Garry Parrish says Buzz will take either OU or Ark job

[Pakuni]

Cottingham can't just re-do Buzz's contract everytime he hears about someone expressing an interest in him.  And I don't really know what you mean by "sitting on his hands," but not necessarily giving him a raise.  What is he supposed to do...give him a pat on the back?

He could stand outside Buzz's hotel room window with a boom box over his head, playing "In Your Eyes."

[Goose]

I would say there is a very high probability that Cottingham sits on his hands. TC was leaving for 4 years and we were caught empty handed. I agree we cannot up the ante every time a rumor floats around but we need to take this seriously.

[rocky_warrior]

I would say there is a very high probability that Cottingham sits on his hands. TC was leaving for 4 years and we were caught empty handed. I

Huh?  He immediately talked to, and relatively quickly hired Buzz, who has continued "winning".  He talked to a couple others, who up to this point have not has as much success.  If that's empty handed, then you're just too hard to please.

[LovinCrowder]

C'mon.  Be serious.  Let's say Tokoto WAS from Little Rock-- he would STILL be going to UNC.  Guaranteed. 

Agreed ----  it also didn't help that Roy Williams had been recruiting him since he was in middle school...

[MerrittsMustache]

Huh?  He immediately talked to, and relatively quickly hired Buzz, who has continued "winning".  He talked to a couple others, who up to this point have not has as much success.  If that's empty handed, then you're just too hard to please.

Buzz wasn't a big name and his only head coaching experience was a 14-17 season at UNO so it doesn't count as a good hire.

It's a little know fact that hindsight can occasionally have impaired vision    _{<--this guy is blind, not cool} 

[nyg]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6224572/coaching-carousel-chatter

New Katz article.  Very, very interesting.  Buzz has his choice now?

[79Warrior]

I would say there is a very high probability that Cottingham sits on his hands. TC was leaving for 4 years and we were caught empty handed. I agree we cannot up the ante every time a rumor floats around but we need to take this seriously.

Now that is an ignorant post.  TC was leaving for 4 years? Was Cottingham AD during the four years you mention? Seems to me Steve was fairly new whe TC left. Why would he sit on his hands? A coach as to leave before you can replace him. what should he do, ask around for coaches and let buzz find out we are looking. There is little the Ad can do until the situation presents itself. More importantly, how do you know something has not been worked out already?

[El Duderino]

Now that is an ignorant post.  TC was leaving for 4 years? Was Cottingham AD during the four years you mention? Seems to me Steve was fairly new whe TC left. Why would he sit on his hands? A coach as to leave before you can replace him. what should he do, ask around for coaches and let buzz find out we are looking. There is little the Ad can do until the situation presents itself. More importantly, how do you know something has not been worked out already?

Yea, an AD isn't in an easy spot when his coach is in the rumor mill of other schools having interest. That said, this kind of stuff comes with the job description and Cottingham isn't the first and won't be the last AD who has to face his head coach in a major sport drawing interest from other schools.

The most important thing for Cottingham is the be as prepared as possible in case the worst case situation happens of Buzz taking another job. That means Cottingham having already compiled a list of coaches that he'd have researched and would consider trying to interview if his head coach left or had to be replaced on short notice. Good Athletic Directors should have these kind of lists ready even if there are no rumors floating around because he can't ever be certain that his coach won't have to be replaced on short notice for whatever reason.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Re: the Katz article. Good lord....NC State is thinking about getting Howland or Dixon? Please. Whatever Katz. And OU over the MU job, considering the sanctions they have coming? Makes no sense at all.

Re: Cottingham being new to the AD job..wasn't he on MUs administrative staff for what, two years prior to Crean's departure? To use that excuse is bogus. Either he and or Cords should have had a list sitting on the top of his desk when he took the gig and if he didn't, then he should've made one.

Look, I realize that C-ham can't strong arm Buzz. But, if he hears chatter that someone's interested in him, he needs to pull Buzz aside, if he wants him, and tell him how MU feels about him and how they want to build the program around him. They don't need to toss him cash every time, but sometimes, you gotta make sure people know you care and want them around.

What I'm saying is, MU has a lot riding on the hoops program (duhhhh). My hope is that the administration at least appears more prepared this time if their coach bolts, because it can't be labeled 'unexpectedly'.

[Pakuni]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6224572/coaching-carousel-chatter

New Katz article.  Very, very interesting.  Buzz has his choice now?

