Who would be on the "Mt. Rushmore" of Panther Basketball?

[BrockLesnar2]

If you are including coaches, Eldon should be on there.

No doubt he is the best ever!

[UNIChippewa]

No doubt he is the best ever!

Um...no.

Yes, his team that beat Missouri in the NCAA tournament delivered the first real big moment for UNI basketball, but outside of that season his tenure was really quite forgettable, and the numbers bear that out. If you are including coaches then Ben Jacobson (and I'll even grudgingly mention Greg McD) deserve that spot far more than Eldon Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldon_Miller

[Wxcpanther]

Um...no.

Yes, his team that beat Missouri in the NCAA tournament delivered the first real big moment for UNI basketball, but outside of that season his tenure was really quite forgettable, and the numbers bear that out. If you are including coaches then Ben Jacobson (and I'll even grudgingly mention Greg McD) deserve that spot far more than Eldon Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldon_Miller

Regardless of my feelings about Mac, there's no doubt that the program is not in it's current state without him. He gave the required momentum to get the McLeod built, and also brought Jake to Cedar Falls in the first place.

[achrist70]

Why is no one arguing for Sam Weaver?

[BrockLesnar2]

Um...no.

Yes, his team that beat Missouri in the NCAA tournament delivered the first real big moment for UNI basketball, but outside of that season his tenure was really quite forgettable, and the numbers bear that out. If you are including coaches then Ben Jacobson (and I'll even grudgingly mention Greg McD) deserve that spot far more than Eldon Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldon_Miller

568 wins.. Not bad. Are you forgetting Ohio State? How about Western Michigan? Pretty solid at Wittenberg too. Coach Mac fell on his face at Iowa State.

[UNIpanther99]

Why is no one arguing for Sam Weaver?

While not successful, he was a nice man who had to deal with an AD who didn't hire him and a home facility nightmare during his tenure.

[UNIAlum95]

Um...no.

Yes, his team that beat Missouri in the NCAA tournament delivered the first real big moment for UNI basketball, but outside of that season his tenure was really quite forgettable, and the numbers bear that out. If you are including coaches then Ben Jacobson (and I'll even grudgingly mention Greg McD) deserve that spot far more than Eldon Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldon_Miller

We don't get into the Valley without Eldon. You are right there weren't a lot of big winning seasons but he laid the groundwork for where we are today.

[UNIAlum95]

So I had to look it up. I would have picked Jake, Mac, Miller, and probably Stewart. But it is hard to dismiss O.M. "Hon" Nordly with 166 wins, 5 conference titles, and 3 NCAA appearances. Granted, I know nothing of the man or the history of those teams but that's not to shabby. Dickinson had 103 wins too in his tenure.

Northern Iowa head coaches:

Coach	Tenure	Record	Conf. Titles	NCAA Apps.	Nat. Champ
Ben Jacobson	2006-Pres	335-219	4	4	0
Greg McDermott	2001-06	90-63	0	3	0
Sam Weaver	1998-2001	30-57	0	0	0
Eldon Miller	1986-98	164-178	0	1	0
James Berry	1973-86	144-210	0	1^	0
Zeke Hogeland	1967-73	70-74	1^	0	0
Norm Stewart	1961-67	97-42	2^	2^	0
James Witham	1956-61	63-49	0	0	0
Stanley Hall	1954-56	19-22	0	0	0
O.M. “Hon” Nordly	1937-43, 45-54	166-127	5^	3^	0
not team	1943-45	–	–	–	–
Arthur D. Dickinson	1924-32, 33-37	103-66	0	–	–
Melvin Fritzel	1932-33	9-4	–	–	–
L.L. Mendenhall	1921-24	27-7	–	–	–
Ivan Doseff	1919-21	14-14	–	–	–
Russell Glaesner	1918-19	2-6	–	–	–
J.O. Perrine	1917-18	5-5	–	–	–
Allen Berkstresser	1913-17	10-12	–	–	–
H. Pasini	1911-13	8-12	–	–	–
Clayton Simmons	1909-11	4-3	–	–	–
R.F. Seymour	1906-09	14-15	–	–	–
Charles Pell	1903-06	11-12	–	–	–
Thomas Jones	1902-03	0-2	–	–	–
George B. Affleck	1901-02	1-2	–	–	–
Enola P. Pierce	1900-01	1-3	–	–	–
S.R. Satterthwaite	1899	0-1	–	–	–

