All 4 head coaches from the four Iowa DI MBB programs attended the recent Coaches vs Cancer charity event, where they raised over $700,000. Keith Murphy, from WHO TV, was the emcee after a 8 year absence.
Why was Keith absent for the last 8 years?
Well, in 2018, Keith pointed out on his "Murphy’s Law" TV segment that Fran had gotten an unnecessary new contract extension (deal was signed on Nov 29, 2017) when Fran wasn’t going anywhere and then Gary Barta did not make it public. Scott Dochterman had to do a FOIA to get the details of the contract extension (the details were revealed on January 25, 2018). Keith’s commentary was that if you think that highly of your head coach to give him more years & more money, you should make it public and not hide it from the public. Instead, Gary, Fran, etc. tried to keep the extension quiet because Iowa was off to a bad start during the 2017-18 season.
Here was Keith's commentary:
Well, Fran & Margaret did not take Keith's commentary well at all. When Keith & Andy Fales asked about the extension at the time it became public, Fran got all defensive and pissed off from the questioning.
That disappointing 2017-18 season then ended (Iowa went 14-19) & then the May, 2018 Coaches vs Cancer (C vs C) event occurred with Keith again as the emcee. At the event, Fran & Margaret avoided Keith entirely (no handshakes, no nothing). They both were still very pissed off at Keith.
Margaret, incredibly, started heckling Keith from the audience. At a cancer fundraising event.
At no time prior did Keith ever say that Fran should be fired. However, Margaret then took the stage and said “thank you for welcoming me, unlike our emcee here, who wants my husband fired.” After the heckling and then Margaret saying that, Keith said everyone in the audience was uncomfortable AT A CANCER FUNDRAISING CHARITY EVENT. Keith tried to go up to Fran & Margaret & talk to them but Fran & Margaret avoided Keith. Keith then called the Iowa athletic dept to set up a time to speak to Fran and clear the air. Fran refused to meet with Keith.
Fran would never again appear on the “Murph and Andy” radio show. Listeners wanted to know why Fran never appeared and Keith “wanted to put a sock in it” and would not explain why.
Fran then insisted that Keith stop being invited to emcee the C vs C event. Fran told the organizers that “if you want me to participate in this [moving forward], you find another emcee.”
Keith’s wife was pissed off after hearing Fran's demand but Keith reminded her that it was not “Emcee vs Cancer.” It was “Coaches vs Cancer” and Fran had to be there. The C vs C folks were put in an impossible spot so Keith bowed out and got replaced starting in May, 2019. Keep in mind that this has always been a Friday night, unpaid gig for the emcee. Fran wanted Keith gone & he got what he wanted.
With Fran fired and Ben the new head man, the C vs C folks asked Keith to come back and emcee the event this year.
Keith starts getting emotional talking about all of this at the 51 minute mark in the video that follows.
They then bring up and discuss that Fran & Margaret tried to get Gary Dolphin fired TWICE.
Wow. Just freakin’ wow.
Skip ahead to the 44:00 mark and watch/listen to the 12 minute discussion.
www.kcci.com
