McDermott will 'keep plugging along' as ISU's coach

AMES -- The support of his boss? Check.

Great practice and game facilities? Check.

Twenty-win seasons and postseason appearances? Those will be up to Coach Greg McDermott, who received a timely vote of confidence Monday from Athletic Director Jamie Pollard and will be Iowa State's men's basketball coach for the foreseeable future.

The Cyclones are in the midst of their fourth straight losing season and have disappointed greatly this year at 15-16 overall and 4-12 in the conference heading into Wednesday night's Big 12 Tournament game in Kansas City, Mo., against Texas.

“We are getting the support that we need and we are going to keep working at it,” McDermott said during a press conference where Pollard also spoke. “That's my promise to Iowa State fans. We are going to keep plugging along and keep working at this and try to fix it as quickly as we can.

“There's nobody more disappointed than I am. There's nobody losing more sleep than me.”

Despite the program's lack of success, the coach has been exactly the kind of leader Pollard hoped for when he hired McDermott away from Northern Iowa in March 2006.

“From that perspective there is no question in mind that Coach McDermott and his staff do it the right way, and the way Iowa Staters would want it to be done,” Pollard said. “The wins will hopefully come.”

McDermott – who has not yet won a conference tournament game – has records of 59-67 overall and 18-46 in Big 12 play.

He has kept in close communication with Pollard and said he never felt in danger of losing his job. McDermott is under contract through the 2014-15 season.

“I'm going to keep doing it the best way I know how,” he said. “At the end of the day I really believe that's going to be good enough.”

Speculation of McDermott's job security intensified following guard Lucca Staiger's sudden departure from the program on Jan. 19 in favor of a professional career in Germany. Season-ending injuries to Charles Boozer and Jamie Vanderbeken, the dismissal of reserve L.A. Pomlee and suspension of freshman guard Chris Colvin also helped cast an ugly picture of this Cyclone team at the start of league play.

With eight and sometimes seven scholarship players in uniform, ISU dropped 11 of its final 14 Big 12 games. Six of those were by five or fewer points.

The Cyclones snapped a 21-game losing streak to ranked opponents with last Saturday's 85-82 victory at No. 5 Kansas State.

“These guys have continued to work and listen to our message,” McDermott said. “And when you've had a disappointing season like we have, that's not the norm.”

Junior forward Craig Brackins said he's not been distracted by the coaching uncertainty, but feels better now that there is no question McDermott will return.

“I'm glad that he doesn't have to be thinking about that so he can relax, too,” Brackins said.

Pollard chose not speak publicly about McDermott until Monday, but the two kept in close contact as usual.

He remains a firm believer that McDermott will turn things around. ISU has reached the NCAA once (2005) in the last seven seasons and will only get there this season with an improbable run through the conference tournament.

“(Fans) are frustrated because they want to win,” Pollard said. “One thing I know in this business is that it's mathematically impossible for all of us to win. Half of us have to lose.”

ISU could be without leading scorers and rebounders Brackins and forward Marquis Gilstrap next season.

Brackins will likely leave for the NBA and Gilstrap needs some help from the NCAA in granting him a sixth season of eligibility. His appeal is pending.

McDermott hopes ISU fans will be re-energized next season – no matter who is on the floor.

“It's good to wake up in the morning knowing that you are coaching somewhere that people care,” he said. “There's been some curveballs thrown our way. All I can do is to continue to work as hard as I can and be who I am.”