Tom Crean - a coach to admire

[JasonEvans]

Here is a fabulous story (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/35081/tom-crean-counsels-upset-iu-student) about Tom Crean taking in an IU kid who was lost and confused and watching out for the kid to make sure he is ok. The kid is not a basketball player, he's just a normal college freshman somewhat lost in the world. The best part...


When I reached Crean today he didn’t want to comment, calling it a private matter... Some coaches would flaunt this kind of story. They'd use it as a win-win -- I helped this kid, and hey, aren't I a great guy too? Similar to his quiet efforts to search for missing Indiana student Lauren Spierer earlier this year, Crean didn't do that.

-Jason "his IU teams have struggled, but he's been kicking butt recruiting lately -- Crean is gonna turn IU around... and I'll be cheering for him" Evans

[Bluedog]

Here is a fabulous story (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/35081/tom-crean-counsels-upset-iu-student) about Tom Crean taking in an IU kid who was lost and confused and watching out for the kid to make sure he is ok. The kid is not a basketball player, he's just a normal college freshman somewhat lost in the world. The best part...



-Jason "his IU teams have struggled, but he's been kicking butt recruiting lately -- Crean is gonna turn IU around... and I'll be cheering for him" Evans

Thanks for the story. He also has had to deal with pretty severe penalties due to the previous coaching staff's actions and hasn't really complained about it. He was down to something like 7 players his first year at the helm with 6 of them being freshman (those numbers could be off, admittedly) with player defections and Crean giving at least one the boot for inappropriate behavior. Lots of coaches wouldn't do that. I, too, am a Crean fan and think it's just a matter of time before IU again becomes a force.

[Mike Corey]

Thanks so much for sharing, Mr. Evans.

These are the kinds of stories that are too few and far between.

I'm grateful for coaches (and people) like Crean and Krzyzewski. More, please.

[Newton_14]

Thanks so much for sharing, Mr. Evans.

These are the kinds of stories that are too few and far between.

I'm grateful for coaches (and people) like Crean and Krzyzewski. More, please.

I agree and I will add David Cutcliffe to that list. Also, as the article alluded to the patience of IU hoops fans, I am inclined to have patience with our Football Coach for the same reasons, as he journey's through one of, if not the toughest program rebuilds in FBS Football. I know he is doing it the right way and at the end of the day he is a good man who refuses to take shortcuts to get the program where he wants it to be.

[WiJoe]

Two words, re; crean — Fraud alert.

[dukemsu]

I knew Crean a bit during my days at MSU-he was the acting prof for most of my Coaching Basketball class (long story). I found him to be an engaging guy with near-manic energy and got along with him pretty well.

Opinion on him around town, even after he left, was one side or another. People either really liked him or he really rubbed people the wrong way. No idea of what to think of his motives for this piece-but it's great that he helped a kid, no matter what the motive was.

dukemsu

[fan345678]

People either really liked him or he really rubbed people the wrong way.

I can't imagine that kind of coach at Indiana...

Sounds a bit like Vijay Singh in golf...lots of tour vets and media types can't stand him, but I've heard he goes out of his way to reach out to new guys and help them adjust, mentor them, etc.

[SilkyJ]

Two words, re; crean — Fraud alert.

Fairly strong statement given what we just read. I don't know much about him, so care to elaborate?

[CBDUKE]

Good thing the student wasn't an athlete. He would now be ineligible and the basketball program would be in big trouble.

[allenmurray]

What an age of cynicism - it is awfully hard for some people to just enjoy a nice story.



Two words, re; crean — Fraud alert.
Care to offer any substantiation?



Good thing the student wasn't an athlete. He would now be ineligible and the basketball program would be in big trouble.
There is nothing in the article that would even come close to a violation.

[CBDUKE]

What an age of cynicism - it is awfully hard for some people to just enjoy a nice story.



Care to offer any substantiation?



There is nothing in the article that would even come close to a violation.

No cynicism meant by my post. I think it is a great story. But you cannot offer an athlete, and then get hiim, a job. My cynicism, if any, was directed toward the NCAA.

[Olympic Fan]

No cynicism meant by my post. I think it is a great story. But you cannot offer an athlete, and then get hiim, a job. My cynicism, if any, was directed toward the NCAA.

The NCAA comes in for a lot of criticism and much of it is quite justified.

But I don't understand the point of view here. Yes, if this kid were an athlete, getting him a job in the athletic department would be a violation ... and it should be (can you imagine the can of worms that would open to allow schools to hire their athletes?). Nothing else Crean did with the kid was a violation of the rules. And I'm sure that if the kid were an athlete, Crean would not have gotten him work in the athletic department.

However, I should point out that schools can and do help scholarship athletes get jobs -- usually in the offseason although the NCAA changed the rules sweveral years ago to allow athletes to work in season if they want ... and they must be legitimate jobs that are open to non-athletes.

I'm amazed how many people don't realize this -- when ESPN's Eamon Brennan (as their main college sports writer he should know better) was writing about the recent proposals to increase the scholarships, he mistakenly claimed that athletes can't work in the offseason. He's 100 percent wrong.