MU Coaching Candidates

[brewcity77]

So that's the bar now...

Yeah, sadly. Going on a 6th year with no NCAA appearances, no winning Big East records in that time, dark days in DC.

[MU82]

The disgust & displeasure is at an all time high.  And there are some serious optimistic ppl in this lot.

I appreciate that, Lens. My two best MU friends texted me after the DePaul loss. Said one: "I'm not a fan of Wojo at all. The team always looks unprepared. He's gotta go." Said the other: "He recruits fine, but dude simply cannot coach."

So I hear ya.

But you didn't answer my question. You said these are long-time STH. Are they disgusted and displeased enough to pull the plug? No more ST, no more donations, no more nuttin'?

I'm not making any kind of judgment here. I'm just genuinely curious about what the "or else" is here, if there is one.

People here are talking about boycotts and other stuff, but if ST sales go from the thousands and thousands to the hundreds, THAT will get the administration's attention. And it wouldn't embarrass the athletes with a sudden display of anger, as some worry a boycott or walk-out would do.

[The Lens]

There's a group of 5 Chicago guys who became STH's when the Fiserv opened.  They are big time waffling.  Admittedly part of it is lower level inventory is higher than the BC, so they're not sure it worth it.  But the losing doesn't help.

Then about 8 others are MKE based and most will definitely make adjustments...4 seats to 2 or move up some rows to save money.  Everyone seems to want to pull back money / time invested.  Best example.  Family of 4 or 5...grade school kids...I don't see many guys in this group carrying 4 seats next season.  I see them keeping 2 and figuring it out when every one can get to a big game. 

None of these guys needs to spend less...the feeling is just what's the use? 

 

[79Warrior]

Has the administration said anything regarding Wojo either during this year or in the last off season? There is an assumption on here that the admin absolutely loves him because he’s good enough and runs a clean program.
The admin isn’t going to comment on Wojo after every loss...as is done here.
I guess we will see their position once his contract is due.

The administration will not do anything after this season regarding Men's basketball. There are far more urgent issues at Marquette right now.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The US undergraduate population for people of color today is 47.1%. Marquette's is 29%. MU indexes at 61. In your wokeness, if you think that is even a D grade for a faith-based school, then good god.

If you want to say Marquette has a long way to go that's fine and true. But you asserted that we lost sight of our mission "a decade ago" (a decade ago DJO, Buycks, and Crowder were on the roster) when the numbers were worse. So if this is your argument and the current admin get a D, than you must have given the good ole days an F. And again, what does this have to do with JUCOs on the men's basketball team?

Back to the topic of potential coaches, I see all sorts of flairs going up around this with a lot of words. The simple fact is, that for a decade not one JUCO player has set foot in The Al, when they have in the past.

I'm pretty sure men's soccer players visit the Al  . But more seriously, McKay was admitted and practiced with the team after the so called Crowder rule.

Between Larry and Scholl and the current president, we have heard about the raised academic standards.

We've heard about academic achievements. You have implied that there is raised academic standards but beyond it being a requirement that it must be possible for a player to graduate prior to their eligibility runs out, there is no raised standards.

This board thinks our best candidate coaches, who all currently and in the past recruit JUCOS, and see JUCOS, preps and transfers as a quick way to rebuild and balance a program. That's not in line with those standards, written or otherwise, MU had switched to.

Again, Niko Medved has NEVER recruited a juco to Colorado State. Preps and transfers are a non-issue at Marquette, Wojo has multiple of them on his teams. JUCOs are a non-issue too, Wojo has offered several of them. You are making things up to support your anger for an administration that has been gone for 7.5 years.

You have a single fact supporting your argument. That Wojo has not successfully recruited a JUCO since he came here. There is plenty of evidence to counteract that fact and show that there isn't a blanket ban on JUCOs the way you have implied (McKay, Matheus Pereira, Wojo recruiting JUCOs).

Moreover, what does recruiting JUCOs to play basketball have to do with advancing diversity?

[We R Final Four]

The administration will not do anything after this season regarding Men's basketball. There are far more urgent issues at Marquette right now.

Agreed—slightly different conversation.
If the BOT would anticipate the potential drop in season ticket holders, boycotts, billboards (ha), booing the coach and team, etc. they may get to a tipping point and realize that they need to get rid of him for financial reasons.

[79Warrior]

Agreed—slightly different conversation.
If the BOT would anticipate the potential drop in season ticket holders, boycotts, billboards (ha), booing the coach and team, etc. they may get to a tipping point and realize that they need to get rid of him for financial reasons.

