Steve Alford's Hair Gel - Hawkeye Sports News for the Clinically Insane

So, uh, you guys wanna talk football?

2007-08-06T18:24:00.000-05:00

Because I do.And I bet you do too.As much fun as writing about that cockmagnet Alford was, football is my true passion. I'm pleased to announce a new project in coordination with three other very talented writers, called The Hawkeye Compulsion. It's going to fucking rule.With the conference and team media days out of the way, we're going to have enough for at least a post a day. Once the season

Just as we were about to close up shop...

2007-06-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

...Steve Alford has returned to the Iowa headlines in typically ugly fashion.We were going to avoid any non-Iowa news about Alford--we're Hawkeye fans, not stalkers--but the latest news from the Cedar Rapids Gazette reminds us that even though Steve Alford is gainfully employeed far away in New Mexico, he's still not far away from our hearts--or, if he had it his way, the UI's pocketbooks. Here

Tyler Smith will average 0.0 points for the Hawkeyes in 2007-08

2007-04-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

Horrible news from Iowa City today: Tyler Smith is being released from his scholarship at the UI. That's right, the only guy coming back who even seemed capable of leading the team in scoring last year is getting out of town. He would rather spend a year not playing basketball at all than playing for the Hawkeyes.The situation is indeed dire in Iowa City now. The Hawkeyes lose a capable (if not

Jeff Peterson commits to Iowa

2007-04-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

Let's welcome point guard Jeff Peterson of Dematha High School (right outside of Washington, D.C.), who recently committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Here's a quick rundown of the kid:WHAT WE KNOW: He's 6'0", and 185 pounds. That's him to the right. He comes from one of the most storied basketball schools in the country: DeMatha has won their league title 36 of the past 47 years, including the last

RIP Paul Rhodes... And Hello Lady Soliday

2007-04-12T18:33:00.000-05:00

I recently learned that Paul Rhodes of KCCI-TV (or, for many Iowans, "Channel 8") passed away this March. I thought I'd pay tribute to Paul's memory by posting the photo below and mentioning the incredible crush that I had on Heidi Soliday of KCCI-TV. Heidi showed up on Channel 8 just as young Deke's flower started to bloom. I'm sure many Iowans shared my love of Heidi, but that restraining order

The spring practice two-deeps are out

2007-04-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

Per the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa has released their two-deeps. First, the good stuff, then my thoughts. OFFENSE WR - Andy Brodell, James Cleveland WR - Dominique Douglas, Trey Stross LT - Dace Richardson, Kyle Calloway LG - Andy Kuempel, Dan Doering C - Rafael Eubanks, Rob Bruggeman [EDIT: Bruggeman is probably out for the year after blowing out his knee.] RG - Wes Aeschliman, Travis Meade or

Winning the "Biggest Duh of the Year" award

2007-04-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

Tragic news for those with a coiffure fetish: The UI announced today that Steve Alford won't be at Iowa's year-end basketball banquet this weekend. I know. It hurts me too. I know.Undoubtedly, this move is in Alford's best interests. It's good that he make the break as clean as possible and disassociate himself from the Hawkeyes quickly. It would make absolutely no sense for him to attend.But

Onto the sport that oppressed Steve Alford

2007-04-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, the football season has started wintery hell spring practice, and looms only a few short months away. While that news undoubtedly doesn't sit well with Alford, it's great news in Iowa City. So the first news about a starter isn't about Jake Christensen at QB or the Albert Young/Damian Sims duo at RB... No, it's Brett Greenwood, currently named starter at free safety. What?? Who

Randy Peterson totally has a crush on Lickliter

2007-04-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

There's a great story from the Sunday DM Register on Todd Lickliter. It's full of all those tidbits that you get by interviewing a 50-year-old's family:"When the police brought me home," Marc said, "Todd was sitting there on the couch reading the newspaper and acting like he hadn't done anything - except for the fact that he was dripping wet."The police - they didn't even bother to question him.

Grading the nicknames

2007-04-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

Now that Iowa has a new coach, Alford has acclimated himself to a new community, and the season is over, things will be slowing down here. We're entering the four month stretch that features great weather and baseball instead of college sports--and judging by what the ladies wear around here during that time, we're all right with that.While we're not putting the site into total hibernation, there

Actual tragedy at Rice - from ESPN

2007-04-05T17:27:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Bailey, a sophomore guard at Rice University was stabbed to death Thursday morning after a confrontation at a bar in College Station, Texas.According to reports from the Houston Chronicle, Bailey and his twin brother Janson were found by College Station Police at approximately 1:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Lodge St. The brothers were then transported to St. Joseph's Hospital for

Tragedy strikes Morgantown

2007-04-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Sad news out of West Fuckin' Virginia today, as they've announced their next coach will be... ugh... Bob Huggins.Look, it's great that he's going back "home" to his alma mater and hometown, but come on. It's Bob Huggins. The guy's graduation rate is about the same as his BAC. The name "Thuggy Bear" didn't come out of nowhere. And now, just because he's back home doesn't mean he's going to clean

