The case for Keno

After a long chat with Mervgotti tonight, I’ve decided who I want to be the next coach of the Iowa men’s basketball team.

Keno Davis.

Keno, the head coach of the Providence Friars, was on a short wish list I gave to Tom from Churchill’s Cigar very early this morning (Bruce Pearl and Mark Few were the two other names I offered, though both are probably pipe dreams), but I’ve since made him my favorite. Why? Because it feels so right.

The son of longtime, and retrospectively revered, Hawkeye head coach Dr. Tom Davis, Keno has strong Iowa connections. He was an assistant coach for his dad from 1991-’95 while attending Iowa, and again from ’03-’07 when his old man coached Drake. As written in the DMR, Keno’s borrowed a page from his father’s offensive playbook “and added an energy drink” — exactly what the Hawkeyes need.

More from the DMR list of potential replacements: “The Friars were 15th in the Big East (4-14) in Keno’s second season, but he’s recruited well there and his frenetic style would cause alarm in a Big Ten that is a half-court, slug-it-out league. A 1995 Iowa grad, Keno has gone 19-14 and 12-19 in his two seasons with the Friars after coaching Drake to the 2008 MVC title in his rookie season. He makes $1 million annually on a contract that runs through 2016.”

Go on ESPN and look at the Friars’ season stats. Despite the 12-19 record (just two more wins than Iowa had), and the fact they ended the season with an 11-game losing streak, four Friars averaged double-digit points per game. The Friars scored over 600 more points, had 46 fewer turnovers, 230 more rebounds (218 more offensive boards), 114 more steals, and 72 more blocks than the Hawkeyes did this season. Keno has a young team, and is building a program in the toughest conference in the nation; he’s apparently drawing some talented players.

The only risk is that Keno has only three years of head coaching experience, so it’s uncertain whether or not he’s legit; his pedigree could all be hype. I’m pinning hopes and expectations on him, focusing on the positives of his career, and that’s not right. But he’s known, and, literally, a son of Iowa. I think we should give him a chance. Besides, if his dad would have been given the opportunity to retire as a Hawkeye, Keno may have been the coach anyway.

I think hiring Keno Davis would be an excellent way to connect to Iowa tradition, generate name recognition, and bring familiarity and a family member back to the program. I think he’s worth the risk. Drawing him away from Providence, though, may be hard.

(By the way, I don’t expect any decision to be made until around or after the Final Four.)