Iowa's last Sweet 16 was bittersweet

IOWA CITY - Eleven years have passed since Tom Davis took an underrated group of athletes to Iowa's last Sweet 16 appearance.

The Hawkeyes put on blinders that season and ignored the chaos surrounding the program. The team was squarely on the bubble but earned an NCAA invite. That's almost surprising, considering how the season nearly unraveled before it began.

In April 1998, then-Iowa Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby told Davis he would not renew the coach's contract after it expired in 1999. It surprised Davis, who had led Iowa to eight NCAA tournaments in the previous 12 years. Davis soldiered on for his players, but the situation challenged him personally as he coached his team for one final season.

“It was tough, but the players were terrific,” Davis said. “They worked so hard. That was a talented team, we had some good players and in fact it might have been the best recruiting class we had.

“I heard everything. I might have acted like I did and didn't let on like I was hearing criticism, but when you're here 13 years, you're going to have ups and downs.”

The school was in constant flux in Davis' tenure, from a revolving door of presidents to a change in athletics directors. But his final season required resolve and dignity, something he scraped together to keep his players united.

His players appreciated the way Davis carried on his duties despite the uncertainty in his life. J.R. Koch, then a senior, said the team rallied around Davis because of the class he displayed. Koch recalled Bowlsby walking into a preseason team meeting and talking about the coaching search in front of Davis. Koch said the incident forged the team's bond with Davis.

“We kind of talked among ourselves and said ‘Hey, this isn't right,'” Koch said. “We need to make sure this is a good year and we need to do this the right way. I think that kind of set the tone for a lot of things and the way we approached the season. We became closer as a team.”

Perhaps the signature moment that season was an 85-81 win at Kansas. The Hawkeyes trailed by 18 points in the second half before rallying to end Kansas' 62-game home-court winning streak. Koch said the team celebrated with Davis by doing the “Hokey Pokey” in the locker room.

“It was fun because we knew (the administration) didn't want him to have that year of success,” Koch said. “It hurt us because that was us. They didn't want us to do that good. That's how some of the seniors approached it.”

Iowa cruised to wins in its first two NCAA tournament games by a combined 23 points. The questions grew by the day about Iowa's peculiar coaching situation when the team faced top-ranked Connecticut in the Sweet 16.

“It was very, very tough,” Davis said. “It was very, very draining. I remember how exhausted I was at the end of that year. You just remember you were the story everywhere you turn. So you had to keep answering the same questions and stuff.”

Iowa led UConn with seven minutes to go but couldn't hold on against the eventual national champion in a 78-68 loss. Davis' era ended with faint applause despite nine NCAA tournaments in 13 seasons and more wins than any other Iowa coach.

The bitterness has left Davis, if there was any to begin with. He sat out of coaching for four years before resurfacing at Drake. He coached the Bulldogs four seasons and ended the school's 27-game losing streak to Iowa in his coaching finale at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. He said the moment passed him by because he was so consumed with Drake.

In 2008, Davis, 71, was inducted into Iowa's Athletics Hall of Fame. His journey had gone full circle, and he feels appreciated once again.

“If that hadn't happened (getting pushed out at Iowa), I never would have taken the Drake job,” Davis said. “And the Drake thing was one of the great experiences of my life. Maybe the most fun I ever had coaching was there.

“I think the fans over time, they'll appreciate you. I think that's what you've got to keep remembering as a coach because you'll go through some times. But they'll be there for you in the end.”