New Mexico fans aren't listening

2007-04-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

I've said it before--don't feed Alford adulation before he's done anything. He only becomes more addicted to it. He craves it.Nonetheless, UNM set up a publicity-grabber for him at an Isotopes exhibition on Tuesday night. Steve got to sign autographs, shake hands with kids, and *gasp* throw out the first pitch! Most precious of all, the jersey the UNM coach gave him had #12 on it. For when Steve

Stumping for Lickliter

2007-04-04T16:22:00.001-05:00

I'm heisting this post from the basketball board at the Hawks Nest. While there are certainly much worse, much lamer arguments being made about the Lickliter hire, at least this one seems honest and open for debate.Grade: B3 things I don't like.-$1.2M or whatever is ridiculous, but whatever. I am not going to be a hater, I will just work at getting a job as a coach! Heck, I heard about a house

It's okay, Dana. We understand.

2007-04-03T23:06:00.000-05:00

I want pass along a nod to Dana Altman, former head coach of Creighton and head coach of Arkansas, and then former head coach of Arkansas and head coach of Creighton again. He's also been an honorary head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes for some time. In fact, if you've followed recent internet rumors closely, Altman still has the Iowa position sewed up and is expected to sign any minute. (As a

Links to the Lickliter press conference feeds

2007-04-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

KCCI and HawkeyeSports.com are carrying live feeds online, and those of you in the KGAN CBS2 viewing area can watch it live on TV.Additionally, those in the Iowa City area can also watch it on Channel 17, which I think is the UI's network.Let the Lickliter era begin!

WWJL?

2007-04-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is a house of basketball! - JC HimselfYou know, Steve mentioned it at his press conference, but he didn't really do the salesman in himself justice. His overly opulent mansion/gymnasium is up for sale, and if you're thinking of relocating to Coralville, now's the time.Now, Jesus had a slight disdain for opulence, so it would seem slightly hypocritical for a WWJD-bracelet-rocking God Warrior

Todd Lickliter and Butler by the numbers

2007-04-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

(First: Huge thanks to kenpom.com, midmajority.com, and the Big Ten Wonk for their invaluable data. Without you, I am a level 50 hack, not a level 47 hack.)(Second: if you do not enjoy reading, by all means, skip to last night's last post for an incredibly amateurish MS Paint joke on our new coach's name. I understand completely.)Since the Lickliter (still ruminating on a good nickname, by the

Another picture of Todd Lickliter

2007-04-02T23:03:00.000-05:00

...what?

Welcome, Todd Lickliter

2007-04-02T20:02:00.000-05:00

That's Todd Lickliter--apparently upon being told that Adam Haluska was not, in fact, granted another year of eligibility.He's your next coach at the University of Iowa, according to just about everybody.As mentioned below, he was the 2006-07 NABC coach of the year, which is really freaking cool. He runs a Big Ten-esque style of team, with stifling defense and solid offensive discipline. He

Set your Batwatches for 4:45

2007-04-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

All thanks to Dweeze for the time.Oh, and one name that was conspicuously absent from my prognostications below (which, I need not remind you, are all pulled from asscracks, be they mine or others) was Butler's Todd Lickliter. Lickliter's one of those bullcrap, middling candidates that was only named COACH OF THE YEAR!!! this season.Here's the rest of his bio. No light stuff, this:The current

The pain is almost over

2007-04-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

The Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson is reporting that a presser is coming by tomorrow afternoon:Iowa apparently has a new men’s basketball coach.Who replaces Steve Alford remains the question.Athletic director Gary Barta will hold a press conference “within the next 24 hours,” Hawkeye sports information director Phil Haddy said late this afternoon.Haddy would not disclose the nature of the

The sticking point

2007-04-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

"Word"* is that Rick Majerus is at an impasse with Barta over the job description. Apparently, Majerus is under the impression that his weekly coaching show will be coached by Gary The Dolphin, and not just Gary Dolphin. Majerus does not know how to communicate with dolphins, like in that docu-drama Flipper. When Barta tried to tell Majerus that Gary's not a real dolphin, Majerus reportedly said,

In case you hadn't noticed....

2007-04-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's Opening Day today!The Hair Gel is going to be updated only sporadically today, barring any major updates. And that's where you, faithful readers, will come in. I'll be checking my email by cell phone periodically. If anything substantial happens (likelihood: low), e-mail us at the Hair Gel at OopsPowBlog@gmail.com. Otherwise, go grab a case of Old Style beer, turn on WGN radio, and let Pat

Dana Altman is the next coach...

