So IU has kept Davis hidden since the BBall season ended. But the summer coaches tour has begun and Rick Greenspan jumped in the IU Crimson Van and drove Terry Hoeppner and Mike Davis to the Radisson in Merrillville Monday night. Some wonderful quotes were to be made.
Coach Hoeppner was all positive PR for the football program.
"There's no reason why we can't win at IU, absolutely none,'' Hoeppner said. "From the first day I met with the players I told them: 'You have to start thinking, walking, talking and acting like champions.'
"You've got to think like champions. If you don't think you can, then you can't. If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right. So, part of it, is our players believing that they can.''
"I'm going to take the formula that was successful at Miami and we're going to plug that in in Bloomington, and there's no doubt in my mind, we're going to win,'' Hoeppner said. "I know that it works and I know it's the right way to do things. Winning will be a by-product of how we do things on a daily basis.''
Rick Greenspan was your typical Athletic Director.
"The expectations at basketball programs like ours is that we play championship-level ball every year," Greenspan said. "I think the pressure is terrific on these guys. That's why we pay 'em the money we pay 'em."
Mike Davis was not your typical coach. In fact I can't believe the comments he made.
When asked if he felt pressure to win this year. Mike Davis said "We have three guys who should be first-team (All) Big Ten. Why should I have pressure on me? The pressure is on them," Davis said.
I've heard plenty of coaches try to take the pressure off their players and place it directly on their shoulders... but this is a first. Never have I heard a coach put pressure on his players.
UNBELIEVABLE from a Coach! Yet not all that surprising coming from Davis!
Does anyone see the issue here? Greenspan is paying Davis $900,000 this year, plus a $300,000 bonus for what he says is "I think the pressure is terrific on these guys. That's why we pay 'em the money we pay 'em." Yet Davis says the Pressure isn't on him, but on his players???
I guess I finally have heard a reason for paying student athletes. It's better than paying a guy that has no clue!
Some other good ones from Mike:
"This is the best team we've had since I've been here," Davis said. "This year, the Final Four is in Indianapolis. I'll predict this right now: We've got a chance to play in Indianapolis barring any injuries."
"They can expect it. It may not happen, but they should expect it," he said of playing for a national title.
Davis banking on improved talent, downgraded schedule: Gary Post-Tribune
New IU coach has upbeat message for fans: NWI Times
IU's Davis, not players, are accountable: NWI Times
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2 comments:
Greenspan says, "The expectation of programs like ours..." But I ask whether IU is really still a school that has more than ordinary expectations. It has been a long time since IU was consistently outstanding. Maybe Mike Davis is just the sort of coach that a non-elite college like IU should expect to have.
Good point... IU is no longer elite in anything... academics or sports. Thanks Myles!
But I wouldn't wish Davis on any non-elite school either. Even non-elite schools can have average coaches. Davis is so far below average it isn't even funny.
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