I think Cottingham should tell Buzz to take a hike...

[lab_warrior]

Al Skinner!?!?! Holy sh*t! Are you freaking out of your mind? He was a horrendous coach and an even worse recruiter. The dude didn't even try. If we even interviewed him I would relinquish my season tickets.

Agree...Al Skinner would be a putrid choice.  Ugh.

[willie warrior]

Brian Wardle----COME ON. We are BE team with long history. I am hoping people that suggest names like that are doing it to piss people off. Wardle makes Buzz look like Coach K.

Not wanting to start a big deal here, but your comparison of Buzz being far superior to Wardle is way off base.
Prior to his hire at MU, Buzz had 1 year experience as a head coach at New Orleans, Wardle has 1 year at UWGB.yes Buzz had more experience as an Assistant, but Wardle is an alumni and played the game. IMO, Wardle at this stage has as strong/weak credentials as Buzz when he was hired.

And guess what? Wardle would kick Buzz's ass in one on one, and has a hell of a lot better jump shot/FT shot.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Not wanting to start a big deal here, but your comparison of Buzz being far superior to Wardle is way off base.
Prior to his hire at MU, Buzz had 1 year experience as a head coach at New Orleans, Wardle has 1 year at UWGB.yes Buzz had more experience as an Assistant, but Wardle is an alumni and played the game. IMO, Wardle at this stage has as strong/weak credentials as Buzz when he was hired.

And guess what? Wardle would kick Buzz's ass in one on one, and has a hell of a lot better jump shot/FT shot.

This is idiotic. Wardle isn't even qualified to be our top assistant.

[Sir Lawrence]

This is idiotic. Wardle isn't even qualified to be our top assistant.

Agreed, except I'd add asinine as a further qualifier to idiotic.  And I like Wardle. 

[GGGG]

Not wanting to start a big deal here, but your comparison of Buzz being far superior to Wardle is way off base.
Prior to his hire at MU, Buzz had 1 year experience as a head coach at New Orleans, Wardle has 1 year at UWGB.yes Buzz had more experience as an Assistant, but Wardle is an alumni and played the game. IMO, Wardle at this stage has as strong/weak credentials as Buzz when he was hired.

That is absolutely false.  Williams was a top assistant and recruiter that brought talent into two programs that made the NCAA tournament.  He was considered a solid up-and-comer by many in college basketball.  So much so that TC won a battle against Gillespie to bring him here.

Being an alumnus is completely irrelevent.  "Playing the game" is also irrelevent.  Those don't somehow trump the lack of experience and ability.

[willie warrior]

This is idiotic. Wardle isn't even qualified to be our top assistant.

Say what you want. Credentials at Buzz's time of hire are very much about  the same. And Wardle played the game--Buzz did not.

[NersEllenson]

Say what you want. Credentials at Buzz's time of hire are very much about  the same. And Wardle played the game--Buzz did not.

Willie - C'mon Man.  Seriously??  After all the flak you've given Buzz the last 2 years...you really are suggesting Wardle as a replacement..or viable replacement candidate..because he went to MU, played ball at MU and has 1 year of coaching experience?

Buzz could wipe Wardle's ass with exposure to basketball strategy, as he could his contact network within recruiting circles.  Think Wardle has any kind of reach nationally with regard to recruiting?  I've posted this recently...a "great" coach can probably get you an additional 2-4 wins per year..great talent will get you 20-25 on its own.

MU absolutely has to have a coach that can recruit - it is the common theme of success among our coaches since Al:  O'Neill, Crean and now Buzz.  Pretty sure Wardle has a long way to go to develop a recruiting network that will be required to get top/required talent to MU to compete in the Big East.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

Congrats to everyone....your doing exactly what Buzz DIDN'T want...and that is focusing on him rather than the team and the players......let's just enjoy the tournament and see what happens after our run!

GO MU!

[willie warrior]

Willie - C'mon Man.  Seriously??  After all the flak you've given Buzz the last 2 years...you really are suggesting Wardle as a replacement..or viable replacement candidate..because he went to MU, played ball at MU and has 1 year of coaching experience?

Buzz could wipe Wardle's ass with exposure to basketball strategy, as he could his contact network within recruiting circles.  Think Wardle has any kind of reach nationally with regard to recruiting?  I've posted this recently...a "great" coach can probably get you an additional 2-4 wins per year..great talent will get you 20-25 on its own.

MU absolutely has to have a coach that can recruit - it is the common theme of success among our coaches since Al:  O'Neill, Crean and now Buzz.  Pretty sure Wardle has a long way to go to develop a recruiting network that will be required to get top/required talent to MU to compete in the Big East.

Man, you people do not let up, and get your shorts in a bind over nothing. No I am not suggesting Wardle as a replacement--there was a post made by somebody else deriding Wardle as a replacement. I only commented that Wardles's experience was similar to Buzz's prior to Buzz's hiring at MU. Unless I am enirely wrong:
1. Both had 1 year head coaching experience--Buzz then and Wardle now
2. Both had been Asst. Coaches--Wardle several years at UWGB, Buzz about 2 years at MU. I acknowledged that Buzz had more previous assistant experience at other schools. Right now, he is also a better recruiter.
3. Wardle is an alumni, and played at a high level both in HS and college at MU.

And of course people have said that because he is an alumni, that is irrevalent. I would tend to agree with that, but it does mean something to a lot of people. And I do believe that the fact that he played the game at a high level in both HS and College is part of what a potential candidate bring to the table as part of his resume.

