I think most have this wrong, Buzz got off easy and he knows it

[NersEllenson]

We are now in the post Joe Pa era and Head coaches are now held responsible for everything.

See Bobby Petrino.  Schools now have zero tolerance for off-field (court) problems ... even if they are winning.

Buzz has no reason to feel jilted or look for the a new job.  He should be standing on Wisconsin Avenue apologizing to passerbys.  

Since the Florida game in the Sweet Sixteen ....

* SMU
* TJ Taylor
* Todd Mayo suspended and then not suspended
* Apartment 720
* Monrach breaking the rules and lying
(did I forget anything?)

The list above is simply unacceptable, especially coming in the wake of all the in-season suspension, Newbill, sexual assault (harassment), half the team getting busted for being under 21 in a bar (added later), Vander fight/court appearances, etc.

Maybe this is why Collins, and Lundy left and why Benford was desperate of the HC job?  Are they jumping ship before Buzz sinks it?  Hopefully Chew and Wainwright will help get things under control.

So please stop the LW wants us to be SLU.  Buzz has to get control of this program.  He knows this and should feel lucky he was not hammered harder.

The only reason he is still around is the team is doing well and has good recruits coming.  The administration has been more than fair and he has to do his part ... STOP GIVING THEM A REASON TO DRAFT FRIDAY NIGHT PRESS RELEASES.  

If Buzz feels the administration is being unfairly hard on him, go ahead and leave and try this crap when your team is 15 and 15 at another school that just views you as a hired gun.  If he leaves, he will be a high-major D1 coach for two years and on a fast track to Lamar.

So, Buzz, get control of your team and your program and cut the off-court crap now!!

If you're toying with leaving, that means you don't get it and you will destroy this program.  So leave now, before midnight madness.

I'm assuming all of this was intended to be in teal and sarcastic?

As the head coach of Tennessee football just said:  The biggest job hazard of being a college football coach is that to an extent your living depends on the behavior and judgement of 18-22 year old kids.

A coach can only do so much regarding the behavior of his players.  Hell none of the guys at 720 club were even drinking!!  How many of MU's other sports teams players would be out at a bar on campus or off campus and NOT be drinking?

[MerrittsMustache]

Since the Florida game in the Sweet Sixteen ....

* SMU
* TJ Taylor
* Todd Mayo suspended and then not suspended
* Apartment 720
* Monrach breaking the rules and lying
(did I forget anything?)

The list above is simply unacceptable, especially coming in the wake of all the in-season suspension, Newbill, sexual assault (harassment), half the team getting busted for being under 21 in a bar (added later), Vander fight/court appearances, etc.

YAWN

These types of things are not unusual in D1 basketball or even Marquette basketball. When I was a student, I know that a player was suspended from the team during the summer and that another got a ticket for public intox and another got into a scuffle outside a house party. The difference is that we now live in an age where everyone can be a photographer or a camera man or a reporter. These things get out almost infinitely more than they used.

[PaintTouches]

Just to be clear, Sultan is right. Parrish is not Buzz' mouthpiece. Goodman is the one you should be worried about. 

[The Process]

Just to be clear, Sultan is right. Parrish is not Buzz' mouthpiece. Goodman is the one you should be worried about. 

Correct.  Parrish is just a tool.

[cheebs09]

As others have said, I think if Monarch goes into LW's office and says, "Larry, I screwed up and gave a recruit a ride home and some apparel." He is probably still a coach here, but with a suspension. The lying is what got him and I have no problem with the firing. Also, the Head Coach suspension seems par for the course now.

Also, Larry's comments in the AP were the best I've seen from him. I didn't think he could say it any better.

Found this on the Scout board (not sure if posted here yet):

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8301365/marquette-golden-eagles-dismiss-assistant-coach-scott-monarch

[Otule's Glass Eye]

Buzz, just wants the support of the people that hired him and they are both gone.   Monarch was fired for giving a recruit a ride home and a t shirt.  Kentucky players drive Cadillacs.  I would prefers for the MU team to not get into trouble, but which kids do u think buzz brought in was a bad kid?  We're not Kansas or IU that has there pick.   We are Playing on a aircraft carrier this year.   Let's bring back the Jim deane days where he would get hammered and the players were slow and tall. 

Why would Monarch lie about something like a t-shirt and a ride home? Seems silly.

[real chili 83]

Good post. Lots more detail.

[ATWizJr]

It's against the rules...and you left out that he gave the recruit clothing (also against the rules)...and that he lied.  (Very much against the rules of every work place I know.)

