GMac vs Altman, who is a better coach?

chengyushen · 03-30-2007, 06:06 PM

I know many of you will say Gmac, but any reasons behind your conclusion? Altman has a better record in MVC. Altman has won several conference titles but the best finish for GMac is second in MVC?

Just want to hear your guys reasonings as to why we should be optimistic. No flames

keepngoal · 03-30-2007, 06:43 PM

Did Altman build that school to where it is in BBall? Not really. He kept it going.

Did GMac inherit a struggling program inside a state with two competitive BB schools and succeed? Very big YES.

I think the real question should be: Who is/would be the better coach at a BCS conference school? So far I would tip my hat at GMac, as he is trying, while I see Altman trying to keep his head in the sand.

-keep.

HandSanitizer · 03-30-2007, 06:53 PM

Almost 1 Million people live in the Omaha area. Hot new 18K arena to play in and a school that was already good in basketball. That is a decent sell to recruits GMAC took a school that played with a curtain up in a dome that was horrible to a new level. Also, Cedar Falls is not Omaha. (not that I am plugging Omaha b/c I think it sucks, but to recruits it looks better)
Game set match to me. Besides to me Altman looks like that shy school boy that wouldn't hurt a fly.

Michael Lastuvka · 03-30-2007, 06:59 PM

I think the fact that Altman continues to be content coaching at a mid-major speaks volumes about him. He coached at K-State and had mixed reviews, and it doesn't seem like he's at all inclined to take a major job where higher expectations would undoubtedly follow him. As keepngoal alluded to, the fact that GMac's aiming higher makes him the better coach.

I'd also favor McDermott in the recruiting game as well...he's surrounded himself with a group of guys that are very good recruiters (Prileou and Otzelberger), and it seems that he's a very good deal closer himself. You can tell he's comfortable in his skin, and guys like Brackins and Garrett probably noticed that too.

It seems that Altman's reach doesn't extend much farther than the midwest (of course, that could be a product of location and mid-major status).

As far as game-day preparation, I'd call it a draw...if you were to give each of them a team with equal talent, and they played each other 10 times, I think each would win 5.

Winner: GMac, but of course!

PsychedClone · 03-30-2007, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by Michael Lastuvka

It seems that Altman's reach doesn't extend much farther than the midwest (of course, that could be a product of location and mid-major status).

Winner: GMac, but of course!

Neither does Bo Ryan's reach. There are a lot of great players in this part of the country. Have you looked at the Wisconsin Badger roster from this season? Bo Ryan had 9 players from the state of Wisconsin, two from Minnesota, one from Illinois, one from Iowa, and one from South Dakota. Only one from player hailed from outside the midwest, that being Trevon Hughes who was originally from Bronx, NY, but he went to high school in Wisconsin.

I am very prejudiced; my vote goes to Mac.

ISUboi12 · 03-30-2007, 07:22 PM

I think they are basically the same except McDermott was better suited for ISU than Altman would have been.
One thing I think McDermott has a clear advantage. Winning big games. Look what he did to ISU and Iowa during his stint at UNI. He beat LSU in Louisiana during the year they went to the final four. He is a championship calibre coach.

BenEClone · 03-30-2007, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by keepngoal

Did Altman build that school to where it is in BBall? Not really. He kept it going.
-keep.

True, Creighton has a tradition, but, not immediately before Altman arrived. His near term predecessors had the team headed in the wrong direction. "Hired March 31, 1994, Altman inherited a team that posted a 7-22 ledger the year before his arrival and led the Bluejays to a slightly improved 7-19 record in 1994-95 before his 1995-96 squad jumped to 14-15. In 1996-97, Altman’s team was 15-15 and followed with another substantial jump to 18-10 and a bid to the NIT in 1997-98. . . . [now] a league-record nine straight seasons with 20 or more wins . . . and ten straight post season appearances" (source gocreighton.com)

I think Creighton and Altman are well suited - he built the team from near nothing - his recruiting needs to improve a little solidify himself at the top of the Valley and threaten for reegular post-season wins.

I think GMac is a good fit for us for the reasons mentioned already.

Wesley · 03-30-2007, 10:29 PM

Based on the last year, Altman. Based on next year, probably McD.

coachdags · 03-30-2007, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by chengyushen

I know many of you will say Gmac, but any reasons behind your conclusion? Altman has a better record in MVC. Altman has won several conference titles but the best finish for GMac is second in MVC?

Just want to hear your guys reasonings as to why we should be optimistic. No flames

I do not know much about Dana Altman, but It looks like he has had pretty good resources, in building up what he has accomplished,which is a well respected program that competes and wins.....

Greg McDermott has "Done more with less" than just about any coach in the country the last 10-12 years.....

His record at Wayne State (Div2) it was unbeliveable to accomplish what he did there with their resources...Hosting a regional tournament as a Independent school, because he gave the committee no choice. He beat everybody else they deserved it.

His Record at UNI (no jets for recruiting here) was just as remarkable, to take that school to the dance 3 years in row.....they had been there maybe once before in there 25 years as a D1 school, He resurected that program, brought back a fans base, students, and was insturmental in getting the Mcleod Center built.

I give him 3 years and you will see great sucess at ISU, and over the years to come he could leave his mark as one of the best coahes ever to coach in the state of Iowa...period!

Wesley · 03-30-2007, 10:40 PM

He made a believer out of the Czech Repubklic= Jiri.

CrossCyed · 03-30-2007, 11:03 PM

Altman completely owns Mac head to head.

coachdags · 03-30-2007, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by CrossCyed

Altman completely owns Mac head to head.

This is TRUE!

One game, same team (Players), who would you pick to "Coach" it ?

(Mac or Dana ?)

CrossCyed · 03-30-2007, 11:16 PM

I'll take Billy Donovan.

:D

bmuff · 03-31-2007, 12:34 AM

I think Altman had definitely done better so far. BUT, I really believe his best days at Creighton are behind him. First off, his Iowa pipeline is drying up. He used to pretty much have free reign in Iowa. That was before McDermott got rolling at UNI and Davis went to Drake. Now, GMac at ISU won't be losing Iowa kids to Creighton, and Jacobson at UNI and Keno Davis at Drake won't just lie down. And that's not even mentioning iowa's new coach. I really doubt that a Korver or Funk slips through all of their fingers.

Second, if Doc Sadler really turns Nebraska around, Creighton is going to have to fight for Omaha kids that they had just assumed were theirs...not to mention that South Dakota is going to be tougher to recruit with those schools going D1.