March 23, 2007
IOWA CITY — University of Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta will indicate that the search for the next head coach for the UI’s men’s basketball program is already underway and that the process will move at an appropriate pace when he meets with local, regional and national media Friday afternoon in the Big Ten Room of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Barta will also note that both the immediate and the long-term future of the men’s basketball program at the University of Iowa is bright.
“The search process is fully engaged and is under my direction. The search will move swiftly but not at the expense of due diligence and comprehensiveness. The decision is far too important to be influenced by a pre-determined deadline,” Barta told hawkeyesports.com in advance of his session with the media.
Barta said he will assemble a small committee to assist him in the process of securing information and screening candidates. He expects the committee to be actively engaged, working alongside him in the process of narrowing the choices and that he will ask the group for a recommendation.
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“The search process is fully engaged and is under my direction. The search will move swiftly but not at the expense of due diligence and comprehensiveness. The decision is far too important to be influenced by a pre-determined deadline.”
UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta
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“I will make the final selection and forward that recommendation to (Interim) President (Gary) Fethke,” he said.
“When it reaches its end,” he continued, “the process will have resulted in the hiring of an individual who has significant coaching experience and a demonstrated track record with respect to success on the court, in the classroom and in the community.”
Barta said he expects the men’s basketball program at the UI to compete annually for the Big Ten Conference’s regular season championship and to have success in post-season competition. “These are the expectations of all of our sports programs,” he said.
Barta said that it goes without saying that the new head coach will understand the importance of providing the young men involved in the men’s basketball program the very best experiences possible while they are student-athletes and that success academically is as important as success in athletics.
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“When it reaches its end the process will have resulted in the hiring of an individual who has significant coaching experience and a demonstrated track record with respect to success on the court, in the classroom and in the community.”
UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta
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“Our expectations are constant: We want each of our student-athletes to be fully engaged as a student and as an athlete, to pursue their academic goals as aggressively as they pursue their athletics endeavors, and to be superior members of the University community. The head coach and his staff shoulder a significant portion of the responsibility to make certain these expectations are met,” said Barta.
The UI’s first-year director of athletics also expects all of the staff of the UI’s athletics department to be exemplary representatives of the University, the UI and Iowa City community, and the state of Iowa.
“All of our staff must fully understand and fully embrace the burden of responsibility they carry in terms of representing everyone who calls themselves a `Hawkeye’,” said Barta.
Barta said the UI’s men’s basketball program is alive and well. He said there is no shortage of support or commitment from the UI’s senior administration, its fans, friends and others who share the same vision for the men’s basketball program and the intercollegiate athletics program at the University of Iowa.
“More than hundreds of thousands of fans across the state of Iowa watch our games on television. Hundreds of thousands more listen on radio. There is no shortage of support for our men’s basketball program,” Barta said.
“Our new head coach will be provided every resource for success. Operating budget, recruiting budget, staff and competitive salaries for staff, facilities, team travel budget…. Previous head coaches at the University of Iowa have been provided resources that have compared favorably to their peers in the Big Ten and nationally and so, too, will the new head coach at the UI,” said Barta.
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“Our new head coach will be provided every resource for success. Operating budget, recruiting budget, staff and competitive salaries for staff, facilities, team travel budget…. Previous head coaches at the University of Iowa have been provided resources that have compared favorably to their peers in the Big Ten and nationally and so, too, will the new head coach at the UI.”
UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta
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“The opportunity and responsibility of the new head coach will be to take those resources and build a men’s basketball program that competes at a high level in the Big Ten and nationally, and does so in a way that exceeds the expectations of his peers on campus and friends of the University of Iowa and fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes statewide and worldwide,” Barta added.
Barta said the UI hired an architect last month to begin designing a new practice facility and renovation of other existing space in Carver-Hawkeye Arena used by the men’s basketball program. He noted that the UI invested more than $2.5 million in video and scoreboards in Carver-Hawkeye Arena last year and is considering other renovations to the facility that will positively impact the game-night experience for both fans in attendance and the UI’s student-athletes.
“We know facilities are important both in the recruitment process and in the development of the student-athletes who are members of the program. I’m very confident our new head coach will be impressed with the plan we have in place from a facilities perspective,” said Barta.
Barta said he appreciated the efforts of former UI head men’s basketball coach Steve Alford and his staff.
“Steve is deserving of credit for his accomplishments while our head coach. He guided our men’s basketball program to many exciting victories highlighted by two championships in our league’s post-season tournament. Those are significant achievements,” said Barta while noting that victories in 44 of its last 49 games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena – a mark that includes a 20-4 record against Big Ten opponents – during the last three seasons is further evidence of the good work done by Alford.
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“We know facilities are important both in the recruitment process and in the development of the student-athletes who are members of the program. I’m very confident our new head coach will be impressed with the plan we have in place from a facilities perspective.”
UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta
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“Steve is a good person and a good coach. I wish him and his family well.” Barta added.
“I want to publicly express my sincere thanks to Coach Alford for his efforts on behalf of the University of Iowa men’s basketball program and for conducting himself and his program with the integrity that is central to the values of our athletics programs. We wish him and his family all the best as they pursue their new opportunity and adventure,” added UI Interim President Gary Fethke.
“We’ll especially remember Coach Alford for leading the Hawkeyes to two Big Ten Tournament championships and for the undefeated home season two years ago. As a fan, I have to say I found this year’s team exciting and entertaining. They were fun to watch.”
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