Poll: Keeping Muller

[gobirds85]

I'm one of the few that had student fees go towards Redbird Arena and Hancock Stadium...lucky me.

Thanks, buddy.

 

[Redbird222]

I'm one of the few that had student fees go towards Redbird Arena and Hancock Stadium...lucky me.

The referenendom passed the year before I attended ISU. I paid 4 years of fees for RBA and it opened the year after I graduated.

 

[Bird Friend]

Another 'how times have changed' anecdote. The night that the news broke that Donewald was fired, all of the Peoria stations ran banners across the bottom of the screen, during primetime. The 10 o'clock news lead with the story.

I was angry when he was fired. He doesn't get enough credit for cleaning up operations in a program that was probably headed towards probation.

Anyone else remember the 'the Deadbirds'? There was a fair amount of angst in the fanbase about this "playing defense" thing. But we all came around. Donewald's defenses were like knives at the throats of the other teams.

The primary reason Donewald was selected was to run a spotless ship. And we can't deny he did that. He could be gracious. He could also be a total jerk. Donewald was a complete prima donna as far as his interactions with the entire athletic staff went. He thought he was much better than ISU, which is why he promoted himself to other universities every chance he got in the first few years he was here. He even had Knight demand an interview with Arkansas for Donewald in 1985. Job went to Richardson, which was by far the better choice.

His record was not very good his final 4 years, which made the decision easier for the admins when he had the losing season.

 

[Yogi]

HIs final 5 years 22-8 15-14 19-13 18-13 13-17 Dans last 5 years 18-15 17-16 10-21 7-18 10-10 so far this year which 5 would you rather have

 

[gobirds85]

HIs final 5 years 22-8 15-14 19-13 18-13 13-17 Dans last 5 years 18-15 17-16 10-21 7-18 10-10 so far this year which 5 would you rather have

Trick question?

 

[StLRedbird]

The primary reason Donewald was selected was to run a spotless ship. And we can't deny he did that. He could be gracious. He could also be a total jerk. Donewald was a complete prima donna as far as his interactions with the entire athletic staff went. He thought he was much better than ISU, which is why he promoted himself to other universities every chance he got in the first few years he was here. He even had Knight demand an interview with Arkansas for Donewald in 1985. Job went to Richardson, which was by far the better choice.

His record was not very good his final 4 years, which made the decision easier for the admins when he had the losing season.

I agree completely with that description of the man, but the times were different. That style of coaching hadn't been discredited. I graduated in '85, so my view of the Redbird world in those days happened mainly via B-N watering holes.

The saloon talk in those days was that he had turned down a few job upgrades. The talk was also that his personal reputation was making it impossible for him to recruit the level of players we needed. He could sure coach 'em up if he got 'em to campus, but getting them here was his undoing.

 

[Yogi]

Bob D was known for getting the most out of his players how is Dan known Bob D had a big rivalry with Charlie Spoonhour at sms and Nolan Richardson at Tulsa

 

[dpdoughbird06]

The referenendom passed the year before I attended ISU. I paid 4 years of fees for RBA and it opened the year after I graduated.

Imagine how the students felt a few years ago working out in a cramped off-campus glorified shed while their fees funded a new Rec Center they’d never enjoy.

The old Rec had a distinctive flair, though: it had the only carpeted track (1/8 mile!) I’ve ever seen around the also-carpeted basketball court. And the racquetball courts were nice…

But in a way they - and those who funded RA and Hancock - were all paying it forward like BJ Bello is now doing for the bubble. Redbirds helping Redbirds.

 

[SgtHulka]

Imagine how the students felt a few years ago working out in a cramped off-campus glorified shed while their fees funded a new Rec Center they’d never enjoy.

The old Rec had a distinctive flair, though: it had the only carpeted track (1/8 mile!) I’ve ever seen around the also-carpeted basketball court. And the racquetball courts were nice…

But in a way they - and those who funded RA and Hancock - were all paying it forward like BJ Bello is now doing for the bubble. Redbirds helping Redbirds.

ISU sold the shed to the city so they could relegate the grey hairs to working out in despair

Is the carpeted track green shag?

 

[dpdoughbird06]

ISU sold the shed to the city so they could relegate the grey hairs to working out in despair

I’d the carpeted track green shag?

I recall the carpet being more Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas ballroom-grade burnt maroon…

When I heard it was being converted into an “Adult Recreation Center” I thought the Kappa Kabana was relocating to a more fertile location.

