Marquette fires Scott Monarch. Suspends HC Buzz Williams for one League game

[The Process]

The part that I found most interesting in Pat Forde's piece about accountability in the wake of the Calhoun suspension was this:

Dennis Thomas, chairman of the Committee on Infractions, tried his best not to say much on a teleconference announcing UConn's penalties Tuesday. But one point that came through rather clearly was that a head coach is responsible for keeping his program clean, and ignorance is no defense.

"This is something that a head coach should know about and ensure that everyone is in compliance," Thomas said of the improper benefits, contacts and agent dealings UConn had in its recruitment of Miles. "And that didn't happen. ... This situation specifically dealt with issues the head coach should have known about."

The other part that I found interesting was regarding penalties and how things have changed since 2009:

When Kentucky went down in flames in the late 1980s, head coach Eddie Sutton shifted to Oklahoma State while assistant Dwane Casey was stuck with a five-year show-cause penalty that exiled him to coaching in Japan. When Louisville was hit with two probations in the 1990s, Denny Crum remained insulated while assistants Larry Gay and Scooter McCray were bounced out of the business.

There are plenty of other examples, including this UConn investigation. Two staffers were canned as collateral damage months ago, while Calhoun coached on unimpeded. But there was a penalty waiting for him here in February, at the end of the process.

That's part of a shift in accountability that began in October 2009, according to those well-versed in NCAA policy and procedure. That's when the NCAA Board of Directors, acting on recommendations from the Enforcement Department's Basketball Focus Group, asked its Infractions Committee to get serious about penalties.

And that prominently includes penalties assessed to head coaches.

Letters of reprimand and other empty verbiage are out. Tangible sanctions are in.

The Southeastern Conference didn't wait for the NCAA to put the clamps on Tennessee's Bruce Pearl for lying to investigators. The conference office hit him with an eight-game SEC suspension this season. And now the NCAA has followed that lead and slapped Calhoun.

That's despite the best efforts of UConn to protect him from NCAA Enforcement's charge of failure "to promote an atmosphere of compliance." The school fought the charge. The school lost.

If MU didn't suspend Buzz for a game, I would not have been surprised to see the NCAA have suspended him either for the first Big East game or the Carrier Classic based on the Izzo/Pearl/Calhoun disciplines.  While this isn't at the level of Pearl or Calhoun, it seems fairly par (if you factor in the lying to investigators by Monarch) to what Izzo's situation was when it was all said and done.

[Pakuni]

Jump to conclusions much?  And you really exhibit your ignorance here by even raising the possibility that some programs out there would have pause with bringing Buzz in as their head coach.  We'll see next off season just how many teams are rumored to be after Buzz - I suspect it will be an all time high, as clearly many programs now know things are definitely all good with Buzz at MU.  He's ripe for the picking.  And all due to chicken little crap blown WAY out of proportion.

If for just few minutes you unstrapped you Buzz colored glasses you might recognize that, in addition to the on court success of the last couple years, the program has also experienced:
- widely publicized sexual assault claims (plural) involving multiple players
- a very public reprimand of the university as a result of how it handled those claims
- multiple players facing minor criminal charges
- multiple player suspensions
- the firing of a coach for lying about recruiting violations
- the suspension of a head coach related to a recruiting violation
- national criticism for the handling of DJ Newbill's situation
- a player suspended for violating NCAA rules

It's entirely within your prerogative to say these are a string of minor and unrelated incidents/irrelevant/a price you're willing to pay for the greatness that comes with making the Sweet 16.
But if you think that in a post-Penn State era athletic departments aren't going to take a good hard look at these things and, yes, take pause, you're living in a fantasyland.
You know, the kind of fantasyland where the Chicago Tribune news department schemes to take down Marquette basketball as a favor to DePaul, and where Buzz Williams sends individual fans coded messages by email.

[Pakuni]

Lets forget about academic experience for a minute.

From a management experience standpoint, Pilarz came to us from Scranton. Larry Williams from Portland. These are the guys currently at the controls of the charter.

Says a wise man who ripped Marquette for hiring a guy whose previous head coaching experience was at the University of New Orleans.

[nathanziarek]

There is exactly one thing that all alumni and other stakeholders can unite behind and it's the basketball team. It drives applications, donations, season ticket sales, etc. Do you think moving from 70th ot 35th in US News and World Report is going to mean a goddamnned thing at the end of the day? All it means is Pilarz can get a better seat at the Jesuit convention. And speaking of better seats, if this noose tightening continues at MU, I wouldn't be surprised to see us playing at The Al.

You really, truly, think the the utterly basic arithmetic you've described above isn't entirely known by the president, athletic department and BOT? You're convinced that "good basketball" = "more applications" is an equation only you and the posters on this board are aware of?