Maybe it's just the eternal optimist in me, but I get the feeling that the more we hear Buzz's name, the less likely it is he'll be gone ... or, at least until we hear he's actually talking to schools.
From our Crean experience, we saw that every time his name came up in connection with another gig, he stayed and got another contract extension. It was when we didn't hear his name, i.e. with the I4 job, that he actually left.
Of course, maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

[Marquette84]

My hope is that the administration at least appears more prepared this time if their coach bolts, because it can't be labeled 'unexpectedly'.

Out of curiosity, what evidence do you have that Cottingham wasn't prepared?  That he hired Buzz?

That's hardly enough to justify your conclusion.

In fact, the speed and purpose at which Cottingham moved suggested that he worked through his list pretty quickly--as each choice was eliminated, he went to the next name on his list: 1. Miller. 2. Bennett. 3. Grant (maybe).  4. Buzz.  5. ???  We don't know who was after Buzz because Buzz took the job.

I know some--you, Chicos--suggest that considering Buzz in the first place demonstrated the lack of a plan--but it may very well demonstrated that they have thought this out in advance.

The fact that YOU wouldn't have put Buzz as high on the list doesn't mean there wasn't a list.



 

[muguru]

Buzz is not and WILL NOT be going to Arkansas. You can mark that down.

[cheebs09]

Buzz is not and WILL NOT be going to Arkansas. You can mark that down.

Personal feelings or do you have a source? I know IWB said this about a week ago, so I'm not all too worried about Arkansas. Do you have any thoughts on Oklahoma? That's the one that has me worried, unless A&M opens up if Turgeon fills one of those spots.

[[Mu]EngiNerd]

Why would Buzz go to Oklahoma with potential NCAA violations on their hands? 

While those two jobs may have potential down the line,  look at the team he will have next year at Marquette.  It is very promising and why would he leave that for two positions that are in rebuilding phases. 

Buzz would be a fool if he left in my eyes. If he wants to leave let him go cause I would rather have a coach that wants to be here and isn't looking for the next best thing.

If you ask me he stays ...

[El Duderino]

Out of curiosity, what evidence do you have that Cottingham wasn't prepared?  That he hired Buzz?

That's hardly enough to justify your conclusion.

In fact, the speed and purpose at which Cottingham moved suggested that he worked through his list pretty quickly--as each choice was eliminated, he went to the next name on his list: 1. Miller. 2. Bennett. 3. Grant (maybe).  4. Buzz.  5. ???  We don't know who was after Buzz because Buzz took the job.

I know some--you, Chicos--suggest that considering Buzz in the first place demonstrated the lack of a plan--but it may very well demonstrated that they have thought this out in advance.

The fact that YOU wouldn't have put Buzz as high on the list doesn't mean there wasn't a list.

I wasn't around here when Buzz was hired, but i've read lots of complaining still over the hiring process by Cottingham and i just don't understand it?

Now if Buzz had largely been a bust during his first three years on the job to where he didn't lead a senior laden team in his first year to an NCAA Tournament bid, these last two years he had only won say 10 Big East games combined with no bids to the big dance, his recruiting classes were mainly filled with 2-3 star kids that mid-majors were the competition for, and/or there were also some off the court issues, i could understand MU fans saying hey, Cottingham jumped the gun hiring Buzz and we ended up with a mess.

That hasn't been close to the case though. Even for those here who aren't as high on the job Buzz has done compared to others who think he's done really good job, i can't see how anyone can come up with an argument that Buzz has done a bad job so far and thus the hiring was a major mistake. So why do anyone still get all bothered over the hiring process with Buzz when the end result hasn't been a bad thing? For me, all that matters when an AD or team i follow hires a coach is that it works out in a positive fashion.

[ErickJD08]

I don't think Buzz is going anywhere but weren't sanctions looming for Crean in IN?

[[Mu]EngiNerd]

Yes Sampson messed up big time and I believe everyone understood Indiana would have to start from scratch.

[cheebs09]

I totally agree El Duderino. What if Buzz was their guy? They may have saw something in Buzz and wanted to hire him. It sounds like we reached out to Miller and Bennett, but they didn't want to come here. Maybe they felt that Buzz was the best one after those two and wanted to hire him. He hasn't exactly proven them wrong. I think Buzz has done a great job thus far. He's not perfect, but no coach is. If they were, they wouldn't have down years like some of the greatest coaches have had. I hope Buzz stays a long time.

[GGGG]

Look, I realize that C-ham can't strong arm Buzz. But, if he hears chatter that someone's interested in him, he needs to pull Buzz aside, if he wants him, and tell him how MU feels about him and how they want to build the program around him.