What UK does or doesn't do is completely irrelevant to this conversation.  I don't want MU to be like UK, clearly the administration doesn't, and if Buzz wants that he should look elsewhere.


He was fired.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's against the rules. So, handle it internally, suspend Monarch for multiple games and you will have sent the message.

[The Process]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's against the rules. So, handle it internally, suspend Monarch for multiple games and you will have sent the message.

Not that simple.  Ultimately the NCAA can determine if self-imposed sanctions (i.e. suspending Monarch) are sufficient.  If they're not, then the NCAA imposes their own.  If the NCAA isn't notified of violations (via self-reporting), things can get really bad really quickly for an institution.

[ATWizJr]

Not that simple.  Ultimately the NCAA can determine if self-imposed sanctions (i.e. suspending Monarch) are sufficient.  If they're not, then the NCAA imposes their own.  If the NCAA isn't notified of violations (via self-reporting), things can get really bad really quickly for an institution.

The NCAA was notified via self reporting and multiple game suspensions would probably have been more than sufficient by NCAA standards for giving a kid a ride home and a tee shirt.  Amateurs are running the athletic department and a pro is trying to coach the BB team in spite of them.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

The NCAA was notified via self reporting and multiple game suspensions would probably have been more than sufficient by NCAA standards for giving a kid a ride home and a tee shirt.  Amateurs are running the athletic department and a pro is trying to coach the BB team in spite of them.

Yes, policy enforcement clearly makes MU amateurs.

[Dawson Rental]

The NCAA was notified via self reporting and multiple game suspensions would probably have been more than sufficient by NCAA standards for giving a kid a ride home and a tee shirt.  Amateurs are running the athletic department and a pro is trying to coach the BB team in spite of them.

Why are you trying to save the job of an athletic department employee who lied several times on several occasions to the people in his own department and others later hired by that department to do an independent investigation into the matter?

Is there some level of corruption in the basketball program that you think must be maintained for MU to remain competitive?

Yeah, MU may have been able to keep Monarch on staff, as far as the NCAA was concerned.  But, why in hell would they want to retain a proven liar on staff.  Next time what if MU doesn't discover the lie and doesn't self report the infraction?  What happens when its found by the NCAA enforcement staff instead?  Damn, wake up.

[MerrittsMustache]

Why are you trying to save the job of an athletic department employee who lied several times on several occasions to the people in his own department and others later hired by that department to do an independent investigation into the matter?

Is there some level of corruption in the basketball program that you think must be maintained for MU to remain competitive?

Yeah, MU may have been able to keep Monarch on staff, as far as the NCAA was concerned.  But, why in hell would they want to retain a proven liar on staff.  Next time what if MU doesn't discover the lie and doesn't self report the infraction?  What happens when its found by the NCAA enforcement staff instead?  Damn, wake up.

+1

As is often the case: It wasn't the crime, it was the cover up. Yet some posters want MU's administration to further the cover up.

[ATWizJr]

Why are you trying to save the job of an athletic department employee who lied several times on several occasions to the people in his own department and others later hired by that department to do an independent investigation into the matter?

Is there some level of corruption in the basketball program that you think must be maintained for MU to remain competitive?

Yeah, MU may have been able to keep Monarch on staff, as far as the NCAA was concerned.  But, why in hell would they want to retain a proven liar on staff.  Next time what if MU doesn't discover the lie and doesn't self report the infraction?  What happens when its found by the NCAA enforcement staff instead?  Damn, wake up.

You don't know if he is a proven liar or not. Nor do I. What if, what if, what if?  Fact is, my criticism is that they aired their dirty laundry publicly when it could have been kept in house which would have been better for everyone.  And as for your "damn, wake up" comment, here's a little abbreviated haiku for ya, "hey Murs, up yurz!"

[Litehouse]

  You don't know if he is a proven liar or not. Nor do I. What if, what if, what if?  Fact is, my criticism is that they aired their dirty laundry publicly when it could have been kept in house which would have been better for everyone.  And as for your "damn, wake up" comment, here's a little abbreviated haiku for ya, "hey Murs, up yurz!"

The release said he lied repeatedly, and that's why he was fired, not necessarily for the violation. So either Monarch is a proven liar, or LW, BW, and the investigating law firm that prepared the report are lying.

