost, but I got the sense during conference play that most games were in reach for ISU.

This team really did so much with very little talent. I don't mean that the team didn't have some very good players, but they really did not have enough depth in talent. This was apparent when you saw the depth that other teams had in BSC play.

I am a big Coach OB fan and now I am a big Coach M fan and I certainly wish both these gentleman the best of luck in the future. If Coach Martin is the next head coach, ISU is getting a good one. If for some reason it does not work out that way, someone out there is going to get one helluva coach.

Lastly to the players, the three seniors in particular who played tons of minutes and refused to go down the path of failure that most folks (myself included) had predicted...my heartfelt thanks.
 
I am a Bengal and this is my team. I could not be prouder of the effort and heart and thank you to the three seniors for being Bengals.
 
Thank you BENGALS and thank you Coach Martin. I have never met you, but I have been impressed with what you have done with OUR team. I truly hope you are given the chance to lead us in the future.
 
I'll be curious to see if they move quickly now to name a new coach before the start of the women's tournament (not wishing to steal their thunder) or if they will wait until after it plays out.

PBP
 
Naming a new coach now could steal the thunder from a successful women's tournament and a championship team. Naming a new coach after the tournament would just be more good news or cover up bad news as the case may be. Just saying.
 
Well 3 of the 4 reported finalists still have another week of basketball, give or take, so I doubt an announcement would be made. Adams State got an at large berth to the NCAA D2 tournament, Montana is hosting the Big Sky tournament and have a good shot at the NCAA's, and Utah State is in the WAC tournament. I have to think if Martin was the guy, he would have been named as coach already. Air Force and Western Kentucky fired their coaches mid-season, and the interim tag was given to an assistant. That interim tag was removed in each case, and I don't think either had won the majority of their games.

For the record, I'm still feeling a bit underwhelmed. A former assistant with some baggage. A 65 year old guy. A guy without much experience and who is blamed for his team's current season's troubles.

Hoopdirt did talk about a JC coach from Washington who may have been in town this week for the job. Anybody know anything about that?
 
Lance Von Vogt in my opinion would be unlikely, but you never know.

Remember one big kicker here, the stringent academic requirements that are in place at Idaho State. These requirements are higher than even last year at the same time. One of the obstacles could very well be the academic standards that are in place. For coaches that want to move up quickly, not having the ability to go after stud athletes with marginal academic success may be a challenge that everyone is not up for. Think about this and give it some thought—it is part of the equation.

Coach Martin obviously understands where ISU stands academically and a guy like Evans has the maturity and discipline to embrace these challenges. I would be happy with either of these two.

So, while the list may be short and not full of big names—that may be one of the reasons.

This should be an interesting next few weeks.
 
I would be very disappointed if Athletics waited to name a new head coach so as not to "steal thunder from the women's tournament". That would be a goofy reason, considering how important it is for a new coach to be able to start recruiting immediately. I can understand waiting if a top candidate is coaching a team that's still playing, but schools sometimes do name a new coach before his season is over, often for the same recruiting reasons. Regardless, waiting just because the women are hosting a tournament makes no sense to me.
 
VOTB:

Seems you know of where you speak. Press conference Thursday to announce new coach.

PBP
 
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