Bizzaro B10 Press Conference

Okay this may be one of the strangest interviews yet. I just don't get how the IU Administration can support a coach who goes on the offensive in a war with his alumni, students and fans. This is just plain nuttier than anything I could have anticipated.

To listen for yourself, here you go:

Big Ten Teleconference - Feb 13 2006

If you can't access this, I've copied the transcript as well below. Enjoy!

Mike: Uh, thanks for having me on. Uh, got a chance to watch the 2nd half of the game um on Saturday uh thought coach Marsh did a great job he and coach Rupp uh uh thought our guys fought hard uh late in the game got off to a slow start uh and the second half uh had opportunities but I thought Steve did a great job again of of of having his guys ready to play and uh thought Iowa made the big plays when they needed to make them and uh we had had a chance to end the period with overtime but it would have been uh uh a heck of a shot to make, but uh thought the guys did a good job of just getting the guy open for an open shot at the end.

Bob, Columbus Dispatch: Morning Mike, Hope you are feeling better. Um you've been uh under fire by fans more than once during your tenure there I wondered if you think what's going on now is any different than what's happened in the past and are you any more concerned for your job security now than you have been in the past.

Mike: Uh yes I am. Well Bob, you know uh when you think about it, um, uh it doesn't make any sense. You know I've been under fire the last couple of weeks by not just fans but by media and were one game out of first place you know during that time and we were ranked we ranked in the top 20 20 during that time and uh it's getting to a point to where uh what sense does it make uh when you are 1 game out. You know we was 5 games out, 6 games out, uh you could probably can have an argument, but every game we lose uh which was road games til Saturday. Um that's been the question you know when do they draw the line with Mike Davis. Well I know a lot of teams around the country that would have been happy with 1 game out of first and ranked in the country. But uh you know it's really really taken effect on our players, not just this year but every year I've been here because it doesn't matter what I do if we play for it all if not it's still the same. I'm very disappointed in it but um not just for me, but just for the players because they deserve more. Um you know I was reading an article about Steve Francis the other day and and here's Steve Francis scoring 13 points in 2 games and he says all the trade rumors have really wore him down and gotten to him. And uh if someone walked in on your job tomorrow and said they was downsizing the company um and you go home and you tell your family. There would be some families that would really be affected by that because now they wouldn't know if they father uh would have a job. And so 0ur players have definitely been affected by it and and and I've read a lot of things said about other coaches, but never have you walked into another arena and feel what we have our guys have to feel and go through. So uh you know its it's been a tough thing for 6 years. And uh the ones who are affected more by it is the players. Because if they really care about the coach and want to do well for the coach uh it's going to affect them and and if it affects Steve Francis who makes you know probably 6, 7 million a year or whatever he makes. If it can affect him by just hearing the rumors, how'd you think it would affect our team. And so uh I know a lot of teams that would be happy to be ranked and happy to be 1 game out and and um it's it's incredible that my job has been discussed for 6 years. You know, every year uh is would he be there next year? And its getting to a point to where the players is just I mean when it affect Marco Killingsworth. When it affect Robert Vaden. When it start affecting your better players and that is what it has done, you know it doesn't make sense. And you know if we in last place you know have a complaint. But we've been 1 game out of this thing for the last couple of weeks and had a home streak going uh and you can just see it in their faces. You can just see it. It's not the same team because we lost one game or 2 games on the road. It's like its the end of the year. If you think about that it doesn't make sense at all.

Herb with Chicago Sun Times: Hi Mike, Do you have, Can you give us any insight into why? Is it because of the expectations are so high at Indiana.

Mike: Well, well Indiana hasn't won a B10 Championship since 2002, not won that and before that it was 1992. 1992 so that was 10 years since they won anything. And and I've been the same old me since '02 uh since it is today so the expectations are definitely not it. Because we only 1 game out of first place. Understand we 1 game out of first and ranked at the top in the country and uh every team we played on the road Michigan State they was desperate but not one time did we feel like their fans were not supporting their players. Uh even Minnesota was 0-6 and not one possession did I feel like they wasn't in the game and weren't pulling for their team. The expectation thing when you 1 game out of first place and ranked in the country It doesn't add up to me. If it makes any sense to anyone I hope someone can explain it to me.

Herb: I just wonder why you think they are so demanding?

Mike: I just think Indiana need to have one of their own. Uh they need to have someone that has played here that um that can so they can embrace them. You know and and they need that. I'm not upset about that and I'm not disappointed about it. You know I think they need that. I really do. Because these players deserve better. You know and It's like I said before. You know it going to affect you know like I said if you talk about downsizing or people going on strike or whatever its going to affect people involved and uh they want our guys to play through it. But how can they? You know and I see it and we had a really good thing going this year, a really good thing going but when uh you hear what you hear it doesn't make sense when you are 1 game out of first I mean when you are ranked, it doesn't make sense.

Tony - Champaign News Gazette: Good Morning Coach, Question about the future of the B10 Tournament. Can I get your thoughts on which venue you'd like to see?

Mike It really doesn't matter to me... Ha Ha..

Tony: Does playing in Conseco have any benefit for Indiana?

Mike: No, No, I don't think.

Scott Cooper - Daily Gazette: Hey Coach the B10 past few weeks have been really up and down with big upsets against good team, being right in the thick of things, being 1 game down as you said, how do you emphasize that your team that is also downtrodden is right there you know by Thursday you could be tied for the lead?

Mike: Well I've been emphasizing the whole year to them where we are as a team, but after a while when do you say enough is enough and you see their faces? And when you have a kid like Marco Killingsworth who who is probably one of the better players in our league and you know he has struggled for a couple of games but not struggled just because of his play, but because we not hitting shots. Then you have an editorial in your own paper that says he is struggling because he just getting married, you know that just doesn't make sense to me. I mean it's like and and and it's hard. I can't explain to you how hard it is to get these guys going. They want to go. They want to play so bad you know but I mean does it make sense to anybody? That's the question? You know does it make sense then? I've been coaching this way for 6 years to try to get our guys to uh uh the things I'm trying to get them to do it never should be involved for a coach. I should be trying to coach basketball and these guys should really enjoy their college career. And because this is the time they are going to remember and I don't know I've had a team that's had positive memories out of this whole deal uh since I've been here. And you know um Saturday game against Iowa, I thought I mean Steve is doing a great job at Iowa. His team has a great chance to win the B10. That's a very good basketball team and watching the game I could see our guys you know making a run at the end. But that's when they just said okay lets go play and it should be that way at the beginning. But I don't know any family that can go through um knowing that they family member may be losing their job or question about their job on a daily basis that could withstand it. It's my job we have 6 games left, 6 left and it's my job to just try to keep them focused and mash the right buttons, but I think we may be getting out of buttons but we still right there. Were 5 and 5 and we got 6 left and I think we are still there but the players have to start believing that.

Thank you!