[Cracked Sidewalks] Cottingham details 'the process'

[Pakuni]

Yeah, Providence landed the national coach of the year....how embarrassing.   

With any luck, he'll have as bright a future as past winners of that award ...

Bruce Weber
Larry Eustachy
Phil Martelli
Clem Haskins (cheater)
Kelvin Sampson (cheater)
Perry Clark
Randy Ayers (cheater)

That's some impressive company Keno is running with these days, and the award clearly is an indicator of future success. 

[THEGYMBAR]

Chico's---Agreed with the toilet comment. We spent nine years building credibility and risked losing it overnight. This hire make sense nine years ago, not in 2008. Why build a program and risk losing it over one hire?

[IrwinFletcher]

Yeah, Providence landed the national coach of the year....how embarrassing.   

It was embarrassing DURINJG the process.  And this National Coach of the Year was their 4th choice?  5th Choice?  How good could he be?  He coached one season without his recruits.  He is as big of a risk as Buzz.  Afterall, they both have one the same number of NCAA tournament games.

[nola03]

This quote caught me funny:

"Buzz emerged pretty quickly as a strong candidate."

When you're the only interview, I imagine it's not too hard to quickly emerge as a strong candidate.

[Pardner]

Chico's---Agreed with the toilet comment. We spent nine years building credibility and risked losing it overnight. This hire make sense nine years ago, not in 2008. Why build a program and risk losing it over one hire?

So, if we don't hire Buzz and hire a mid level HC after a "thorough" search, we lose the Texas Army (E. Williams, Otule, Fulce and Butler)...throw in friends Trevor and Hazel with a transfer out.  Hurley still directs TT to his East Coast John at Kansas.  N. Williams to IU with the Tan Mafia.  SC, DJ and JM are maybes--leaning more to leaving as time (and the NBA, NCAA recruiting windows approach and pass).

So after four weeks of a protracted but thorough search, the desertion of all assistant coaches including Buzz and missing a key live period, we hire a Brownell who HAS NO BE level recruiting pipeline or capable staff in place.  

So, tell me which is the riskier of losing nine year's of progress under TC overnight?  We go with a Brownell, we are looking worse than IU next year and years to come.  And, what specifically have you seen from Buzz so far that makes you guys keep questioning the hire?  The guy has been nothing but professional, he picked a quality staff, and is going after the top talent in the land.  Still lots of questions I agree to come...but this still looks like a kick-ass hire to me so far no matter how it came about.

I remember DePaul took their time when Leitao left.  They hired the "Chicago guy" Wainwright on May 1 after the live recruiting window closed--and that set them back the following season and the season after that in their recruiting.  Don't forget the value of time in all this--if MU admin was convinced they had the guy early on right under their noses.  Risky?  Yes, but so would have been waiting as is the case with Providence (not a lot of great news coming out of there)

[THEGYMBAR]

DePaul and Providence are not Marquette. DePaul has limited success, no attendance and no NCAA success in way too long. You don't hire a mid level coach, you hire an impact coach. Money talks in this business and MU has it. The hire is a major risk. Why is everyone so concerned about current recruits or playrs? Obviously IU has no fear of the upcoming season, they care about long term. Only way Buzz can win long term is if he wins this year and recruits this year.

Taxas army? Give me a break. Two projects, a juco we were not recruiting and a cross your fingers. MU will never, ever win recruiting TX players. Darin Horn stated the first priority at USC is recruiting instate kids. Our coach is comfortable recruiting in TX. He better get used to recruiting WI, IL, MN, NY an MI.


I question Buzz thus far because he has done nothing. Lost the two best incoming freshman and didn't recruit a potential McDonalds AA in WI. I would not call that a stellar opening month.

[Marquette84]

This quote caught me funny:

"Buzz emerged pretty quickly as a strong candidate."

When you're the only interview, I imagine it's not too hard to quickly emerge as a strong candidate.

Its obvious that too many people here have never actually conducted an interview to fill a position.  

You don't bring in a candidate unless you know in advance that they are capable of doing the job.  The interview is to validate that the candidate is a fit with the organization.

Perhaps you bring in multiple candidates if you didn't do your homework and know nothing about them.  But D1 basketball coaches are open books.  You know their track record.  You've seen them on the sidelines.

Interviews would be worthless.  In fact, they'd be worse than worthless, because you might be snookered by a smooth talking salesman into believing that they have capabilities they really don't have.

Can you imagine a interview with any of them?
________
Q:  "Say, Brad, thanks for coming in.  Tell me, what was your biggest challenge at Wright State?"
A:  "I'd say recruiting--if I can bring in the guns to get WSU to 3rd place in the Horizon, I can certainly get MU to 1st in the Big East."

