Hoosier Hawkeye

I have to be honest. My first reaction to news that Todd Lickliter was hired as the new Iowa men's basketball coach was, "not another Hoosier." You see, like his failed predecessor Steve Alford, Lickliter grew up in Indiana, played high school ball for his father and college ball in Indiana. Lickliter even returned to coach his alma mater, an honor that has thus far eluded Stevie Wonder.

Then I got to checking into the new head Hawk, and started to think AD Gary Barta did quite well in his first major hire. While coaching vacancies have been filling up left and right, Iowa is the only one I know that landed a current NCAA Coach of the Year. And while Alford led Southern Missouri to the sweet 16 before his Iowa arrival, Lickliter has had Butler there two years running. They gave eventual champion Florida all that it wanted, while Iowa gathered for the NIT selection show only to be denied.

Meanwhile, the rights to firestevealford.com are available on E-bay. Hawkeye State claims to have already purchased firetoddlickliter.com, saving Iowa the trouble.