[Cracked Sidewalks] Buzz Williams to remain at Marquette as head coach

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Buzz Williams to remain at Marquette as head coach

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (muwarrior92)

According to reports today, Buzz Williams will remain as head coach at Marquette and have his salary bumped above $2 million per year.  That salary would put Williams in the top 20 salaries in college basketball and increased expectations that accompany it.

Buzz Williams to return to Marquette

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2011/03/buzz-williams-to-remain-at-marquette-as.html

[willie warrior]

OK. If he is getting 2 million a year, then we should compete for BEast titles--not settle for 10th place, make deep runs in the dance at least every third year, be ranked in top 25 consistently, and recruit big time players. No more excuses like:
~~Our players lack experience
~~Wisky beat us because they were lucky
~~The successful coaches in BEast have all been there for years
~~Our guys ran out of gas
~~We are only a post player away
~~We need a PG who can shoot
~~You can't recruit talent to Milwaukee (By the way, they do it at Butler, they do it at Syracuse, they do it at UConn, etc.)
And so on.

If Buzz is here for the long haul, I am confident that he can do it.

[Goose]

Willie---I agree expectations should be higher and support should be higher if all this is true. Time to go to next level as program if spending this kind of dough.

[RubyWiscy]

Willie, just stfu.

Great day for MU and its future.

[brewcity77]

OK. If he is getting 2 million a year, then we should compete for BEast titles--not settle for 10th place, make deep runs in the dance at least every third year, be ranked in top 25 consistently, and recruit big time players. No more excuses like:
~~Our players lack experience
~~Wisky beat us because they were lucky
~~The successful coaches in BEast have all been there for years
~~Our guys ran out of gas
~~We are only a post player away
~~We need a PG who can shoot
~~You can't recruit talent to Milwaukee (By the way, they do it at Butler, they do it at Syracuse, they do it at UConn, etc.)
And so on.

If Buzz is here for the long haul, I am confident that he can do it.

Just out of curiosity, you do undersand that Buzz is building the program, right? After all of TC's recruits left, he did what he had to to keep us above water. Like his methods or not, they worked. Our NCAA streak is intact, and now his own recruits are ready to step to the forefront. We were never likely to win a title in Buzz's third year. I think when you look at the team, we are on the right track. We have the talent level, the balance in classes, and hopefully the coach that can coach them down the path to the Final Four. I know you have a lot of question marks, and I know that everything hasn't been perfect, but I think the silver lining on the job Buzz has done so far (even before the S16 run) is pretty blatantly obvious.

Though all that said, I am glad to see you are confident he can do it. I'm with you there.

[NCAARules]

Willie, just stfu.

Great day for MU and its future.

Agreed.

[Knight Commission]

Congrats to Buzz and his family. Well deserved.
I am glad though they set expectations higher.

[Goose]

Guys---It is a great day for program if the deal gets signed and MU is equally protected. But, it does raise the bar to some extent. If you are paying your coach top 20 pay then performance must match. It is no different than any other job except.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

OK. If he is getting 2 million a year, then we should compete for BEast titles--not settle for 10th place, make deep runs in the dance at least every third year, be ranked in top 25 consistently, and recruit big time players. No more excuses like:
~~Our players lack experience
~~Wisky beat us because they were lucky
~~The successful coaches in BEast have all been there for years
~~Our guys ran out of gas
~~We are only a post player away
~~We need a PG who can shoot
~~You can't recruit talent to Milwaukee (By the way, they do it at Butler, they do it at Syracuse, they do it at UConn, etc.)
And so on.

If Buzz is here for the long haul, I am confident that he can do it.

That's a lot of wasted keystrokes.

I expect national titles. That's it. The rest is just window dressing.

[Blackhat]

Willie, just stfu.

Great day for MU and its future.

[NCAARules]

Guys---It is a great day for program if the deal gets signed and MU is equally protected. But, it does raise the bar to some extent. If you are paying your coach top 20 pay then performance must match. It is no different than any other job except.

