Texas Fans Done With Shaka Smart - Is His Fate Tied To Wojo's?

[The Lens]

Billy Donovan makes the most sense.  Has already left his dream job.  Still young enough where he could have a great 10-15 year career there.  NBA chops + 4 Final Fours to his name.

Jay and Few are at their dream school.  They've turned down everyone already.  My fear if I'm Duke and I make them the Godfather offer, are they taking it bc of the money or the opportunity?  Billy would be landing at the #1 college job, his motivations would appear more pure.

[WhiteTrash]

Duke fans are on a different level with their arrogance.

This is why I don't think they would ever hire someone with Wojo's resume. Alumni or not.

Quite honestly, I don't blame Duke fans and the school for expecting to hire a coach with an elite resume. I'm no Duke fan but the program has given them valid reasons to be arrogant.

I'm sure MU and other Big East schools/fans are viewed as arrogant by A10, MVC, AAC, etc. fans. 

[mu03eng]

Do you know who MU had pegged as the top candidate?

Shaka was #1 and they tried about 3 times to land him but couldn't despite a full court press (including hiring Lovell and getting him out to VA to meet with Shaka). Once that died it was a couple of folks in the mix with Wojo emerging during the process as the clear #1. Combo of Wojo blowing the boards socks off and some very key endorsements from various well regarded basketball folks.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This is why I don't think they would ever hire someone with Wojo's resume. Alumni or not.

Quite honestly, I don't blame Duke fans and the school for expecting to hire a coach with an elite resume. I'm no Duke fan but the program has given them valid reasons to be arrogant.

I'm sure MU and other Big East schools/fans are viewed as arrogant by A10, MVC, AAC, etc. fans. 

I’m not even sure why people think Stevens would fit at Duke. How Stevens succeeded is pretty much the opposite of how K runs the program now.

[rocket surgeon]

Buzz’s next job. At some point, he might want to take over an elite job versus a train wreck.

i always thought buzz is a texas kind of guy...waiting for the shaka axe to fall?  makin texas great again?

[WhoaJoe2020]

UNC fans would be laughing their heads off. They hired Roy Williams from Kansas and Duke would have hired Wojo.

But I do stand corrected, based on the CBS article, if they would only consider Dukies for the position, I guess Wojo is the best of the lot. So, I'll say 1% chance.

There are MANY factors that need to be weighed when deciding who to hire as your head coach.  The coaching candidates history of wins and losses, tournament appearances, tournament success, recruiting success, how clean of a program they ran at their previous post, school affiliation, success as a player, relationship with the outgoing coach in the case of a retirement, etc.

Just like there are MANY factors that need to be weighed when deciding if a coach should be fired.

Considering all the factors in both cases, I don't see why some people think Wojo is undeserving of the former and deserving of the latter.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

i always thought buzz is a texas kind of guy...waiting for the shaka axe to fall?  makin texas great again?

A&M is as big a job as Texas.

[Class71]

Another humorous post.  Wojie is not going anywhere.

[WhiteTrash]

Considering all the factors in both cases, I don't see why some people think Wojo is undeserving of the former and deserving of the latter.

I have posted many times on MUScoop, that I supported the modest extension given to Wojo. I think it was deserving, in its terms, based upon his performance. MU did not go all in on him but showed support so he could recruit effectively and give him more time to prove himself. So I am not one who wants him fired. I'm more of a Wait-And-See-Jo.

Just because I think it is highly unlikely Duke would consider Wojo does not mean he is not or could not be a good fit for MU. If I put myself in Duke's shoes, a coach with Wojo's resume does not come close to being a qualified candidate for their program and the $8MM per year they pay their head coach.

[pbiflyer]

i always thought buzz is a texas kind of guy...waiting for the shaka axe to fall?  makin texas great again?

A&M has certain aspects that UT does not.

It is not surprising Buzz and Jimbo Fisher have ended up there. They have very much in common.
I suspect that neither of them go on to bigger and better jobs.

[WhoaJoe2020]

I have posted many times on MUScoop, that I supported the modest extension given to Wojo. I think it was deserving, in its terms, based upon his performance. MU did not go all in on him but showed support so he could recruit effectively and give him more time to prove himself. So I am not one who wants him fired. I'm more of a Wait-And-See-Jo.

Just because I think it is highly unlikely Duke would consider Wojo does not mean he is not or could not be a good fit for MU. If I put myself in Duke's shoes, a coach with Wojo's resume does not come close to being a qualified candidate for their program and the $8MM per year they pay their head coach.