2007-04-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

...of Arkansas. Holy shit. Do you suppose he's playing the role of Iowa's jilted lover, his interest always unrequited? That Arkansas is the real protagonist in this romantic comedy--the Meg Ryan, if you will? Or is Dana Altman Meg Ryan? Who knows? And this discussion should stop before I start openly wondering if there's a nude scene anywhere.The rumor mill is talking up Majerus again, with some

IOWA HAS MADE ITS CHOICE

2007-04-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

Iowa will announce the signing of former Minnesota head coach Clem Haskins at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. I'm very excited about the hire, and I'm sure none of you have any problems about it. More later.

First half thoughts on UCLA

2007-03-31T20:49:00.001-05:00

This Shipp is bananas.B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

One quick note before I leave

2007-03-31T14:59:00.000-05:00

Altman will apparently interview with Iowa next week.Thank God.

More bad news

2007-03-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Lowery just signed an extension with SIU, so he's out of the mix now too.At this point it's looking like the finalists are Quin Snyder, the guy from Joe Millionaire, and Xzibit.Jeepers.

21 weekend questions

2007-03-31T11:49:00.000-05:00

1) Who will the next coach be?A: While I obviously can't say too much (always shear the sheep, never skin it), all indications are that it's a certain former player.2) What? Who? Give me a hint.A: Let's just say his first name is Steve, and his last name is Carfino.3) Shut the fuck up.A: Okay, sorry, that's 100% bullshit. I just made that up.4) Seriously, who's it going to be?A: I have no clue,

Congratulations if you were ever betting on "the field"

2007-03-31T00:06:00.000-05:00

A whole lot of people were certain we'd be hearing about Rick Majerus announced as early as tomorrow as the new Iowa coach. Oh, wait.... Former Utah Coach Rick Majerus emphatically denied Friday he has any interest in coaching Iowa's men's basketball team. Asked in a phone interview if there were any discussions involving him as Iowa's next coach, Majerus said, ``No, no.''Told there were

I know you're hoping for big news

2007-03-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

And like you, we all are as well. There's lots of people predicting that it'll be Rick Majerus with B.J. Armstrong assisting; even radio reports on Minnesota-area sports radio are saying that. No word from any local media, though.It's safe to say that Gary Barta's going to get a lot closer to hiring somebody this weekend at the Final Four. Everybody's going to be there. The NABC has their annual

Now, I know that Iowa City is a pretty liberal town...

2007-03-29T23:42:00.000-05:00

Does Majerus really want Iowa? Really? Let's make sure Barta knows all of the details about how Captain Bypass really feels.

A wildly unsubstantiated rumor about Majerus

2007-03-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

This comes to us courtesy of the Press-Citizen's Hawkeye boards, and while that should automatically eliminate it from consideration, it fits in with what I've heard...I am visiting in Iowa City. This morning, while sitting at Java House, I over heard a guy talking to a woman about the coaching position. Here's what he said:He is Mike Gaten's son's god father. Gaten told him that Majerus called

Re-re-re-re-calibrating the odds

2007-03-29T14:53:00.000-05:00

Dana Altman - 75%Rest of the field - 25%Steve Alford - 0%

Following Big Ten Wonk's advice

2007-03-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

Big Ten Traitorous Bastard Wonk (full credit for the nouveau nom de plume goes to the iconic m go blog) had this to say about judging coaches on their March records:3. Look at the three-point shooting of your candidate's team: if it was really good in March, discount that as a factor in your hiring. Example: for all I know, Ernie Kent will turn out to be the next John Wooden. But if he's hired

Another recruiting violation

2007-03-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

Hey, remember a few hours ago when I wrote about that Jake Kelly kid taking calls from Alford? Yeah, turns out he wasn't the only one Alford called.From the P-C:HawkeyeNation.com quotes Cole as saying that both Alford and associate head coach Craig Neal are trying to lure him to New Mexico."It could be an option," Cole told HawkeyeNation.com. "I’m not sure if that’s where I want to be at, but

About Bruce Pearl and Illinois

2007-03-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this for two reasons:1) It ought to be required knowledge of fans of both Illinois and Iowa how the Bruce Pearl/Deon Thomas story went down. It's not as if Bruce Pearl was a rogue agent, acting alone. And it's not as if he's the most sensible target Illini fans should be focusing their crosshairs on.2) There are no rumors going around today. None. The ol' H.M.S. Rumormill got the wind

Can't get enough Steve Alford?

2007-03-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

You, sir (or madam) are in luck: Steve Alford has a blog (all thanks to an anonymous tipster in the comments). I'll keep a link on the side as well.And if you're wondering if the locals are falling all over themselves to worship Alford, the answer is: yes, boisterously.I want to thank Carl Holderman and everyone at El Pinto for having us out on Sunday for brunch. The breakfast burrito was

We're not done with Alford

2007-03-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

Sounds like Alford's already started recruiting down at New Mexico. That's all fine and good, except he's recruiting Iowa signees:Jake Kelly, who signed a national letter-of-intent with the Iowa men's basketball program in November, told The Gazette last night that Steve Alford has invited him to play for his new team at New Mexico.[...]"He said he'd like for me to come and that he thinks he's

