Leppert, Gray leave Hawkeyes; Wegher still MIA

Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz announced that two roster changes have occurred since the Hawkeyes began training camp this summer.

According to the announcement released by the University's Sports Information Office, senior fullback Wade Leppert and freshman linebacker Austin Gray have left the team. 

"Wade Leppert has left the team and plans to finish school here this year," Ferentz explained. "Austin Gray has decided to leave the football team. Austin went through camp, but chose not to start school."

The announcement also offered up another update on the status sophomore running back Brandon Wegher.

Nebraska Officially Makes Big 12 Jailbreak

College football conference Armageddon has begun.

It started when Colorado announced its intentions to join the Pac-10. Then Boise State announced its intentions to join the Mountain West.  

Now, the Nebraska domino has officially fallen.

On Friday, Nebraska announced that it intended to leave the Big 12 and apply for admission to the Big Ten. Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced the school's plan during a meeting of the University's Board of Regents. 

"We thought Nebraska was in a very vulnerable position," Perlman stated in the open session. "By geography, we sit with not a lot of options." 

Regents unanimously approved the move to the Big Ten. 

Perlman is confident Nebraska's athletic program is in good hands. He explained that he believes Nebraska is more aligned with the Big Ten when it comes to academics and culture, as well as athletics.

"This will bring Nebraska the stability the Big 12 cannot offer."

A Big Ten spokesman said that the league has received a letter of application from the University of Nebraska and that the Big Ten Council of Presidents will review it. The Huskers likely included their five National Titles in football and three Heisman trophies on the application.  

RB Hampton, DB Bernstine Arrested over Weekend

The weekend after the highly-debated 21-only ordinance went into effect in Iowa City, the police department was out in full force enforcing the new law.

Two Iowa Hawkeye football players found that out the hard way.

Running back Jewel Hampton and defensive back Jordan Bernstine were arrested for multiple alcohol-related offenses, according to the Iowa City Arrest Blotter . The two were arrested at Vito's in Iowa City around 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2010. 

Hampton was charged with Public Intoxication and Presence on premise (licensed liquor establishment) after hours.  Hampton is under the legal drinking age in Iowa and his blood alcohol content was .091.

He was involved in physical altercations inside the bar, the police report states. 

Bernstine, whose real last name is Morris and who recently turned 21, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

Iowa wide receiver Don Nordmann earns disorderly house citation

As first reported by the Daily Iowan's Mitch Smith on Twitter, Iowa Hawkeye wide receiver Don Nordmann might have let his summer get off on the wrong foot.

Iowa City Police cited the junior wide receiver for disorderly house on Tuesday, May 25 at 3:14 in the morning after they responded to a caller complaining of wall-rattling music.

Nordmann was originally a walk-on for Iowa in 2006.  He has seen limited playing time for the Hawkeyes since joining the team, recording only one pass reception for 35 yards against Iowa State in 2009.

A disorderly house is an all-inclusive term that may be used to describe anything from a loud annoyance to the general public to house of prostitution and illegal gambling.  A small fine usually accompanies the citation.

Officers claimed that it took several loud knocks before Nordmann answered the door.  Officers did not report what type of music Nordmann was blaring, which may or may not have played a factor in the call to police.

Fran McCaffery's Inherited Mess Gets Worse

Some might say it was another ordinary week for the Iowa basketball program. A new assistant coach was hired, a recruit decommited and a starting forward decided to transfer.

Welcome to Iowa, Fran McCaffery!

The week started off on a good note for the new Hawkeye head coach. McCaffery named Andrew Francis an assistant coach on his staff. Francis was an assistant at Siena before the hire.

"I am very happy to have Andrew be part of the Hawkeye basketball family," announced McCaffery. "I've worked closely with Andrew for three years and he is the complete package. He's a tremendous coach and excellent recruiter."

The new hire excitement didn't last long, though, as the following day McCaffery has to announce a pair of defections.

Hawkeyes Announce Fran McCaffery As Head Coach

Rumors began circulating Sunday morning that the University of Iowa had finally made their choice for the new head coach of the men's basketball program.

Today, Iowa's athletic director Gary Barta confirmed that his search had yielded a candidate. Barta is set to announce Siena head coach Fran McCaffery as the next head coach at Iowa.

McCaffrey will be formally introduced at a press conference tentatively set for 11 A.M on Monday in Iowa City, IA.

The story gained momentum on Saturday afternoon when a Fox Sports reporter Jeff Goodman tweeted, "I've been told by sources not to discount Fran McCaffery from the equation at Iowa."

Saturday night, the story gained even more momentum when the Albany Times-Union McCaffery was “in the mix ” for the open position.

The fire behind the story started burning brighter Sunday morning when rumors hit Twitter . That's when Cedar Rapids Gazette 's Scott Dochertman picked up the Time-Union story.

