Shaka

[onepost]

Wow.  Ram Nation on total meltdown mode now.  Gotta love it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Any rumors about UT going hard for Bert? I mean, that was the Scoop Boogeyman for years!

That was before the unknowns started to be knowns.

[willie warrior]

A local BBQ joint has an offer for Shaka if he stays:

Buz and Ned's @buzandneds
We are offering Shaka Smart unlimited Brisket and Apple Fritters if he decides to stay at VCU. #shakawatch 2015
10:23 AM - 2 Apr 2015

I think he can do better in TX!

Guess the Apple Fritters did not outweigh the Longhorn cash. Wonder how Mr. Smart will feel when the football longhorn pierces his arse.

[MUsoxfan]

Guess the Apple Fritters did not outweigh the Longhorn cash. Wonder how Mr. Smart will feel when the football longhorn pierces his arse.

That's the best part about the UT job. Zero pressure. Rick Barnes lasted 17 years at a school with that budget and never made a Final Four. Probably could still be there too if he really wanted to be

[MU82]

Rick Barnes lasted 17 years at a school with that budget and never made a Final Four.

Hmmm. I could have sworn that was Texas in the '03 FF with us, Kansas and 'Cuse.

[MUsoxfan]

Hmmm. I could have sworn that was Texas in the '03 FF with us, Kansas and 'Cuse.

Yes, I'm mistaken. Website I saw cited the two in the '40s. I hated everything about that FF except that MU made it there

[79Warrior]

Wow.  Ram Nation on total meltdown mode now.  Gotta love it.

Wonder what Doc thinks after he stiffed us last year?

[Tugg Speedman]

Wonder what Doc thinks after he stiffed us last year?

That Shaka's wife prefers Austin over Milwaukee.  Doc understands this, that's why he took less money for years in Orlando because his wife (Marotta's former GF) did not want to move.  Eventually at the end of his career he was forced to move around.

Remember the story is Shaka "soft verballed" for the MU job but his wife balked and he backed out.  The #donedeal and local stories that he was coming were not made up out of whole cloth, their was a reason they happened ... Sources in MU thought it was truly going to happen and that belief leaked out into the coverage.

(Side note, Shaka's wife is a Harvard and Northwestern grad, she "gets" what Milwaukee and its weather is all about)

[TSmith34, Inc.]

That Shaka's wife prefers Austin over Milwaukee.  

If Marquette ever wants to compete for a quality head coach it needs to take some of that enormous amount of money it spends on basketball and invest in some world class BBQ joints, obviously.

[GGGG]

That Shaka's wife prefers Austin over Milwaukee.  Doc understands this, that's why he took less money for years in Orlando because his wife (Marotta's former GF) did not want to move.  Eventually at the end of his career he was forced to move around.

Remember the story is Shaka "soft verballed" for the MU job but his wife balked and he backed out.  The #donedeal and local stories that he was coming were not made up out of whole cloth, their was a reason they happened ... Sources in MU thought it was truly going to happen and that belief leaked out into the coverage.

(Side note, Shaka's wife is a Harvard and Northwestern grad, she "gets" what Milwaukee and its weather is all about)

You are making way too many assumptions here about why Shaka turned down the MU job after the "soft verbal."  The vacancy at the AD position didn't help.

And regardless of weather, there are a number of reasons why the Texas job is more attractive than the Marquette job anyway.  In the end, he was wise to wait.

[79Warrior]

That Shaka's wife prefers Austin over Milwaukee.  Doc understands this, that's why he took less money for years in Orlando because his wife (Marotta's former GF) did not want to move.  Eventually at the end of his career he was forced to move around.

Remember the story is Shaka "soft verballed" for the MU job but his wife balked and he backed out.  The #donedeal and local stories that he was coming were not made up out of whole cloth, their was a reason they happened ... Sources in MU thought it was truly going to happen and that belief leaked out into the coverage.

(Side note, Shaka's wife is a Harvard and Northwestern grad, she "gets" what Milwaukee and its weather is all about)

Well, you don't know Doc. He was not happy at all by the reversal.

[brewcity77]

Well, you don't know Doc. He was not happy at all by the reversal.

+1

[Tugg Speedman]

You are making way too many assumptions here about why Shaka turned down the MU job after the "soft verbal."  The vacancy at the AD position didn't help.

And regardless of weather, there are a number of reasons why the Texas job is more attractive than the Marquette job anyway.  In the end, he was wise to wait.

Not making assumptions, explaining the story as I understood it.  Please correct.

[GGGG]

Not making assumptions, explaining the story as I understood it.  Please correct.

The way I understand it, Maya Smart is Shaka's de facto agent.  So to say that she didn't want to come to Milwaukee over things like weather, simplifies it too much. 

There were concerns brought up, some of which Marquette addressed.  (Moving up the naming of President Lovell for instance.)  There were some that simply couldn't be.  (The AD vacancy for instance.)  Doc, as a member of the BOT, sought to alleviate some of their concerns about the AD, but in the end it wasn't enough.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Not making assumptions, explaining the story as I understood it.  Please correct.

Maya Smart is a highly educated individual.

To enunciate that she and Shaka would turn down a good career move simply because of the weather is dense.

Shaka was very interested in the job. Likely agreed in principle. When he and his wife discussed it, they ultimately decided against it. (the reasons Sultan gave seem logical).

I doubt Maya Smart checked weather.com and told Shaka "nope, we're not going".

[Tugg Speedman]

Maya Smart is a highly educated individual.

To enunciate that she and Shaka would turn down a good career move simply because of the weather is dense.

Shaka was very interested in the job. Likely agreed in principle. When he and his wife discussed it, they ultimately decided against it. (the reasons Sultan gave seem logical).