My name is Oops Pow Surprise, and I run this joint

2007-03-27T17:07:00.000-05:00

At this point, the reliable, non-contradictory chatter is almost non-existent. I've heard Altman's off the list and I've heard he's the top choice. I've heard Kruger doesn't want to go anywhere, and I've heard he's Iowa's current target. I've heard Rick Majerus wants to coach at Iowa, and I've heard that's stupid. Maybe Magic Johnson actually will come coach. Who knows?Gary Barta, if you're

My name is Deke, and I run this joint

2007-03-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

OPS invited me to contribute around here. I took him up if only to subvert a blog and turn this mother inside out. The beginning of the revolution is an incredibly long introduction.As I've mentioned to OPS, I treat "tha Gel" as an extension of the Hawks Nest Online, which is the greatest assembly of sports fans known to exist. It's a tightly knit community of ladies and gentlemen who have

OK, now I'm depressed

2007-03-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a little upset about this whole Bruce Pearl thing, for a number of reasons.1. I like Bruce Pearl, a lot. I think he would have been great at Iowa and he would have been fun, because, let's face it, he's bat-shit crazy. That being said, I understand where he's coming from. He has a great thing going at Tennessee, why should he leave? It's probably for the best on both sides.2. The teams

"So much love, and also so much information."

2007-03-27T12:23:00.000-05:00

More bad news today. The Hair Gel's favorite college basketball blogger, Big Ten Wonk, is hanging up the Chuck Taylors after this season. Sort of. Not really. Says the Wonk:I've decided that this will be the last season of "Big Ten Wonk."Next season I'll continue to write on a regular basis on college basketball. I just don't know where, exactly. Watch this space for a referral.Regular readers

Re-re-calibrating the odds

2007-03-27T11:39:00.000-05:00

Dana Altman: 50%Rick Majerus: 25%Chris Lowery: 15%Lon Kruger: 5%Tom Crean: 5%Bruce Pearl: 0%Steve Alford: 0%Goddammit.

Things just got a whole lot less interesting

2007-03-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

It took Bruce Pearl less than half an hour after the contact announcement to turn down the Iowa offer. Sweet.University of Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said today he’s "not interested" in the head coaching vacancy at Iowa. "I’m not leaving Tennessee," the Vols coach said. The University of Iowa had officially contacted Tennessee and requested permission to talk to Pearl about its job. UT

Things just got very interesting

2007-03-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

Per the Knoxville News-Sentinel...The University of Iowa has officially contacted the University of Tennessee and requested permission to talk to Bruce Pearl about its vacant head coaching position. UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton said today he has granted Iowa permission to speak with Pearl. Huge news. HUGE. Assuming there's no clandestine negotiating going on, Pearl is clearly Iowa's first

Quick odds recalibration

2007-03-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

Altman: 40%Pearl: 20%Majerus: 20%Lowery: 15%Crean: 4%McConathy: 1%Alford: 0%I'm still not ready to put Altman at 50%, but I have heard some unencouraging things about everybody else recently. For the record (and I'm sure you were all dying to know): I'm happy with all those candidates except for the last two.

The first candidate to officially consider

2007-03-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

For all the speculation we do, it's useless next to good, old-fashioned paperwork. And there's finally one coach who has filed all the necessary paperwork to become the next coach at the UI.And it's... the guy from Northwestern State. Seriously.You bastard.You magnificent bastard.Now, look. We know that there's no possible way this guy's getting past "considered briefly by the committee before

The next Iowa head coach will be...

2007-03-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

...named soon!C'mon. You didn't really think I had the answer, did you? Of course I don't. Gary Barta doesn't even know who it'll be yet. If you want me to start tossing out baseless rumors, I'm going to aim a lot higher than who will coach a college basketball team. I aim big. Like "aliens run the shadow government and have a mind chip in George W. Bush's skull!" big.That said, I do hear rumors,

Notes from the Gary Barta presser

2007-03-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Gary Barta was awfully impressive in his half-hour stint in front of the microphone. Ultimately, that won't mean much; the proof will be in how he builds the athletic department, not in how professional he sounds when he talks to reporters. Nonetheless, I have a great deal of confidence in him right now.One of the best aspects of his press conference was a genuine faith in the quality of the Iowa

Notes from the Steve Alford presser

2007-03-24T20:00:00.000-05:00

Sadly, Dr. Schmidly didn't talk much. It turns out he's just the "incoming" president. Huge drop of the ball by UNM. If a man is named Schmidly, you give him hours with a microphone. Hours.Nonetheless, after an unjustly brief introduction, they brought out the UNM AD, whose name is Paul Krebs. Schmidly and Krebs! This is too good.Krebs's introduction was also brief, but two things jumped out.

Watch the New Mexico and Iowa press conferences online

2007-03-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

[Both sites require Internet Explorer. Sorry.]Both schools are part of the CSTV network, which is good news for online content. Thus, both schools are webcasting the press conferences free. 3 PM CDT - UNM press conferenceGo to golobos.cstv.com and click on "All Access" on the right, above the chick with the large head.