I'm fine with it raising the bar, but am not so delusional as to put specific criteria on it, especially criteria that has not been matched at MU since the tournament expanded in the mid-80s. Yes, it would be the highest salary MU has ever paid to a coach, but that is what it takes to be competitive in our milieu.

Furthermore, WW's list of proffered excuses, as far as I'm aware, have never been made by the coaching staff or administration. ((With the only possible exception being the DI experience issue - I know Buzz has stressed this, I just don't recall the specific context))

Before a deal is even reached, WW seems to be trying to frame what the future debate will be on the merits of Buzz as a coach. I don't take kindly to that. I do not agree with his criteria, and I do not agree with his outlook.
It smacks of someone furthering an agenda.

Like many others, my expectations are raised, but raised based on another year of experience, another year of recruiting, another year of fantastic exposure to the nation. They have very little to do with the amount of money being paid to the coach. As some like to say, "That is the cost of doing business."

[Goose]

NCAA Rules---I would say your point is well stated. I think it is time to look at expectations for the position and not the person in the position. If we were looking at another school hiring another coach at $2 million we would think expectations are high at that school. TC is hired at IU for a ton of money and many on here think he should be fired because of lack of victories. We are tough on other coaches in our league and less so on our coach. If he is paid big boy pay I think the bar should be high.

My only gripe on the site or MU fans is we are tough critics of other programs than our own. My goal would be to see us worry about our success and hold the HC position and AD position accountable. I believe Buzz can get it done and believe with new contract he has to get done.

[MUBurrow]

yeah this notion that the top 20 coaches should have the top 20 teams is ridiculous.  MU needs to be able to pay a coach who can overcome some of the unique challenges that the program presents (we have talked about them ad nauseum), and I believe Buzz is a great guy to overcome many of those.  If a coach takes little ole MU and makes them perennially in the national consideration, you don't think that's worth as much financially as a guy who keeps UNC competitively?  We would say that the MU coach has the harder job and has done more with less, so why not compensate him more?

[Goose]

MUBurrow--You really think keeping UNC on top is easy? Pretty sure they had a couple of dud hires along the way. If you believe MU has to overpay to overcome our weaknesses we have ZERO chance to be big time. Buzz is not being paid big money to offset the limitations you implied. He might be getting paid big money because MU got scared but not limitations.

With your thought process the biggest limitations are fans that have bar set too low. I believe we can a national championship. Schools with limitations cannot say that. In a year with VCU and Butler playing big how can you mention our "challenges"?

[Aughnanure]

MUBurrow--You really think keeping UNC on top is easy? Pretty sure they had a couple of dud hires along the way. If you believe MU has to overpay to overcome our weaknesses we have ZERO chance to be big time. Buzz is not being paid big money to offset the limitations you implied. He might be getting paid big money because MU got scared but not limitations.

With your thought process the biggest limitations are fans that have bar set too low. I believe we can a national championship. Schools with limitations cannot say that. In a year with VCU and Butler playing big how can you mention our "challenges"?

How bad was North Carolina really under their "dud hires"? They are at a different level.

[RawdogDX]

Guys---It is a great day for program if the deal gets signed and MU is equally protected. But, it does raise the bar to some extent. If you are paying your coach top 20 pay then performance must match. It is no different than any other job except.

We are paying him like a top 20 guy and he just had us as one of the last 16 teams playing:  
In his 3rd year.
With no true seniors or juniors.  

What is the point of complaining about other fans expectations in every thread?  We get it.  You want Buzz on the hot seat.  We should all demand that over the next three years, if we don't finish top 3 in the big east every year and make sweet 16s 2 out of our next 3 years.  And if he doesn't live up then he should be gone because that is how you "run it like a business."  

N

[Tugg Speedman]

Devil's advocate.

Yes more money means higher expectations.

If Buzz is now one of the 20 highest paid coaches.  Then should we expect a top 20 team?

Here is how Buzz's previous three seasons have ranked ...

