Loyalty & the "Stepping Stone" Job

[MU82]

No matter who we get next, we want that person to prove that Marquette is not a "stepping stone" job. We want that coach, unlike Crean and Buzz, to be loyal to us forever and ever and ever!

But how loyal is everybody to a coach? If he has one mediocre season, supposedly loyal fans turn on him. If he has two such seasons, the school to which he is supposed to be unflinchingly loyal will kick him to the curb.

Sometimes, it doesn't even take two mediocre years. Crean arrived at IU with great fanfare, turned around a horrible situation, recruited his ass off, got the team to the Sweet 16. But he follows that with one mediocre season and some influential alums are so desperate to dump him they reportedly consider ponying up for his eight-figure buyout.

Buzz didn't have a good season but there are folks who think coaches who can go S16-S16-E8 are a dime a dozen. Because that's happened at Marquette, um, how often in the last three decades?

Hell, there probably are some Dukies who think the game has passed Coach K by.

Look, these guys are compensated very well to coach -- and, in part, to take the crap fans give them. They are expected to overcome adversity, just as they preach to their players, and Buzz appears to have failed that test by walking away from Marquette after pledging to stay as long as they want him. (Of course, the whole story hasn't come out yet. Maybe Marquette no longer wanted him as some threads on Scoop suggest.)

All I'm saying is that as Marquette fans, we want our next coach to stay forever because we are not a stepping-stone job.

Be loyal, dammit!

But don't go 17-15, because we will not hesitate to show you how very disloyal we can be.

[madtownwarrior]

Wow, still slurping...

[VegasWarrior77]

I would hire a coach who went to THREE final fours in ten years.

[MU82]

Wow, still slurping...

Yes, I'm slurping Crean and Buzz and Coach K!

[bilsu]

I guess I would not worry about being a stepping stone job. Most coaches, due to excessive fan expectations, are only wanted for about 5 years anyways.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Crean arrived at IU with great fanfare, turned around a horrible situation, recruited his ass off, got the team to the Sweet 16. But he follows that with one mediocre season and some influential alums are so desperate to dump him they reportedly consider ponying up for his eight-figure buyout.

Crean actually went to back to back Sweet 16's and this year was the mediocre season.  He stayed at MU for 9 years, longer than any MU coach the last 40 years not named Al McGuire

[slingkong]

Yeah, this is a criticism-free zone!

Holy hell this was stupid. The vast majority of people on here were still very supportive of Buzz, right up until the very end. Just because some questioned his personnel choices and lineups, it doesn't mean many or most fans "turned on him." To think that's the case is just . . . it's stupid.

[muwarrior69]

Crean actually went to back to back Sweet 16's and this year was the mediocre season.  He stayed at MU for 9 years, longer than any MU coach the last 40 years not named Al McGuire

I have often wondered what would MU basketball be like If Al was allowed to take the Bucks Job.

[mu_hilltopper]

Speaking from a MUScoop perspective, the huge upside to Coach Smart taking over is .. every March, we'll (continue to) host a wave of traffic as his name pops up for every top coaching vacancy, while we tut-tut the school as being lesser than Marquette.

Glad Cords and the gang are looking out for our interests!