_________
Q:  "Chris, what do you see as the biggest difference between success at Marquette as compared to Southern Illinois?"
A:  "Well, the biggest difference is the heritiage of the program.  I bring in good recruits at SIU, but if I had the power of Marquette behind me, boy, I'd have top 10 players here in no time."

__________
Q:  "Jim, Marquette runs a clean program.  What can you do to assure us that we won't run into any Georgia-like situations under your watch."
A:  "I've learned from my mistakes.  No way that happens again.  I'm a changed man.  Honest."

__________
Q:  "Keno, where do you see yourself in five years?"
A:  "I'll be on the ladder, cutting down the nets after I lead Marquette to it's 2nd national championship"

__________
Q:  "Kevin, last time you were here we had a number of complaints about foul language on the bench.  Can you keep your mouth in line if we bring you back?"
A:  ^%@&^!% them!  I'm here to W#$U%@)(Uing win.  If they don't like my @&#$^*@# mouth, they can take a flying #&*@ at a (*@#&(*, and then suck my big &@#*&* on the way back down.



Do you see how silly the interview "process" would be for this job?  There is NOTHING that a candidate could say that would provide better demonstration of his capabilities.  Nothing.   You know them from their public record--the good and the bad.  

The only thing you need from an interview is whether you can stand working with the guy.

Pick anyone that you think should have been considered, then tell me what he could have said that would overcome his negatives.  

For example, we all know Brad Brownell has never recruited players for a Marquette level program.  We all know he's never coached at a Marquette level program.  We know he's never had to interact with Marquette-level boosters and alums.  Yet, many of you seem to think a mere interview would help change the perception that he lacks the qualifications for the job--even though we know he DOES lack the qualifications--at least if you put coaching, recruiting, and alumni relations at an MU-level program on the list of requirements.  

[And before any of you smart alecks try to compare MU to New Orleans--I'm talking about the coaching that Buzz did at MU--in practices, during games.  No, he wasn't the head coach, but we saw his coaching skills during the past season.]

It's as if we should give a bunch of coaches the chance to give us a snow job, in the expectations that one of them might be good enough to convince us to hire him rather than an assistant we've been able to watch in real sitautions--recruiting MU-level recruits, interacting with MU alums and boosters, preparing MU to play actual games, scouting MU-level opponents.

I'd really like to know what SPECIFIC statements another mid-major coach could have said during an interview that would have shed more light on his basic qualifications, and overcome what was visible over the past season.



  

[THEGYMBAR]

Marquette84---You are right most major D1 coaches are an open book. They have a body of work to evaluate and determine worthiness. Every coach you mentioned has track record and you can do a pretty good job of guessing if they fit or not. Buzz has no body of work, yet he was given plenty of opportunity to give a snow job. KO and TC had bodies of work and every major D1 program had them on their radar screens. Cannot say that about Buzz.

[77ncaachamps]

Buzz is our coach.

Let him prove himself or we will gladly show him the door.

But it's a long time til Midnight Madness, so I know this haranguing of Buzz is going to be an eternity.

Unfortunately.

[HarveysWallbangers]

Its obvious that too many people here have never actually conducted an interview to fill a position.  

You don't bring in a candidate unless you know in advance that they are capable of doing the job.  The interview is to validate that the candidate is a fit with the organization.

Perhaps you bring in multiple candidates if you didn't do your homework and know nothing about them.  But D1 basketball coaches are open books.  You know their track record.  You've seen them on the sidelines.

Interviews would be worthless.  In fact, they'd be worse than worthless, because you might be snookered by a smooth talking salesman into believing that they have capabilities they really don't have.

Can you imagine a interview with any of them?
________
Q:  "Say, Brad, thanks for coming in.  Tell me, what was your biggest challenge at Wright State?"
A:  "I'd say recruiting--if I can bring in the guns to get WSU to 3rd place in the Horizon, I can certainly get MU to 1st in the Big East."

_________
Q:  "Chris, what do you see as the biggest difference between success at Marquette as compared to Southern Illinois?"
A:  "Well, the biggest difference is the heritiage of the program.  I bring in good recruits at SIU, but if I had the power of Marquette behind me, boy, I'd have top 10 players here in no time."

__________
Q:  "Jim, Marquette runs a clean program.  What can you do to assure us that we won't run into any Georgia-like situations under your watch."
A:  "I've learned from my mistakes.  No way that happens again.  I'm a changed man.  Honest."

