Tony Bennett earns a "whopping" $1 million per year

[Marquette84]

The bull.... I'm talking about was his everyday rhetoric which was about as believable as   listening to a used car salesman.

Some specific examples might help.

If it involves the fact that Crean never annouced in advance he wanted to leave MU I have to wonder how that is a problem.  Again, I don't think telling the world that you're simply settling until Duke or Indiana comes calling is good for recruting.

Frankly, I have to question if his everyday rhetoric is truly any different than any other coach.  Again, your expectation seems to be that coaches should be completely upfront that they're not committed to their current job, since virtually anyone is going to be interested in Duke, UNC, Kansas, etc.

As for other jobs, he chased and coveted those that would pay more than the small fortune MU ponied up.

Sorry but this is not consistent with the offer from Arkansas he turned down.   

I don't see a problem with coveting jobs at Kentucky or Indiana or Kansas--they're among the top jobs in the country.  And I don't see a problem with leveraging a position at Virgina or Illinos to get fair wage at MU.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Who knew that Tony Bennett's contract would create such a stir about coach Crean.

 

I know it's been said before, but I wonder what the message boards would have looked like back in 77. If Crean can create this amount of debate, imagine what Al would've done. I think we all love his results, but let's be honest and say that his tactics would have been highly debatable subject(s).

[ChicosBailBonds]

Who knew that Tony Bennett's contract would create such a stir about coach Crean.

 

I know it's been said before, but I wonder what the message boards would have looked like back in 77. If Crean can create this amount of debate, imagine what Al would've done. I think we all love his results, but let's be honest and say that his tactics would have been highly debatable subject(s).

I can imagine the '77 year, losing 4 straight games, etc....some people would be screaming bloody murder.  Him trying to leave to go to the Bucks the year prior, punching Toone in the locker room in the first round, barely making the NCAAs to begin with (last team in) etc.  Yeah, it would have been interesting to say the lease.

[RawdogDX]

Crean was little more than an unsophisticated used car salesman. He chased after every "major" position that came along. Like they say, a blind squirrel will eventually find a nut just like a bull slinger will finally convince someone to drink the snake oil.

Are you on/off some sort of meds?  Who the hell says that and how is that relavant?  What "major" positions are you talking about?  He got offers and didn't take them.  The fact that he listend to them is normal.  He listened till he got the one he felt was right and took it.

[warthog-driver]

Crean is an ass.

[Doctor V]

Buyout of only $500k. We're paying our unproven head coach nearly as much and he hasn't taken any team to the Tournament. Maybe Bennett isn't a money grabbing coach like we've had here in the past. In fact, he probably has something which we also haven't had in a while, i.e., LOYALTY.

so if he takes his team to the tournament this upcoming season it will be worth it?

see the problem is, if MU finishes in the top 3 in conf and makes the sweet 16 or better everyone here who hates the Buzz move will love it because those same people hated crean so they will say---

1- see crean is a joke he couldnt win with the same guys
2- easy with buzz, they arent his players lets see what he can do with his

i can see it already. IMO, a successful year this upcoming season and this was a good hire, whether or not Buzz succeeds in the next 3-4 years. If the team has a good year and then buzz ends up not being able to recruit and coach fire him in 3-4 years and go get someone else

you are not getting a proven guy, you are getting a guy who has to prove himself and has all the pressure in the world- and he knows that. if he cant do it, move on, but atleast you are giving him a great shot to succeed.

we will all know if he can coach good talent next year, we will also know if he can recruit good talent next year. If he does both, you may have your guy. If he does neither, youll know quickly.

The only thing i dislike about the hire is that this upcoming season could be very special, and if he cant coach it could destroy that opportunity. However, the players like the guy, give him a shot to come in and do some damage, good damage, from the start and get this thing rolling.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Dimitri, the problem with that is if you doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in.

Look, Barry Switzer could get us into the NCAAs next year so anything less than a NCAA bid is a bad year.  With all these seniors, all conference players, no excuse (other than key injuries) to make the NCAAs (what we do in them is another story...that's a crap shoot).

If the sole purpose was to hire someone to have success next year, then this would a horrible hire because anyone worth their salt as a coach could pull that off.

I agree he's under a lot of pressure, but so would anyone else be. 

This will be judged a good or bad hire by year 3....I think other coaches could have been judged a good hire with a lot more certainty on day 1 or year 1 at the worst.  That's the risk, that's the course MU chose to make....could pay huge dividends if he can recruit well to MU as a head coach (not as an assistant, big difference) and get them to play for him.