More as yet unsubstantiated rumors from the internets and ebays

2007-03-23T14:24:00.000-05:00

"Van Coleman said he talked to Pearl, last summer, and Pearl told him Iowa would be the only job he would leave Tenn for."Seen here.

All unsubstantiated rumors, yes, but...

2007-03-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Word on the street is that Bruce Pearl is interested in coming back to Iowa City.Fan reaction to that rumor is hilariously split. Some are welcoming Pearl back with open arms and advising Iowa spend $5 million a year on him (yeah, that'll happen). Others are pointing to the similarities between last night's OSU-Tennessee game and the Iowa-UNLV loss in '87 and drawing parallels between Pearl and

Not to do Barta's job for him, but...

2007-03-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

I think he owes Mike Dunlap a serious look. Oh, and I strongly recommend you read the article itself: I can't do it justice--not in 45 minutes and over a beer.Anyway, the guy's basically the Kirk Ferentz of basketball.Intense early practice schedules.He coaches his players to get up at 4 a.m. for 6:00 a.m. practices. No shit. And here's the thing--it just might be a good idea. As he said:"We’re

Gary Barta has no use for your goddamned questions

2007-03-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

As the move to New Mexico looms, reporters have hounded Gary Barta for further details. Gary Barta doesn't give a fuck.Shortly after, Barta entered the office and — after a 32-minute meeting with Alford — told waiting media that a press conference will be held tomorrow afternoon in Iowa City.When asked to elaborate on the meeting with Alford, Barta said: “I have no additional comment.”No

Thank you Steve!

2007-03-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

I would like to openly thank Steve Alford for his services here at the University of Iowa. Steve, as you probably know is leaving Iowa City for sunny Albuquerque not for the golf, but because it's a basketball school and not a football school, like Iowa (eleventh paragraph).The thing is, when Steve Alford came to Iowa (ugh... 7 years ago), Iowa was a basketball school. The football team won 4

Minnesota just made the first big move of the off-season

2007-03-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

So Minnesota just put their names on the front page of ESPN.com with a gigantic hire of Tubby Smith. It's huge in terms of name recognition, and it's huge in terms of money--he's reportedly getting about $1.8 milly a year.It'll be interesting to see who makes a move next in the Big Ten. Will Michigan or Iowa land a coach first? Will Ed DeChellis get the axe at PSU--and would anybody notice?

Andy Katz runs this shit

2007-03-22T13:32:00.000-05:00

Updated news from Andy Katz and ESPN--the deal is done, and Alford and Neal are going to New Mexico. The press conference, as predicted before, will be Friday.It's not a big surprise anymore, granted, but it's still pretty interesting. Alford bailed out as soon as the AD started talking tough, and he's even taking a cut in pay and prestige to avoid being fired. The "basketball school" nonsense is

Are you there, God? It's me, Steve.

2007-03-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

Dear God,This is Steve. Steve Alford. I know it's been a few hours since I last talked to you, but I wanted to ask you for a few more favors.First, let everybody in the state of Iowa understand why I'm leaving them. There will probably be a few confused and hurt people, especially near the team. Please show them that I'm at a school that, if you ask me, barely knows basketball exists, and I can't

"No comment" tells us plenty, thanks

2007-03-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

Local columnist Susan Harman has today's Alford update for the Press-Citizen. It still looks awfully likely that he's gone, but now might be a good time to make sure you know what cabinets the Xanax and Black Velvet are in.That's because for all the certainty of Andy Katz and his unnamed "multiple sources," there's still an awful lot of people who don't know anything about him leaving--like, say,

Note to Barta: Bring in an Asshole, Please!

2007-03-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

In the past season's media guide the section on Steve Alford was 13 pages long. Read that again, 13 pages!! Included in the Alford section were the scores from every game that he has ever coached at the Division I level. Sadly, we were denied the pleasure of seeing his Manchester victories individually.But since we may be looking for a replacement, I want somebody who's more selfish. Someone

MSNBC basically rips off Andy Katz, reports Alford is out

2007-03-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

The article itself adds absolutely no new information--it looks like MSNBC took Katz's article, snipped a few sentences, and called it their own. I'm mentioning it for two reasons: A) It's another major news service reporting that Alford is on his way out, and B) the picture of Alford pinching off a grumpy onto the United Center sideline. Oh hell, I'll post it here.HNNNNRRRRRGGGGGH

The Worldwide Leader says Alford is leaving

2007-03-21T18:32:00.000-05:00

The hits just keep pouring in, folks. Now Andy Katz (oh yeah, him) is citing multiple sources to report that UNM is thiiiiiis close to hiring Alford, and now they're just working on details.The article included a couple interesting points that I hadn't heard before:The connection to Alford started in largely part because the new UNM president, David Schmidly, was formerly at Texas Tech, home of

It is damned near official: Alford is history.

