I apologize to the board; I was wrong about Buzz

[ecompt]

After watching his press conference from yesterday I hope he stays at MU for a long, long time. And that feeling is not going to change even if we lose badly tonight. I think he is the real deal and a great representative for the university. I will be very diasappointed if he leaves.

[tower912]

No need to apolgize.   You disagreed, but unlike some, you weren't disagreeable.     And Buzz ain't perfect.

[mu_hilltopper]

I think we need a wiki page to plot out everyone's position on Buzz, so everyone knows who likes Buzz, who does not, who has changed their mind, what their criteria is, what their time horizon for judging a coach is, whether they liked the hiring process, whether they liked Crean .. etc.

Only then, will we know in real-time, where everyone stands.

[Goose]

I was 100% against the hire and not because of Buzz. Was pissed at the process. Buzz has done far better than I ever expected. Would say that fall into I want Buzz to stay because if he leaves it hurts program. I still think Buzz is in over his head in BE based on the other coaches in the league.

I have not really changed my opinion on a Buzz a great deal over past three years. I like guys would recruit athletes and he has proven he can do that. Overall grade would be B or B-..grade based off my expectations A-.

[Pakuni]

I was 100% against the hire and not because of Buzz. Was pissed at the process. Buzz has done far better than I ever expected. Would say that fall into I want Buzz to stay because if he leaves it hurts program. I still think Buzz is in over his head in BE based on the other coaches in the league.

I have not really changed my opinion on a Buzz a great deal over past three years. I like guys would recruit athletes and he has proven he can do that. Overall grade would be B or B-..grade based off my expectations A-.

Regarding your point on "over his head" ... what coaches out there in 2008, or today, who would come to MU do you believe would be the equals to Calhoun, Pitino, Boeheim, Huggins, etc.?
And, after  four years as head coaches, would you Calhoun, Pitino, Boeheim, Huggins, etc., would have been "over their head" against those guys today?

[Goose]

Pakuni---The game has changed and you better be up to speed by year three in coaching skills, particularly if the coach only stays three years. I do not think Buzz will ever be confused as one of the great basketball minds of the 21st century.

[Pakuni]

Pakuni---The game has changed and you better be up to speed by year three in coaching skills, particularly if the coach only stays three years. I do not think Buzz will ever be confused as one of the great basketball minds of the 21st century.

That's nice, but you didn't answer either of my questions.

Who could MU have landed, realistically, that could equal the top coaches of the BE in terms of basketball knowledge?

Would Jim Calhoun, circa 1976 at Northeastern, be "over his head" against Jim Calhoun today?
Would Pitino's coaching knowledge, in 1981, equal that of Pitino today?
Would Bob Huggins, in his first year at Akron, be on par as a "basketball mind" with Bob Huggins today?

Fact is, your "over your head comment" has a bit of the "duh" factor to it. Of course a head coach in his 30s with four years experience isn't going to be the equal of a bunch of Hall of Famers with multiple championships/Final Fours under their belts. It doesn't exactly take "one of the great basketball minds of the 21st century" to recognize that.

[Goose]

Pakuni---I did answer your question. This is not 1978 and Buzz was paid a lot of money to compete.coach at high level from day one. The days on the job learning are long gone. Too much money at stake and need to win. If you want a guy to get his feet wet you surely do not start out in BE.

If you are hiring a guy who can quit in three years your coaching expectations better be pretty high. If not we are going to have a bunch of inexperienced guys learn on our dime and bolt.

[79Warrior]

After watching his press conference from yesterday I hope he stays at MU for a long, long time. And that feeling is not going to change even if we lose badly tonight. I think he is the real deal and a great representative for the university. I will be very diasappointed if he leaves.

Agreed. If MU can hang on to him through this, I think he stays at MU for quite some time.

[Pakuni]

Pakuni---I did answer your question. This is not 1978 and Buzz was paid a lot of money to compete.coach at high level from day one. The days on the job learning are long gone. Too much money at stake and need to win. If you want a guy to get his feet wet you surely do not start out in BE.

If you are hiring a guy who can quit in three years your coaching expectations better be pretty high. If not we are going to have a bunch of inexperienced guys learn on our dime and bolt.

Maybe I'm just slow today, but how does "this is not 1978" tell me about all the candidates MU could have had in 2008 who would have been the equal to a bunch of Hall of Famers?
And how does "this is not 1978" tell me whether Calhoun, Huggins, etc. in their fourth year were as knowledgeable as they are today?

I'm just assuming you've chosen to duck, rather than answer, my questions, which is fine. No need to reply.

[4everwarriors]

EC, as a professional scribe who literally has heard thousands of pressers, in your opinion, is Buzz the more genuine sports figure you've heard, or just the cleverest?

[downtown85]

After watching his press conference from yesterday I hope he stays at MU for a long, long time. And that feeling is not going to change even if we lose badly tonight. I think he is the real deal and a great representative for the university. I will be very diasappointed if he leaves.

is there a link where one can watch that online?

[bilsu]

When you criticise the hiring process, you are doing that without any inside knowledge of what actually went on. We do not know if MU contacted and was turned down by higher profile candidates. You certainly were not present when Buzz was interviewed. Hiring any new coach is a gamble. Buzz belongs at MU, and I think he knows that. However, what would you do if a school offered you $1,000,000 more and MU was not willing to match.