[nola03]

I have heard from people close to the program that what 4ever says is very true.  The only thing is he chooses to at times say "donors" plural.  I don't know if it's plural.  I have also heard that most of the group that brought you Gold, was in the dark on this hire.

Of course me sticking up for 4ever is probably seen as Bill O'Rielly calling GW a good president.

I have faith that this man is writing the truth. And, by transitive property, 4everwarriors is speaking the truth. The reasoning is plausible.

Warthog Driver said Crean was an unsophisticated used car salesman. I don't think that's true at all. There is a section of MU fans who feel absolute hatred toward Crean and that only comes from people that feel betrayed. Betrayal only comes from having felt connected. Crean created that.

If believing the donor story, then Crean is a much more sophisticated salesman then people give him credit for. He ran out on Marquette in the middle of the night and still had their ear to the point where he chose the next coach. In my hood, we call that a bitch slapping.

[rocky_warrior]

Dimitri, the problem with that is if you doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in.

Hey wait...we could play that game with anybody.

"if [Tony Bennett] doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in."

"if [Sean Miller] doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in."

Any coach that Marquette hired was going to have to recruit like a mad man in order to succeed after this year.  Could Bennett or Miller out-recruit Buzz if they were at MU?  That's really the only question.  We will know how Buzz recruits in a couple years, but even then we won't know if any of the other options you automatically deem "less risky" would have done better.

So, why not give it a rest.  Or do we have to hear this ranting for the next 2-3 years until you know for sure how Buzz does?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Hey wait...we could play that game with anybody.

"if [Tony Bennett] doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in."

"if [Sean Miller] doesn't succeed years 3-4, then MU has gone backwards at a time they shouldn't be going backwards.  That's where the risk comes in."

Any coach that Marquette hired was going to have to recruit like a mad man in order to succeed after this year.  Could Bennett or Miller out-recruit Buzz if they were at MU?  That's really the only question.  We will know how Buzz recruits in a couple years, but even then we won't know if any of the other options you automatically deem "less risky" would have done better.

So, why not give it a rest.  Or do we have to hear this ranting for the next 2-3 years until you know for sure how Buzz does?

Yes we could....but everyone here would feel a lot better on DAY 1 if Miller or Bennett were those guys, even if they failed in years 3-4.  It would be a SURPRISE if they failed. 

Would it be a surprise if Buzz fails....I'm asking an honest question?

What would Vegas put the odds at a Miller or Bennett failing in years 3-4?  10%   For Buzz....I'd say north of 10%.

Let's hope it all works out....to answer your question, Miller is a recruiting dynamo and a good coach.  Bennett a good coach that hasn't recruited like gang busters, but it's also tough to recruit to Pullman, Washington.

[Marquette84]

Yes we could....but everyone here would feel a lot better on DAY 1 if Miller or Bennett were those guys, even if they failed in years 3-4.  It would be a SURPRISE if they failed. 

Would it be a surprise if Buzz fails....I'm asking an honest question?

What would Vegas put the odds at a Miller or Bennett failing in years 3-4?  10%   For Buzz....I'd say north of 10%.

Let's hope it all works out....to answer your question, Miller is a recruiting dynamo and a good coach.  Bennett a good coach that hasn't recruited like gang busters, but it's also tough to recruit to Pullman, Washington.

The better quote would have been "if [Jim Les | Brad Brownell | Chris Lowrey] doesn't succeed years 3-4 . . . "

And I guarantee that that Vegas would put the odds of any of them > 10% as well.

I think we all agree that Sean Miller or Tony Bennett would have been great choices, and everything I read suggests the job could have been theirs if they wanted it.

The biggest concern I have over a mid-major coach is that they have no experience or connections recruiting the type of players MU will need to be competitive in the Big East--and a big part of that is the relationships with current HS frosh and sophs who will be part of that year 3/year 4 class.

Everyone is whining about Crean targeting the same players he was looking at for MU, but that's exactly what you want when you hire a coach.  You want that guy to come in with established recruiting contacts with the type of players you need to be succesful. 

The one thing that Buzz has over the others is that he has already been working not just with the TYPE of recruit MU needs, but the exact players that MU has been targeting--not just for 2008, but 2009, 2010, 2011.  We absolutly don't want anyone who Brad Brownell is currently targeting.  Sorry, but Wright State players won't get it done.  I don't think we even want Bradley or SIU type players. 

The bottom line is that its a very defensible decision to stay away from mid-major coaches.  At the end of the day, you would have preferred more time to interview some of them--but at what potential cost.  The biggest risk is that one of them charms the pants off you, you take him, and he turns MU into West Wright State or SIU-North Campus. 

