Tuesday, March 12, 2013

In Defense of Tom Crean

We give up certain things in adulthood, like driving all night to (insert random city) or going to Taco Bell at 2 am. The list is longer if you're in a leadership position. It's even longer if your leadership position is the head coach of a major college basketball team.

So when Tom Crean went ballistic on Michigan assistant and former Indiana assistant Jeff Meyer after the Hoosiers’ win Sunday for his role in the crippling sanctions handed down on IU in 2008, Crean of course got the “you should have been the adult” treatment from writers and analysts (most notably by ESPN’s Dana O’Neil). He later apologized publicly, calling it a "professional misunderstanding", and said he called Meyer to apologize on his way back to Bloomington.

IU fans should have greeted him at the airport like a conquering hero.

Crean did everything you could ever want from a coach. While most in the profession more closely resemble mercenaries than father figures, Crean did a very adult act and stood up for IU the same way a dad stands up for his child that's been shoved on the playground. He stood up for Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls who bought into the program when in it was 6-25 and had one conference win. He stood up for the administrators who patiently stood by him while he struggled his first three years. He stood up for the fans that kept showing up at Assembly Hall.

If I'm a recruit, this speaks volumes of Crean’s commitment to the team and tells me he will come to blows if he must in my defense.

He might be the new coach everyone loves to hate, but if I’m a Hoosier fan, that’s a black hat I’ll wear any day. College basketball could use more Tom Creans.

3 comments:

  1. Why didn't he say this in the previous five seasons they've been at their respective schools? Why didn't Crean apologize for the recruiting violations he committed in pursuing MSU guard Gary Harris?

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  2. How many years will IU be banned from the tournament because of A-Hope? If I was a recruit, this would be the last guy I would want to deal with. Jerry Tarkanian without the wins.

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  3. First, thank you for reading and posting your thoughts on my blog.

    I agree the timing is strange for Crean to go off on Meyer. The two may have a history (Meyer recruits Indiana heavily), and maybe something was said that set him off.

    As for your other points, do you feel like Crean is guilty of cheating as well? To say "Jerry Tarkanian without the wins" is a very strong statement.

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