Why Lansing Should Return – Updated

The Elephant In the Room

(St. Louis, MO) – While a pandemically challenged basketball season is steaming towards Arch Madness, the future of Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing is the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. Lansing is coaching this season without a guarantee of returning next year. Here is my one sentence statement. Lansing should return.

What hinders Athletic Director Sherard Clinkscales from retaining a coach who is three wins from becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach? Are there achievements he can meet to be retained? Lansing’s eleven seasons in Terre Haute make him the Missouri Valley Conference’s second longest tenured coach.

It is widely believed Lansing is the lowest paid head coach for the worst financed program in the Valley. Those with knowledge of the situation, tell me Lansing’s offseason approach to Clinkscales did not include a desire for a raise, but rather an additional two years to coach his current players to graduation and to keep his current coaching staff intact. He was apparently refused.

Why Lansing Should Return – Competitive Teams

Sunday Lansing won his 100^th MVC game (he now has 101). He is one of eleven head coaches during the league’s 114-year history to achieve that level. His 179 overall victories are three shy of the program’s best. This edition of Sycamore basketball (13-8, 10-6) will represent Lansing’s sixth team that will finish in the top half of the conference standings.

Lansing says joining that elite fraternity means a lot to him.

 

 

This will be ISU’s second straight .500 or better league finish. His .524 career winning percentage is the best for any Indiana State coach in nearly forty years (six different coaches). ISU has been to FOUR NCAA Tournaments in their entire existence and one of them under Lansing (2011) and two with players he helped recruit when he was an assistant (2000 & 2001). His teams play difficult schedules and have knocked off five nationally ranked teams (they defeated Loyola this year before they were ranked).

Four of the program’s top ten scorers have played during the Lansing era.

Academic Success

Lansing’s players stay four years, graduate and make good grades. ISU has a perfect score in the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate. A perfect score. In a league that prides itself on academics, three other Valley scores also boast a perfect 100. The Sycamore program has the Valley’s third highest Academic Progress Report score of 976.

During eleven seasons, five different players have been named to multiple all-conference teams. In-other-words, players come to Terre Haute, they stay, they succeed, and they graduate. At least five times Sycamore players have been named to Valley post-season ‘Scholar Athlete’ teams.

Respect Far and Wide

Valley coaches and media members genuinely respect Lansing. His reputation is unsoiled and the best of the best believe he is an outstanding coach with the right kind of values. After his recent accomplishment, Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson tweeted his congratulations.

 

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Congrats Lans! Happy for you, your staff & team. @CoachLansing is a heck of a coach & an even better person & friend. https://t.co/msykqJbsjH

— Ben Jacobson (@CoachJake_UNI) February 15, 2021

 

Several coaches and media members have privately expressed their support of Lansing and their incredulity at the thought that ISU would even think about letting him leave.

His loyalty to his assistant coaches is legendary. He helps them find their next ‘better job’ and they don’t want to leave. Current assistant Kareem Richardson won 75 games as a head coach at UM-Kansas City. This is third stint in the Valley and his second at Indiana State.

College Insider tweeted this.

 

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pic.twitter.com/O6G2KuafUa

— College Insider Inc. (@collegeinsider) February 18, 2021

 

During a previous interview, Lansing and I discussed the current struggles facing college basketball. His answers were insightful and straight forward. 

Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser says Lansing’s teams compete, play the right way and he represents ISU and the league with class.

“For the  past decade Indiana State has been one of the most consistent programs in the Missouri Valley under Greg! Always in contention for championships,” said Moser. “His teams play the right way and are incredibly tough! He just won his 100th Valley game!!! You can see how connected the players are and how they play for the program! That doesn’t happen overnight! He is All  Class how he carries himself and represents ISU and the Missouri Valley Conference! I can tell you first hand, Indiana State is one of the most well prepared and well coached teams in the country!”

What’s the Knock?

The knock on Lansing’s resume would come from a couple of tough years in the middle of his eleven seasons. From 2016 through 2019 the Sycamores failed to finish higher than sixth in the Valley race. Secondly, the Sycamores have failed to win an Arch Madness game since 2016.

The low mark of 11 wins during the 2016-17 season sparked the end of Lansing’s five year roll over contract.

We reached out to Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales and he stayed true to his word. The university doesn’t want to discuss Lansing’s status during the season. Clinkscales says he is excited about the current season’s successes.

“We announced prior to the season that Coach Lansing’s contract status would not be discussed in-season, and we stand by that now. I am excited about the way this team is playing and I am looking forward to watching this team finish the conference season strong and carry that momentum into St. Louis the conference tournament.”

The Sycamore home court (the Hulman Center) has had a $50 million renovation, perfect for recruiting and a big time atmosphere. Perhaps ISU wants a flashy newcomer to help promote a new look program.

For a true insider’s take, read beat writer Todd Golden’s recent piece on Lansing’s contract status.

Should Lansing Return?

After a low of 11 wins during the 2016-17 season, Lansing’s teams have won 13, 15 and 18 games. During this covid-shortened season they are five games over .500. Why the improvement? ISU has landed a player on the ‘All-Freshman’ team four straight seasons. The talent level is building.

When they earned their tenth conference victory, it was just the twelfth time a Sycamore team has won that many league games. Five of those achievements have happened on Lansing’s watch.

But will ISU spend the needed money to be a consistent Valley competitor?

In February of 2019 ‘The Athletic’ asked conference coaches to rank the league programs in desirability. Valley coaches ranked ISU eighth in desirability. The most telling response was that they viewed Indiana State as the worst financed in the MVC.

 

 

The renovation costs at Hulman Center were not largely spent by the University, but by the community.  Perhaps the question is ‘should Lansing return or should HE look elsewhere?’

Editor: Updated Info From Mark Adams

Our friend and ESPN college basketball analyst Mark Adams (@EnthusiAdams) is the originator of #DoMoreWithLess tweets. Adams’ research finds the Indiana State basketball program to be the lowest funded in the Valley.

Based on US Department of Education data, here are Mark’s findings.

• Loyola $4.34M
• Bradley $3.78
• UNI $3.55M
• Missouri State $2.80M
• Drake $2.65M
• Evansville $2.57M
• SIU $2.48M
• Valpo $2.46M
• Illinois State $2.44M
• Indiana State $2.13M

Championships have been illusive, Arch Madness victories have been hard to come by, but Lansing is what the Valley is all about. His teams compete and play with integrity. ISU players get good grades, graduate and represent the league and Indiana State with respect.

It is the opinion of this writer that since Indiana State wants to compete at high levels and do it in a respectable way, Lansing should return.

Do Good