Bill Fennelly - Big XII Coach of the Year

CyForPresident · 03-01-2008, 05:03 PM

With the win today, the twisters sisters are very strong candidates to again make the NCAA Tournament and play in Wells Fargo in Des Moines. ISU has wins over B10 leader Iowa, ranked CU and OSU on the road, as well as several close losses. All of this while playing in the best league in the country. And its not over either. ISU will likely be a 6 or 7 seed in the B12 tournament and could possibly play OU, who ISU lost to by 3, and then KSU, who ISU again lost to by 3. If all the breaks fall right, the sisters could be playing in the B12 championship game. And then there is the NCAA tournament, where anything can happen, especially with ISU playing in Des Moines.

This will be the 9th time Fennelly has lead ISU to the NCAA Tournament with an Elite 8 and 2 sweet sixteen appearances. BF has also won Back-to-back B12 tournament titles and a B12 regular season title. He is an Iowan and has the longest tenure of any coach in the B12. He turned around a team with absolutely no history and consistently has them in the NCAA Tournament and in the Top 10 in the nation in attendance. And yet Fennelly has never won the B12 Coach of the Year. Well, I think this is the year. Fennelly has this team playing at a high level despite 2 season ending injuries and several other nagging injuries. And he is doing all of this with sophomores and freshman. The future couldn't be brighter either. Next year this team will have a serious shot at another B12 Title.

Thank you Fennelly for making ISU proud and Thank you Jamie Pollard for locking up BF with a lifetime contract. Bill Fennelly is a true Iowan and a Cyclone and there is no better time to support the sisters.

Cy Hard · 03-01-2008, 05:08 PM

Couldn't agree more about Fennelly.

IcSyU · 03-01-2008, 05:10 PM

Unfortunately, he is the coach at Iowa State, so he won't get it

HandSanitizer · 03-01-2008, 05:12 PM

Them doing this with 2 low post starters is amazing.

chrishull14 · 03-01-2008, 05:15 PM

I think Fennelly is one of the greatest coaches in Cyclone History.

theshadow · 03-01-2008, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by chrishull14

I think Fennelly is one of the greatest coaches in Cyclone History.

I'd probably put him in the top 5.

Harold Nichols -- 6 NCAA wrestling titles
Ed Gagnier -- 3 NCAA gymnastics titles
Bill Fennelly -- 10 postseason appearances (7 NCAA, 2 WNIT, 1 TBA), conference title, 2 conf tourney titles, Elite Eight, more wins at ISU than all predecessors combined
Larry Eustachy -- 2 league titles, 1 conf tourney title, Elite Eight
Earle Bruce -- 24 FB wins in three seasons (8-3, 8-4, 8-4)

BenEClone · 03-02-2008, 11:03 AM

A good case can be made for BF, but, it generally takes a high finish to get the votes. He may need to get into the tournament final. Kurt Budke at OSU is a candidate because of the turnaround he accomplished in such a short time. Sometimes COY is awarded for success in one year, the foundation for which was laid in a previous good recruiting year. I'd make a long term wager on next year or the year after.

This might be better with a thread of its own, but, for other post season honors this year - is any frosh doing better than Bolte for FOY? Would anyone turn down Aus for a guard on the all conference team?

C.John · 03-02-2008, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by BenEClone

This might be better with a thread of its own, but, for other post season honors this year - is any frosh doing better than Bolte for FOY? Would anyone turn down Aus for a guard on the all conference team?

I may be biased, OK I am, but Bolte should be FOY. But is the award Freshman of the year or Rookie (newcomer) of the year? If it's Freshman, then Bolte has no competition. But if it's Rookie, then Texas Tech Dominic Seals a Jr could take some of Bolte's votes.

rworkman83 · 03-02-2008, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by C.John

I may be biased, OK I am, but Bolte should be FOY. But is the award Freshman of the year or Rookie (newcomer) of the year? If it's Freshman, then Bolte has no competition. But if it's Rookie, then Texas Tech Dominic Seals a Jr could take some of Bolte's votes.

I might be wrong, but I think they give out both Freshman of the Year and Rookie (Newcomer) of the Year.

CyForPresident · 03-02-2008, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by BenEClone

A good case can be made for BF, but, it generally takes a high finish to get the votes. He may need to get into the tournament final. Kurt Budke at OSU is a candidate because of the turnaround he accomplished in such a short time. Sometimes COY is awarded for success in one year, the foundation for which was laid in a previous good recruiting year. I'd make a long term wager on next year or the year after.

This might be better with a thread of its own, but, for other post season honors this year - is any frosh doing better than Bolte for FOY? Would anyone turn down Aus for a guard on the all conference team?

I would agree with you that you usually need to win the conference, but when I heard that BF had never won B12 COY, I just couldn't believe it. I'm young and have only really started following women's basketball since I came to ISU 3 years ago, but can someone enlighten me as to why he didn't win in 2000 or 2001? He has been a national finalists for COY 3 times and was even runner-up in 1998 to Pat Summit. By simple vulcan logic, that would make him the best coach in the B12 in 1998, but he still didn't win it. It just baffles my mind.

I would agree too that since BF is at ISU he probably has to suck on a klingon's ridges to ever win it. ISU gets screwed in everything.

Oldgeezer · 03-02-2008, 05:02 PM

COY and Mr./Miss BBall honors don't necessarily go to the one most qualified. Didn't Eustachy lose out one year because he didn't get to the final four? You don't get COY for doing more with less or surviving through adversity. You get there by winning, therefore COY will be Mulkey (sp) Baylor. And since Ashley Arlen didn't get to the state tournement,she can't be a candidate for Miss Iowa Bball, even though in the eyes of the best coach in the state, she is the best player.

psycln11 · 03-03-2008, 08:48 AM

5th in the nation in attendance again this year!!!!