15 years

[omni77]

I was pretty clueless when I was graduating from HS and hadn't done anything in terms of thinking about your future, picking a school that matches your goals, etc. But I was enamored with the whole mystique surrounding Al and the greatness of the BBall program. I can honestly say I chose to attend MU based on that alone - I had no idea what programs the school actually offered. Wouldn't trade it for anything though, best 4 years of my life. Thanks, Al.

That said, I must comment on the following:

P.s. Maybe Wojo needs to start recruiting kids, like Al, with cracked sidewalks. This team desperately needs some toughness that we're lacking.

I think Al would be very pleased with who Wojo is recruiting because he goes after kids who know how to play, who know how to put the ball in the basket (Al had a few teams that weren't great outside shooters either) as opposed to 'projects with potential'. The NY playgrounds that were Al's recruiting domain aren't what they used to be, with the best players hitting the AAU circuit in the summer or attending these specialized basketball factory boarding schools. And the 'toughness' that Al's team's displayed had as much to do with Al pushing the right buttons and being the incredible motivator he was than anything else. Give Wojo a chance to do the same. I look at his freshman class and I see guys who already know how to play but are just lacking in maturity and D1 game experience. Al was not a big fan of playing freshmen unless they were studs like Butch and Bo were. He was a strong advocate of the "Senior Star System". Let Wojo establish his own system - my gut says we're going to like the results.       

[GGGG]

P.s. Maybe Wojo needs to start recruiting kids, like Al, with cracked sidewalks. This team desperately needs some toughness that we're lacking.

It's lack of experience.  Not their background.

[MU82]

Unfortunately the last few years there seems to be a lot of fans who are content with simply being competitive. I'm not ok with simply competing enough in the Big East to get an NCAA tourney bid.

You're not OK. Great. What are you gonna do about it? Go root for Notre Dame or Wisconsin?

See ya. It's been real.

[Hubert Davis]

You're not OK. Great. What are you gonna do about it? Go root for Notre Dame or Wisconsin?

See ya. It's been real.

lol why would I go root for them? I hate those schools. I'm saying Marquette should strive for National championships, as every high major program does.

Just win baby.

[Herman Cain]

Al brought a dynamism and genius that could never be replicated . We were truly a blue blood . His star shined so
bright we are still benefitting from it today .  We are an elite University today which is truly
a lasting legacy of Al.

[muwarrior69]

Al brought a dynamism and genius that could never be replicated . We were truly a blue blood . His star shined so
bright we are still benefitting from it today .  We are an elite University today which is truly
a lasting legacy of Al.

What is even more remarkable with all his roots in the New York area, Marquette and Milwaukee was where his heart was and called home.

[rocket surgeon]

Amen. Al was a winner through and through and he put the Warriors on the map. Unfortunately the last few years there seems to be a lot of fans who are content with simply being competitive. I'm not ok with simply competing enough in the Big East to get an NCAA tourney bid. Marquette should be competing for Big East AND national championships. The last few years during this rebuilding phase have been tough for everybody. I sure hope Wojo can get the Warriors back on track to the point where we can do something only Al has done. The DePaul loss last week was Fn brutal, but the program will see brighter days. It starts with tonight.

JUST WIN BABY!

P.s. Maybe Wojo needs to start recruiting kids, like Al, with cracked sidewalks. This team desperately needs some toughness that we're lacking.

Nicely done!!   These are all so damn good!! 


http://postmarq.tumblr.com/post/9919648924/al-mcguire-quotes-from-a-to-z

[4everwarriors]

The Marquette we have today is in no small measure due to Al.

In my time, we were noticed because of Al and his basketball team. Did people attend MU because of our basketball team? Probably not, but Al's team and his commitment to excellence caused people to take a second look.

Our teams were black and white when in many parts of the country, only white would do. Our ability to destroy teams with strong defense and tough, hard playing basketball ultimately became the catalyst for hundreds of universities to change long-held bigotry.

Al's attitude -- arrogant and obnoxious -- defined us as a university. It really did.




Here I thought the Marquette we have today was all Tom Crean's doin', ai na?
Look around today. The buildings. The campus improvements. The stature of Marquette. In no small part due to McGuire money -- the alumni support that came in the 1970s and 1980s because of Al and his basketball program. Without the basketball program, I can only imagine what Marquette would be.

Al was our's for a lot of years. I never knew the man but I admired what he did for us and he was someone I looked up to from a very young age.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I went back to this site to read these entries...lots of great stories about Al. I particularly liked this one when I revisited here. Let's Go Warriors!

http://www.marquette.edu/mcguire/jan2001.html

Name: rich terry
E-mail: richterry@mindspring.com
City/State: austin, texas
Date: Monday, April 23, 2001 at 17:55:48
Message:
I know this is coming a little late, but I wanted to express my own sense of loss that came with Coach McGuire's passing. I grew up in north Texas, a far cry from Milwaukee or Marquette, in a football town called Wichita Falls. I was a pudgy kid with not a lot of friends and a dad that was never around much. When I was 12 or 13, I ran across a story about the Warriors and their crazy coach in Sports Illustrated. Something about the man's honesty, integrity and passion for the game and his family struck a chord with me. I started playing basketball because of Al McGuire that year and found I was actually pretty good. I sent away for an old Marquette game jersey (which I still have) and wore it on the playground constantly. I had a Marquette sticker on my first car, a '72 Skylark, when I turned 16. I even made my folks stop off in Milwaukee to see the university during a summer trip to Illinois. I even walked on at TCU and played there for two years in the early 80's and those years are still some of the best memories of my life. All of thisI know sounds eccentic, but what Al gave me was basketball. And the game gave me self-esteem, confidence and friends. It gave me a place in this world to call my own. When Al won the national championship I cried. When Al retired, I cried. When Al passed away this year...at 41 years old...I cried. I never met the man, and he never knew I existed. But even from thousands of miles away what Coach McGuire instilled in me is still a part of me. It always will be. And hopefully I can pass on what I learned from him to my kids. Great men may die. But who they were never does. I'll never forget him.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I was able to work with the man on the Marquette Basketball Television Network, our own 10 game package that we bought time for on channel 18 and 24 back in the day.  I'll never forget it.  Extremely fortunate at the opportunity and the memories. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

I was able to work with the man on the Marquette Basketball Television Network, our own 10 game package that we bought time for on channel 18 and 24 back in the day.  I'll never forget it.  Extremely fortunate at the opportunity and the memories.

Favorite story?