[Lennys Tap]

After watching his press conference from yesterday I hope he stays at MU for a long, long time. And that feeling is not going to change even if we lose badly tonight. I think he is the real deal and a great representative for the university. I will be very diasappointed if he leaves.

You have (I'm told) a long and distinguished background in sports. I think you've earned the right to any opinion you might have regarding Buzz. That you remained open to reassessing that opinion speaks well of you.

I'm gratified when fellow Marquette fans come to view Buzz as a coach/person who could be special here because I feel the same way. Apologies if I was a d**k in any of our past disagreements on the subject.

[NersEllenson]

is there a link where one can watch that online?

Ironically you have to find the video on the Syracuse website:

http://suathletics.syr.edu/index.aspx?path=mbasket

Go to the right side of the above page - and see their "video" player.  There is a scroll bar..scroll down and you will see the Buzz Williams Press Conference 3/19.  Gets good at 1:55 questions.

[marquette99]

Goose - I don't believe you will ever be confused with someone who has insightful posts. Did anyone confuse coach k with a good coach when he had a losing record after 3 years at duke?

Maybe you can go trolling on campus with willie to find students who agree with you and aren't sold on buzz.

[ecompt]

4ever, that's very hard to answer, but he is refreshing in a profession that needs that. I admit the "aw shucks" stuff may seem out of place in such a high profile job, but I think that's a real part of him. If, however, this is all an act, he is playing it very well. Regardless, I do think he genuinely has his players' interests at heart. Is he a great game coach? Not yet. Do I think he brought in too many JUCOs for my taste? Yes. But I would really hate to see him leave, and I don't think he will. I believe he realizes what MU has done for him and cherishes the opportunity he has been given.

[Goose]

Marquette99---You have no idea what you are talking about. I like Buzz and hopes he stays for next ten years. That make me a troll and unhappy with Buzz?

Pakuni--Your questions are irrelevant. All that matters is now and you avoid my point. What Calhoun and company were in year four their career means nothing. In that era coaches were given a ton of rope. OU cans Capel after 5 seasons and I believe he had decent NCAA run one year.

What does it matter who I would have hired in 2008? What matters is that we have Buzz and his coaching skills need to reflect a coach making $1.4 million a year.  You bash me and yet you avoid the facts. In 2011 there is no on the job training in BE for coaches.

[HouWarrior]

.."If you dont  re-think your position, your position will become one of no longer thinking"...

Constantly reserve the right to change your mind, because the world has already reserved its right to constant change. .

Only a block of cement, or a blockhead, takes pride in not changing its  position.

The value of beliefs increase only by being retested, and gain nothing  by being repeated.

There is no immutable truth, only truth accepted by mutes.

Never apologize to others for changing your your mind, but always apologize to others when your mind never changes.


Your next question is always more important than your last answer.

To others, a face may be more attractive when made up, but a mind never is.


Opinions may be like A$%holes, and everybody may have one, but every A&%hole is best when covered by underwear, which should be changed regularly, lest they become full of Sh&t.

houwarrior--2011

[chren21]

Ironically you have to find the video on the Syracuse website:

http://suathletics.syr.edu/index.aspx?path=mbasket

Go to the right side of the above page - and see their "video" player.  There is a scroll bar..scroll down and you will see the Buzz Williams Press Conference 3/19.  Gets good at 1:55 questions.

That was great and I read the whole transcript yesterday.  Much better on video.  Highly reccomend it.  We are lucky to have him.  I sure hope he never leaves.

[4everwarriors]

4ever, that's very hard to answer, but he is refreshing in a profession that needs that. I admit the "aw shucks" stuff may seem out of place in such a high profile job, but I think that's a real part of him. If, however, this is all an act, he is playing it very well. Regardless, I do think he genuinely has his players' interests at heart. Is he a great game coach? Not yet. Do I think he brought in too many JUCOs for my taste? Yes. But I would really hate to see him leave, and I don't think he will. I believe he realizes what MU has done for him and cherishes the opportunity he has been given.

I appreciate your answer and it's great to see you posting more here again.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That was great and I read the whole transcript yesterday.  Much better on video.  Highly reccomend it.  We are lucky to have him.  I sure hope he never leaves.

Agree, enjoyed watching it.  Hope he truly means it. Will find out soon enough.

[El Duderino]

I initially thought hiring Buzz was a mistake.

I still remember arguing with my best friend about the Buzz hiring. He supported it because of Buzz's reputation as a very good recruiter and how tireless of a worker Buzz had a reputation for being. I simply didn't like how inexperienced he was.

Well, as i watched Buzz during his first season, saw his personality, and then saw he was able to bring in quality players, i did a complete 360 on the hiring. Now i love the guy.

It's not just that Buzz has kept the program winning and that his recruiting has also been good. I love that there have been zero off the court issues, kids look like they are graduating, and the character of the kids Buzz has brought in are wonderful representatives for the university. Plus, the way guys like Wes and Lazar who are gone from the program speak about Buzz as a man and his influence on them on/off the court has been one more reason for me to be glad he's our head coach. He very genuinely seems to care a lot about the kids he's coaching.