SI: Coaches say Buzz Williams, Bruce Pearl best hires this offseason

[Tugg Speedman]

This is like polls asking who will win the presidency in 2016.  The answer is the person with the most name recognition, not who will actually win.

Likewise, this poll is about name recognition.  Ask them again in 5 years (Chicos?) who was the best 2014 hire and you'll likely get a different answer.

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http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2014/08/22/buzz-williams-virginia-tech-bruce-pearl-auburn-best-hires

Coaches say Buzz Williams, Bruce Pearl best hires this offseason

As part of a poll of over 80 Division I college basketball coaches by CBS Sports, Buzz Williams and Bruce Pearl were chosen as the best offseason hires of 2014.

Williams, who was hired by Virginia Tech from Marquette, received 29 percent of the vote. He edged out Bruce Pearl, who was hired by Auburn and earned 28 percent of the vote.

SEC Power Rankings: 2014-15 college basketball predictions

The coaches who were polled were allowed to anonymously share their thoughts on their selections, with one calling Williams "the Rodney Dangerfield of college basketball. He gets no respect." Another said Virginia Tech "hit a home run" with the hire of Williams.

"Bruce (Pearl) is probably the third most successful coach in the SEC right now ... and Auburn hired him before anybody else had a chance to make a run at him," said another coach.

In six seasons as Marquette's head coach, Williams went 139–69 and made five straight NCAA tournaments, including one Elite Eight. In 19 seasons as a head coach, including stops at Tennessee, Milwaukee and Division II Southern Indiana, Pearl is 462–145.

[tower912]

From a VT perspective, this was a better hire than they had any right to dream of.    They got a guy who had been to 5 NCAA tourneys in 6 years, who went S-16, S-16, E-8.   Great hire for them. 

[Skatastrophy]

From a VT perspective, this was a better hire than they had any right to dream of.    They got a guy who had been to 5 NCAA tourneys in 6 years, who went S-16, S-16, E-8.   Great hire for them. 

Yep, Buzz was a home run hire for them. I honestly hope Buzz finds an environment that resonates with him a bit more down there.

[keefe]

From a VT perspective, this was a better hire than they had any right to dream of.    They got a guy who had been to 5 NCAA tourneys in 6 years, who went S-16, S-16, E-8.   Great hire for them. 

There is no doubt it is a great hire for VPISU. That is until he starts weirding out on them in Blacksburg. Bert is a strange mother f ucker and it is only a matter of time until he starts behaving oddly and badly.

[MU82]

We know too much about Buzz.

If I were at Va Tech, I'd be thrilled with the hire.

Lots of folks here thought Marquette should be a "big boy" school and make a "big boy" hire like Ben Howland. If we had done it, many would be thrilled.

And many UCLA fans would have raised their eyebrows and said, "Good luck with that."

As always, it's all about perspective.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

We know too much about Buzz.

If I were at Va Tech, I'd be thrilled with the hire.

Lots of folks here thought Marquette should be a "big boy" school and make a "big boy" hire like Ben Howland. If we had done it, many would be thrilled.

And many UCLA fans would have raised their eyebrows and said, "Good luck with that."

As always, it's all about perspective.

+1

It's not necessarily about name recognition, it's about track record. That's all casual fans look at. If that's all that mattered, Ben Howland would be our coach. Thank god the search committee looks at more than track record

[Dr. Blackheart]

First of all, both the VaTech and Auburn programs have no where to go but up. Both coaches will improve their lots when they do.  

With Wojo or the romancing of Shaka even, MU showed that it is a better program that has lasted through many coaches. Two losing seasons in the last 25 years. Virginia Tech has had eight winning seasons over that time with only two NCAA appearances.  Buzz set a low bar for himself and will be angling for a big raise in the first winning season.

What will be interesting with Wojo, as the program has been able to sustain long term success on its own, will he be able to take it a step up...and it starts with his first recruiting class. Crean moved the program from Point A to Point B. Buzz from B to C but then back to Point A.  If Wojo can get MU in with Top 25 recruits, then Point D (sustained Top 10 results) is achievable.  The 17-15 record last year gives Wojo a basis to claim that place for himself...versus what Buzz had here with the shadow of Crean and McGuire before him (that is on Buzz and his insecurities).

[willie warrior]

From a VT perspective, this was a better hire than they had any right to dream of.    They got a guy who had been to 5 NCAA tourneys in 6 years, who went S-16, S-16, E-8.   Great hire for them. 

It was also a great hire for MU, when VT hired El Buzzo

[hoops12]

Keep in mind that Marquette made Buzz "a name". They went out on a limb to hire him. He did a nice job while at Marquette, but he would not be where he is today without Marquette taking a huge risk in hiring him.

[Tums Festival]

I'm way more optimistic about the upcoming season (and beyond) with Wojo as our coach than if Brent had stayed.

[Johnny B]

I'm way more optimistic about the upcoming season (and beyond) with Wojo as our coach than if Brent had stayed.

Ye just wish we had Hill and Satchel to come with.

[MU82]

Keep in mind that Marquette made Buzz "a name". They went out on a limb to hire him. He did a nice job while at Marquette, but he would not be where he is today without Marquette taking a huge risk in hiring him.

Good point.

Same, of course, was true about Al.

