Iowa heads into the offseason with questions about the status of coach Todd Lickliter amid some promising signs for next season. Iowa spokesman Matt Weitzel said Friday that both Lickliter and athletic director Gary Barta stayed in Indianapolis following the Hawkeyes 59-52 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday. The Hawkeyes, who had just two upperclassmen play significant minutes, finished 10-22 — their first 20-loss season and a losing record for the third straight season under Lickliter. Rumors about Lickliter’s job status spread before and during the game, with one Iowa radio station even reporting on its Facebook page that Lickliter would step down. Lickliter sidestepped speculation about his future after the loss and athletic director Gary Barta released a statement that did little to quell the rumors. Lickliter has four years left on his contract, which pays him $1.2 million a year. All this comes as Hawkeyes appear poised for progress as early as next season. The 2009-10 season was expected to be a tough one from the moment starters Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson and two others announced they were transferring last spring. But for now, it doesn’t appear that any players are planning to leave the program — and Iowa’s young core will be bolstered by a recruiting class that could be the best haul of Lickliter’s short tenure. Iowa loses just one senior, reserve guard Devan Bawinkel, while adding four recruits. Until Iowa clarifies Lickliter’s status, though, nobody knows what’s next for the Hawkeyes. “My future is that I’m healthy, I have a great family. I love what I do. I’ve done it well, and that’s not in my hands,” Lickliter said Thursday in Indianapolis.
