ESPN.com - NCB - Users to IU: Davis is the right coach!

Good move, right move
I think that Indiana certainly did the right thing by hiring Davis as the coach. He came in this year and Indaina was a mess. Coach Knight had just left and there was a lot of controversy over that. He led them to a 20-win season when no one expected it. He also led them to the Big Ten title game and a number No. 4 seed in the tournament. Even though they got upset he did an excellent job and deserved to be the coach. Best of luck to Mike Davis and Indiana in the future. It is a bright one.

Scott Bierlink
Quincy, Wash.

Congratulations, Coach Davis. He deserved the new contract. The University of Indiana showed a lot of class in how this coaching position was filled. Much different than the University of Wisconsin situationearlier this week.

Dennis Daggett
Eagan, Minn.

Mike Davis is an outstanding individual. Having watched him as a player and as a coach, I understand his work ethic. Mike is always a gentleman who is fair and displays much class and character. He will serve well in a coaching position at an educational institution with the basketball history that Indiana has.

Shirley Chalkley
Tuscaloosa, Ala.

I am a big Hawkeye fan and I am obviously relieved that Mike Davis got the job at Indiana. This means that the rumors surrounding Steve Alford leaving us for the Hoosiers can subside. However, this bias aside, I believe they made the right decision regarding coach Davis. He certainly did an admirable job with a young team, and he did it under the tremendous shadow left by Bob Knight. Indiana, under the great coaching of Davis, proved that it could beat anyone in the Big Ten this year.

Brad Kane
Iowa City, Iowa

I believe that IU has finally done the right thing by hiring Mike Davis as head coach. The whole situation with Bob Knight was handled poorly and I believe that IU may have made up for that with this decision. After all of the pressure that Mike Davis and the Indiana players had to deal with this season and the overall success they had this season, it was pretty much a no-brainer of who the coach should be. He has proven already that he can recruit top-quality players (ie: Jarod Jeffries, Jeff Newton, Tom Coverdale, etc.) and he has proven that he can win with those players (beat Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, plus made it to final game of Big Ten Tournament). The decision to hire Mike Davis as head coach has once again made me proud to be an Indiana alumnus.

Mike Ryan
Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana needed a change from the traditional views and ideas of Bob Knight. And Mike Davis is the perfect change for the program. Knight's method of coaching worked well for many years, but he couldn't change with the times. I never cared about Knight's off-the-court incidents, I only thought that he should have left because his coaching became obsolete. Davis will bring the change to IU and foster better recruting, coaching and adaptation to the game of the future.

Ahmed Elganzouri
Chicago

IU did it's basketball program a favor by hiring Mike Davis. He has shown us what he can do on and off the court. I can't wait for the up and coming years of Indiana basketball.

Brandon
Greenville, Ind.

Mike Davis deserves the job! He did everything he could and Indiana had a very productive season under the circumstances. I'd love to see what he can do under a full season with low scrutiny.

Michael White
Greensboro, N.C.

Mike Davis has not only won the respect of the students but he also has quieted the critics throughout this season. His new, intuitive style of coaching really impresses me just as it impresses the new recruits Davis will bring to the program. Watch out next year! GO HOOSIERS!

Aaron Busse
Bloomington, Ind.

Mike Davis was absolutelty the right man for the job. He was able to regroup his team and get them going after a rocky start brought on by the abrupt departure of Bob Knight. It was a pleasure to watch Davis coach these kids, who actually seemed to be enjoying the game in their late run. The team got its best NCAA Tourney seed since '93 and well ... upsets happen. All year, Mike Davis exhibited tremendous poise and class. He is good for the IU basketball program. Steve Alford should stay in Iowa.

Jane Amon
San Francisco

Wrong coach, wrong decision
I think he is not the right guy for the job. I think P.J. Carlesimo would have been the right guy for the job. I could have seen Digger Phelps come out of retirement and take over.

Chioke Hassan
Baltimore

I was very disappointed that a search for a experienced coach was not conducted. However, with the anti-sport belief of Myles Brand, I was not surprised. I just hope Myles Brand will be fired soon!

Keith Cochran
Trafalgar, Ind.

He seems like a great guy and a pretty good coach, but we are IU and we need the best coach availiable. I don't think he's the best coach/recruiter availaible.

Stu
Chicago

While I agree that Mike Davis has done a good job coaching the team this year, he did not deserve the job. The IU coaching job is one of the top 10 jobs in America, arguably top five. You do not turn your program over to an unproven leader. Davis did a fine job with a team that was assembled and coached by Knight. IU is not a testing ground for an assistant with no head coaching experience on the collegiate level. IU should have opened up a search to see who was interested, with Mike Davis being a candidate. This was a failure for not only the university but also the many supporters who deserve to have the best coach possible whether it be Davis or someone else. The responsibility for this situation should be placed on the shoulders of Myles Brand. This is another example of his inability to handle the athletic department.

T.D. Osha
Boonville, Ind.

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