Was talking with a Prof at MU who's been there a while and he was struck by how much the students disliked Wojo, and this has been the case for years, not just recently.
The times he's spoken with Wojo, he said he seemed like a decent guy, but there was definitely a disconnect with the students, and probably the alumni, too.
Why?
Winning cures all.
0 personality (unless you want to call being a robotic nice guy a personality) and year after year of disappointment to the point where nothing was expected. Lots of students were apathetic during Wojo's tenure.
Wojo was very dry and stiff, and rarely said anything but the most generic coachspeak. I thought he'd be different in a 1-on-1 setting, but meeting him twice, it was painful (granted I am just a dumb fan).
I can't remember which Marquette Madness it was, but do you remember him screaming himself hoarse and acting like a bit of a maniac? It was so out of character. Clearly, someone in the department suggested he get out of his comfort zone to reach students. Never did that again.
Overall, just a lack of charisma we had become accustomed to with Al, KO, Crean, Buzz etc. Crean had it so good at one point students would chant his name and he'd stand by the student section and clap for the them.
All that and a lack of wins for Wojo.
1) Win. People don't care as much about your personality when you win at higher levels.
2) Surround your self with staff/coaches that are better than that than you.
When Majerus was at SLU he wasn't interested in the media stuff etc...so Porter Moser did most of that stuff because he has a perpetually positive, high energy rah rah personality. Majerus hand picked big money boosters, select few media etc...to have dinner with, be close with etc...
Win more games. Surround yourself with people that bolster your weaknesses.
I think this is a great question. I really wanted to like the guy. I give him an A+ for his deportment, but I just never seemed to be able to warm up to him, and don't recall meeting anyone else that did.
He always seemed like a nice guy. But I think the part where that's about all I can say about him says a lot about what we knew/saw/heard about him. It never felt like he had an interest in that part of the role--the part where you have to be a bit of an open book or have some sort of schtick.
I think not winning more is the biggest reason. The other part is probably he kept things close to the vest and we never saw his personality. Pretty much opposite of Buzz. We never really got a close look as to why the players loved him so much.
Quote from: NolongerWarriors on March 24, 2021, 11:00:56 AM
Was talking with a Prof at MU who's been there a while and he was struck by how much the students disliked Wojo, and this has been the case for years, not just recently.
The times he's spoken with Wojo, he said he seemed like a decent guy, but there was definitely a disconnect with the students, and probably the alumni, too.
Why?
We barely got to know him.
I can think of a couple times the facade came down. First was him talking about Heldt after the game at Xavier. We needed more of that guy. And the 100th Anniversary thing. He was great, funny, really seemed at ease. But when the season started he clammed back up.
It became a little bit of a bunker mentality post-Hausershima.
I would think the primary reason is all the time spent at Duke with Coach K.
For all his success, I don't think Coach K is at all approachable or really has any desire to interact with students and/or people outside of his immediate circle. I am sure that rubbed off on Wojo.
Wojo was let go. No more discussion. He left with dignity and respect for MU. It did not work out for him.
Quote from: DienerTime34 on March 24, 2021, 11:08:11 AM
Wojo was very dry and stiff, and rarely said anything but the most generic coachspeak. I thought he'd be different in a 1-on-1 setting, but meeting him twice, it was painful (granted I am just a dumb fan).
I can't remember which Marquette Madness it was, but do you remember him screaming himself hoarse and acting like a bit of a maniac? It was so out of character. Clearly, someone in the department suggested he get out of his comfort zone to reach students. Never did that again.
Overall, just a lack of charisma we had become accustomed to with Al, KO, Crean, Buzz etc. Crean had it so good at one point students would chant his name and he'd stand by the student section and clap for the them.
All that and a lack of wins for Wojo.
His lack of 4 wheeling and karate skills was very concerning.
I had the opportunity to attend a Bucks game once where I sat in a box (at the Bradley Center) with a bunch MU whos-whos. Lovell, board members, Novak, and Wojo, among others. Most of that crew were yucking it up and making small chat the whole night.
Wojo sat in the front row of the box with one of his kids, totally engrossed in the game. Even in that environment where he should have been hobnobbing with the bigwigs he was totally detached and stoic. It was my first sign that he just didn't have the personality that previous MU coaches had.
Nice guy. But not the big personality of Buzz, Crean, or Al.