Financial reasons are exactly why he remains at MU. The BOT is trying to deal with balancing the budget and declining enrollment.

[The Lens]

Aren't these two completely different budgets?  The school is always having some financial difficulties, its just a matter of to what degree. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Aren't these two completely different budgets?  The school is always having some financial difficulties, its just a matter of to what degree.

It's never been at this degree

[Shooter McGavin]

It's never been at this degree

TAMU,

Can you give a quick summary as to why the financial troubles are so bad besides the obvious (Covid)?  Just curious.  I know people have said the enrollment is going down but is this the case at most schools because of decreasing college attendance nation wide or is it something specific to Marquette?

Appreciate your input.

[We R Final Four]

Financial reasons are exactly why he remains at MU. The BOT is trying to deal with balancing the budget and declining enrollment.

Can MU afford ~20-30% decrease in STHs followed by another year of 10-20% decrease if he stays?

*just throwing these #s out there.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

TAMU,

Can you give a quick summary as to why the financial troubles are so bad besides the obvious (Covid)?  Just curious.  I know people have said the enrollment is going down but is this the case at most schools because of decreasing college attendance nation wide or is it something specific to Marquette?

Appreciate your input.

Enrollment is dropping at a lot of places but at Marquette it has been quite bad. IMO I think it’s a problem with their financial aid strategy. I have heard a number of (admittedly anecdotal) stories about aid packages not being competitive with peer institutions.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

TAMU,

Can you give a quick summary as to why the financial troubles are so bad besides the obvious (Covid)?  Just curious.  I know people have said the enrollment is going down but is this the case at most schools because of decreasing college attendance nation wide or is it something specific to Marquette?

Appreciate your input.

Does it need anything more than the obvious answer?

Its pretty common knowledge that I work for Texas A&M University. That is a much more financially stable institution than Marquette with an endowment that makes Marquette's endowment look like my bank account. We have had to lay off a lot of staff, entire departments have been gutted, budgets cut, merit gone, hiring freezes, etc. And we are as stable financially as it gets in the higher education world.

We are going to see tectonic shift in higher education after the next 10-20 years. There are too many universities, charging too much money, for job prospects that don't make nearly enough to pay off the student loan debt. Plus, its been known for awhile now that there is a demographic shift coming that is going to shrink the amount of students going to college. After the 2008 recession, families, particularly middle class families which produce the bulk of prospective college students, have been having less and less kids. Some regions such as the south are seeing a population surge as people flee from the midwest and east coast, but other regions are about to hit hard with a scarcity of possible enrollees. Universities, particularly liberal arts schools, are going to have to be financially innovative to survive the next couple of decades. Many will close. Wisconsin already had its first causality with Holy Family College up on Mantiwoc closing its doors this year. More will follow. I think Marquette survives because they are still considered a top 100 university but they will need to be creative and smart to make it work.

[79Warrior]

Does it need anything more than the obvious answer?

Its pretty common knowledge that I work for Texas A&M University. That is a much more financially stable institution than Marquette with an endowment that makes Marquette's endowment look like my bank account. We have had to lay off a lot of staff, entire departments have been gutted, budgets cut, merit gone, hiring freezes, etc. And we are as stable financially as it gets in the higher education world.

We are going to see tectonic shift in higher education after the next 10-20 years. There are too many universities, charging too much money, for job prospects that don't make nearly enough to pay off the student loan debt. Plus, its been known for awhile now that there is a demographic shift coming that is going to shrink the amount of students going to college. After the 2008 recession, families, particularly middle class families which produce the bulk of prospective college students, have been having less and less kids. Some regions such as the south are seeing a population surge as people flee from the midwest and east coast, but other regions are about to hit hard with a scarcity of possible enrollees. Universities, particularly liberal arts schools, are going to have to be financially innovative to survive the next couple of decades. Many will close. Wisconsin already had its first causality with Holy Family College up on Mantiwoc closing its doors this year. More will follow. I think Marquette survives because they are still considered a top 100 university but they will need to be creative and smart to make it work.

Excellent points. This is exactly what is taking place at Colleges and Universities around the country. Survival of the fittest.The financially strongest will survive. Others will struggle, perhaps closing or reducing offerings. For a small, private University like Marquette it is a precarious situation. Our endowment does not give us much flexibility. I agree Marquette will likely survive, but it is imperative we have strong leadership. My issue is I do not believe Lovell is the guy to lead us through this crisis.