2007-03-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

According to WHO, KXIC, and various Hawkeye sites on the internets, Alford is going to New Mexico. The announcement will be at the end of the week.I'll miss you, Alford. I seriously will.By the way, here's the best link I could find for now. I have a feeling tomorrow will bear us a plethora of good sites to link to.

Greg Oden's AAU coach needs a new neighbor

2007-03-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

There's a post on the New Mexico boards that I don't feel like searching for, but reads as such:Lobo fans, greetings from Indiana. I am a long time lobo fan and former member of this board under another handle (lobopig). Here in Indianapolis, I have a friend and neighbor who is a Coach of one of the powerhouse AAU teams in the area. Greg Oden, Mike Connely, Jr. are some of his recent players. At

OH HOLY SHIT YES

2007-03-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

If you're rooting for Alford to get the hell out of Iowa City, well, today is a red-letter day.“University of New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs has asked permission to contact coach Steve Alford in regard to the head coaching position at New Mexico,” Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said in a statement today. “I have granted that permission to New Mexico officials.In case you were

What's with all the running? I think you're really just trying to run from the past.

2007-03-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

Now the latest rumor in Albuquerque and the internets says Alford might want to be a Runnin' Ute, not a Runnin' Rebel, next season. Unfortunately, the Albuquerque Journal's site is registration-only, and I couldn't find confirmation of that article online when I did register. So don't.In fact, here's all that was quoted from the article:WE HAVE CONTACT: Winthrop sports information director Jack

A little love here, Gary Barta?

2007-03-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

Weird news out of the UI yesterday... FireKirkFerentz.com, FireLisaBluder.com, and FireGaryBarta.com are no longer available for purchase. As a matter of fact, if you click on the sites, you'll be taken to an interesting destination. Go on, try it.Yep--the athletic department bought the domains themselves. Interesting move, Barta. On one hand, it's a pre-emptive strike that may be tactically

Meet Ritchie McKay!

2007-03-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

We've heard recently that Steve Alford may be campaigning for the spot recently (and forcibly) vacated by Ritchie McKay, over at the University of New Mexico. The Hair Gel has made a couple allusions to him, so why don't we take the time to get to learn a little bit more about him?In my search for information about him, I stumbled onto a page written by New Mexico's scout.com page after he was

Introducing the Stanford Men's Swim Coach: Josef Stalin

2007-03-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying, "Hello" to all of you Hair Gel regulars and "Thank you!" to OPS (That's on-base percentage + slugging) and the Hair Gel for inviting me on board. I'm really excited about becoming a part of the Hair Gel organization and since I just signed a five-year contract, it should cost the Hair Gel a lot of money if they want to buy me out. [WRONG. -Ed.]Anyway, remember our good

Some recruit I've never heard of sets it all straight

2007-03-19T17:06:00.000-05:00

Gearing up for Steve Alford's departure? Counting the years until the buyout comes? Well, you might want to stop that.It's common knowledge that before the season, AD Gary Barta extended Alford's contract through the 2011 seaon. Yes, that's depressing, seeing as how it was last century that he showed up, but you may take solace in the fact that at this point, the contract covers the next four

Steve Alford talks to the old New Mexico coach, but it's not what you think

2007-03-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

From the "newspaper desperately reaching for a story" department... the Des Moines Register reports that Alford and outoging UNM coach Ritchie McKay are awfully buddy-buddy:"I talk with Ritchie all the time," [Alford] wrote."We are very close friends, and we are on the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) ministry team together. We have not spoken about the New Mexico job. We have

Still out of town

2007-03-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gel Friends:Buddy Light and I remain away from the Sports Desk in Iowa City. We'll be back later today, and ho boy do we have plenty on our docket for this week. Did you know Steve Alford's been talking to the New Mexico coach (Ritchie McKay) on the phone? Did you know they claimed they never even mentioned the job opening down there? Did you know Steve Alford and McKay must think you have an IQ

What to watch for, Saturday edition

2007-03-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

All times CDT.12:10 pm: (1) Ohio State vs. (9) XavierGreg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden .... oh, you get the picture. Ohio State's as close to a Final Four lock as there is in this tournament, considering the rest of their bracket. Texas A&M is the only other team that I'd give a chance to take out the Buckeyes, and they wouldn't even see tOSU until

Don't ever listen to me about upsets

2007-03-16T16:25:00.000-05:00

As you might recall, I predicted three major upsets: (14) Wright State over (3) Pitt, (13) Albany over (4) Virginia, and (12) Long Beach State over (5) Tennessee. The results were not pretty.The average score of those three picks was 95-67. Basically, I told you to pick underdogs that all ended up losing by at least 20 points. Don't you ever, ever listen to me.Except when it comes to Steve Alford

After the first round of games...