Overly self-controlled, a mannequin, unable to laugh at himself. His attempt to motivate the team by repeatedly screaming play angry in the pregame meeting prior to the Murray State fiasco is just one example of how he just did not have "it". There are many other examples.
If Moser is our next coach, I think he will be the polar opposite of Wojo in terms of fan relationship. With all the discussions about Moser the coach, his ability to get students, alumni and other fans pumped has not been discussed much. I think each student at a home game = at least 10 alumni and general public fans in terms of being loud, obnoxious, and able to rattle visiting teams nerves. Players often admit to the psychological effect of loud fans when playing on the road. I want the FF to be pure Hell for visiting teams.
Quote from: cheebs09 on March 24, 2021, 11:39:24 AM
We never really got a close look as to why the players loved him so much.
Source?
Quote from: Silent Verbal on March 24, 2021, 12:32:06 PM
Source?
No source. It seemed like the general thought was that his players really liked him despite the outside criticism. I assumed he let his guard down with them.
I may be wrong.
Quote from: cheebs09 on March 24, 2021, 12:35:38 PM
No source. It seemed like the general thought was that his players really liked him despite the outside criticism. I assumed he let his guard down with them.
I may be wrong.
Ah..that explains it. It was a love letter but its a good idea we don't see each other anymore.
Signed,
Sam & Joey
Didn't win enough. All the rest of the stuff is window dressing.
The comparisons to K's personality were legit. But K wins.
Bear Bryant wasn't approachable for fans. John Wooden didn't yuck it up with them. More recently, Brad Stevens is a pretty button-down guy. Mark Few doesn't seem like the next Jim Gaffigan - or even the next Buzz Williams. They won/win.
Minnesotans here well know who Jim Wacker was. You couldn't get a more outgoing, funny, fan-friendly guy. But when he didn't win football games, he was sent packing, and Gopher fans were glad.
"Great guy, couldn't coach," they said. "He had to go."
Cat has a personality of dead plant life, hey?
Quote from: cheebs09 on March 24, 2021, 11:39:24 AM
I think not winning more is the biggest reason. The other part is probably he kept things close to the vest and we never saw his personality. Pretty much opposite of Buzz. We never really got a close look as to why the players loved him so much.
Wojo might not show his personality, but Buzz's "personality" was all a facade.
Quote from: warriorchick on March 24, 2021, 12:53:12 PM
Wojo might not show his personality, but Buzz's "personality" was all a facade.
Not true.
Quote from: Steve Buscemi on March 24, 2021, 12:53:48 PM
Not true.
Agree not true. He was great no matter where you met him. Saw him a couple rows in front of my wife and I at Farm Aid. I hesitated bothering him but just said "good luck this year coach". He pulled me in and started talking college football with me asking if I knew who won (I had an ND football hat on). Very engaging even off the cuff.
NVM
Quote from: warriorchick on March 24, 2021, 12:53:12 PM
Wojo might not show his personality, but Buzz's "personality" was all a facade.
100% wrong.
I happened to be in a store when Buzz was there and he saw the Marquette Warriors hoodie I was wearing and came over and complimented me on it and proceeded to talk about anything and everything while his wife was shopping. Even in that casual one-to-one interaction, he had that eccentric charisma.
Now I HAVE heard that at MU, Buzz was very insular and it was him and his team against the world, and he was often annoyed at having to deal with the administration. Wojo, on the other hand, was the perfect company man, but I couldn't imagine him going up to a stranger and just starting a long conversation.
Quote from: NolongerWarriors on March 24, 2021, 01:33:06 PM
100% wrong.
I happened to be in a store when Buzz was there and he saw the Marquette Warriors hoodie I was wearing and came over and complimented me on it and proceeded to talk about anything and everything while his wife was shopping. Even in that casual one-to-one interaction, he had that eccentric charisma.
Now I HAVE heard that MU, Buzz was very insular and it was him and his team against the world, and he was often annoyed at having to deal with the administration. Wojo, on the other hand, was the perfect company man, but I couldn't imagine him going up to a stranger and just starting a long conversation.
Buzz was his own boss, and hated being told what to do. Wojo has needed guidance since he was out of pampers.
Winning generates buzz about the program. During my time at Marquete, the team was consistently winning big games, drawing huge crowds and in March Madness brackets every year I was there. It was infectious. When MU beat #1 Nova that was the most excited I had seen my fellow fans (casual) get. The people that visit this board are not casual fans and definitely do NOT represent the vast majority of fans. So if we get apathetic, you can imagine what the rest of fandom is like.
