Larry Williams Resigns

[avid1010]

WOW - From MU news brief...

Vice President and Director of Athletics Larry Williams to leave Marquette
Vice President and Director of Athletics Larry Williams informed Interim President Robert A. Wild, S.J., of his resignation today to pursue leadership opportunities outside of Marquette. Williams has served in his role overseeing the university's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for the past two years and served on the University Leadership Council.

"We want to thank Larry for leading our student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff in our 16 competitive athletic programs for the past two years," Father Wild said. "We appreciate Larry's contributions to Marquette University, particularly for leading us into the newly reconfigured Big East and helping establish a unique partnership with Fox Sports. We wish him nothing but success in his future."

Bill Cords, who presided over Marquette's athletics programs for nearly 20 years (1987–2006), will serve as interim vice president and director of athletics until a replacement is named. During his tenure, Cords expanded sports offerings at the Division I level, added and improved athletic facilities including the Al McGuire Center and Valley Fields, oversaw athletic and academic achievement, and, most notably, engineered Marquette's move from independent status ultimately to the Big East Conference.

Cords will build on the momentum of an extremely successful inaugural fall season in the new Big East that saw the men's and women's soccer teams and women's volleyball team all win Big East and regular season tournament titles and each produce an Academic All-American.

[ZMovieman]

Per university e-mail.

Vice President and Director of Athletics Larry Williams informed Interim President Robert A. Wild, S.J., of his resignation today to pursue leadership opportunities outside of Marquette. Williams has served in his role overseeing the university's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for the past two years and served on the University Leadership Council.

[Galway Eagle]

got an email about it just now

[tower912]

Source?    If true, he must have been pretty tight with Pilarz.   

[MU62]

I heard Bill Cordes is replacing him.  Is that possible?  

[Galway Eagle]

nm

[Litehouse]

Looks like they're getting the old band back together.

[avid1010]

Looks like they're getting the old band back together.

cue the TC comments...

in all seriousness, i'm glad he's gone, and i hope buzz works with wild, cordes, and the board to solidify MU for the long run.  it's going to take some work to ensure this amount of turnover ends up being positive. 

[wadesworld]

Buzz's happy was messed with and the BOD realized who was really driving the bus.

[Coleman]

f*ck No Dick

[MUfan12]

He did what was asked of him. When Pilarz was shown the door, this was inevitable.

I would really hope this is a short search. Broeker is ready.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I hope Cords makes Buzz play John Dawson.

[tower912]

(A)  Looks like Buzz can recruit JUCO's again.   Good.   We need a 6'9 mauler for next year.
(B)  Seems like LWilliams and Pilarz must have been pretty tight and of one mind.   I wonder if the reason that LWilliams is leaving is the same reason Pilarz did.   Didn't feel up to the task of fundraising at a high level.
(C)  Larry, thank you for your service to MU.   Thank you for helping shepherd the programs through the transition to the new Big East.

[Galway Eagle]

We have ridded ourselves of the domer

[willie warrior]

f*ck No Dick

+1 gazilion

[willie warrior]

(A)  Looks like Buzz can recruit JUCO's again.   Good.   We need a 6'9 mauler for next year.
(B)  Seems like LWilliams and Pilarz must have been pretty tight and of one mind.   I wonder if the reason that LWilliams is leaving is the same reason Pilarz did.   Didn't feel up to the task of fundraising at a high level.
(C)  Larry, thank you for your service to MU.   Thank you for helping shepherd the programs through the transition to the new Big East.

Agree that we need a 6'9" mauler for next year, but when was the last time Buzz landed one of those from JUCO?

[wadesworld]

In all seriousness, is this really that good?  I know some people have said Buzz's relationship with Pilarz and Williams wasn't the greatest, but do we know that to be a fact?  Larry landed us in the best possible position given how football dominates everything, and our other sports that were once the doormats of their respective conferences (other than girl's soccer) are kicking ass.  We'll be fine, but Larry did some good things.

[Gato78]

Broeker is the best qualified candidate in the country to run Marquette's Athletics Department.

[swoopem]

Now all we need is Angelo's and Haggerty's back

[Coleman]

I heard we are also going back to Conference USA

[MUfan12]

Broeker is the best qualified candidate in the country to run Marquette's Athletics Department.

This.

[tower912]

Agree that we need a 6'9" mauler for next year, but when was the last time Buzz landed one of those from JUCO?

He's landed everything except a quality big from JUCO.   Maybe this is the year.   But....let's have this discussion in a different thread.     For this one, let us contemplate the domer burning his sweat-stained MU hat.

[mu03eng]

I think we'll be fine but I think overall Larry did a great job.  I was certainly someone wildly against his handling of the Buzz situation, but not everything can be perfect or perfectly handled.  I think the Big East and by extension MU owes LW a huge ovation for pushing and getting everyone into a great situation going forward (or at least the best situation we could hope for).

President, Provost, AD, and B school positions are all open at MU right now.  That has to signal a MAJOR change in direction right???

[mumike22]

This.

Why not make Broeker AD or at least Interim AD when they announce this?

[mu03eng]

Broeker is the best qualified candidate in the country to run Marquette's Athletics Department.

+1

With Cords back as interim AD I think this signals Broeker's waiting in the wings.  Broeker didn't get it before due to the sex assault stink from Cords writing the rules.  If Cords is back as interim I would say that stink is mostly gone.