                 KenPom    Sagarin
2010/2011      31             25
2009/2010      33             36
2008/2009      19             20

Looks like we are not that far away right now.  And considering what Buzz was paid his first three years, we were probably underpaying him to begin with.

We are not necessarily "overpaying" Buzz based on what he did.

[Goose]

Rawdog---I do not want Buzz on hot seat at all. I want all the fans in BC seat next season. The school ponies up and I want fans to do the same. If we are big time program, which I believe, we need to be big time across the board. More students and less no shows at BC would be nice.

So, my point is I want the fans on the hot seat.

[Coleman]

Devil's advocate.

Yes more money means higher expectations.

If Buzz is now one of the 20 highest paid coaches.  Then should we expect a top 20 team?

Here is how Buzz's previous three seasons have ranked ...

                 KenPom    Sagarin
2010/2011      31             25
2009/2010      33             36
2008/2009      19             20

Looks like we are not that far away right now.  And considering what Buzz was paid his first three years, we were probably underpaying him to begin with.

We are not necessarily "overpaying" Buzz based on what he did.

+1

[Blackhat]

We've been very fair to Buzz.   I think expectations should go up slightly, NIT allowable once, maybe twice.  Otherwise we should be making the tourney.   I agree with others that price of business at MU is a little higher to maintain coaches.  No built in recruiting advantages, climate, etc.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Rawdog---I do not want Buzz on hot seat at all. I want all the fans in BC seat next season. The school ponies up and I want fans to do the same. If we are big time program, which I believe, we need to be big time across the board. More students and less no shows at BC would be nice.

So, my point is I want the fans on the hot seat.

says the guy who was  bragging about dropping his season tickets 2 days ago.   

[MUMac]

We've been very fair to Buzz.   I think expectations should go up slightly, NIT allowable once, maybe twice.  Otherwise we should be making the tourney.   I agree with others that price of business at MU is a little higher to maintain coaches.  No built in recruiting advantages, climate, etc.

Agree with this.  I do, though, want to see how Buzz does recruiting coming off the Sweet 16 and a renewed commitment to MU.  He has been trying to get some of the elite players the past two years (Black, Dawson - please chico's no more Dawson comments  ).  I am hoping this gives him enough amunition to close some of these.

[Tugg Speedman]

agree with others that price of business at MU is a little higher to maintain coaches.  No built in recruiting advantages, climate, etc.

What makes Syracuse, Uconn, Kansas, Mich State, Kentucky or Louisville America's paradise?

Basketball has shown weather is not an issue (side note, weather appears to be a huge issue in football recruiting which is killing the B10 and ND).  City is not an issue.  If the Coach is good, even an armpit like Lansing Michigan becomes desirable.

[Blackhat]

Located in a ghetto, some weird dude driving around with signs all over his car, no rep for hot tail, not dominant alumni base even in our city and its suburbs.    Wisconsin isn't for a lot of people, probably has a worse rep among males than most of those other places.

But you're right, climate is minor mostly, unless with southern guys.  More recruiting since MPS doesn't qualify their kids, lots of competition in Chicago, no in state pressure to go to MU, like with the crazies in Louisiana, Indiana or Kentucky etc.

[Tugg Speedman]

Located in a ghetto, some weird dude driving around with signs all over his car, no rep for hot tail, not dominant alumni base even in our city and its suburbs.

The only way you can think MU is located in a ghetto is you're a white guy that has spent way too much time in the suburbs.  Or, you don't know what the definition of Ghetto means.  Uconn, Seton Hall, SJU, Louisville, Nova, Cincy, Xavier (or Harvard or Yale for that fact)) or most any other urban school fit your description.

The rest is a pretty good description of Louisville, Syracuse,  Mich State and Kansas.

My point is MU has no disadvantage, other than not enough Wisconsin players to pick from.  Get a good coach and everyone will come to you.  Again, see Louisville and Lansing Michigan (or New Haven) why people even stop to get gas and go to the bathroom in these towns is beyond me.