Wojo? Goodman?

[chapman]

Justifiably so, in my opinion.  This is not the impact hire we needed.

Do we really think he stays if he does well and gets an offer from Duke when Coach K retires?  Stepping stone all over again.  Except next time, there won't be a Final Four coach saying he wants the job.

Key words: "if he does well".  He's got three or four other members of the Duke family to outshine, and perhaps Shaka or other successful coaches.  And for the "except next time", next time we'll (hopefully) have a permanent President and AD in place.  Looks like a "transition hire", but that's what they said about the Pope.

Can someone explain how to pronounce his name?  

Wō-jō

[humanlung]

That's fair ... but what coach wouldn't leave Marquette for Duke? You think Shaka wouldn't have left MU for a blueblood? Bennett? Archie?

I simply think Howland has already been down that road and might not want to do it again.  This was his chance to come to an established, big-time program and end his career in a highly successful fashion.  In the process, cementing MU's status as a top-tier program if he could do anything close to what he has done in the past.

Instead, we roll the dice on someone we are almost assured will leave when the phone rings in a couple years.

This is not a good trade, in my opinion.

[Coleman]

But is this a #donedeal?

[UticaBusBarn]

Well, this explains why Cuonzo withdrew his name last night. It was not going to be offered.

I am sure Mojo Wojo will do well. Leaves me a little perplexed that it is the third straight assistant coach hire for Marquette.

As in, we are just reinforcing the stepping stone image.

The one good thing (attention Ners) is that Mojo Wojo played point guard!

[humanlung]

And do not get me wrong.  I hope that I am TOTALLY wrong on this.

If I am, I will step up and admit it just as strongly as I have advocated for Howland.

[The Love House]

If Wojo eventually goes to Duke, that means he will have to have been successful at MU.

Guy is well spoken, young, going to bring a lot of energy. He's our coach, time to welcome him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Absolutely agree!  Embrace the "WoJo MoJo"!!

[DoggyDaddy]

Solid hire.
He was taught by the best, played with the best, coached with the best.
He will bring all this to a community where many in the population already know how to enunciate the full version of his name.
Let the church bells at Gesu--and especially St. Stan's on the South Side, ring in a Hoya.
Thank's Doc, my guess is you were the key voice.    

[Pakuni]

I simply think Howland has already been down that road and might not want to do it again.  This was his chance to come to an established, big-time program and end his career in a highly successful fashion.  In the process, cementing MU's status as a top-tier program if he could do anything close to what he has done in the past.

Instead, we roll the dice on someone we are almost assured will leave when the phone rings in a couple years.

This is not a good trade, in my opinion.

I think it's a huge leap to say it's assured Wojo gets the Duke gig when Coach K retires. Duke will have the pick of the litter - Collins, Shaka, maybe Brad Stevens, etc. Capel and Amaker could even get consideration. Far from guaranteed that Wojo iwould be the guy, even if he does have reasonable success at MU.

On top of that, MU needs to hire who they believe the best possible coach is for the present and immediate future - not the guy they think is mostly likely to stick around 5-7 years from now.

[Benny B]

If Wojo eventually goes to Duke, that means he will have to have been successful at MU.

Guy is well spoken, young, going to bring a lot of energy. He's our coach, time to welcome him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

EXACTLY ---- He's no longer the heir apparent... he's going to be competing with every HC in D-I basketball for that job now.  If he wants to compete with the likes of the Matta and Izzo-types for that job, then he better get a natty under his belt in the next five years.

[Pakuni]

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Here's a connection with Wojo and Marquette: Former Marquette star Doc Rivers' son, Austin, played at Duke and LOVED Wojo.

[Ahoya06]

If Wojo eventually goes to Duke, that means he will have to have been successful at MU.

+1

This is an important detail. Duke has several "heir apparents" and Wojo needs to have a ton of success here to win that job.

[CTWarrior]

If Wojo eventually goes to Duke, that means he will have to have been successful at MU.

