Interesting read - The travails of a basketball coach

[keefe]

hell of a way to try and make a living

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/daxmF?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=college-basketball

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Thx for posting. Sobering read.

[GGGG]

I'll be honest...if the guy can't stick he is either not very good or pretty much a d-bag.  I mean he landed a top assistant job at Iowa State only to be let go a year later.

[MerrittsMustache]

I have to commend his wife. She's moved around a lot and is basically a single parent, but she seems very supportive of her husband following his dreams.

[keefe]

I'll be honest...if the guy can't stick he is either not very good or pretty much a d-bag.  I mean he landed a top assistant job at Iowa State only to be let go a year later.

I will always believe in merit and there is clearly more to this story but I would not think it is altogether uncommon or simply attributable to his own failings. There was a nuanced reference to his inability to find acceptance within the staff at Iowa State but other than that no suggestion of a deficiency of talent or earnestness. In any truncated supply system the intangible values acquire far greater importance and differentiate between those of similar abilities.

Apart from this individual, it seems that rising in the college coaching ranks is somewhat akin to making an MLB Opening Day roster. Which makes Buzz Williams' career trajectory all the more remarkable. How awful it must be to wake up one day mired in debt at the age of 40 and find yourself living in a trailer thousands of miles from your family for the sake of a fading dream. I cannot begin to imagine that level of despair.

[MerrittsMustache]

I will always believe in merit and there is clearly more to this story but I would not think it is altogether uncommon or simply attributable to his own failings. There was a nuanced reference to his inability to find acceptance within the staff at Iowa State but other than that no suggestion of a deficiency of talent or earnestness. In any truncated supply system the intangible values acquire far greater importance and differentiate between those of similar abilities.

Apart from this individual, it seems that rising in the college coaching ranks is somewhat akin to making an MLB Opening Day roster. Which makes Buzz Williams' career trajectory all the more remarkable. How awful it must be to wake up one day mired in debt at the age of 40 and find yourself living in a trailer thousands of miles from your family for the sake of a fading dream. I cannot begin to imagine that level of despair.

True, but if the article painted him as an incompetent a-hole, it wouldn't be a very marketable story. I'm not saying that the guy is not capable of being a very good college assistant or that he's a jerk, but you have to look at the writer's angle as well.

I don't think he's reached a level of despair at all. If he did, he wouldn't still be hanging on trying to find low-level assistant coaching jobs, he'd be in Seattle with his family.

[4everwarriors]

I will always believe in merit and there is clearly more to this story but I would not think it is altogether uncommon or simply attributable to his own failings. There was a nuanced reference to his inability to find acceptance within the staff at Iowa State but other than that no suggestion of a deficiency of talent or earnestness. In any truncated supply system the intangible values acquire far greater importance and differentiate between those of similar abilities.

Apart from this individual, it seems that rising in the college coaching ranks is somewhat akin to making an MLB Opening Day roster. Which makes Buzz Williams' career trajectory all the more remarkable. How awful it must be to wake up one day mired in debt at the age of 40 and find yourself living in a trailer thousands of miles from your family for the sake of a fading dream. I cannot begin to imagine that level of despair.

Yeah but, it is well documented that Buzz' rise is directly attributed to Coach Tom Crean, his connections, and such.

[77ncaachamps]

Yeah but, it is well documented that Buzz' rise is directly attributed to Coach Tom Crean, his connections, and such.

But that only goes so far, if you're not being facetious.
Buzz could have had years where recruiting went wrong, players didn't reach their expectations, and MU wasn't competitive.

But by now, he's proven that he's a top notch hire to continue MU's basketball legacy.

[keefe]

But that only goes so far, if you're not being facetious.
Buzz could have had years where recruiting went wrong, players didn't reach their expectations, and MU wasn't competitive.

But by now, he's proven that he's a top notch hire to continue  improve upon Tanned Tommy's MU's basketball legacy.