I'd be curious to now how much you've studied this. What is the application and revenue growth for a university that makes the sweet 16? Elite eight? After 2003, when Marquette saw a huge increase in applications, what was the rest of the market doing? Were other schools, not associated with a final four, also experiencing a surge of applications?

Do you think, at any level, there is ANY information the board and president have access to that you've not considered?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Says a wise man who ripped Marquette for hiring a guy whose previous head coaching experience was at the University of New Orleans.

That's true!

[nathanziarek]

I feel a sub-par basketball team would definitely impact the excitement of being a student at Marquette.

No one would argue otherwise. Not me, not PRN, not the doofus board of trustees. No one.

I'm not arguing a strong basketball team isn't incredible marketing and strong community building. I'm saying that's obvious—thinking the posters on this board have somehow considered more angles and reviewed more data on this than the people who's job it is is kinda nutty.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Do you think, at any level, there is ANY information the board and president have access to that you've not considered?

No, I don't. Nothing relevant anyway. These references to "the board" are laughable. You think because a guy sold a bunch of Hummers that he's some kind of sage administrator? How about a shoe salesman? The coach of the Boston Celtics?

[nathanziarek]

Lets forget about academic experience for a minute.

From a management experience standpoint, Pilarz came to us from Scranton. Larry Williams from Portland. These are the guys currently at the controls of the charter.

What does this even mean?

[nathanziarek]

No, I don't. Nothing relevant anyway. These references to "the board" are laughable. You think because a guy sold a bunch of Hummers that he's some kind of sage administrator? How about a shoe salesman? The coach of the Boston Celtics?

Good god I wish I had your confidence.

You don't think having a coach of a major basketball franchise gives them any insight into the industry? Is there any experience you consider valuable? Does founding and steering successful businesses impart no wisdom?

I do not think the board is infallible, but let's ignore them for a second. You do not think there is any shred of market research the Marquette has done that you do not have insight into?

[shaquilvaine]

It's like Bill Clinton.  He wasn't going to get impeached for getting a hummer in the oval office from Monica. It's the lie and cover up.

MU had no choice but to fire monarch.

Sounds like Monarch didn't just lie.  When pressed on it, he lied and lied again and lied some more.  He made his own bed.

[GGGG]

No, I don't. Nothing relevant anyway. These references to "the board" are laughable. You think because a guy sold a bunch of Hummers that he's some kind of sage administrator? How about a shoe salesman? The coach of the Boston Celtics?

Yeah...they're no "random message board poster."  That's for sure.

[shaquilvaine]

Didn't Izzo get suspended a game due to a minor violation in the Dawson recruitment? Did he commit the violation resulting in the suspension and that's how it would be different? Also, didn't Calhoun have a suspension for major violations, but his suspension kicked in during the Big East season. Maybe there's a rule or precedent.


I hear the severity of the suspension was based on similar situations like the Dawson recruitment.  The punishment is in line with 3-4 similar cases.

[The Lens]

Gary Parrish is very tight with Buzz.  As tight as Goodman.

[Dawson Rental]

Lets forget about academic experience for a minute.

From a management experience standpoint, Pilarz came to us from Scranton. Larry Williams from Portland. These are the guys currently at the controls of the charter.

Says a wise man who ripped Marquette for hiring a guy whose previous head coaching experience was at the University of New Orleans.

That's true!

You, sir, are no Scott Monarch!

[Blackhat]

Who's going to be our new head coach in '13-14?


Probably some Domer assistant.

[Mutaman]

I can't figure out what everyone is so upset about- it was a trivial violation but the guy lied. Termination sounds reasonable to me. The suspension of Buzz was probably to get the NCAA off our back. Sounds reasonable to me. What's the big deal?

I know there are some who think if somebody looks at Buzz the wrong way, he'll take the next job in Boondock Texas. Well if that's the case Adios Amigo. Buzz seems a little tougher than that.

[kmwtrucks]

Buzz has said many times it's not about the money and Don't screw with happy.  I believe him and that is why I'm worried.   LW would jump to a football in a second and Buzz has passed on how many jobs.  I feel like LW is padding his resume as a tough guy and MU is the fall guy.  Dump him, know when you made a bad hire,  they do it with coachs all the time.   

[Dawson Rental]

Buzz has said many times it's not about the money and Don't screw with happy.  I believe him and that is why I'm worried.   LW would jump to a football in a second and Buzz has passed on how many jobs.  I feel like LW is padding his resume as a tough guy and MU is the fall guy.  Dump him, know when you made a bad hire,  they do it with coachs all the time.  

Wow, what would the NCAA make of that?  Would they think that boosters run the basketball program?  And that institutional control is being passed to them (the boosters)?