[keefe]

Same, of course, was true about Al.

While true I would submit those two men left Marquette very differently. Al walked down from the summit of Everest and rode off on a Kawasaki while Bert slithered out from under a rock wearing purple and mustard.

[hoops12]

Good point.

Same, of course, was true about Al.

In some respects MAYBE. However, Al had a successful playing career at St. John's and it extended into the NBA for a few seasons as well. He also had seven seasons (five with winning records) as a head coach at Belmont. Buzz had one extremely short, unsuccessful stint at New Orleans.(one season with a losing record) He basically had no resume to speak of, and no playing career either. I can't agree with your assessment on this one. I think it would be a real stretch to compare Al and Buzz on what they accomplished before coming to MU.

Just my thoughts of course!

[Lennys Tap]

In some respects MAYBE. However, Al had a successful playing career at St. John's and it extended into the NBA for a few seasons as well. He also had seven seasons (five with winning records) as a head coach at Belmont. Buzz had one extremely short, unsuccessful stint at New Orleans.(one season with a losing record) He basically had no resume to speak of, and no playing career either. I can't agree with your assessment on this one. I think it would be a real stretch to compare Al and Buzz on what they accomplished before coming to MU.

Just my thoughts of course!

I love Al - think he was the greatest - but his resume' as a head coach when he arrived at MU was anything but stellar. First 2 years at Belmont Abbey (with someone else's players) were by far his best - he was 24-3 and 21-2. His final two years he was 6-19 and 6-18. If Marquette doesn't come calling Al might have been back in the family business tending bar by the late 60s.

[Johnny B]

I love Al - think he was the greatest - but his resume' as a head coach when he arrived at MU was anything but stellar. First 2 years at Belmont Abbey (with someone else's players) were by far his best - he was 24-3 and 21-2. His final two years he was 6-19 and 6-18. If Marquette doesn't come calling Al might have been back in the family business tending bar by the late 60s.

Haha very true

[Dawson Rental]

From a VT perspective, this was a better hire than they had any right to dream of.    They got a guy who had been to 5 NCAA tourneys in 6 years, who went S-16, S-16, E-8.   Great hire for them. 

It'd better be.  The contract they agreed to means that Buzz has them by the balls.

[Dawson Rental]

It was also a great hire for MU, when VT hired El Buzzo

An overlooked, but very important fact.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I mean of course Buzz was the best hire. VT got someone out of their league. However, even if Buzz does a decent job at VT he's just not gonna finish ahead of Duke, NC, Louisville, Cuse, Pitt or even Virginia. He didn't put himself in a good position.

[ChicosBailBonds]

This is like polls asking who will win the presidency in 2016.  The answer is the person with the most name recognition, not who will actually win.

Likewise, this poll is about name recognition.  Ask them again in 5 years (Chicos?) who was the best 2014 hire and you'll likely get a different answer.

I would say from a splash hire, considering the damage that Brent had done with his comments, it was a very good hire, but that's based purely on splash, recognition, etc....in other words...short term.

We won't know for many years as classes come and go, how he is on the sideline, what happens off the court and on the court, etc.  Out of the gate, good....."so far so good"...but we've seen that before.

[ChicosBailBonds]

We know too much about Buzz.

If I were at Va Tech, I'd be thrilled with the hire.

Lots of folks here thought Marquette should be a "big boy" school and make a "big boy" hire like Ben Howland. If we had done it, many would be thrilled.

And many UCLA fans would have raised their eyebrows and said, "Good luck with that."

As always, it's all about perspective.

Well said.

[4everwarriors]

For all y'all with short memories, Big Boy Howland coached UCLA to the Final Four in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We've never had a coach at good, old Marquette who came close to sniffin' that stuff. Everyone got a straight up woody when Too Tan Tommy soiled his Depends one time in New Orleans.

[Johnny B]

For all y'all with short memories, Big Boy Howland coached UCLA to the Final Four in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We've never had a coach at good, old Marquette who came close to sniffin' that stuff. Everyone got a woody when Too Tan Tommy soiled his Depends one time in New Orleans.

We'll that was ucla

[ChicosBailBonds]

For all y'all with short memories, Big Boy Howland coached UCLA to the Final Four in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We've never had a coach at good, old Marquette who came close to sniffin' that stuff. Everyone got a straight up woody when Too Tan Tommy soiled his Depends one time in New Orleans.

But that's the point, because we went so infrequently, and only ONE other guy ever did it, going in 2003 was a big deal.  Hell, going any year is a big deal, but when it had been 25 years since the previous one and we were a program treading on life support some of those years, it made it that much more special.

I like Howland, got to work with him several years as our spokesperson, but he has plenty of warts as well.  The local coaches here did not like him and the AAU coaches didn't either.  They basically cut his balls off recruiting which is why he was having to go out and get kids from outside the area of late.  He was letting the inmates run the asylum.

[Dawson Rental]

For all y'all with short memories, Big Boy Howland coached UCLA to the Final Four in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We've never had a coach at good, old Marquette who came close to sniffin' that stuff. Everyone got a straight up woody when Too Tan Tommy soiled his Depends one time in New Orleans.

To tell both sides of the story, to this day TC claims that he never soiled his Depends, it was just accidental seepage from when his bronzer leaked in his luggage...