I'm almost stunned at what a bad decision this is.
A program that took a chance 9 years ago (and had no choice really) on an assistant paid off making MU basketball relevant again. Now we make a hire that does absolutely nothing to build on that...nothing. We had a once in the life of a program opportunity (talent on the roster, success, facilities, national ranking, tourney win, demonstrated willingness to pay) to hire a guy that would assure we kept moving up. A colossal missed opportunity...in a few years our facilities will no longer be the "best" and the state of MU ball will not make this the great job it was only just yesterday.
A brand new AD has now bet any future in this career field on a guy currently unqualified for the position...stunning. A young assistant head coach accepted a job way above his head that will immediately put him on the hot seat with expectations he'll never live up to. Because Buzz will have to essentially be the "second coming" for this gamble to pay off.
I really hope Buzz turns out to be the best hire in MU history; but unfortunately what is more likely will be about 3-4 years of up and down success as he LEARNS ON THE JOB on how to be a head coach, at a big basketball school, in a major conference.
What a setback. We're nobodies in college basketball again folks...we hire 35 year old assistants looking for an entry level job.
At least I also went to Hopkins and it's Lacrosse season...might help me forget about this debacle for a while. :-\
I think calling us "nobodies" is an overreaction. Obviously, bigger candidates were not interested, in what is sadly a down year for looking for a new coach. Take from that what you will, but given what appear to be our options, this was a good hire.
Quote from: Ahoya06 on April 08, 2008, 10:51:03 AM
I think calling us "nobodies" is an overreaction. Obviously, bigger candidates were not interested, in what is sadly a down year for looking for a new coach. Take from that what you will, but given what appear to be our options, this was a good hire.
I am extremely disappointed in this hire.
I agree it is a bit of an overreaction, but the fact remains that we hired a nobody just like a bunch of nobodies would. The biggest named candidates were not available/interested...fine, could we have at least got someone with more than ONE year of head coaching experience at a tiny program? Of course we could.
This is not a good hire...this is an extremely risky, short-sided hire that we didn't need to make! We were in a position to hire someone with considerable experience at the $1.5M level...instead we go with an entry level guy.
WHY? It makes no sense!
Seems to me the way to conduct a coaching search would be:
1. Get an established guy from a good program with a track record of success....
If 1 is not available.
2. Get an established assistant who is working under an established guy from a good program with a track record of success....
If 2 is not available.
3. Get an established guy from a smaller program (mid major or lower, maybe even Division II) with a track record of success.
IN fact, I would go a step further and say that the job of the AD would be to have a list based on the above and update it every single year, whether you need a coach or not. Watch some game film of the names on the lists above and see how they are at coaching. Spend a few hours of your time each month working specifically on this issue. Create files on each individual and spend time updating them. Then when you need a coach your homework is done and it is simply a matter of going and getting "the guy."
4. Punt and hire whoever, doesn't matter.
SERocks
PS - Tom Crean was a level 2 hire 9 years ago I would say.
that makes sense. i think we went right to level 4.
I find it hard to believe there was no one in levels 1 or 2 interested in earning $1.5M?
Come on!
Quote from: SERocks on April 08, 2008, 11:13:08 AM
Seems to me the way to conduct a coaching search would be:
1. Get an established guy from a good program with a track record of success....
If 1 is not available.
2. Get an established assistant who is working under an established guy from a good program with a track record of success....
If 2 is not available.
3. Get an established guy from a smaller program (mid major or lower, maybe even Division II) with a track record of success.
IN fact, I would go a step further and say that the job of the AD would be to have a list based on the above and update it every single year, whether you need a coach or not. Watch some game film of the names on the lists above and see how they are at coaching. Spend a few hours of your time each month working specifically on this issue. Create files on each individual and spend time updating them. Then when you need a coach your homework is done and it is simply a matter of going and getting "the guy."
4. Punt and hire whoever, doesn't matter.
SERocks
PS - Tom Crean was a level 2 hire 9 years ago I would say.
So you'd rather have a D2 coach or an unknown assistant over a guy who's already in your program, has a relationship with your recruits and players, and gives you some degree of continuity?
Tell me that if we announced today that we're hiring the head coach of say, Winona State (D2 champs), or a low D1 like Belmont for example, that this board wouldn't be up in flames the same way it is now? Or that the reaction would be better if we brought in another Michigan St. assistant no one's ever heard of?
I'd put Buzz somewhere in between 1 and 2 on your list.
Speaking of Lacrosse, Marquette should do everything it can to build a program...fastest growing sport and one we would be wise to embrace, given our position in the Big East. G'town, ND, St. John's, Pitt, Providence, Nova all have had successful programs and we should jump on into the pool.
Men's volleyball would also be a good program to add
Did we look at the guy from Winona State?
If we did, my apologies, but I doubt it. Do I think we should have? YES. But not in the last six days. We should have been looking at him in the last few years. The point is we should have a file on him and he would either be in the contact group, or the non-contact group.
I get the impression we had nothing, were completely blindsided and simply started from scratch on the search.
That in my opinion, is unacceptable. There should be a complete process and that process should not take place over six days, the bulk of the work should take place "offseason" if you will when we have a head coach in place.
How many gyms did Tom Crean go to to find Dwayne Wade or any other recruit? How many did he reject before he found those guys? How many on first view, did he pass on, only to say a year or two later, this guy deserves another look?
We could start them both tomorrow with some of the money we saved hiring Buzz as our new Head Coach...(crying as I type the words).
Don't get too excited about the Blue Jays. ;D They are struggling this year. Possibly, no trip to Boston in May. I think it will be the first in a long long time.