I doubt Maya Smart checked weather.com and told Shaka "nope, we're not going".

That is not what I meant.  I was trying to say to others reading my post that it was more than the weather sucks in Milwaukee.  I was not implying I thought that is why she swayed Shaka away.

The larger point is Shaka seriously considered MU and circumstances prevented it from happening (i.e., no AD).  Let's end 4ever thought/post that MU was not "good enough" and UT is "better." 

It's better described as the stars aligned for UT but not for MU.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

That is not what I meant.  I was trying to say to others reading my post that it was more than the weather sucks in Milwaukee.  I was not implying I thought that is why she swayed Shaka away.

The larger point is Shaka seriously considered MU and circumstances prevented it from happening (i.e., no AD).  Let's end 4ever thought/post that MU was not "good enough" and UT is "better." 

It's better described as the stars aligned for UT but not for MU.

Well, personally, I do see the UT job as having more upside than MU, but that really doesn't matter.

I only bring up Maya because she's not the typical coach's wife. She's highly educated and very successful in her field. It's not surprising that she and Shaka make professional decisions together. I don't think it's fair to say things like "she balked".

MU was likely a good move for Shaka last year, but maybe not the best move for "the Smarts".

Obviously they feel UT is a good move for both of them .

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That Shaka's wife prefers Austin over Milwaukee.  Doc understands this, that's why he took less money for years in Orlando because his wife (Marotta's former GF) did not want to move.  Eventually at the end of his career he was forced to move around.

Remember the story is Shaka "soft verballed" for the MU job but his wife balked and he backed out.  The #donedeal and local stories that he was coming were not made up out of whole cloth, their was a reason they happened ... Sources in MU thought it was truly going to happen and that belief leaked out into the coverage.

(Side note, Shaka's wife is a Harvard and Northwestern grad, she "gets" what Milwaukee and its weather is all about)

The Mrs. Smart turned us down and Shaka demanded to pick the next AD story is largely MUScoop myth

[Avenue Commons]

Keep in mind Shaka is from Wisconsin. He had strong interest in Marquette. The story, as it was told to me, was that he told Doc Rivers he wanted the job and was interested.

There are a million issues with semantics and what was actually said, I'm sure. But I don't really buy that there was just a "misunderstanding." I think Shaka changed his mind. And that's OK, but to then claim there was "no interest" doesn't make Marquette look super great.

[4everwarriors]

That is not what I meant.  I was trying to say to others reading my post that it was more than the weather sucks in Milwaukee.  I was not implying I thought that is why she swayed Shaka away.

The larger point is Shaka seriously considered MU and circumstances prevented it from happening (i.e., no AD).  Let's end 4ever thought/post that MU was not "good enough" and UT is "better." 

It's better described as the stars aligned for UT but not for MU.

Really? You honestly don't think the Texas job is better? Man, I love my school as much as anyone on this board, but I can be realistic and objective 'bout its spot in the college basketball world, hey?

[Dawson Rental]

Really? You honestly don't think the Texas job is better? Man, I love my school as much as anyone on this board, but I can be realistic and objective 'bout its spot in the college basketball world, hey?

Agreed.  Texas is better situated to succeed in men's college basketball.  That doesn't mean that they will, but they definitely have more to work with.  Of course, that just makes it sweeter when MU does succeed.

[Galway Eagle]

Really? You honestly don't think the Texas job is better? Man, I love my school as much as anyone on this board, but I can be realistic and objective 'bout its spot in the college basketball world, hey?

Texas is better situated to succeed in the future but MU as a basketball school is more elite. More S16s more E8s a NC.

[brewcity77]

Really? You honestly don't think the Texas job is better? Man, I love my school as much as anyone on this board, but I can be realistic and objective 'bout its spot in the college basketball world, hey?

The Texas job is bigger. I feel the Marquette job is better.

There are probably 40-50 jobs that are bigger than Marquette. But when you factor in the finances, dedication to the program, and the ability to sustain success, I'm not sure more than maybe 5-10 jobs are actually better.

[Tugg Speedman]

Let me boil this down and correct anything that is wrong here ...

Shaka has been the top of just about everyone's wish list for the last 4 or 5 years.  As far we we know, he has only directly talked to two schools, MU and UT (taking UT).  Before they hired Alford, I believe he even said "thanks but no thanks" to UCLA, never getting as far with them as he did with us. Everyone else (Minn, Ill, etc.) all they got from their inquires was an email that said "no," if that.  We got three days of intensive talks and a long explanation to Doc on why not.

So we are one of only two schools the hottest property has ever considered.  Unfortunately we had no President or AD so he was talking with interims and that hurt our position in landing him.

Ok, what did I get wrong?

[GGGG]

Let me boil this down and correct anything that is wrong here ...

Shaka has been the top of just about everyone's wish list for the last 4 or 5 years.  As far we we know, he has only directly talked to two schools, MU and UT (taking UT).  Before they hired Alford, I believe he even said "thanks but no thanks" to UCLA, never getting as far with them as he did with us. Everyone else (Minn, Ill, etc.) all they got from their inquires was an email that said "no," if that.  We got three days of intensive talks and a long explanation to Doc on why not.

So we are one of only two schools the hottest property has ever considered.  Unfortunately we had no President or AD so he was talking with interims and that hurt our position in landing him.

Ok, what did I get wrong?

Not wrong, but you are looking at things too objectively.  Not every person is going to view the same situations in the same manner.

Perhaps Shaka's relationship or opinion of Doc Rivers (which I know nothing about) may have influenced his decision to listen to the Marquette offer more seriously.  Perhaps he was interested in returning to his home state and that was also an undue influence.

Those subjective factors may have caused Shaka to have shown more interest in Marquette than other coaches of similar stature.