Guy is well spoken, young, going to bring a lot of energy. He's our coach, time to welcome him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

+1.  (But boy, I hate Duke.  Gonna be weird rooting for one of them)

[frozena pizza]

Puke.  Pound floor.  Repeat.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Can someone explain how to pronounce his name? 

Polish:
Vo-yo-cha-hov-ski

English:
Wo-jo-che-chow-ski

[brandx]

Justifiably so, in my opinion.  This is not the impact hire we needed.

Do we really think he stays if he does well and gets an offer from Duke when Coach K retires?  Stepping stone all over again.  Except next time, there won't be a Final Four coach saying he wants the job.

Wow!!!

In the same thread, you are saying he is not an impact hire and that he is an impact hire.  Duke is not gonna come calling when coach K retires unless he was an impact hire here.

Take some time and untwist yourself a little bit. Don't get too dizzy from the spinning.

[Niv Berkowitz]

And do not get me wrong.  I hope that I am TOTALLY wrong on this.

If I am, I will step up and admit it just as strongly as I have advocated for Howland.

Co-sign.

My negativity (which has been really bad) is due to my staunch promotion/favorability of Howland and the fact I'm sick of seeing us get an assistant - which is the equivalent of rolling the dice. Call me crazy, I like playing the odds that are more in my favor - a proven head coach that's at least done something at a BCS program. We (MU administrators) make this talk of being a top flight program, but we aren't. So maybe we fans just have to look in the mirror and accept that we are a mid-major that pays a ton of money but can't get proven commodities. That, or, our President/AD suck and can't/won't pick these guys for whatever reason (sketchy background, not Catholic-enough, etc...).

Good grief, though. You can't go saying you are going to make an "impact hire", go after one of the top young coaches in college basketball, and then step alllll the way down to Wojo. That's just crazy.

I'm not going to say "RIP MU hoops" or anything that dumb. I'd like to think MU is much stronger than that. But....

The last two coaches we got were proven, top-line recruiters. At least if you go that route, I get it. Crean and Buzz got guys to play for their programs and really hammered the pavement. What's Wojo done, other than say "yeah, I'm at Duke. Coach K is a proven winner. Any questions?!"

People hammered Howland because "UCLA sells itself!" Well....what did Wojo do then? Just saying.

Good luck to him and Marquette. But at some point, fans/ticket-holders, etc, get tired of the same process every 5-7 years. We talk, talk, talk about getting a big name. But it NEVER happens. Guess we are a mid-major stepping stone program. One with a lot of success...but still.

[brandx]

Puke.  Pound floor.  Repeat.

At least they were never pounding the floor in the paint as opponents rained threes on them.

[Niv Berkowitz]

One last thing  (cuz I'm sick of reading this)...

In ANY job, you cannot pass on a great hire because you fear he/she will leave for a better job. That makes no sense.

My company that I work at does that and it's embarrassing. Have some pride and faith in yourself that you'll do the best you can to make your place somewhere they want to be. They decide to bolt, what are ya gonna do? Because technically, ANYONE can leave a job at any time.

[humanlung]

Wow!!!

In the same thread, you are saying he is not an impact hire and that he is an impact hire.  Duke is not gonna come calling when coach K retires unless he was an impact hire here.

Take some time and untwist yourself a little bit. Don't get too dizzy from the spinning.

No I am not.  At this time, he is not an impact hire, especially vs. a Howland.  If I am wrong, and I hope I am, he could develop into one.

At this time, it is not a hire that is of the magnitude that elevates MU to the stature of a destination job.  It reinforces us as a stepping stone.  Howland could have changed that perception.

[Spotcheck Billy]

+1

This is an important detail. Duke has several "heir apparents" and Wojo needs to have a ton of success here to win that job.

its the MU inferiority complex shining through for some here

[thekahoona]

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Here's a connection with Wojo and Marquette: Former Marquette star Doc Rivers' son, Austin, played at Duke and LOVED Wojo.

Not picking on you Pak... Picking on Goodman here...

This is like saying your blind date is "really funny, got a great personality and her friends really like her!"