[Shooter McGavin]

Thanks FBM and TAMU.

[dgies9156]

Excellent points. This is exactly what is taking place at Colleges and Universities around the country. Survival of the fittest.The financially strongest will survive. Others will struggle, perhaps closing or reducing offerings. For a small, private University like Marquette it is a precarious situation. Our endowment does not give us much flexibility. I agree Marquette will likely survive, but it is imperative we have strong leadership. My issue is I do not believe Lovell is the guy to lead us through this crisis.

I think it also involves building the financial resources necessary to survive. Marquette needs to create a stronger bond between itself and its alumni -- something tangible and real -- that would have the effect of building a meaningful endowment. That takes an investment, not only from us but from SE Wisconsin community leaders who want to stay committed to a strong private education in Milwaukee.

We're at a disadvantage because we've never strongly recruited the growing south. As a southern high schooler, I went to Marquette  because of a family heritage. The year I went to college, there were three of us Nashvillians who attended my Catholic High School who found their way to Marquette. And two of us were from families who originally were from Wisconsin.

Milwaukee is an interesting place with culture that many southern cities just do not have. We don't have football, but we have a great academic program, hopefully improving basketball and a freedom to explore that does not exist in many college towns. Marquette has a lot going for it, but it requires marketing, money and committed alumni to make it happen.

TAMU can speak to what it means to have committed alumni. Maybe the word is "committed" but those Aggies are really into A&M.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Indoctrinated is the correct word Brother Dgies

[Dr. Blackheart]

Here is today's Marquette:  We want to be like Villanova or ND or St. Louis or Georgetown, and now TAMU

Here is my MU: They all want to be like Marquette. Social pioneers of Project Headstart, the Peace Corps, Mother Theresa, Presidents want to talk here, stone wall to Apartheid, a law school in the lead on racial injustice. You know, Untucked with a crazy ass coach who stands up to racists and says we'll cut down the nets in NYC with our switchblades.

A lot of words thrown here defending the ordinary. Warriors prefer to be leading. We lost something along the the way. Some say everything.

[wadesworld]

Here is today's Marquette:  We want to be like Villanova or ND or St. Louis or Georgetown, and now TAMU

Here is my MU: They all want to be like Marquette. Social pioneers of Project Headstart, the Peace Corps, Mother Theresa, Presidents want to talk here, stone wall to Apartheid, a law school in the lead on racial injustice. You know, Untucked with a crazy ass coach who stands up to racists and says we'll cut down the nets in NYC with our switchblades.

A lot of words thrown here defending the ordinary. Warriors prefer to be leading. We lost something along the the way. Some say everything.

 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Here is today's Marquette:  We want to be like Villanova or ND or St. Louis or Georgetown, and now TAMU

Here is my MU: They all want to be like Marquette. Social pioneers of Project Headstart, the Peace Corps, Mother Theresa, Presidents want to talk here, stone wall to Apartheid, a law school in the lead on racial injustice. You know, Untucked with a crazy ass coach who stands up to racists and says we'll cut down the nets in NYC with our switchblades.

A lot of words thrown here defending the ordinary. Warriors prefer to be leading. We lost something along the the way. Some say everything.

So it seems that this isn't about advancing diversity at all. This about today's Marquette looking different than the one you remember. Your belief that your era of Marquette was better than mine or the generation's before me or the one after me.

You claim this about advancing diversity and Marquette "rediscovering their mission" but you pine for a time when over half the students of color on campus were student athletes, graduation and job placement rates for students of color was at an all time low, a racist caricature roamed our sidelines masquerading as a mascot, and coming out as LGBTQ was a death sentence. You simultaneously knock an administration who has increased access for students of color to record highs, improved graduation and job placement rates for students of color, while increasing the amount of resources that specifically cater to minoritized students. Which era of Marquette is more on mission?

While we don't have a crazy coach anymore, we do have one continuing Al's legacy of standing up to racists. Oddly enough, my impression is that the people booing him the loudest for his words on racial justice are those from the Al era. Definitely agree on the untucked jerseys, but that's beyond Marquette's control.

Marquette was a pioneer during Al's time. But frankly, they did the bare minimum of a school truly following the teachings of Jesus and Ignatius Loyola. But that was more than anyone else was doing back then. It was extraordinary because of the context of the times they were living in.