__________
Q:  "Keno, where do you see yourself in five years?"
A:  "I'll be on the ladder, cutting down the nets after I lead Marquette to it's 2nd national championship"

__________
Q:  "Kevin, last time you were here we had a number of complaints about foul language on the bench.  Can you keep your mouth in line if we bring you back?"
A:  ^%@&^!% them!  I'm here to W#$U%@)(Uing win.  If they don't like my @&#$^*@# mouth, they can take a flying #&*@ at a (*@#&(*, and then suck my big &@#*&* on the way back down.



Do you see how silly the interview "process" would be for this job?  There is NOTHING that a candidate could say that would provide better demonstration of his capabilities.  Nothing.   You know them from their public record--the good and the bad.  

The only thing you need from an interview is whether you can stand working with the guy.

Pick anyone that you think should have been considered, then tell me what he could have said that would overcome his negatives.  

For example, we all know Brad Brownell has never recruited players for a Marquette level program.  We all know he's never coached at a Marquette level program.  We know he's never had to interact with Marquette-level boosters and alums.  Yet, many of you seem to think a mere interview would help change the perception that he lacks the qualifications for the job--even though we know he DOES lack the qualifications--at least if you put coaching, recruiting, and alumni relations at an MU-level program on the list of requirements.  

[And before any of you smart alecks try to compare MU to New Orleans--I'm talking about the coaching that Buzz did at MU--in practices, during games.  No, he wasn't the head coach, but we saw his coaching skills during the past season.]

It's as if we should give a bunch of coaches the chance to give us a snow job, in the expectations that one of them might be good enough to convince us to hire him rather than an assistant we've been able to watch in real sitautions--recruiting MU-level recruits, interacting with MU alums and boosters, preparing MU to play actual games, scouting MU-level opponents.

I'd really like to know what SPECIFIC statements another mid-major coach could have said during an interview that would have shed more light on his basic qualifications, and overcome what was visible over the past season.
  

So you're saying Marquette hired Buzz based on his experience? His work history? That's just laughable. MU fell for the very "smooth talk" you just described.

He might be the best guy in the world, but he's simply not qualified to be a Big East head coach, particularly at a school that could be top 15 nationally next year. Think about that. We're expected to be one of the best team's in the nation next year! And we let our concern over losing some 17 year old kids, a junior college player and a kid who verballed decide who is going to coach the most experienced team in the country in 2008-2009.

We all hope like hell it works. But every sign in the world points to it being a poor decision. His recruiting base is in Texas. We're in Wisconsin. Every guy he's competing against for recruits is going to point to his utterly vacant track record. They'll point to the fact that, even if he succeeds, he'll be back in Texas at the first opportunity.

Cracked Sidewalks has hit the ball out of the ballpark on this one. To call this hire questionable is being generous.

[IrwinFletcher]

DePaul and Providence are not Marquette. DePaul has limited success, no attendance and no NCAA success in way too long. You don't hire a mid level coach, you hire an impact coach. Money talks in this business and MU has it. The hire is a major risk. Why is everyone so concerned about current recruits or playrs? Obviously IU has no fear of the upcoming season, they care about long term.

IU's 2008-2009 season was over before it even began.  2 Players kicked off, White graduated and Gordon goes pro.  They had about 5 guys on the roster.  They could have hired John Wooden and Bobby Knight and they would have sucked.  Their only thinking could be long term.

Only way Buzz can win long term is if he wins this year and recruits this year.

So according to you, that is the ONLY way huh?



I question Buzz thus far because he has done nothing. Lost the two best incoming freshman and didn't recruit a potential McDonalds AA in WI. I would not call that a stellar opening month.

Of course you fail to mention that one of them was gone the minute Crean left and that the POTENTIAL AA was not recruited all that heavily by the former coach.  Way to skew your argument.

BTW, why is it OK to assume potential for a player but we can't do that with a coach?

[Henry Sugar]

I question Buzz thus far because he has done nothing. Lost the two best incoming freshman and didn't recruit a potential McDonalds AA in WI. I would not call that a stellar opening month.

I think your expectations are unrealistic here.  Nick Williams was never coming to Marquette once Crean left.  Buzz gave it a good shot with Taylor.  As for Evan Anderson, I actually give Buzz props for not bothering.  Marquette stopped recruiting him a long, long time ago.  One of the biggest parts of strategy is knowing what NOT to focus on.

[Marquette84]

Buzz has no body of work, yet he was given plenty of opportunity to give a snow job. KO and TC had bodies of work and every major D1 program had them on their radar screens. Cannot say that about Buzz.

Frankly, this is not true, no matter how many times you or anybody else repeats it.  He has been at MU for the last year. 