Ran into Wojo outside of a restaurant downtown after the HUGE win over creighton in 2017 that basically locked up the first tournament bid for us with the new regime.
He was excited, kind, but very robotic. He probably gave the same response to us - "our guys played their hearts out and deserve this" that he said to the reporters after the game.
Quote from: panda on March 24, 2021, 02:30:36 PM
Ran into Wojo outside of a restaurant downtown after the HUGE win over creighton in 2017 that basically locked up the first tournament bid for us with the new regime.
He was excited, kind, but very robotic. He probably gave the same response to us - "our guys played their hearts out and deserve this" that he said to the reporters after the game.
This. He was genuine and serious and not flashy.
I was in-line with him at the pisser at the Al McGuire play. Some of the Old Warriors like Pope Johnson where ahead of him reminiscing about the Warriors and Al, not knowing he was behind him. He just smiled, listening to their stories, maybe not all complimentary. And he said to me, "it's uncanny how the actor nailed Al, it was like he was on stage. These guys must love it."
I have met him numerous times. He was always serious, unassuming and appreciative. I feel bad for him but he should of had a stepping stone job first.
I have a relative who was on the National Alumni board who would put together events. They could never get Crean to return calls, let alone appear. Buzz said anywhere, anytime...and did. If there was a TV camera, Crean was available.
Buzz went south when Greg and Steve were Pilarzed.
Quote from: warriorchick on March 24, 2021, 12:53:12 PM
Wojo might not show his personality, but Buzz's "personality" was all a facade.
Most fans were never asked to flush for him.
Quote from: Dr. Blackheart on March 24, 2021, 02:42:41 PM
Buzz went south when Greg and Steve were Pilarzed.
Doused in brown liquor and read poetry?
A lot of people on here pointing to not winning and that is probably true that winners are loved no matter what. However, maybe people wouldn't dislike him so much if he made an effort to connect with students, fans, etc. Then, despite being a loser, he may have been a beloved loser.
I met him 3 or 4 times. Nice. Polite ...
But dull and boring. I saw no evidence he tried to connect with the students
OR alumni
MU needs / wants personalities:
Al, Crean , Buzz ... even Deane!
( ever talk to him at Turners while having a few beers )?? That was always entertaining
I met Wojo one time at an MU event. He wasn't a very nice, outgoing guy. Was real short with me and had no interest in talking. Seemed like a bit of a prick TBH. Left a real sour taste in my mouth.
This is a good topic and I think it's the primary reason he's not coaching here anymore. Even the short periods of time where he was winning fans still didn't care for him much it seemed. Something he has to work on for his next gig.
Wojo = Mr. Roboto
King of Platitudes
Incapable of smiling
Insecure
Couldn't Coach
Gave good hugs to players
Players friend, not coach/authority figure
Quote from: CountryRoads on March 24, 2021, 04:12:00 PM
This is a good topic and I think it's the primary reason he's not coaching here anymore. Even the short periods of time where he was winning fans still didn't care for him much it seemed. Something he has to work on for his next gig.
The "primary reason"?
So if we had gone 19-8 overall, 12-7 in the BE and made the NCAA tournament, you really think he still would have been fired because of his personality?
Come on, man. He was fired because he didn't win enough. Period. Hell, Scholl didn't even want to fire him after this disaster of a season.
I took this pic after I told him my 4th of July story about having the Badger mascot in my house, how my wife left the mascot alone and he probably pissed on our carpet.
(https://snipboard.io/MTW08w.jpg)
Quote from: MU82 on March 24, 2021, 04:27:54 PM
The "primary reason"?
So if we had gone 19-8 overall, 12-7 in the BE and made the NCAA tournament, you really think he still would have been fired because of his personality?
Come on, man. He was fired because he didn't win enough. Period. Hell, Scholl didn't even want to fire him after this disaster of a season.
No, absolutely not. But if he went 13-14 and had a history of good rapport with the fan base, it's my opinion he'd still be the coach. He might have gotten a "rebuilding year" or "Covid" pass. The fading support of the fans heading into next year was more, or at least as much, of a concern than this year's record.
On the topic of record(s) though, I think his firing had more to do with his attitude about it than the raw results. I get the sense Wojo thought he was doing a good enough job on the court and became offended/surprised when asked to do better.
He was definitely interesting. We got off on a rocky start, but eventually was nice to me. He dubbed me a renaissance man.