Licklitergate 2010: Post-Lickliter Termination News

NCAA Job Posting: Head Men's Basketball Coach, Iowa

Iowa outlines hoops job in ad - The University of Iowa did not waste any time beginning to advertise its vacant men's basketball coaching position.

Job Posting: Head Men's Basketball Coach

Iowa Shopping for Pearls - "Gary Barta held a press conference announcing that Todd Lickliter, the lackluster coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes, will not be returning next year to coach the team. Really?!?"

Who should be on Iowa’s short list? It’s not hard to figure out - By all accounts, Todd Lickliter is a good guy. He's intelligent, well spoken, mild-mannered and courteous - all great qualities in a person you're hiring to do your taxes. But for a big-time college basketball coach, those traits tend to get you chewed up and spit out on the side of the road.

Decision by Iowa AD makes sense [SC Journal] - "I'm not inclined to jump up and down gleefully any time anyone loses their job, even if it's someone who really should be set for life financially and have the option, most likely, of never working again."

Possible Lickliter successors [QC Times] - Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said the next coach likely will have head-coaching experience. Steve Batterson offers a list of names worth thinking about.

Walthall: 'It's a tough business' [The Herald] - University of Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter and assistant coach Chad Walthall had heard the whispers of Lickliter's job status circulating around the Hawkeye program ever since Iowa's 59-52 loss to Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten Conference tournament last Thursday.

Todd Lickliter no longer Head Coach at Iowa

Like Julius Caesar long ago, March 15 turned out to be a horrible day Iowa coach Todd Lickliter .

It's fitting that on the historic Ides of March, a scenario within the University of Iowa men's basketball program would play out very much like a day back in 44 B.C., when Caesar was stabbed to death on the floor of the Roman Senate by Marcus Junius Brutus and several other co-conspirators.

Iowa's version of the drama began as a small murmur on a message board and quickly turned into a screaming public mob of angry fans calling for change.

On Monday, Iowa's athletic director Gary Barta stepped up to play the part of Brutus in this drama, driving the final dagger into Lickliter's tenure as a Hawkeye.  

It was reported by the Gazette Online 's Scott Dochterman that Barta met with Lickliter this morning in a meeting that started at 9:00 a.m. and lasted less than 10 minutes. Shortly there after, the university announced a press conference had been set at Carver-Hawkeye Arena "to discuss the future of the Iowa basketball program."

Barta announced at the press conference that the future of Iowa men's basketball program no longer involved Lickliter as head coach.

Licklitergate 2010: Latest News in the Lickliter Saga

If exodus at Iowa continues, Lickliter's got to go [Keeler] - Word on the street is that Barta met with several Hawkeyes before they left for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, and that several - how many, we don't know - told him they would not return if Lickliter was still the coach.

For hope to follow, Hawkeye basketball needs a change [Mike Hlas] - I wrestled with this column for two full days. I’ve never called for anyone to be fired to my memory, though I said Iowa State had no real choice after the Larry Eustachy situation arose several years ago.

Iowa men's basketball season review: Hawkeyes wrap it up under a cloud [DM Register] - Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter was asked earlier this week if he was feeling the heat.

Barta faces plenty of obstacles - It wasn't exactly the most popular head coaching job around the last time it was open.

The Lickliter Watch: Saturday's Word Part II [Hawkeye Insider] - In case you’ve been in a hole or out of the country, as a Hawkeye Insider you learned that something is going on in the Iowa basketball program. The rumor mill started churning on Thursday that Coach Todd Lickliter would not be retained.

Friday Morning Todd Lickliter News Links

Lickliter could be out after 10-22 mark [ESPN] - Iowa coach Todd Lickliter left Conseco Fieldhouse on Thursday with his future in doubt.

Dead Man Walking? [DM Register] - Todd Lickliter may be back next season as Iowa’s head men’s basketball coach, but he sounded like dead man walking Thursday afternoon.

Hawkeyes flop with Lickliter under fire [DM Register] - Iowa’s basketball season ended Thursday, amid speculation about coach Todd Lickliter’s future.

Is Coach Lickliter Leaving Iowa? - KCCI News report out of Des Moines.

Lickliter era could be over at Iowa [Sun Times] - As he sat at the podium fielding questions about his future, Todd Lickliter looked like a coach who had just wrapped up a 10-22 season, the most losses in 108 years of Iowa basketball. Which is what he is.

OK, so now what? [John Bohnenkamp Blog] - Unless something happens in the next few days that we don’t know about, it appears as if Todd Lickliter has coached his last game at Iowa.

Season Over; What of Lickliter Era? [Hawkeye Nation] - Chances are you have been aware of the madness that took place in the Iowa basketball community on Thursday, March 11th. It will be a day I never forget, because a) it was my youngest daughter’s 1st birthday, and b) it was the day when perhaps the most amazing wildfire in Hawkeye message board history caught fire.