Interesting times around the Iowa basketball program. "New Mexico and Iowa coach Steve Alford have agreed to the final details of a contract and Alford will be introduced as the Lobos' new coach at a news conference Friday, multiple sources in both camps said Thursday morning," reports ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Alford had four years left on his contract at a Big Ten school he had been at for eight years. Clearly, he wanted out; there is a signifant contingent of Iowa fans who do not like Alford personnally or as a coach or both. (I can't comment on him as a person. As a coach, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't Lute Olson or Tom Davis either.)

Alford has reportedly complained that Iowa put basketball second to football. That actually wasn't the case before Alford arrived; the two used to share prominence.

Interesting fact: Tom Davis took Iowa to 9 NCAA Touraments from 1987-1999, and never lost a first round game. Alford, who came in because Iowa was tired of just Sweet 16 appearances, took Iowa to 3 NCAA Tournaments from 2000-07, and won just 1 first round game.