Funny story. This happened 2 weeks after the Hausers left. Wojo got on the plane and I proceeded to close the door. Told him the flight time and asked if there was anything I could grab him. He said "yeah how about a PF? That would really help me right about now." I laughed and told him I was ineligible, but appreciated the scholly offer. He found my response humorous.
He opened up to me quite a bit when I'd walk with him, and seemed like a genuinely good guy. Not too square where he wasn't afraid to let out an F-bomb or two, but articulate and friendly if he knew you.
I wish him nothing but the best.
Quote from: CountryRoads on March 24, 2021, 04:40:55 PM
No, absolutely not. But if he went 13-14 and had a history of good rapport with the fan base, it's my opinion he'd still be the coach. He might have gotten a "rebuilding year" or "Covid" pass. The fading support of the fans heading into next year was more, or at least as much, of a concern than this year's record.
On the topic of record(s) though, I think his firing had more to do with his attitude about it than the raw results. I get the sense Wojo thought he was doing a good enough job on the court and became offended/surprised when asked to do better.
Hmm. Maybe, but I think he just didn't win enough.
Quote from: Bad_Reporter on March 24, 2021, 04:42:57 PM
He was definitely interesting. We got off on a rocky start, but eventually was nice to me. He dubbed me a renaissance man.
Funny story. This happened 2 weeks after the Hausers left. Wojo got on the plane and I proceeded to close the door. Told him the flight time and asked if there was anything I could grab him. He said "yeah how about a PF? That would really help me right about now." I laughed and told him I was ineligible, but appreciated the scholly offer. He found my response humorous.
He opened up to me quite a bit when I'd walk with him, and seemed like a genuinely good guy. Not too square where he wasn't afraid to let out an F-bomb or two, but articulate and friendly if he knew you.
I wish him nothing but the best.
Thank you for this real-world example of a longer-term-acquaintance relationship with Wojo. Sounds like he's not Mr. Excitement but is a decent guy that most would have liked if they had gotten to know him at all.
Folks judge far too much - good or bad - on one chance meeting with a person.
I did enjoy the Buzz's barbecues back in the hay day. I don't know if wojo did anything like that but I haven't lived in Milwaukee in awhile.
Quote from: Uncle Rico on March 24, 2021, 01:04:57 PM
He's a phony cowboy
we had a big alumni event in NYC with Buzz as the draw. Over 300 showed up. Buzz stayed isolated before the event, did an incredibly self-serving interview on stage with a MU grad Ben Tracy of CBS News (in which Buzz backtracked on the statement about not wanting to leave MU), then he couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Around athletics, after a few years people would have taken the Creans back (yes, even Joni) than put up with Buzz and his wife anymore.
Wojo just wasn't a shameless self-promoter, he was there to coach.
Quote from: warriorchick on March 24, 2021, 12:53:12 PM
Wojo might not show his personality, but Buzz's "personality" was all a facade.
As I have repeatedly said the phony downhome lonesome cowboy.
Quote from: Bad_Reporter on March 24, 2021, 04:42:57 PM
He was definitely interesting. We got off on a rocky start, but eventually was nice to me. He dubbed me a renaissance man.
Funny story. This happened 2 weeks after the Hausers left. Wojo got on the plane and I proceeded to close the door. Told him the flight time and asked if there was anything I could grab him. He said "yeah how about a PF? That would really help me right about now." I laughed and told him I was ineligible, but appreciated the scholly offer. He found my response humorous.
He opened up to me quite a bit when I'd walk with him, and seemed like a genuinely good guy. Not too square where he wasn't afraid to let out an F-bomb or two, but articulate and friendly if he knew you.
I wish him nothing but the best.
Am I the only one who didn't know your role/job/profession/association with MUBB?
Quote from: jesmu84 on March 24, 2021, 05:09:44 PM
Am I the only one who didn't know your role/job/profession/association with MUBB?
You probably didn't follow his name change from MU_Pilot.
Edit: Secondarily funny because you had one of the first responses to his first post:
https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=54843.msg961788#msg961788
Quote from: jesmu84 on March 24, 2021, 05:09:44 PM
Am I the only one who didn't know your role/job/profession/association with MUBB?
Yes. At least of those who've been here since his previous name.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 24, 2021, 05:11:34 PM
You probably didn't follow his name change from MU_Pilot.
Ah.