And please, don't suggest that Cottingham would be more susceptible to that because of his "inexperience"--an experienced guy like Cords hired Mike Deane.

[3Mer]

So, why not give it a rest.  Or do we have to hear this ranting for the next 2-3 years until you know for sure how Buzz does?

It really doesn't matter how Buzz does.   The ranting is over the extent of the alleged "search" that was conducted to replace Crean.  Bennett's deal at WSU makes it pretty clear that MU made no serious efforts to hire anyone other than Buzz.  Obviously, MU was more concerned with the short-term goal of perserving a mediocre crop of recruits rather than preserving the long-term credibility of the basketball program.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The biggest concern I have over a mid-major coach is that they have no experience or connections recruiting the type of players MU will need to be competitive in the Big East--and a big part of that is the relationships with current HS frosh and sophs who will be part of that year 3/year 4 class.

I'm not sure I agree with this.  They have many of the same connections, it's just that the players are usually going to go play for a bigger school in a better conference.  They still have those relationships.  The midmajor coaches are at the same events, talking to the same AAU coaches about players on those teams (but instead of going after player A, they're going after player B).

It's the name on the school that gives them access to the better recruits.

[4everwarriors]

Is Pearl the exception to the rule then or is he recruiting the same kids that he would have at UWM?
If you are a recruiter, you can recruit anywhere. A higher profile program gives the recruiter an audience with better athletes.

[rocky_warrior]

The ranting is over the extent of the alleged "search" that was conducted to replace Crean.  Bennett's deal at WSU makes it pretty clear that MU made no serious efforts to hire anyone other than Buzz. 

This is the second thread that you've posted that in.  Lets clear one thing up:
Bennett did NOT want the job.  It had NOTHING to do with the money.

MU Did make serious efforts at a couple of guys, including Bennett.  They were not interested.  After that, Buzz was the next candidate.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

This is the second thread that you've posted that in.  Lets clear one thing up:
Bennett did NOT want the job.  It had NOTHING to do with the money.

MU Did make serious efforts at a couple of guys, including Bennett.  They were not interested.  After that, Buzz was the next candidate.

+1000

Again, I don't think Bennett's contract is an indication of anything other than he is happy at WSU and didn't want the MU or IU job.

[spiral97]

This is the second thread that you've posted that in.  Lets clear one thing up:
Bennett did NOT want the job.  It had NOTHING to do with the money.

MU Did make serious efforts at a couple of guys, including Bennett.  They were not interested.  After that, Buzz was the next candidate.

Yeah.. From what I understand the deal breaker was that they heard that the contractor service hired to do the coach's landscaping is a bit creepy.   The rumors started when bystanders overheard Crean telling Joanie "if we go to Indiana we can start leaving the blinds open again!" while discussing the job opportunity with her.   

[3Mer]

This is the second thread that you've posted that in.  Lets clear one thing up:
Bennett did NOT want the job.  It had NOTHING to do with the money.

MU Did make serious efforts at a couple of guys, including Bennett.  They were not interested.  After that, Buzz was the next candidate.

Really?  Where have read that?  I've seen nothing to indicate MU's efforts were "serious" ... whatever that means.  I've seen nothing about money offered, length of contract, potential buy-out provisions, etc.

And really, after only a few days "searching," exactly how "serious" could those efforts have been?

Isn't it a more likely scenario that MU made faint overtures to a few of the names that were subjects of media speculation, but were negotiationing in earnest only with Buzz?  Wouldn't that explain how Mu could work out the details to Buzz's contract so quickly after allegedly negotiating with the more preferential unnamed "guys" that you referred to?

[4everwarriors]

I ain't workin' in no Indiana.

[ATWizJr]

My understanding is that both Bennett and Miller werer approached by MU and did not have interest in leaving ther current gigs.

College coaching success being predicated largely, if not totally on recruiting, and Buzz having the rep of being a recruiting demon and already an MU employee = logical hire. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

This is the second thread that you've posted that in.  Lets clear one thing up:
Bennett did NOT want the job.  It had NOTHING to do with the money.

MU Did make serious efforts at a couple of guys, including Bennett.  They were not interested.  After that, Buzz was the next candidate.

Totally agree.....the question is why was he "the next candidate"...but when you're making a decision in 72 hours I guess that limits your options.

Oh well....I do think he hired a good assistant coach....the team should be very good next year....can't wait for it to start.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I ain't workin' in no Indiana.

Dat der bush gonna be gettin' big!   

[4everwarriors]

I heard Joanie is redecorating her new digs.
Now her carpeting doesn't match her drapes and she's contemplating putting in Brazilian hard wood floors.