What a whirlwind 24 hours. Keno Davis missed the celebration of Drake basketball at the State Capitol for a job interview at Providence. The next day, the Friars introduce him as their 14th head coach.
Yes, it's a lot more money, and yes, the Big East is a big step up from the Missouri Valley, but do you think Keno owed Drake more than one season? It was an amazing year, one no one saw coming, and he is the National Coach of the Year, but Drake gave him an opportunity despite no previous head coaching experience at any level.
It's a tough one. We have a poll on the whotv.com sports page and we'd like your feedback here on this blog too. A third way to sound off is to send an e-mail to soundoff@whotv.com We'll post some of your feedback on our newscasts.
(There's a somewhat new, somewhat outdated Murphy's Law from last night. It follows this one.)
Thanks.
Keith
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32 comments:
I'm not a basketball fan so in the big picture, I don't really care to much.
But looking in from the outside, with everyone saying this season was a fluke you would think he would want to stay just to prove them wrong.
Also the fact that he choose a job interview than standing beside his team shows he cared more about the money or moving to a bigger team, or whatever his reason shows he cares more about himslef than the team. If Providence wanted him so badly they would have waited a day.
Pretty classless move on Davis's part.
I know that this year was great and he owes Drake nothing, but there is no way around the fact that this is kind of being a punk by using the stage your given for one year and then running. I don't know... Interested to see what others have to say.
One thing is for certain, he shows he is confident in his coaching abilities by going to the next level right away and not needing to give it another year at Drake to prove to himself that he's got what it takes.
An opportunity like this comes around only once in a lifetime for a first year coach. He is smart for taking the job at Providence. When he does good at Providence, maybe he'll be a top tier candidate for a job at an even better school down the road rather than if he were to stay at Drake for a couple more years. He is going places and he is moving quickly.
This decision is not about Drake, the fans, money, and new recruits. It's about Keno being the best coach he can possibly be. He's going to get beat up for a while in the Big East and deal with adversity that he may not have had to deal with at Drake. In the end, this is going to make him a much better coach with much better experience. Remember he is a very young man and only has 1 season as head coach experience.
I don't believe that he is in this to be a good coach. I think he wants to eventually be considered one of the top coaches in the nation for many year to come, and he's not going to do it by spinning his wheels at Drake.
I received the WHO breaking news email at 3:11 p.m. ESPN and the Register broke this story at 11 this morning. No wonder 13 is 2nd in a two station market.
nerm00, dont be a dick. keith was on tv this morning with the story. trying putting your mouse down.
dan
Dude, they had it on their website this morning too. You must have some f-ed up e-mail...
I am not surprised Keno has been recruited, I am surprised it has happened so quickly. While I'm sure he is a good coach, what's to say this was just a lucky year for him and it was the players and their chemistry more than his coaching that got Drake the success they had? I would think other schools would want to see what he could do for 3 or 4 years in a row first.
though it is saddening to see keno leave, i wish keno the best of luck. keno and the rest of the drake basketball team gave us something to cheer about during this long winter. thanks Keno for a great season, you deserve this new oppurtunity.
Who's going to jump a sports guy's car after a Drake game now? Drat.
i agree with sara, who is going to jump start chris hassels car now?
pearl jam sucks
I agree with what Andy was saying this afternoon on Jon Miller's show. If Keno were truly confident in his coaching abilities, he would have coached another year or two and waited for a better job than Providence to come along. Big time money being thrown at him doesn't mean its a big time job.
Sure, its a step up from Drake, but Providence is to Big East basketball what Baylor is to Big 12 football; irrelevant. Providence is stuck right in the middle in close proximity of big time basketball programs that are going to outrecruit him BIG TIME. We're not talking small fries like Iowa State and Iowa, we're talking big hitters like Syracuse, Connecticut, Maryland, among others.
Keno may not have owed anything to Drake, but as previously stated, he could have at least hung around long enough to be with his team yesterday. Perhaps Keno thought his team this coming season would not be anything more than average?
The big surprise here is that Providence would offer this kind of money to a first year head coach. Keno obviously helped recruit the guys who played for him this season, but he's only been the top dog for one year.
Again, I think Keno should have stuck it out for a little while longer at Drake and waited for a better job. If he is confident in his system, he would know that he could sustain success at Drake, which would lead to much better opportunities.
Bryan
Davis will never be hotter than he is right now, and he would have never had another season like this one. Good for him for cashing in. And congratulations to Andy Garman for breaking the story.
i didnt realize kcci employees read this. welcome to the sound off nation wannabeez.
dan
kcci only wishes they could be as great as whotv
See what happens when he doesn't have a tean that his dad put together...best of luck to him though.
Hey, Keith, why didn't you mention anything about Wartburg's DIII championship in wrestling? I think it's as big of a story as Keno leaving Drake.