[GGGG]

Buzz has said many times it's not about the money and Don't screw with happy.  I believe him and that is why I'm worried.   LW would jump to a football in a second and Buzz has passed on how many jobs.  I feel like LW is padding his resume as a tough guy and MU is the fall guy.  Dump him, know when you made a bad hire,  they do it with coachs all the time.   

How do you know that LW would "jump to football?"

Reading the Forde article made me feel better about the Buzz suspension.  I think the NCAA is making this par for the course when assistants are the ones who are the violators.  The fact that the NCAA worked with MU on this leads me to believe that it was suggested that this occur.

[The Process]

Reading the Forde article made me feel better about the Buzz suspension.

You're welcome.  Glad I could add some value your way for a change, Sultan

[GGGG]

You're welcome.  Glad I could add some value your way for a change, Sultan

Lol...thank you.  Honestly, I read it...but forgot who posted the link.  Sorry that I didn't attribute!

[The Process]

No worries, Sultan.  You've given me far more information on here than I could ever provide being a non-insider.

[Groin_pull]

True, Buzz has said you shouldn't mess with happy....but he's in a different situation now. He's surrounded by new people. If any of us found ourselves in a negative environment...it's safe to say the vast majority would leave if an enticing offer presented itself. From where I'm sitting, it looks like LW wants his own guy. And if that happens, MU will have one less fan. I graduated from MU, but I won't blindly support the athletic program if they insist on making bonehead moves. If that makes me an awful alum, so be it.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Here's the braintrust, for anyone too lazy to look themselves:

    Ms. Natalie A. Black
    Law '78, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Kohler Co.
    Mr. John F. Ferraro
    Vice Chair of the Marquette Board, Bus Ad '77, Global Chief Operating Officer, Ernst & Young
    Rev. James P. Flaherty, S.J.,
    Arts '78, President, Nativity Jesuit Middle School
    Mr. Richard J. Fotsch
    Eng '77, Grad '84, President, Global Power Group, Kohler Co.
    Rev. James G. Gartland, S.J.,
    Rector, Blessed Peter Faber Jesuit Community, Boston College
    Mr. Darren R. Jackson
    Bus Ad '86, President and Chief Executive Officer, Advance Auto Parts
    Mr. James F. Janz
    Bus Ad '62, Law '64, Managing Director, Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation
    Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, S.J.
    President, Creighton University
    Rev. Thomas A. Lawler, S.J.
    Provincial, Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus
    Mr. John P. Lynch
    Arts '64, Retired Senior Partner, Latham & Watkins
    Mr. Alfred C. McGuire
    Arts '73, Retired Senior Vice President, Fidelity Investments
    Dr. Arnold L. Mitchem
    Grad '81, President, Council for Opportunity in Education
    Rev. Joseph M. O'Keefe, S.J.
    Professor of Education, Boston College
    Mr. James D. O'Rourke
    Bus Ad '87, Chief Executive Officer, A&A Manufacturing Company
    Dr. Janis M. Orlowski
    Eng '78, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer, MedStar Washington Hospital Center

   Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
    President, Marquette University
    Ms. Kristine A. Rappé
    Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Wisconsin Energy Corporation
    Mr. Glenn A. Rivers
    Arts '85, Head Coach, Boston Celtics
    Hon. W. Greg Ryberg
    Arts '68, Senator, State of South Carolina
    Ms. Mary Ellen Stanek
    Vice Chair of the Marquette Board, Arts '78, Managing Director and Director of Asset Management, Robert W. Baird & Company
    Mr. Charles M. Swoboda
    Chair of the Marquette Board, Eng '89, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cree Inc.
    Ms. Cherryl T. Thomas
    Arts '68, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ardmore Associates, LLC
    Mr. Benjamin S. Tracy
    Comm '98, Grad '04, National Correspondent, CBS News
    Ms. Peggy Troy
    Nurs '74, President and Chief Executive Officer, Children's Hospital and Health System
    Ms. Rhona Vogel
    Bus Ad '76, Chief Executive Officer, Vogel Consulting Group
    Mr. James M. Weiss
    Arts '68, President, Weiss Capital Management, Inc.
    Mr. Thomas H. Werner
    Eng '86, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, SunPower Corporation
    Rev. Michael A. Zampelli, S.J.
    Rector, Santa Clara Jesuit Community and Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance, Santa Clara University
    Ms. Anne A. Zizzo
    Jour '87, President, Zizzo Group Marketing + Public Relations + New Media

    Emeriti Trustees

[GGGG]

    Mr. Alfred C. McGuire
    Arts '73, Retired Senior Vice President, Fidelity Investments

Yeah...these f*ckers don't know anything about basketball and what it means to Marquette.