Newly ensconced Indiana coach Tom Crean (above) has described the transfer of Eli Holman to the University Of Detroit as “an orchestration”. Not the sort presided over by the Detroit Symphony’s Leonard Slatkin, either, reports the Indianpolis Star’s Terry Hutchens :
Holman, a 6-9 center from Richmond, Calif., took Crean and the IU staff by surprise May 1 when he informed them of his decision to transfer. They were even more surprised by this week’s news that Holman would attend Detroit and play for Ray McCallum, a former IU assistant who was hired by the Titans shortly after Crean arrived at IU last month.
Crean said Holman had talked positively about his IU future for several weeks, and that when the player told Crean he was leaving, he made it clear that his primary reason was to be closer to his family in California.
“We were led to believe that this was a family decision and that he wanted to get closer to home, but now it doesn’t look like that’s the way it’s going to turn out,” Crean said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that there was a certain amount of orchestrating going on. It’s disappointing — very disappointing — on a lot of fronts.”
Speaking to reporters at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he was to be Thursday’s honorary starter, Crean also said he was certain that Holman had been “coached up” on what to say when he informed IU he wanted to leave. During last week’s meeting, Holman got so upset that university security had to be called, though it ended peacefully.
“I would say that he didn’t get the answer that he probably would have liked,” Crean said without divulging details of the conversation. “(Our approach) was about taking some time to go through this but I’ve now seen that this was all part of an orchestration. It just was, and I don’t have a lot of respect for that.”
Who better to question the ethics of McCallum and Holman than the former Marquette coach who walked out on a 9 year contract? Players have to ‘orchestrate” their escape routes, while the commitments of well-compensated adults tend not to be mentioned in these instances.
Indiana > Marquette. Obviously the decision had nothing to do with money as Crean was the NCAA’s fourth highest-paid in ’08.
The player lied to Crean and then erupted when Crean wouldn’t immediately release him from his scholarship. Only then did the kid divulge what was happening.
Larger point here is, Crean is busy cleaning house, while McCallum proved himself to be as slippery as his mentor Sampson.
Crean’s motivation for leaving Marquette isn’t relevant, Ed. He’s allowed free reign to seek employment wherever he chooses, regardless of any commitments he’s made to another university or players he’s recruited. Holman, however, is vilified for having the temerity to look elsewhere. McCallum’s role sounds rather shady, but there’s something screwy about college coaches demanding the sort of loyalty from players they’re incapable of themselves.
GC’s point is really important. Players have to sit out a year after transferring, while coaches can walk out on huge commitments — Marquette was paying Crean huge money, especially for a comparatively small private school — and wind up somewhere else the next year. If coaches had anywhere near the number of strictures placed upon them that players do, though, Billy Packer would probably go berserk like Steven Seagal in On Deadly Ground — start blowing shit up, go on some spirit journey, give a lengthy, rageful speech. I wouldn’t want to see that.
On Deadly Ground, I mean.
A. Who is vilifying Holman? I submit he is not vilified anywhere. What Crean in his Indy Speedway remarks is responding to is the nefarious “orchestration” of Holman’s departure. “Players have to orchestrate their departures,” makes it sound as if Holman was honest (he wasn’t), and somehow hampered by Crean (he wasn’t).
B. Re commitments – gee I can think of LOADS messier departures than Crean’s. The new guy at Marquette, Buzz Williams, is Crean’s loyal assistant and a lot like Crean was when he arrived there – hell do well. Everybody wins.
GC, If “ethics” is the issue, Billy Gillispie signing an 8th grader packs a little stronger punch than taking a misinfomed shot at Tom Crean.
“A. Who is vilifying Holman?”
When the IU athletic dept. can tell the news media that Holman “threw a tantrum” in Crean’s office and the likes of Hutchens contact McCallum for a quote but not the player, this looks a lot like vilification to me.
“If “ethics†is the issue, Billy Gillispie signing an 8th grader packs a little stronger punch than taking a misinfomed shot at Tom Crean.”
You’ll not find a defense, sprited or otherwise from me concerning Gillispie. But what part of the above post is “misinformed”? Did Tom Crean sign a contract extension at Marquette or didn’t he?
Good luck with your little webpage, Gerald. Your pal, WC Heinz
thanks, Ed. I’d wish you just as much luck in maintaining a double standard for college coaches and the players who make their salaries possible, but it seems you’re doing just fine on your own.