 

[SgtHulka]

I recall the carpet being more Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas ballroom-grade burnt maroon…

When I heard it was being converted into an “Adult Recreation Center” I thought the Kappa Kabana was relocating to a more fertile location.

We’ll maybe it is and maybe it isn’t . You’ll just have to wait till you’re 55 to find out.

 

[Birdfriend72]

Bob D was known for getting the most out of his players how is Dan known Bob D had a big rivalry with Charlie Spoonhour at sms and Nolan Richardson at Tulsa

Don’t forget the teams Wichita had back then with the X man. Those were great teams.

 

[BirdGrad2011]

Imagine how the students felt a few years ago working out in a cramped off-campus glorified shed while their fees funded a new Rec Center they’d never enjoy.

The old Rec had a distinctive flair, though: it had the only carpeted track (1/8 mile!) I’ve ever seen around the also-carpeted basketball court. And the racquetball courts were nice…

But in a way they - and those who funded RA and Hancock - were all paying it forward like BJ Bello is now doing for the bubble. Redbirds helping Redbirds.

Can confirm. Got to use the new Rec Center for not even one semester. Tried to go the Monday after graduation and wasn’t allowed in.

 

[MadBird]

Non-conference schedule, 1988-89, Donewald's last year:
Indiana, WIU, Coppin State, DePaul, Purdue, UIC, St. Louis, Missouri State (not in MVC then), Memphis, Miami of Ohio, Chicago St., Loyola (not in MVC)

Non-conference schedule, 1987-88:
Purdue, Green Bay, DePaul, St. Louis, Chicago State, UIC, Boston U., St. Bonaventure, Iowa, Oklahoma, Loyola (at the International Amphitheatre, for you old timers!), Rider, Butler

Things were different back then, but just pointing out just for fun, Donewald took on the Big 10 and Big 12 and whatever else you had. Sure, Chicago State and Green Bay and UIC. But there were some big wins, visits to Horton by "P5" schools, etc. Good times.

 

[bombay]

Don’t forget the teams Wichita had back then with the X man. Those were great teams.

I saw Xavier McDaniel flee to near the top of aisle 12 at McNichols Arena in Denver one night to escape the wrath of one Calvin Natt.

 

[FriscoBird90]

In addition to what others have already mentioned, by the late 80s the trend line in the quality of recruiting was beginning to slump in the wrong direction. Donewald also bucked the new AD's approach to having all the athletic programs support one another, which he viewed as "messing with" his program and the way he did things. Kudos to Wellman for having the juevos to can him when he did. Winning the Valley Finale the following year in part due to the new energy supplied by a more positive, engaging head coach and fighting the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines to the wire in the first round of the NCAA tournament was a nice way to cap off my undergrad years at the state's eldest public institution of higher learning.

 

[Bird Friend]

HIs final 5 years 22-8 15-14 19-13 18-13 13-17 Dans last 5 years 18-15 17-16 10-21 7-18 10-10 so far this year which 5 would you rather have

Not my point. Making a point about one coach—and only that coach—shouldn’t be construed as anything but a point about that coach. My point was solely that was easier to fire Donewald based on his trajectory. Good lord.

 

[CaliRdBrd]

Just a few things about Donewald that have gone unsaid through the years. His office door in Horton was always open. If you asked him a basketball question you got a half-hour answer. Sometimes with diagrams. And he took care of people. I know two Robinson/Smithson guys that Coach took care of and made sure they finished their degrees. It didn't matter that they never played for him.

I ran into him back when you could actually shoot hoops at Horton. Had a nice 5 minute conversation
I think (if I remember correctly), they fired him over Spring Break to avoid pushback from the students (way back when students actually cared about basketball).

 

[CaliRdBrd]

Imagine how the students felt a few years ago working out in a cramped off-campus glorified shed while their fees funded a new Rec Center they’d never enjoy.

The old Rec had a distinctive flair, though: it had the only carpeted track (1/8 mile!) I’ve ever seen around the also-carpeted basketball court. And the racquetball courts were nice…

But in a way they - and those who funded RA and Hancock - were all paying it forward like BJ Bello is now doing for the bubble. Redbirds helping Redbirds.

That old Rec center was still light years better than the 1940’s style nautilus equipment in the basement of Wright.

 

[Baltimore Bird]

I voted "safe already" a few weeks ago. I have changed my mind. I now think he will be gone at the end of the season. A massive and unexpected run would change things, but I just cannot see that happening.