MU has seen him interact and coach our current players.

MU has seen him recruit at MU.

MU has seen him interact with alums and boosters.

Why do you say that he has no body of work?  Do you think that he was locked in his office for the past year, not allowed to talk to anyone?  Not permitted to work in practice.

Fact of the matter is that MU actually SAW Buzz in action at MU.   They can only GUESS at what others might do.  Why is it so terribly hard to realize that Buzz was under evaluation from July of last year, not April 1 of this year? 

[Marquette84]

He might be the best guy in the world, but he's simply not qualified to be a Big East head coach, particularly at a school that could be top 15 nationally next year. Think about that.

And Lowrey is?  Brownell?  Give me a break. 

It sucks that Crean left.  It sucks that Miller or Bennett didn't want the job.  After that, making the argument that a mid-major coach is the right coach for a top 15 Big East team is as lauguable as you suggest Buzz is. 

The fact is that NOBODY who would take the job was qualified in the way you want them to be.  For some strange reason, you have ultimate confidence in guys with the same strong credentials that Bob Dukeit had.  Sorry, but I don't buy that a mid-major coach is a better fit simply becuase he's had more success as a mid major coach.


It's hard to smooth talk for nine months.  You'd be exposed LONG ago if your game couldn't match your talk. 

Buzz has shown he can recruit and coach at Marquette as an assistant.  The other candidates hadn't shown that can recruit or coach at MU's level.  Period.

Its amazing that you dis a guy who's ACTUALLY been here for the last year, and pine for guys who led teams to middle of the pack finishes in conferences like the Horizon or MVC.

But you still haven't risen to the challenge of WHAT a guy like Lowery or Brownell could have told you to suggest they're any more qualified than Buzz.  At least with Buzz, we know what we have--a guy who's capable of recruiting, coaching and game prep, getting along with the MU administration, and getting along with boosters.

You haven't told me one thing that would suggest that those others have those skills.

 

[nola03]

84--

I don't write essays like you. They don't pay me enough.

That being said, having read all your words, do you not consider there to be any value in looking a coach in the eye, shaking his hand, and getting a feel for him in person other then his "open book" track record?

Hiring a coach based alone on seeing him on the sideline? Speaking of "worse than worthless"......

[THEGYMBAR]

84---Since you are so high on Buzz was he your first choice?

[Marquette84]

84--

I don't write essays like you. They don't pay me enough.

That being said, having read all your words, do you not consider there to be any value in looking a coach in the eye, shaking his hand, and getting a feel for him in person other then his "open book" track record?

Hiring a coach based alone on seeing him on the sideline? Speaking of "worse than worthless"......

Well, perhaps you're glad that MU took time to look Bob Dukeit in the eye, shake his hand, and get a feel for him in person.

[THEGYMBAR]

Dukiet was a quick rebound hire after AR-LR coach changed his mind. Rick left like the Colts in offseason and not much opportunity to hire a coach. Apples to oranges.

[Pardner]

DePaul and Providence are not Marquette. DePaul has limited success, no attendance and no NCAA success in way too long. You don't hire a mid level coach, you hire an impact coach. Money talks in this business and MU has it. The hire is a major risk. Why is everyone so concerned about current recruits or playrs? Obviously IU has no fear of the upcoming season, they care about long term. Only way Buzz can win long term is if he wins this year and recruits this year.

Taxas army? Give me a break. Two projects, a juco we were not recruiting and a cross your fingers. MU will never, ever win recruiting TX players. Darin Horn stated the first priority at USC is recruiting instate kids. Our coach is comfortable recruiting in TX. He better get used to recruiting WI, IL, MN, NY an MI.


I question Buzz thus far because he has done nothing. Lost the two best incoming freshman and didn't recruit a potential McDonalds AA in WI. I would not call that a stellar opening month.

Since MU is such a desirable job and we have so much money, where were all these "impact" coaches when the job opened?  Which guys wanted to take on the challenge of coaching a fifth place BE team--the furtherest west campus in the conference?  Where were their agents in working the back channels to break through the long line forming to interview?  Why wouldn't the former coach entertain a counter offer to stay in the Garden of Eden?

Chicos called this out prior to TC leaving in terms of the candidates we'd attract.  I love your expectations, but the last coach, while successful, didn't hit these.  Buzz needs to recruit nationally in the BE to bring us all the way back--he won't get it done recruiting only regionally at MU (small private Catholic university in the midst of public state schools).  You miss that it was Buzz who recruited the majority of TC's recent recruits in his short time here--and was the closer on TT (the kid not his wet nurse).  