Also, my personal opinion, but I think this an opportunity to upgrade our staff.  I only met Monarch once, and I'm sure he's a really nice guy and all, but he didn't exactly strike me as a basketball genius.  His strongest qualification seems to be having known Buzz for a long time, and I doubt there's any other D1 coach in the country that would have given him an assistant job.  I don't want to kick him when he's down, but I was surprised when he was promoted to assistant in the first place.

[GGGG]

  You don't know if he is a proven liar or not. Nor do I. What if, what if, what if?  Fact is, my criticism is that they aired their dirty laundry publicly when it could have been kept in house which would have been better for everyone.  And as for your "damn, wake up" comment, here's a little abbreviated haiku for ya, "hey Murs, up yurz!"

So you think MU made up the fact that he lied so they could fire him and put more pressure on Buzz to leave?

Are you f*cking kidding me?  They'd get sued so fast by Monarch that it would make your head spin.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

  You don't know if he is a proven liar or not. Nor do I. What if, what if, what if?  Fact is, my criticism is that they aired their dirty laundry publicly when it could have been kept in house which would have been better for everyone.  And as for your "damn, wake up" comment, here's a little abbreviated haiku for ya, "hey Murs, up yurz!"

I'm not understanding what you are getting at.

MU hired an independent investigator, determined an Asst. coach lied about a NCAA infraction, so he was released.

What is the dirty laundry part? Are they supposed to "secretly fire" him? I think people would realize Monarch was fired when MU hired another coach and Monarch wasn't on the bench.

ANNNND if they fired him and didn't say why, then people would blame MU's PR department for creating a bunch of speculation in the media.  

[Tugg Speedman]

Didn't I also read that MU gave Monarch the option of resigning and elected to be fired?  Is that true or was it speculation here?

[GGGG]

BTW, my understanding is they had actual proof that committed the violation and that he lied about it.  And it wasn't just based on the testimony of a player, etc. 

[ATWizJr]

I'm not understanding what you are getting at.

MU hired an independent investigator, determined an Asst. coach lied about a NCAA infraction, so he was released.

What is the dirty laundry part? Are they supposed to "secretly fire" him? I think people would realize Monarch was fired when MU hired another coach and Monarch wasn't on the bench.

ANNNND if they fired him and didn't say why, then people would blame MU's PR department for creating a bunch of speculation in the media.  

IMO, we don't know what transpired between Monarch and the investigators or between those parties and MU's administration.  If he was given an option to quit and wouldn't it tells me that he felt wrongly accused.  We have not heard anyone's side of things but the admin's.  Yes, I think it could have been handled differently.  A multiple game suspension would have been more than adequate, would have been sufficient along with the self-reporting of the ride and tee shirt violation to satisfy the NCAA, and would have had the additional benefit of not creating potential animosity with the head coach.  

[ATWizJr]

BTW, my understanding is they had actual proof that committed the violation and that he lied about it.  And it wasn't just based on the testimony of a player, etc. 

Not arguing that he gave a player a ride and some gear.  Arguing that the punishment, including any purported lying, does not constitute a hanging offense. Just my opinion.

[MerrittsMustache]

IMO, we don't know what transpired between Monarch and the investigators or between those parties and MU's administration.  If he was given an option to quit and wouldn't it tells me that he felt wrongly accused.  We have not heard anyone's side of things but the admin's.  Yes, I think it could have been handled differently.  A multiple game suspension would have been more than adequate, would have been sufficient along with the self-reporting of the ride and tee shirt violation to satisfy the NCAA, and would have had the additional benefit of not creating potential animosity with the head coach.  

You don't know what happened but you know what an adequate punishment would be?

[ATWizJr]

You don't know what happened but you know what an adequate punishment would be?

Well, if what is being reported happened, I feel that a multiple game suspension would have been adequate.  And if nothing happened, a multiple game suspension would have been a travesty.

[GGGG]

Not arguing that he gave a player a ride and some gear.  Arguing that the punishment, including any purported lying, does not constitute a hanging offense. Just my opinion.

You must work in an odd workplace.  Because I know that if I broke a "workplace rule," and then repeatedly lied about it to my superior until confronted with hard evidence that I lied, I *would* be fired. 

[rocky_warrior]

Also, my personal opinion, but I think this an opportunity to upgrade our staff.  I only met Monarch once, and I'm sure he's a really nice guy and all, but he didn't exactly strike me as a basketball genius.  His strongest qualification seems to be having known Buzz for a long time, and I doubt there's any other D1 coach in the country that would have given him an assistant job.  I don't want to kick him when he's down, but I was surprised when he was promoted to assistant in the first place.

+1