My only point was to show that a guy like Wardle should not be dismissed out of hand. MU's current and last coach were no more qualified than a candidate with Wardle's background. Crean--I do not he ever played, and had no Head Coaching experience--he was an assistant at a great program--and had to learn on the job. Buzz--1 year of HC experience at a low level program.

By the way, Buzz is still head coach, so why all the speculation?

I never said hire Wardle--the point was to show a comparison of credentials and to not discount the guy. And since this is all speculation, we could argue all day long as to whether Wardle could recruit the Chicago and Wisconsin area better than Buzz if Wardle was the MU head coach. A definite case could be made for Wardle, as we do not seem to be focussing much on Chicago right now. You do not know how Wardle would recruit at MU. He is not the head coach. You are speculating on that. And since you are so sold on Buzz's recruiting skills, what top 50 recruit has he pulled out of Texas? He has done well at the JUCO level, but I believe that the only top 50 recruit from HS that Buzz has drawn in is Vander--and IMO he was way overrated.

[Tugg Speedman]

Won't Buzz get torched for allowing all these AK and OU rumors to persist and become a distraction for the team?

Why does Buzz think press about leaving is necessary now?  Is he planning on losing this weekend so he can bolt next week?  If so, leave now and let Benford coach tomorrow night.  If he was really interested, can't it wait until we are officially done?  Their will be plenty time later for glowing press if he wants to leave.

Buzz likes his guys and wants to to do well this week.  How does this help?  And, if he is totally selfless, doesn't a sweet sixteen or more only help his cause to leave?  Getting blown out by X under these circumstances hurts his stature.  And then to leave after all this press BEFORE the game is going to burn a bridge on his way out ... more-so then if this started after we lost and our season was over.

Lastly, does anyone put any credence in the idea that Buzz does not want to leave but he is happy with the attention as it raises his stature and might help him in recruiting?  Maybe he is looking at some Texas guys and this helps get them to Milwaukee.

Other thoughts?

[BaltimoreMC]

I know he's from that part of the country, but why is OU a better job than MU?  Crean to IU - makes sense, it is a blue blood college basketball program.  But why leave a pretty darn good gig at MU for what is likely a lateral move at best?  Plus some potential NCAA sanctions coming down on OU?  I'm not buying it.  I don't think Buzz leaves for either OU or Ark.  I think that this board has itself in a tizzy due to a lack of information and speculation from ESPN/cbssports/SI talking heads who's job it is to stir the coaching pot this time of year.  I'm so sick of every NCAA tournament being ruined w/ speculation that our coach is leaving. 

[[Mu]EngiNerd]

did this really require another thread considering this conversation is going on in 15 other places on the board?

[willie warrior]

I know he's from that part of the country, but why is OU a better job than MU?  Crean to IU - makes sense, it is a blue blood college basketball program.  But why leave a pretty darn good gig at MU for what is likely a lateral move at best?  Plus some potential NCAA sanctions coming down on OU?  I'm not buying it.  I don't think Buzz leaves for either OU or Ark.  I think that this board has itself in a tizzy due to a lack of information and speculation from ESPN/cbssports/SI talking heads who's job it is to stir the coaching pot this time of year.  I'm so sick of every NCAA tournament being ruined w/ speculation that our coach is leaving. 

OU is not a better job than MU, and Buzz is making good coin at MU. Only reason might be that is closer to his old stomping grounds. MU is a better job. Better conference, better facilities, better BB fans, and a more loyal administration than OU. OU is a football school, and they shafted Capel.

[Pakuni]

Won't Buzz get torched for allowing all these AK and OU rumors to persist and become a distraction for the team?

Why does Buzz think press about leaving is necessary now?  Is he planning on losing this weekend so he can bolt next week?  If so, leave now and let Benford coach tomorrow night.  If he was really interested, can't it wait until we are officially done?  Their will be plenty time later for glowing press if he wants to leave.

Buzz likes his guys and wants to to do well this week.  How does this help?  And, if he is totally selfless, doesn't a sweet sixteen or more only help his cause to leave?  Getting blown out by X under these circumstances hurts his stature.  And then to leave after all this press BEFORE the game is going to burn a bridge on his way out ... more-so then if this started after we lost and our season was over.

Lastly, does anyone put any credence in the idea that Buzz does not want to leave but he is happy with the attention as it raises his stature and might help him in recruiting?  Maybe he is looking at some Texas guys and this helps get them to Milwaukee.

Other thoughts?

I think Buzz cannot control what Andy Katz, Jeff Goodman, Gary Parrish, etc., say about him.
I also think that any young, energetic coach who has some success at a school like Marquette (or Xavier or any other similar school) is going to become a popular name on the coaching carousel. It was true of O'Neill, it was true of Crean, it was true of Matta, it was true of Miller, it is true of Mack. Not much can be done about it.

[jt92]

Again this is all Buzz's doing.  His words created this distraction.

[[Mu]EngiNerd]

I agree he could have squashed the rumors, but he either wants the Ok or Ark job or he wants a raise...

[StillAWarrior]

I think Buzz cannot control what Andy Katz, Jeff Goodman, Gary Parrish, etc., say about him.

I would tend to agree with that.  However, there were a lot of people on this board who didn't give our former coach the same benefit of the doubt.

[Pakuni]

Again this is all Buzz's doing.  His words created this distraction.

The rumors were out there long before Buzz addressed them (to your dissatisfaction) on Tuesday. In fact, the rumors were out there even before Arkansas fired Pelphrey.
And, as I think we all know, no statement Buzz makes is going to make the rumors go away, prevent other schools from coming after him, or even stop him from leaving.