Fair enough. Though I doubt they would have to pay Wojo $8M

[Cheeks]

UNC fans would be laughing their heads off. They hired Roy Williams from Kansas and Duke would have hired Wojo.

But I do stand corrected, based on the CBS article, if they would only consider Dukies for the position, I guess Wojo is the best of the lot. So, I'll say 1% chance.

Look, I agree with you that he isn't the top few choices...but he would be considered and the major wildcard is the guy currently holding the position.  How much input does he get. 

UNC, by the way, did hire Roy Williams......AFTER they hired Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty.  Guthridge went to two Final Fours in three years, also lost in the first round.  Doherty crashed and burned.  It is often hard for schools to get away from the lineage.


Marquette.......Rick Majerus and Hank Raymonds

[Lennys Tap]

Putting Wojo in the 'top 5 candidates' for the Duke job (which whoajoe did) is a joke.

Right now Wojo would get the same consideration for the Duke job that Marianne Williamson got for the Democratic nomination.

[MU82]

Billy Donovan makes the most sense.  Has already left his dream job.  Still young enough where he could have a great 10-15 year career there.  NBA chops + 4 Final Fours to his name.

Jay and Few are at their dream school.  They've turned down everyone already.  My fear if I'm Duke and I make them the Godfather offer, are they taking it bc of the money or the opportunity?  Billy would be landing at the #1 college job, his motivations would appear more pure.

All I said is that I doubt Dookie fans would be automatically outraged if the school selected a great coach not named Brad Stevens, and I included Wright, Few and Donovan as examples.

[WhoaJoe2020]

Right now Wojo would get the same consideration for the Duke job that Marianne Williamson got for the Democratic nomination.

You should check out coach Ks resume before getting the Duke job. Wojos about as tight and squeaky clean as coach K and contrary to what some scoopers think, as the CBS online article demonstrates, his status as a candidate is quite high. He took over a reeling program and acheived steady improvement on the court and solid recruiting off it. He also has Markus Howard as a feather in his cap. 
Another NCAA appearance this year and a deep run next year could time perfectly with Coach K retiring.

Wojo to Duke is no joke.

[Silent Verbal]

You should check out coach Ks resume before getting the Duke job. Wojos about as tight and squeaky clean as coach K and contrary to what some scoopers think, as the CBS online article demonstrates, his status as a candidate is quite high. He took over a reeling program and acheived steady improvement on the court and solid recruiting off it. He also has Markus Howard as a feather in his cap. 
Another NCAA appearance this year and a deep run next year could time perfectly with Coach K retiring.

Wojo to Duke is no joke.

Wojo took over an MU program that had made the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, which included three straight Sweet 16s from 2011-13.  But yeah, the program was definitely “reeling” when he took over.

[WhoaJoe2020]

Wojo took over an MU program that had made the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, which included three straight Sweet 16s from 2011-13.  But yeah, the program was definitely “reeling” when he took over.

Yes, reeling.........17-15 the previous year, a messy divorce, Buzz poaching his best recruits, a thin roster, a shake up in leadership, the whole Shaka thing, a confusing( from an outsiders view at least ) coaching search.

Not ideal

[Cheeks]

Wojo took over an MU program that had made the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, which included three straight Sweet 16s from 2011-13.  But yeah, the program was definitely “reeling” when he took over.

You made a true statement.

What is also true is he took over a program that didn’t even make the NIT the previous year and the coach crapped all over the conference, took a crappier job to get out.

Both are true statements. 

[Silent Verbal]

You made a true statement.

What is also true is he took over a program that didn’t even make the NIT the previous year and the coach crapped all over the conference, took a crappier job to get out.

Both are true statements.

You’re mistaking team with program.  The team Wojo took over was below average.  The program was well above average, possibly great.  Huge budget, state of the art facilities, NBA arena for home games, not facing any NCAA sanctions.  Crean took over a reeling program when he went to Indiana.  Ditto for Buzz at VT.  MU, as a program, was not reeling when Wojo took over.

Also, who cares that Buzz bad-mouthed the conference when he left?  What impact has that had on anything?  Zero.  Who even remembers that?  You.  You’re the only one who ever brings it up.  I don’t recall what he said, but it was a one-off interview that happened six years ago.  A complete non-factor in the grand scheme of college basketball.  But you like to keep bringing it up as another reason to bash Buzz, even though it’s entirely inconsequential.

[BallBoy]

Wojo took over an MU program that had made the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, which included three straight Sweet 16s from 2011-13.  But yeah, the program was definitely “reeling” when he took over.