2007-03-16T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank the Great Danes of Albany (by the way, it turns out most of their players aren't even great, let alone natives of Denmark). Not only did they not upset Virginia, they got the living shit kicked out of them. How are people supposed to take the Hair Gel seriously if I can't even pick a decent upset correctly?As for the rest of the games to start the day, no surprises.Memphis beat

Greg Paulus is a fuckin' soldier!

2007-03-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, not really.As you celebrate a tournament where five whole rounds are blissfully Duke-free, also feel free to welcome the newest contributor to the site, one Buddy Light. He's here to broaden the Hair Gel's horizons, because let's face it: it's depressing as hell to be a Hawkeye fan these days.If you've got something you want to see on the Hair Gel, you can definitely drop us a note at the

Oops Pow's lament

2007-03-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

So the greatest day of the sports year is coming up... and I won't be able to catch a single bit of it. Sadly, family matters (the concept, not the hit sitcom) are keeping me out of town and away from a television for the entirety of Thursday. As such, I won't be able to update the Hair Gel until, in all likelihood, Friday afternoon.It's a shame, too; I was looking forward to watching the

Picking the South bracket, the Hair Gel way

2007-03-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

(1) Ohio State (30-3) vs. (16) Central Connecticut State (22-11) - Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden Greg Oden(8) Brigham Young (25-8) vs. (9) Xavier (24-8) - You know what they say: Never bring a mormon

Picking the East bracket, the Hair Gel way

2007-03-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

(1) North Carolina (28-6) vs. (16) Eastern Kentucky (21-11) - Why couldn't Western Kentucky have made the tournament instead? The Hilltopper mascot is fucking phenomenal! But with EKU, all we get is the goddamn Colonels. Yeah. They named their mascot after Kentucky Fried Motherfucking Chicken. I shit you not. UNC wins by like a thousand.(8) Marquette (24-9) vs. (9) Michigan State (22-11) -

Picking the West bracket, the Hair Gel way

2007-03-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

(1) Kansas (30-4) vs. (16.5) Niagara (23-11) - Niagara, please. KU by about 40.(8) Kentucky (21-11) vs. (9) Villanova (22-10) - After I watched 'Nova squeak by Iowa in a nailbiter--89-60--I'm sold on them. That, and Kentucky is currently in the middle of a sleepwalk that included moronning (new word) their way out of a win against Mississippi State in the SEC tournament. No way I can take them.

Thank you so much, deadspin

2007-03-14T19:33:00.000-05:00

I'm grabbing this link directly from deadspin, because it's just too fucking good: Ballers w/ Randoms. I understand if you don't recognize everybody--I didn't even know all the players even with their names in the caption--but this shit is awesome.Here are some of my favorites:RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! THAT'S RON ARTEST AND HE WILL FUCKING KILL YOU! MAKING FACES WILL ONLY ANGER HIM OH GOD ITS

Picking the Midwest bracket, the Hair Gel way

2007-03-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

(1) Florida (29-5) vs. (16) Jackson State (21-13) - The States will be terrified by Joakim Noah's appearance. Florida will win, because 16 seeds never ever win ever.(8) Arizona (20-10) vs. (9) Purdue (21-11) - Purdue doesn't belong in the tournament. They routinely get killed on the road, and--speaking of being killed on the road--"Matt Painter vs. Lute Olson" is like "child who wandered onto the

Firing Alford would only anger the Lord

2007-03-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

(First, a heads-up to "Head Hawks" for the first link. Don't wanna know how you got that nickname, friend.)Steve Alford's a Christian. That's fine, in and of itself; this isn't ancient Rome or anything. We've all seen the WWJD bracelet (I have my own qualms about that, but that's another issue). But as it turns out, a few Christian organizations have found out Alford wears God's armor (whatever

"It's surprising that the fourth-place team in the Big Ten conference doesn't make the NIT."

2007-03-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

Steve Alford is right. It's suprising--on its face--that a 4th place team in a major conference would not be included in the postseason. But that's because one thinks of a "4th place" team in the Big 10, the reasonable assumption is that that team is the 4th best team in the conference, and absolutely nobody thinks that about Iowa.Iowa's overall record and RPI were, as a matter of fact, each the

2007 NCAA Tournament Breakdown

2007-03-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

Ah, what we've all been waiting for. I'll be making my predictions over the next day or two, but for now, swim in the stats. Lather yourselves in them. LOVE THEM.East Rutherford Seed School Conference Record Berth Type #1 North Carolina ACC 28-6 Tournament Champion #2 Georgetown Big East 26-6 Tournament Champion #3 Washington State Pac-10 25-7 At-Large #4 Texas Big 12 24-9 At-Large #5

Starting the day the Greg Oden way

2007-03-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

It's just about time we all took a step back and acknowledged what's so glaringly obvious: Greg Oden took a shitload of something.(By the way, this isn't some slam on Ohio State--I've got nothing but love for the OSU basketball team. Shit, I wish Oden and his 40-year-old HGH-using head was a Hawkeye.)I don't know whose head is more of a dead giveaway: Oden or Barry Bonds. Barry's safe for now,