[BCPanther]

We don't get into the Valley without Eldon. You are right there weren't a lot of big winning seasons but he laid the groundwork for where we are today.

I get that money is a thing but it's an absolute shame that we don't play in Eldon Miller Arena

['70 Grad]

I get that money is a thing but it's an absolute shame that we don't play in Eldon Miller Arena

Well, there is one BB coach with a banner in there. So, it's something.

[UNIChippewa]

568 wins.. Not bad. Are you forgetting Ohio State? How about Western Michigan? Pretty solid at Wittenberg too. Coach Mac fell on his face at Iowa State.

The thread is titled "Mt. Rushmore of Panther Basketball." Why would his records at Ohio State and Western Michigan have any bearing on his record at UNI?

On the same note, (and I'm very far from being a big Coach Mac fan), but why would his failures at Iowa State have any bearing on his status at UNI?

Come on dude...stop shifting the goalposts.

[UNIChippewa]

We don't get into the Valley without Eldon. You are right there weren't a lot of big winning seasons but he laid the groundwork for where we are today.

Oh, I get that. I'm not saying he's a bad coach, and he's probably a good guy, and he absolutely laid the groundwork for later success. I like BC's idea about the McLeod being named after him, although it won't happen. I just think that if you were going to create a hypothetical Mt. Rushmore for UNI basketball that the coaches I mentioned are much better choices to be on it then Miller.

In a way he reminds me of Johnny Orr. Both coaches put their programs, who beforehand had struggled (especially ISU), on the regional/national map and built them into respectability. But, if you look at the wins vs. losses records both coaches don't have the numbers to match their successors. Orr is a legend because of his elevation of ISU basketball, plus having personality and charisma to boot, but his overall record at ISU is actually pretty "meh".

I think there is certainly room for both to be honored and revered by their respective schools, but there are objectively better coaches in the respective histories of both programs.

[BrockLesnar2]

The thread is titled "Mt. Rushmore of Panther Basketball." Why would his records at Ohio State and Western Michigan have any bearing on his record at UNI?

On the same note, (and I'm very far from being a big Coach Mac fan), but why would his failures at Iowa State have any bearing on his status at UNI?

Come on dude...stop shifting the goalposts.

This a discussion board which means discussing ideas and concepts. Schematics has little to do with it. The point is coach Miller won 568 times and Coach Mac has amassed 600 victories.
That takes coaching regardless of the school. Sweet Jesus, dude, calm down and use the mute button.

[UNIChippewa]

This a discussion board which means discussing ideas and concepts. Schematics has little to do with it. The point is coach Miller won 568 times and Coach Mac has amassed 600 victories.
That takes coaching regardless of the school. Sweet Jesus, dude, calm down and use the mute button.

Calm down and take a deep breath there kiddo.

First off, I'm pretty sure you meant "semantics", and I'm well aware this is a message board; I have almost 2,000 posts here. You have just over a hundred. It's a legitimate question to ask why victories at a different school should somehow count towards a UNI Mt. Rushmore.

[BrockLesnar2]

Calm down and take a deep breath there kiddo.

First off, I'm pretty sure you meant "semantics", and I'm well aware this is a message board; I have almost 2,000 posts here. You have just over a hundred. It's a legitimate question to ask why victories at a different school should somehow count towards a UNI Mt. Rushmore.

Spelling bee winner! BTW, I've been on here since the beginning. I just didn't bother to register among all the petty speak.