Barta explains decision not to attend Iowa's post-game press conference

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta did not attend Todd Lickliter's final news conference Thursday following a seven-point loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. He chose to sit in a luxury suite at Conseco Fieldhouse rather than answer questions from the likes of me and other journalists about the program's future. Barta later issued a two-sentence statement that didn't include Lickliter or the coaching situation.

Here's Barta's response to my question at Monday's news conference asking why he didn't attend Lickliter's post-game news conference on Thursday: 

"I'm pretty certain if I'd have gone to the press conference, you all would have desired for me to make final statements right after that game, and I wasn't done with my evaluation," Barta said. "Now, I probably could have gone to the press conference and just said I'm not done with my evaluation. And you would have read, not you personally, but people would have read into that. So no matter what I did, people were going to read into it.

"I made the decision, there were all sorts of rumors, circulating that day about Todd resigning or something related to his health. I just told Phil, 'Phil please tell everybody that those rumors aren't true and then share with them this statement.' And this statement I made was how I felt.

"I knew that there was a desire to somehow evaluate the program right after the Michigan game, and I wasn't done with my evaluation."

Here's Barta's statement released on Thursday:

“I'm so proud of our young men.  It's been a tough season, but the future is very bright with this group.

"With the season ending today, I'll do what I do at the end of every year.  I'll evaluate 2010 and make preparations for next season.”

I have my own thoughts on the subject. What do you think?