Craig Neal isn't feeling loyal

2007-03-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

So here's some news that is in no way depressing: the associate head coach is openly campaigning for a coaching spot somewhere else."I'm really happy at Iowa, but I've always wanted to be a head coach," said Neal, who says he has not talked to anyone at DU.That's my absolute favorite graf in the story, because it tells you everything you need to know, which is:1) Craig Neal's long-term plans

Preliminary reactions from Hawk fans

2007-03-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

"Let's all egg his house... and put a burning T in his yard for TIME TO LEAVE." - hawk3211, rivals"It's time to drop the hammer on this charade. Alford has failed and there is no evidence other than wishful thinking to suggest that things will improve anytime soon." - regalhawk, rivals"The majority on right now are guests (1600 guests to 1000 members)....sounds comparable to our home attendance

Welcome to the meltdown

2007-03-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

Remember all that hand-wringing about Iowa only making the NIT this year? Uh, whoops. (site requires Adobe Acrobat)It was obvious that Iowa played their way out of the NCAA tournament when they let Purdue steamroll them on Friday. But now it seems that they played themselves out of the NIT too.And yet somehow, we probably won't be seeing Dick Vitale screaming on our television screens about this

The Hair Gel's 2007 NCAA Tournament Field

2007-03-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

First: a huge thank you to kenpom.com for all the RPI data. I wouldn't be doing any of this without Ken Pomeroy's clearinghouse of data. So start going there all the time.Second: It would be funny, in a "dick move" kind of way, to put a camera in Iowa City on the Hawkeyes for the Selection Special.Third: Here are the seeds the way I see them:16 seeds: Jackson State, Florida A&M (play-in game),

Steve Alford & Tim Hardaway will get along nicely

2007-03-10T12:13:00.000-06:00

Steve Alford hears the New Mexico rumors, sports media, and he doesn't like them:‘‘You know how I am with rumors,’’ Alford said Friday after Iowa lost to Purdue, 74-55, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. ‘‘There’s been enough rumors about me in eight years, it’s hard to believe I’m not in a dress by now. With all the rumors out on me for the last eight years, I’m glad I’m still in a

I would be remiss...

2007-03-10T11:36:00.000-06:00

...if I didn't mention the Hair Gel Trifecta that hit the United Center yesterday. There was:Steve Lavin calling a game between...Iowa head coach Steve Alford......and Purdue head coach Matt Painter.As far as who came out on top, it's pretty obvious. Painter ripped off the Alford look without doing it well enough to make it his own. You can't give the trophy to Alford--his team just lost by 19,

One step closer to the finish line

2007-03-09T16:56:00.000-06:00

I hope, faithful readers, that you didn't spend any time in front of the TV watching the Purdue-Iowa debacle. It was, to put it delicately, an absolute fucking shitstorm.Here's a good indicator of how competitive Iowa was:0:00 - Game starts0:08 - Purdue takes lead13:13 - Purdue is ahead by double digits40:00 - Game overIowa scored four second-chance points. On 13 offensive rebounds. If you try to

im in ur mag, twistin ur notez

2007-03-08T16:32:00.000-06:00

Check out today's hilarity from the Register. Doug Gottlieb talked about his Alford firing rumor (you know, the one that mysteriously showed up under Andy Katz's name for some reason), and he's not backing down. Or he is kind of.Gottlieb added: “Just so you know, it was edited a little bit stronger than the note I sent in to ESPN The Magazine, that Steve Alford may be in trouble.”So the rumor

2001 NCAA Tournament Breakdown

2007-03-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

Some names and numbers for you to consider as you watch Michigan and Minnesota swing their purses at each other...2001In case you don't remember, the West's 2-15 game was mildly entertaining. I wish I could find a picture of Jamaal Tinsley blowing the layup to win it.East Seed School Conference Record Berth Type #1 Duke ACC 29-4 Tournament Champion #2 KentuckySEC 22-9 Tournament Champion

ESPN: The Magazine drinks Haterade

2007-03-07T15:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a brief synopsis of the Alford firing rumor and ESPN: The Magazine's subsequent treatment of it.ESPN announces Andy Katz's article will say Alford's out.Alford and Iowa AD Gary Barta call bullshit.ESPN says the article should have credited someone else at ESPN for the rumor, because that's where it came from.Alford: "Doug Gottlieb? Fuck Doug Gottlieb."Big props, Captain Hair Gel. Though I

2002 NCAA Tourney Breakdown

2007-03-07T11:30:00.000-06:00

Remember this tournament? Missouri limped in as a 12-seed with an absolutely lousy resume. Unconscionable losses all over the place, 1 (one) Top-100 win in the conference, and worst of all, the double whammy: A coach who not only looks like Quin Snyder, but coaches like Quin Snyder.Naturally, they went to the Elite Eight.I mean seriously. Quin fucking Snyder.[EDIT: I asked the Ladies... about him