Even still. He could have just been a pilot who went to MU.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 24, 2021, 05:11:34 PM
You probably didn't follow his name change from MU_Pilot.
Edit: Secondarily funny because you had one of the first responses to his first post:
https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=54843.msg961788#msg961788
I've been told via PM from another poster that we aren't supposed to reference his old name...
Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 24, 2021, 05:16:17 PM
I've been told via PM from another poster that we aren't supposed to reference his old name...
I mean, he kind of gave up the ghost a couple posts up, eh?
And if you see the thread I linked. quote blocks retain the name of the person you quoted.
Buzz was only fake/phony in his whole aww shucks I'm just a lucky yokel who is getting by. He was an extremely shrewd operator and manager of his career and coaching image. And there was clearly no love lost with him and the administration/athletic department by the end.
That being said, I've never heard a bad random interaction with him outside of the arena/Al. And that's probably a dozen examples, including a couple from people I know who aren't even Marquette fans or basketball people. He literally approached an old coworker of mine, out of the blue, in an airport who is an A&M alum and was wearing a hat and ended up chatting about data analytics for 10 min. He was well liked in the Big East coaching circles and the media. He's an engaging entertaining dude. Buzz's Bunch was a very real and impactful, that wasn't some PR fluff to get him a better job.
I had a fair amount of communication with Buzz and found it interesting and for the most part truthful. During his last two seasons there were multiple times were we emailed back and forth 6-7 times in a night. Now, I did point out to him that for the money he was getting paid he should have better things to do than emailing with Goose, which he did not argue. He could have been completely full of crap with me, but our conversations always were about recruiting, money or MU brass.
I had three interactions with Wojo and it was quite clear his interest in talking with me matched my interest in talking with him. Will add that one of the three conversations (while brief) was about the lack of success on the court. I was not the jag that started that short conversation and he opened the door for me thoughts. Pretty sure that ended chances of me being invited to pickup ball.
I've mentioned this before on here, but Wojo reached out to me when my son got sick. I still remember a North Carolina number calling us while we were in the hospital and it was the day after MU lost Woj's opener at Ohio State.
He was/is a legit nice guy. He would call and text periodically to see how we were doing, and his admin Barbara sent us a sweet care package. Things tailed off as far as contact goes, but I never thought that was a big deal. He was a coach in his first year on the job, and I thought it was great he took the time that he did to offer support. I still have his number in my phone (assuming he didn't change it).
Dish
To follow up your post, Wojo did my family well during a time of crisis. He provided several great gestures to a couple of young family members of mine and that was greatly appreciated. I have no doubt he probably is a very solid guy, just not much of a basketball coach.
Quote from: willie warrior on March 24, 2021, 05:07:09 PM
As I have repeatedly said the phony downhome lonesome cowboy.
I wonder how many of those Buzz's Bunch kids he still keeps in touch with. When he was secretly looking for another job, he had CBS do that very self-serving piece where kids cried while trying to describe what he meant to them - and then Buzz hightailed it to VaTech a week after it aired.
Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 24, 2021, 04:56:29 PM
we had a big alumni event in NYC with Buzz as the draw. Over 300 showed up. Buzz stayed isolated before the event, did an incredibly self-serving interview on stage with a MU grad Ben Tracy of CBS News (in which Buzz backtracked on the statement about not wanting to leave MU), then he couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Around athletics, after a few years people would have taken the Creans back (yes, even Joni) than put up with Buzz and his wife anymore.
Wojo just wasn't a shameless self-promoter, he was there to coach.
That's exactly how I remember the Buzz event. He literally ran off.
They had a similar event in NYC with Coach Wojo and Amplo interviewing each other.
I did get a "Nice tie." out of him as I was wearing an identical blue and gold stripe one.
There's a difference between Buzz and the Buzz Williams brand. The latter doesn't do the former any favors.
Quote from: MU Fan in Connecticut on March 24, 2021, 06:33:57 PM
That's exactly how I remember the Buzz event. He literally ran off.
They had a similar event in NYC with Coach Wojo and Amplo interviewing each other.
I did get a "Nice tie." out of him as I was wearing an identical blue and gold stripe one.
the following year Larry Williams came to the alumni event held at the Yacht Club. He was late due to flight delays but stayed the entire time and took some serious abuse from people afterward. My buddy went after him HARD. Rony Eford were standing next to each other, looked at one other, laughed, left to grab a drink. LOL.
Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 24, 2021, 07:21:11 PM
the following year Larry Williams came to the alumni event held at the Yacht Club. He was late due to flight delays but stayed the entire time and took some serious abuse from people afterward. My buddy went after him HARD. Rony Eford were standing next to each other, looked at one other, laughed, left to grab a drink. LOL.
I was there also. I sat next to Steve Rushing who did the impromptu event for 20 minutes while evwryone waited for Larry to show up. Steve was very funny.
Quote from: MU Fan in Connecticut on March 24, 2021, 07:56:04 PM
I was there also. I sat next to Steve Rushing who did the impromptu event for 20 minutes while evwryone waited for Larry to show up. Steve was very funny.
Are you talking about the SI writer who is married to Rebecca Lobo? That's Steve Rushin. He ain't rushing anywhere!
And yes, he's a funny guy. He writes superbly and tells great stories. He also loves Marquette very much. It was his SI piece on how ridiculous "The Gold" was that led the school to ditch it.
Quote from: MUfan12 on March 24, 2021, 02:49:19 PM
Doused in brown liquor and read poetry?
Post of the century
Great recruiter. Players love him. That's gotta count for a lot of you ask me.
Met him a few times in passing. I found him very likeable. He is close with Jesse Itzler (entrepreneur, husband of Sarah Blakley and part owner of Atlanta Hawks) who is one of the most personable people on the planet. Wojo can't be as dull as some of you are saying.
Buzz and I ended up across from each other in a double sided buffet line at a B&G Halloween tip off event. It was same weekend as a Texas-Texas Tech game (the year that UT, Tech and OU were all good). So I asked him who would win. He went on for 5-7 minutes about the game, the weather, everything. Finally I was like: hey coach that's great but I have 3 plates of food (for me, my wife and our hen 1 year old) and I need to get back to my seat. The dude could talk.
Quote from: MU82 on March 24, 2021, 08:03:15 PM
Are you talking about the SI writer who is married to Rebecca Lobo? That's Steve Rushin. He ain't rushing anywhere!
And yes, he's a funny guy. He writes superbly and tells great stories. He also loves Marquette very much. It was his SI piece on how ridiculous "The Gold" was that led the school to ditch it.
Yes! Talked him about living in Connecticut as Mr. Rebecca Lobo.
1). Al was legendary. Hank was endearing. Majerus had history. Deane had bball knowledge. Dukiet: pass. O'Neill recruited and was passionate. Cream recruited and had a good sales pitch. Buzz won. Wojo was generic bologna.
2). Wojo was a product of successful corporate college bball. He always acted as if he took classes on how to be a bball program leader. He rarely loosened up. He needed Majerus as a mentor. In the Midwest, we don't warm up to this.
3). He had an air about him. Duke pedigree made him think this MU step was in his way to an ACC job.
4). The problem was that he couldn't coach, couldn't adjust mid game, had no overall plan, couldn't develop players... and simply couldn't win consistently.
Wojo, enjoy the $10+ million you basically stole from Marquette. The program will be below average for another half decade as the new coach cleans up your mess ! I'm sure you will BS another AD. Let the door hit you in the ass on the way out ...
Quote from: Avenue Commons on March 24, 2021, 08:26:02 PM
Met him a few times in passing. I found him very likeable. He is close with Jesse Itzler (entrepreneur, husband of Sarah Blakley and part owner of Atlanta Hawks) who is one of the most personable people on the planet. Wojo can't be as dull as some of you are saying.
Seriously? I know he's talked about Coach K's camp a decent amount, so that connection makes sense, but seems like an odd friendship outside of keeping in touch. Wildly different personalities and life approaches IMO.
Buzz didn't seem like a Yacht Club kind of guy.
Quote from: warriorchick on March 24, 2021, 06:06:32 PM
I wonder how many of those Buzz's Bunch kids he still keeps in touch with. When he was secretly looking for another job, he had CBS do that very self-serving piece where kids cried while trying to describe what he meant to them - and then Buzz hightailed it to VaTech a week after it aired.
Then he started a Buzz's Bunch in Blacksburg and then he started one in College Station. Maybe a CBS producer had been pitching the story for 3 years and someone finally gave the green light.
I've heard from people in MU Athletics that Buzz was at his best and most comfortable during Buzz's Bunch events. But I'm sure it was all self serving. I mean the guy only went to 3 straight S16s and an E8, coached a BE POY and won a share of Conf...definitely needed a puff piece to get hired away.
