Steve Alford Off to New Mexico

Well, HawkeyeReport is reporting it as done. Iowa head basketball coach Steve Alford will be leaving Iowa City to move to New Mexico. Kind of weird when a Big Ten coach leaves, of his own accord, to take a job in the Mountain West. I can't wait to hear tomorrow's press conference to see why Alford (and assistant Craig Neal) chose to leave a high major job for a slightly lower level job. If you're looing for a Hawkeye angle on all of this, I'd suggest HawkeyeState.

Normally, it wouldn't be such a big deal if a team we would only ever play once a year changed coaches, but when that team is your main in-state rival for recruits. The big recruit, of course, is 07/08 center Beas Hamga. Rated as the #4 center prospect in 2008, the 7-footer committed to Iowa under the watch of Alford and Neal. Of course, the wrinkle in all of this is that he is roommates with 08 ISU commit Lucca Staiger, and it just so happens ISU was one of his final schools. He'll be the guy to watch in all of this, as he wouldn't be the first to decommit after a coaching change.

This sets off an interesting dynamic. Will Barta have the balls to ask Pollard for an opportunity to talk to McDermott, since numerous Iowa fans have claimed McDermott has always wanted the job? Is Dana Altman or Lon Kruger the next Hawkeye coach, and will they suddenly make Iowa fans like basketball? This whole shindig will be pretty fun to watch, as Barta doesn't exactly strike fear into my eyes. We could get a pretty good center out of this whole shibang, which wouldn't be bad at all.