Groce to Get IL Job

[RushmoreAcademy]

Reports saying that it's going to be Ohio's Groce.
Flavor of the week hire, it appears.  Anybody know much about him?

[Hoopaloop]

Reports saying that it's going to be Ohio's Groce.
Flavor of the week hire, it appears.  Anybody know much about him?

He was on the lists of some posters here 4 years ago for the MU job.  Top recruiter for Thad Matta at Xavier and Ohio State.  Landed Conley and the big fella at OSU.

If MU lost Buzz, he would have been on my list of 5 guys to look at.

[Blackhat]

 Keno still making your list, Chico?

[MerrittsMustache]

Reports saying that it's going to be Ohio's Groce.
Flavor of the week hire, it appears.  Anybody know much about him?

He was 2 Akron points away from being on no one's coaching "wish list" this offseason.

[MU82]

Somebody on another thread said this would be a bad hire, but I don't see why. His resume reminds me of Self's to this point in Self's career at Tulsa. He certainly has more of a history as a recruiter than Shaka.

[Hoopaloop]

Keno still making your list, Chico?

Yes, yes he is.  Absolutely.  Yes, he is definitely still on Chicos my list.  Along with Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Adoph Rupp.

[brewcity77]

He's #6! He's #6!

...on Illinois' wish list, that is.

[🏀]

Groce is a nice hire, but well below what Illini Nation expected.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

but he's a white guy?  what happened to Theus?

[Hoopaloop]

He's #6! He's #6!

...on Illinois' wish list, that is.

He can recruit.  Give him 5 years to see if he works out.

[mr.MUskie]

Some Illini fans not happy...

If we hire Groce, we are hiring the brother of the guy Kelvin Sampson hired to be IUs video coordinator, right? And this guy was Eric Gordon's AAU coach, right? So we would be hiring the brother of a guy who was likely a key figure in the Eric gordon sabotage/deception/whatever you want to call it right? This sits well with Illini fans?

Groce 34-30 MAC record...The MAC is not up to par conference..

Stevens 73-17 Horizon

Smart 38-16 CAA

[MU82]

What was Buzz's record at New Orleans?

[warthog-driver]

Yes, yes he is.  Absolutely.  Yes, he is definitely still on Chicos my list.  Along with Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Adoph Rupp.

[brewcity77]

Some Illini fans not happy...

If we hire Groce, we are hiring the brother of the guy Kelvin Sampson hired to be IUs video coordinator, right? And this guy was Eric Gordon's AAU coach, right? So we would be hiring the brother of a guy who was likely a key figure in the Eric gordon sabotage/deception/whatever you want to call it right? This sits well with Illini fans?

Groce 34-30 MAC record...The MAC is not up to par conference..

Stevens 73-17 Horizon

Smart 38-16 CAA

Oh my lord...I didn't realize that. Wow, I'm laughing my ass off at that. And while he may have a rep as a recruiter...well, he has to do it at more than Ohio with castoffs from tOSU. It may well be an okay hire, but I don't think Groce grew up dreaming of the Orange and Blue. For better or worse, I give him 6 years.

[MU82]

Not only Stevens and Shaka, of course. You gotta know the Illinois people at least reached out to Buzz, who very politely (I'm sure) said thanks but no thanks.

[hdog1017]

Did Groce accept the job?  I haven't heard anything, which is a positive result for U of I considering how this search has gone so far...

[RushmoreAcademy]

Don't think he has officially accepted so far...sounds like it's going to happen though... here is the excerpt from the Trib article:
-------------
"Barring an 11th-hour surprise, a national coaching search that began amid such promise will end smacking of desperation. If Groce becomes the next Illinois head coach as several sources expect, he will accept the job knowing at least five other candidates decided it was not for them."

[dwaderoy2004]

Who are the five that turned it down besides Shaka and Brad Stevens?  Is Buzz officially on that list?  Who am I missing?

[MuMark]

Anthony Grant is one.

[🏀]

Who are the five that turned it down besides Shaka and Brad Stevens?  Is Buzz officially on that list?  Who am I missing?

Romar.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Here's the article. No official list, but a lot of guys list.... Buzz is not one of the names mentioned:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-spt-0327-haugh-illinois-chicago--20120327,0,642550.column

[brewcity77]

So the Illinois coaching search is becoming even more of a fiasco. UI put out the info that they would be unveiling Groce at a press conference at 3:00 today, then 15 minutes later announced there would be no press conference. What a clusterf**k.

[MU82]

Ridiculous that Illinois is hiring a guy who had little college head-coaching experience and not all that much success in that job.

Thank goodness, Marquette would never turn to a guy who had, say, a laughable 14-17 record in his sole season as a mid-major coach!

[NotAnAlum]

Did you intend Teal?  While I see you point there are some pretty important differences.
First Buzz was on staff for a year so everyone almost a year to "measure" him.
Second Buzz was a lot younger than this guy so what he had "or hadn't" accomplished has to be measured by age.
Third Buzz was the current players choice.  In the back of their mind MU had to figure that if they kept the Amigos happy they had a NCAA appearence and likely even sweet 16 almost in the bag.
Ill gets none of that.  Big Risk. couldn't happen to a nicer school!

[MarquetteDano]

Did you intend Teal?  While I see you point there are some pretty important differences.
First Buzz was on staff for a year so everyone almost a year to "measure" him.
Second Buzz was a lot younger than this guy so what he had "or hadn't" accomplished has to be measured by age.
Third Buzz was the current players choice.  In the back of their mind MU had to figure that if they kept the Amigos happy they had a NCAA appearence and likely even sweet 16 almost in the bag.
Ill gets none of that.  Big Risk. couldn't happen to a nicer school!

One should add to your list that we had a coach leave in the middle of the night in our case whilst Illinois fired their coach and presumably had a plan to replace him?