FFS.
Quote from: Blackhat on March 24, 2021, 09:31:29 PM
Buzz didn't seem like a Yacht Club kind of guy.
Ahoy, paloy.
Quote from: ZiggysFryBoy on March 24, 2021, 09:43:26 PM
Ahoy, paloy.
Since my name is Judge Smails I feel like I have to reply. Buzz would be the type of guy to put his foot on the boat, like Spaulding.
My fiancé met him twice through a very well connected family and says he seemed decent but could see how he might be "stiff"
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 24, 2021, 05:17:42 PM
I mean, he kind of gave up the ghost a couple posts up, eh?
And if you see the thread I linked. quote blocks retain the name of the person you quoted.
I agree with you. that's why I was surprised to receive the message I did when I mentioned his old profession to another poster. Just passing along the info to you.
Quote from: ZiggysFryBoy on March 24, 2021, 12:04:22 PM
His lack of 4 wheeling and karate skills was very concerning.
His lack of a tan was the more concerning. Frankly, I can't trust a man with pasty white thighs.
Quote from: cheese ball chaser on March 24, 2021, 03:46:22 PM
a prick ... Left a real sour taste in my mouth.
He must have had asparagus for dinner
Quote from: Goose on March 24, 2021, 06:02:10 PM
During his last two seasons there were multiple times were we emailed back and forth 6-7 times in a night.
Was that when The Buzzard was begging you for an invite to the Meat Summit?
Quote from: Warrior_2002 on March 24, 2021, 01:05:23 PM
I had an ND football hat on
Did you lose a f#cking bet or something??
Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 24, 2021, 10:53:53 PM
My fiancé met him twice through a very well connected family and says he seemed decent but could see how he might be "stiff"
Was your finance wearing a revealing outfit?
Quote from: CountryRoads on March 24, 2021, 04:40:55 PM
No, absolutely not. But if he went 13-14 and had a history of good rapport with the fan base, it's my opinion he'd still be the coach. He might have gotten a "rebuilding year" or "Covid" pass. The fading support of the fans heading into next year was more, or at least as much, of a concern than this year's record.
On the topic of record(s) though, I think his firing had more to do with his attitude about it than the raw results. I get the sense Wojo thought he was doing a good enough job on the court and became offended/surprised when asked to do better.
I disagree completely that Wojo felt he was doing a good enough job. It's not an excuse, but I really feel he knew Markus was both a once-in-a-lifetime player and presented an equally rare set of problems in terms of managing the egos of those around such a ball-dominant player. We truly were THAT close to greatness, and it all blew up in our faces, especially Coach's. In hindsight, I wish he had not been so double-down stubborn in handling that. Maybe invited the Hauser and Howard families over for dinner and sought common ground, maybe not even discussing basketball, but just letting them see how they could renew friendships. Wojo knew he was falling short, and Hausershima set back the program more than I saw at the time. I can admit I was wrong. Don't be surprised if Wojo learns from all this, lands a decent gig and has some big-time success.
Quote from: mcderjim on March 24, 2021, 08:46:23 PM
1). Al was legendary. Hank was endearing. Majerus had history. Deane had bball knowledge. Dukiet: pass. O'Neill recruited and was passionate. Cream recruited and had a good sales pitch. Buzz won. Wojo was generic bologna.
2). Wojo was a product of successful corporate college bball. He always acted as if he took classes on how to be a bball program leader. He rarely loosened up. He needed Majerus as a mentor. In the Midwest, we don't warm up to this.
3). He had an air about him. Duke pedigree made him think this MU step was in his way to an ACC job.
4). The problem was that he couldn't coach, couldn't adjust mid game, had no overall plan, couldn't develop players... and simply couldn't win consistently.
Wojo, enjoy the $10+ million you basically stole from Marquette. The program will be below average for another half decade as the new coach cleans up your mess ! I'm sure you will BS another AD. Let the door hit you in the ass on the way out ...
1. Good points
2. Very true
3. Not at all. He loved it here and wanted to make his mark HERE.
4. Some truth
The rest of your Post is not necessary. The program will be fine. Wojo did a great job interviewing; he was ready to be a head coach, just not the Marquette head coach. I don't doubt he thought he was ready to win here.
Oh great, can't wait for keefe to catch up in every thread with an individual reply.
He's a man of his word, he had long said: I will not be back posting until about 5.5 days after they fire Wojo.
#donedeal