Alford vs. Lickliter

Just two years ago Steve Alford fled to New Mexico with his tail between his legs. Many Hawkeye fans rejoiced. They had soured on him after his handling of the Pierre Pierce situation and his poor record within the Big Ten Conference. It was time for change, they said. But is Todd Lickliter actually an upgrade? Let’s compare. Who’s a better in-game tactician? The better recruiter? Let the debate begin.

(Images courtesy of hawkeyesports.com and golobos.com).

The Steve Alford File:

Career D-1 W-L: 272-173
Conf. W-L: 126-103
W-L at Iowa: 152-106
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 4
NIT Appearances: 5

The Todd Lickliter File:

Career D-1 W-L: 158-94
Conf. W-L: 75-54
W-L at Iowa: 27-33
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 2
NIT Appearances: 2

In-Game Coaching:
Alford’s in-game coaching tactics were questioned frequently. How else do you explain how he lost so many games with superior talent than the opposition? In fairness to Alford, his Iowa teams seemed to score routinely on out-of-bounds plays. On the other hand, Lickliter makes many sound adjustments during the course of a game. Iowa seems to play better in the second half of games. Edge: Lickliter.

Recruiting:
Alford’s early years at Iowa saw some great talent come in. His 2000 class was ranked No. 5 in the nation. He got Luke Recker and Reggie Evans to transfer to Iowa and signed top 50 freshmen Glen Worley and Jared Reiner. His recruiting then tapered off in his later years at Iowa though he has recruited at a pretty high level at New Mexico. Meanwhile, recruiting represents Lickliter’s biggest question mark. He probably won’t get as many highly-ranked players as Alford, but he looks for a specific type that fits his system. Edge: Alford.

Player Development:
It says a lot when some players improve more in one season with a new head coach than they had in several seasons with the former coach. This appeared to be the case for guys like Seth Gorney and Cyrus Tate. Both seemed to be treading water under the tutelage of Alford and his staff, but when Lickliter came on board, things changed. Gorney got markedly better, and Tate showed he could be a force inside. Similarly, players like Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson have made significant strides since last season. This could be an area where Lickliter makes up for possible shortcomings in recruiting. Edge: Lickliter.

Media Relations:
OK, this one doesn’t really matter that much. But Lickliter seems to better connect with the media and not come off as arrogant. Alford often blamed his players after games, whereas Lickliter often takes full responsibility after losses. Edge: Lickliter.

Hair:
It’s tough to top Alford’s perfectly gelled dew. He never has a hair out of place. Lickliter keeps his hair short and well-groomed, but it doesn’t have the same flair. Edge: Alford.

Overall:
Lickliter did more at Butler than Alford could at Iowa. However, Alford’s had a degree of success in his new gig at New Mexico and Lickliter continues to rebuild Iowa. Lickliter’s superior coaching ability gives him the advantage. Edge: Lickliter.