I think there are more important things in life than to get SO pissed off about a basketball coach leaving for a better position. I love how people can be so self-righteous and know what's best for Keno, the players, and Drake. Who's to say that the next coach won't be better?
Lest I recall, Fox Sports broke the news first nationally. Locally, it was the ABC affiliate that broke it first. They had it on their website and on the tv crawl a good 20 minutes before CBS.
At least ABC and NBC went on the air with their sports director's on the set.
Khandi Kisses,
Khandi Ahpal
I think we all would like to work real hard at one place for just a short while and then in one brief moment, be scooped up, be recognized as being one of the best at our job and be thrown into the national arena to show our true talent. I know I would. If Keno can do it and make some coin while doing it and then God bless him. Good luck, Keno!
Wrong again "Khandi." Garman broke the story Monday night during their
6pm news. I'm sure Keith will jump in here anytime to clear up your confusion.
"Wrong again "Khandi." Garman broke the story Monday night during their
6pm news."
Garman must be able to see into the future, because the deal was not done until Tuesday morning. Until that time, there was no story to break.
Who cares who "broke" the story first, anyway? Only the TV stations. CNN could be "breaking" the news that Washington, DC is being bombed right now but I wouldn't know it because I don't watch their craptastic channel.
Bryan
So true Bryan, so true. The Communist News Network stinks.
KCCI broke nothing. The Providence Journal (projo.com) had it before anyone. And no one said he was taking the job, they said he was interviewing there and that he could be announced as the coach as soon as the next day (which is something you could say about anyone, anywhere about anything). That said, I think it's sad that money justifies just about anything, these days. Drake was no purgatory for Keno-- he won the freakin' tournament and the conference in his first season with a bunch of nobodies, for God's sake! The guy can coach, the recruits were beginning to come in and things were getting better and better. I wish him the very best, but only time will kill the sour taste it leaves in this Bulldog fan's mouth.
Andy Garman reported Monday night at 6pm that Keno Davis wasn't at the Iowa Statehouse where his team was being honored, because he was at Providence interviewing. The deal was announced the next day. When WHO ran their story Monday night at 6, they didn't even notice Keno wasn't at the statehouse, and said nothing about him being at Providence. Murph knows they got beat on this one, that's why he's not on here disputing it.
Why do we care who broke it first unless you work for one of the stations? The 8 vs. 13 thing is lame at best. I am here because I prefer 13. I don't give a flying F*&K what 8 does. By reading this blog, it appears a lot of "tv people" read this blog and use it as a forum to one up each other. Let's settle this once and for all. Let's take Andy's awards and put them in one corner and Keith's and put them in another and see who has more and that's the winner! Yeah, stupid and trivial idea. Just like caring about who broke the story first.
Keith,
your thoughts from few that posted above?
Sorry for the delay. I've been very busy at work and at home the past few days and haven't checked this. I wouldn't be now except for the 327th time this April, the weather wrecked a scheduled Little League baseball game.
I honestly don't know who reported what first at the Providence Journal or Fox Sports. I do know we didn't report anything Monday at 6 p.m. about Keno interviewing. We heard buzz and rumors, as many of you did, but we did not have anything confirmed by a credible source until later that evening. We then reported everything we knew at 10 p.m. and the next morning had Keno taking the job.
From what I've heard, and read here, Andy Garman reported Monday at 6 p.m. that Keno was in Providence. I didn't see that but have no reason to doubt it, and I have nothing but respect for Andy. Andy Fales and I were both on the record last year in support of KCCI making Andy Garman the Sports Director. He's doing, and will continue to do, a good job.
I'm not one to obsess over what others are doing. I believe in working hard, doing the best you can, and developing your own style.
I'd love to always be first, but that's not going to happen. To think otherwise would show both too much regard for myself, and not enough for others.
First or not, we try to offer context, depth, and opinion. Many of you love this approach, others simply want the facts and nothing else.
We can't be all things to all people. I feel fortunate that enough of you like our way, so I get to continue. The great thing for those who don't is they have other good choices like John Walters and Andy. It would be nice for my job security if I were the only option, but it sure would stink for those who don't appreciate me.
I do agree there are probably some TV insiders on here from time-to-time, but it's silly to sling mud. We all look smaller when we act petty. We're all fortunate to live in one of the best TV markets in America for local news.
I thank you for your interest.
Keith
I think it's pretty cool that KCCI interns watch SoundOFF and check out this blog...hi little sparkies!! Learnin' how to do a sports show are ya??
Providence or Drake?
...nice choice, Keno. You dick.
It's so obvious the people who are worried over who had the story first work for KCCI. Talk about unhealthy obssessions!
Worry about your own station. Keith does a great job, and is the most highly ethical decent man in this industry.
Who cares who was first??? Jiminey Crickets, I don't watch every newscast anyway so I'd never know if one station beat the other by an hour or a day. I'm lucky to catch one or two local newscasts a week. The news is all the same here in Des Moines!
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