The program wasn’t the same.  The new Big East was forming and the consensus at the time was the New Big East was going to be a mid major.  A good number of coaches also jumped ship including Stevens, Buzz, Cronin, and Ollie. The league would go on to lose JT3, Mack (2018), Lavin leaving Cooley and Willard as the most senior coaches in the Big East.

UConn, Cincinnati, WVU, ND, Pitt, Louisville, and Cuse all left the league.

The team lost its three best players from the year before Wilson, Davonte and Mayo and that team was a losing team.  MU was starting with a worse team. 

The best player going into the season had one foot out the door.  Leaving 3 of Buzz’s last full class with Johnson, Wilson and Dawson. Dawson left and showed zero high major skills. Leaving just two. One was hampered by injuries.

MU lost three of their incoming recruits two of which were good Hill and Shayok. 

MU brought in a one year serviceable grad transfer to make it remotely competitive.   That was the worse team under Wojo by far. If Buzz has stayed I would have expected MU to be better because Hill and Shayok would have stayed but most likely his worse team as well. We would have likely still lost Burton, Dawson and lost ST Jr. we would not likely made the NCAA with that team.

Call it what you will but the program wasn’t the same.

[Cheeks]

You’re mistaking team with program.  The team Wojo took over was below average.  The program was well above average, possibly great.  Huge budget, state of the art facilities, NBA arena for home games, not facing any NCAA sanctions.  Crean took over a reeling program when he went to Indiana.  Ditto for Buzz at VT.  MU, as a program, was not reeling when Wojo took over.

Also, who cares that Buzz bad-mouthed the conference when he left?  What impact has that had on anything?  Zero.  Who even remembers that?  You.  You’re the only one who ever brings it up.  I don’t recall what he said, but it was a one-off interview that happened six years ago.  A complete non-factor in the grand scheme of college basketball.  But you like to keep bringing it up as another reason to bash Buzz, even though it’s entirely inconsequential.

No impact?  Disagree.  People asking why a coach left to a lesser job, yeah that will matter to some.  What did he know and led him to take over such a program?  Turns out he didn’t know much as the Big East towers over the ACC and SEC at the moment, but he said it nonetheless. 

I’m not confusing program with team at all.  I said your statement was true, so was mine.

[JWags85]

Wasn't Dana Altman involved in the show scandle? Also he's a west coast guy can't imagine him heading to the south East.

FWIW, Altman is a Midwestern dude.  Kansas State, Creighton, actually got his start at Marshall. Oregon was actually his first “real” gig west of the Rockies. That being said, I don’t think he’d be a contender for a Duke gig

[Elonsmusk]

Wojo took over an MU program that had made the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, which included three straight Sweet 16s from 2011-13.  But yeah, the program was definitely “reeling” when he took over.

Don’t waste your time debating with Chico’s and his 5 accounts here. Exercise in insanity.

Wojo recognized the above as you posted, and that the inherited roster had 7, Top 100 recruits. Wonder why he finally chose to leave Duke?  Because both he and K knew this was a really good program/job. End of story.

[WhoaJoe2020]

The program wasn’t the same.  The new Big East was forming and the consensus at the time was the New Big East was going to be a mid major.  A good number of coaches also jumped ship including Stevens, Buzz, Cronin, and Ollie. The league would go on to lose JT3, Mack (2018), Lavin leaving Cooley and Willard as the most senior coaches in the Big East.

UConn, Cincinnati, WVU, ND, Pitt, Louisville, and Cuse all left the league.

The team lost its three best players from the year before Wilson, Davonte and Mayo and that team was a losing team.  MU was starting with a worse team. 

The best player going into the season had one foot out the door.  Leaving 3 of Buzz’s last full class with Johnson, Wilson and Dawson. Dawson left and showed zero high major skills. Leaving just two. One was hampered by injuries.

MU lost three of their incoming recruits two of which were good Hill and Shayok. 

MU brought in a one year serviceable grad transfer to make it remotely competitive.   That was the worse team under Wojo by far. If Buzz has stayed I would have expected MU to be better because Hill and Shayok would have stayed but most likely his worse team as well. We would have likely still lost Burton, Dawson and lost ST Jr. we would not likely made the NCAA with that team.

Call it what you will but the program wasn’t the same.

I don't think league reformation hurt MU in the long run, but short term, maybe. Everything else was spot on.

[brewcity77]

I’m not even sure why people think Stevens would fit at Duke. How Stevens succeeded is pretty much the opposite of how K runs the program now.

He looks very clean cut, he's white, and he wins. I really think it's just that he has the look and resume most associate with Duke, regardless of recruiting or coaching methods.