NW and TT asked for their release before Buzz was even interviewed...and Anderson was never a fit for TC's (or Buzz's) system--which is why they didn't recruit him.  How you put all that on Buzz I am not tracking with, other than you will never like Buzz--period!  He is from Texas and not from Wisconsin--the bastion of NCAA hoops.  Buzz was hired simply because he CAN recruit AT Marquette--which he proved unlike choices 5-10.  

[Marquette84]

84---Since you are so high on Buzz was he your first choice?

Fair question.

No.  He wasn't first.

I would have put Few, Bennett, Calipari, Miller first.  Guys who already successfull coach and/or recruit at MU's level.  I'm least comfortable with Bennett out of that group, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since he'd attract a lot of local top talent.  I probably wouldn't have Georgia Tech's Hewitt in the mix, but if pressed could accept him in this group. I'd probably consider VCU's Grant, based on his experience at Florida.  

I would have put Buzz after that group.  

Then, I would put an assistant from another major program.

Only then would I consider a successful coach at a lower level. There is no way you can convince me that a mid-major guy wouldn't be the 2nd coming of Mike Deane or Bob Dukiet. They simply haven't been around a big-time program to understand the level of recruiting, player development, opponent preparation.

For all your criticism of Buzz, he HAS been around big-time programs at both MU and A&M, and he knows first hand the type of players that program needs, and the type of work required to recruit them.  He knows how much time on the road its going to take, and he's already demonstrated over the past nine months that he's ready and able to do it.  

I've answered your question--now I'd like to know your answer to mine.  What could a Jim Les or a Brad Brownell said in an interview that would prove that they're not another Mike Deane or Bob Dukiet?

[THEGYMBAR]

84---I would not have allowed Jim Les or Brownell anywhere near the campus. Their "open book" indicates they are coaching exactly where they belong. I would have let top assistant try and "snow job" me if I was AD. FYI you are right Buzz did spend time with A&M and MU but majority of his career was subpar programs.


Pardner---Who did he recruit? This years freshman class stunk with only Mbakwe a possible impact player. The two recruits he kept are mid major players at best. You are delusional if you think that TT was the driving force behind TT and NW. MU did not release recruits until after Buzz was hired. Both could have stayed and chose to move on.

What do I care where Buzz is from?

[Pardner]

84---I would not have allowed Jim Les or Brownell anywhere near the campus. Their "open book" indicates they are coaching exactly where they belong. I would have let top assistant try and "snow job" me if I was AD. FYI you are right Buzz did spend time with A&M and MU but majority of his career was subpar programs.


Pardner---Who did he recruit? This years freshman class stunk with only Mbakwe a possible impact player. The two recruits he kept are mid major players at best. You are delusional if you think that TT was the driving force behind TT and NW. MU did not release recruits until after Buzz was hired. Both could have stayed and chose to move on.

What do I care where Buzz is from?

Huh?...Buzz wasn't here to recruit this year's freshman class which included Mr. Wisconsin BB SC...that was on your guy TC.  How about the class of TT, NW, Otule, Fulce and now Butler and a strong verbal from EW for next year.  TT said himself that Buzz was the closer when Crean was here, and Buzz continued that relationship while his agent Hurley shopped him elsewhere.  So, Buzz recruited everyone but NW who was Bennie.  You may not like the class, but it was rated in the Top 20 nationally.  TT was a loss and Crean is already recruiting over NW at IU.  Let's see what Buzz gets with that open scholarship and how the guys from Texas that you don't like--the 2nd best bball state--progress.

Maybe I am delusional but I am not irrational.

[Marquette84]

84---I would not have allowed Jim Les or Brownell anywhere near the campus. Their "open book" indicates they are coaching exactly where they belong. I would have let top assistant try and "snow job" me if I was AD. FYI you are right Buzz did spend time with A&M and MU but majority of his career was subpar programs.

So your month long diatrabe comes down to the fact that you would have hired a *different* assistant coach? 

[nola03]

Well, perhaps you're glad that MU took time to look Bob Dukeit in the eye, shake his hand, and get a feel for him in person.

The non-answer answer is an interesting route for someone like you to take.

I'll take that as meaning you see no value in a coaching interview; consider Athletic Directors who do interviews to be wasting their time and resources; and would prefer that AD's simply watch a coach on the sideline for a few games and then hire him (without needing to meet them first of course).

[Murffieus]

This is not a knock on Buzz-----but it's nonsense to give him the ultimate credit for initially signing TT.

TT signed because he wanted to play for Crean------Buzz was nothing more than the contact or go between guy at MU. The proof is that if TT was so enamored with Buzz, he would not have asked for his release.