My experience at MU wasn't "ordinary" as you put it. I loved it and during my four years there I was given literal hundreds of opportunities to learn and live social justice. I don't think you give my era or the modern one a fair shake.

To be clear, this is not an attack or a criticism of the Al era. They were pioneers and their work helped build the culture that I enjoyed 30 years later. I love hearing stories about those days and have read about every book there is about Al and that time in our history. I'm just tired of being told that my Marquette experience was lesser, because I loved it. Lesser on the basketball court for sure, but the tradition of social justice is alive and well.

[Viper]

I think it also involves building the financial resources necessary to survive. Marquette needs to create a stronger bond between itself and its alumni -- something tangible and real -- that would have the effect of building a meaningful endowment. That takes an investment, not only from us but from SE Wisconsin community leaders who want to stay committed to a strong private education in Milwaukee.

We're at a disadvantage because we've never strongly recruited the growing south. As a southern high schooler, I went to Marquette  because of a family heritage. The year I went to college, there were three of us Nashvillians who attended my Catholic High School who found their way to Marquette. And two of us were from families who originally were from Wisconsin.

Milwaukee is an interesting place with culture that many southern cities just do not have. We don't have football, but we have a great academic program, hopefully improving basketball and a freedom to explore that does not exist in many college towns. Marquette has a lot going for it, but it requires marketing, money and committed alumni to make it happen.

TAMU can speak to what it means to have committed alumni. Maybe the word is "committed" but those Aggies are really into A&M.

you and TAMU are spot on. My dad was a prof at MU in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s and said even then that MU walks a financial tightrope. I sure hope I’m wrong but I could see MU dropping D-I sports in 10 yrs if things don’t improve. On that end, what you speak of on reaching the Milwaukee and State of WI w/creative and dynamic marketing will be vital to MU’s survival. And, tuition costs have to be corralled.

[Viper]

btw, my roommate at MU for 2 yrs was the First Warrior. 100% Menomonee Indian. He’s still ticked ‘Warriors’ was dropped. I know this is neither here nor there, just sayin’.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I am going to have to disagree with some of the thoughts here.  I don't think Marquette's issues are Covid or demographic related.  I think they are almost entirely self-inflicted.  Two years ago Marquette had 2,162 freshman students.  This year they have 1,647.

And the number of high school graduates in SE Wisconsin and NW Illinois actually INCREASED over this time.

I mentioned this earlier but I think they are making some poor decisions in the financial aid area.  Maybe they thought that students would pay more than they are willing to pay for a Marquette education.  Maybe the shine is off Marquette because of the mediocrity of the basketball program.  Or maybe they are marketing the wrong things to the wrong audience.  I don't know.

But I do know the public universities are REALLY struggling in Wisconsin right now.  There is room for a school that pushes Marquette's mission and values.  But I think the University is screwing this up.

[NorthernDancerColt]

I am going to have to disagree with some of the thoughts here.  I don't think Marquette's issues are Covid or demographic related.  I think they are almost entirely self-inflicted.  Two years ago Marquette had 2,162 freshman students.  This year they have 1,647.

And the number of high school graduates in SE Wisconsin and NW Illinois actually INCREASED over this time.

I mentioned this earlier but I think they are making some poor decisions in the financial aid area.  Maybe they thought that students would pay more than they are willing to pay for a Marquette education.  Maybe the shine is off Marquette because of the mediocrity of the basketball program.  Or maybe they are marketing the wrong things to the wrong audience.  I don't know.

But I do know the public universities are REALLY struggling in Wisconsin right now.  There is room for a school that pushes Marquette's mission and values.  But I think the University is screwing this up.

I think you are spot-on with the financial aid issues. My friend’s daughter is in the top 5% of her HS class in Champaign IL, and has financial aid offers from U of I, Marquette, and SLU, among others. MU is offering her just over half of what SLU is offering. Her parents are kind of puzzled, and I don’t know what to tell them other than refer to our current financial condition.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I think you are spot-on with the financial aid issues. My friend’s daughter is in the top 5% of her HS class in Champaign IL, and has financial aid offers from U of I, Marquette, and SLU, among others. MU is offering her just over half of what SLU is offering. Her parents are kind of puzzled, and I don’t know what to tell them other than refer to our current financial condition.

Anecdotally I will say this is been going on for a couple of years, and honestly I don't get it.  They know what other schools are offering, and they haven't changed their strategy.  Their endowment, though smaller than their peers. isn't THAT bad.