I'm fairly certain that they talk regularly and that Cottingham and Buzz know where they stand with each other.

[StillAWarrior]

I wasn't around here when Buzz was hired, but i've read lots of complaining still over the hiring process by Cottingham and i just don't understand it?

Now if Buzz had largely been a bust during his first three years on the job to where he didn't lead a senior laden team in his first year to an NCAA Tournament bid, these last two years he had only won say 10 Big East games combined with no bids to the big dance, his recruiting classes were mainly filled with 2-3 star kids that mid-majors were the competition for, and/or there were also some off the court issues, i could understand MU fans saying hey, Cottingham jumped the gun hiring Buzz and we ended up with a mess.

That hasn't been close to the case though. Even for those here who aren't as high on the job Buzz has done compared to others who think he's done really good job, i can't see how anyone can come up with an argument that Buzz has done a bad job so far and thus the hiring was a major mistake. So why do anyone still get all bothered over the hiring process with Buzz when the end result hasn't been a bad thing? For me, all that matters when an AD or team i follow hires a coach is that it works out in a positive fashion.

It's the nature of the beast on a message board.  We bitch, moan and endlessly debate the wisdom of fouling when up by three points, even if we win.  No matter what the team does, some will argue that the coach made a horrible decision and just got lucky, and some will argue that he made the right decision.

Many on this board (including me) believe that the hiring process that ended with Buzz as the coach was totally screwed up.  The fact that many on this board (including me) think that Buzz has done well does not change their opinion on the hiring process.  It just means that we got lucky.  Have you ever coached a youth basketball team and seen a kid throw up a ridiculous shot that went in.  You find yourself yelling, "no, no, no, YES!"  That doesn't mean you can't pull the kid aside, tell him that you're glad that he made the shot, but encourage him to never, ever take that shot again.  That's how many on this board (including me) feel about the hiring process and Buzz.  I'm glad it worked out, but never, ever take that shot again.

[Marquette84]

I wasn't around here when Buzz was hired, but i've read lots of complaining still over the hiring process by Cottingham and i just don't understand it?

I guess my point was that anyone who complains that Cottingham didn't have a plan is basing it solely on the fact that Buzz was hired as early in the process as he was.

The process looks like a smoothly oiled machine IF one opens their mind to the possibility that Cottingham had Buzz as 3rd or 4th on his list.  

I've asked people over the years what is so unreasonable about putting Buzz that high on the list.  He was already on the MU staff, so presumably our people had a chance to see him on the job.  Its not as if nobody knew who he was.

So if you think about it as a Cottingham working sequentially from a pre-defined list:  1. Miller--turns us down;  2. Bennet--turns us down; 3. Grant (Maybe)--turns us down; 4. Buzz--is interested, interviewed, hired.  Why do so many think that's NOT the way the process was intended to work?  

[thekahoona]

Apparently, the MU job just sucks.  Coaches run away from this place like their hair is on fire regardless of how successful they have been.  At least this seems to be the view of our Illustrious Sports Media.

[MakeItRain11]

"Have you ever coached a youth basketball team and seen a kid throw up a ridiculous shot that went in.  You find yourself yelling, "no, no, no, YES!"

love the analogy, but will take it a step further and say it does not just apply to youth Basketball....

[StillAWarrior]

"Have you ever coached a youth basketball team and seen a kid throw up a ridiculous shot that went in.  You find yourself yelling, "no, no, no, YES!"

love the analogy, but will take it a step further and say it does not just apply to youth Basketball....

Very true, but I rarely find myself with the opportunity to pull one of the Marquette players aside and say, "I'm glad you made the shot, but never, ever take that shot again."

[Goose]

79Warrior--If my post is ignorant I would notknow how to classify your post. any leader of an organization has to have backup plans in place in case the need arises. Of course it was common knowledge for quite some time that TC would leave at some point. It was responsibility of current and new AD to be fully prepared for that moment. Cottingham and whomever were caught their pants down.

To say that they contacted certain guys is not a plan. A plan is having inside scoop surrounding coaches inner circles to know who is viable option. Guys call guys all the time to see who is possibly available or not. AD's call AD's after all the foundation is laid. MU was blindsided by an event that anyone with brain knew would eventually occur.

To think that TC was not on the market is beyond insane. If Mu had a list it was not more detailed than the list us experts had on our posts. The circus of college coaching is becoming a high stakes poker game. When an entire athletic department and school identity rests on your basketball team you had better be awfully skilled at your trade. Asking departing coach, a former player and businessmen to make the call is not proper way in my opinion. Donors are brought in when the time is right, not from the start.