On related Marquette basketball news, this may end up being a poor decision by the administration. They went for the quick nearsighted fix, and it seems that no extensive thought was put into the decision. However, this is just from a fan's perspective. I hope and assume that they know what they are doing. They got it right with Crean. Agree or Disagree he brought Marquette back into the national spotlight and that is important for an administration at a university. Buzz also needs to jump on the recruiting train and April is that time of year. You do not want to hesitate during a crucial time like this.
This also does not mean that we can not hope and expect great things out of Coach Buzz Williams. He is hard nosed and will maintain (hopefully) the same intensity on and off the court, that Crean possessed. Who knows we may pick up a good big man if his recruiting skills are as good as they say they are. Everything in life is about opportunities. Let us hope that Coach Williams makes the best of his opportunities.
This was an awful decision. Bush league.
Buzz may or may not work out - only time can tell. I'm personally hoping it will and leave it at that.
Let me ask this though - If Billy G and Buzz had stayed at A&M the past two years, Marquette got turned down by 4 or 5 "name" coaches and then we hired Buzz (as Billy G's top assistant - and one that's highly regarded) as our head coach would the decision be as "awful".
Honestly, it seems people are knocking him down because
1) He took the UNO job and
2) Because Tom Crean liked him
Maybe not. But he just as easily could have been the assistant from A&M that everybody wanted. Certainly as desirable as John Groce (OSU assistant), right?
Quote from: baltimoremufan on April 08, 2008, 11:43:31 AM
Don't get too excited about the Blue Jays. ;D They are struggling this year. Possibly, no trip to Boston in May. I think it will be the first in a long long time.
On related Marquette basketball news, this may end up being a poor decision by the administration. They went for the quick nearsighted fix, and it seems that no extensive thought was put into the decision. However, this is just from a fan's perspective. I hope and assume that they know what they are doing. They got it right with Crean. Agree or Disagree he brought Marquette back into the national spotlight and that is important for an administration at a university. Buzz also needs to jump on the recruiting train and April is that time of year. You do not want to hesitate during a crucial time like this.
This also does not mean that we can not hope and expect great things out of Coach Buzz Williams. He is hard nosed and will maintain (hopefully) the same intensity on and off the court, that Crean possessed. Who knows we may pick up a good big man if his recruiting skills are as good as they say they are. Everything in life is about opportunities. Let us hope that Coach Williams makes the best of his opportunities.
My Blue Jays struggled last year too...and it turned out okay. But you're right, 5 straight losses is bad...they really needed that win against #2 Duke.
ND has a very respectable program, no reason Marquette can't do the same.
Despite a bad year (okay...really bad year) Hopkins Lacrosse will be back on top with the nation's elite where they normally reside. Unfortunately, Marquette basketball is going to be in for a roller coaster ride for the next 3 years. I don't think (hope and pray) that Buzz will drop us back into the toilet...but I'm willing to bet money we're in store for a decade of mediocrity.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on April 08, 2008, 12:30:11 PM
Honestly, it seems people are knocking him down because
1) He took the UNO job and
2) Because Tom Crean liked him
NO, we're knocking him down because he's unqualified for this job. Those of us in the professional world who spend entire careers building this thing called a
resume know what I'm talking about.
I could care less that he took the UNO job...I just wish it was his first job in a line of several upward moving positions that would have eventually led to his hire at a program at MU's level.
Instead we promote the grad student to CEO.
Quote from: MUinCO on April 08, 2008, 12:45:50 PM
Those of us in the professional world who spend entire careers building this thing called a resume know what I'm talking about.
LOL - as if I don't know about the professional world. BTW - I do work at a successful startup in CO.
As for resumes - I've seen plenty of people with *awesome* resumes and lots of experience that couldn't stand a chance against people with lesser resumes that were willing to work hard.
I don't know that it's a good hire. But I'm also not willing to concede that he's unqualified. I'm willing to give him a chance based on what I've read.
Time will tell whether all your B&Ming is worth it.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on April 08, 2008, 01:00:55 PM
Quote from: MUinCO on April 08, 2008, 12:45:50 PM
Those of us in the professional world who spend entire careers building this thing called a resume know what I'm talking about.
LOL - as if I don't know about the professional world. BTW - I do work at a successful startup in CO.
As for resumes - I've seen plenty of people with *awesome* resumes and lots of experience that couldn't stand a chance against people with lesser resumes that were willing to work hard.
I don't know that it's a good hire. But I'm also not willing to concede that he's unqualified. I'm willing to give him a chance based on what I've read.
Time will tell whether all your B&Ming is worth it.
So tell me "successful CO startup"...would you hire someone who has never run a company before to run yours? How about a high level manager who has never managed people before? How about someone who has only demonstrated limited expertise in ONE area to run the entire ship?
Consider the risk involved...we're not hireing a worker bee here, we're hiring someone who will have a significant impact on the program for the next decade. You willing to bet...entrust...the future of your company to someone with only one year's worth of experience (with mixed results) at a company a fraction of the size of yours? Really?
When a Fortune 500 company board hires a CEO...that guy has proven himself in similar positions on the way up. I thought MU had finally worked it's way back up to the Fortune 500 of basketball programs and deserved a strong, proven, leader. MU's newly acquired reputation of being a top Bball program has just taken a major hit in the eyes of every potential recruit interested in MU.
But Buzz is our guy now, I still love MU and will watch MU Bball and hold my breath that this hugely risky hire hits the jackpot.
I sure hope it does...good luck to you Buzz. Prove to us you are worth the risk.