OT: Buzz's Thoughts on P5 Separation

[Spotcheck Billy]

maybe Brent will be like Bielema, looking to bail after a few years in that 'dream' conference

[LAZER]

Buzz is a sharp guy, and I think he views himself as an early adopter/innovator.

However, sometimes being an early adopter means you have some misses (paint touches might be a bogus stat to track, the P5 might not break away from the NCAA, you own a Zune, etc)

I agree to some extent about him being sharp, but I really don't get what went into "calculations" and "analysis" of Virginia Tech.  His worries about Marquette being left behind are fair, but why jump to Virginia Tech?  It's not like the split was 1 year out and his rush proved to be a big mistake right off the bat when Mizzou and Tennessee opened up.

[GGGG]

I agree to some extent about him being sharp, but I really don't get what went into "calculations" and "analysis" of Virginia Tech.  His worries about Marquette being left behind are fair, but why jump to Virginia Tech?  It's not like the split was 1 year out and his rush proved to be a big mistake right off the bat when Mizzou and Tennessee opened up.

Virginia Tech had an athletic director that his friend, Mick Cronin, enjoyed working for.  He is getting paid plenty.  He still gets to play the underdog role that he likes.  I can see how this made complete sense in his mind.

[mu03eng]

I agree to some extent about him being sharp, but I really don't get what went into "calculations" and "analysis" of Virginia Tech.  His worries about Marquette being left behind are fair, but why jump to Virginia Tech?  It's not like the split was 1 year out and his rush proved to be a big mistake right off the bat when Mizzou and Tennessee opened up.

You have to divorce Buzz the smart guy from Buzz the salesman.  Buzz, while not forced was certainly made to feel uncomfortable at MU and it wouldn't get better for him.  So he decided he needed to find a safe place to land, and VT makes all the sense in the world if you want to build something in your own image and have no expectations whatsoever.

Buzz the salesman knows that line doesn't play with the public and with recruits so he creates a cockamamie narrative about how he's out on the thought curve regarding the changing landscape and why MU was a terrible choice.  These soundbites are for recruits and parents, not statements of "truth"

[jsglow]

2024.  This is when the contract ends for the NCAA basketball tournament.  I was involved in the last round of bidding for the contract that ultimately went to Turner and CBS.  Unless the final document is different (which it could be), it is clear that tournament was to be carried to include the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I entities as they currently exist with over 300 DI schools and 30 conferences. 

The television guys know that what makes the stories are Butler, FGCU, Gonzaga, david and goliath, plus the success of many basketball traditional schools.  The television guys are not stupid, but I wonder about a coach down in Virginia who just might be.

Or maybe he thinks 2024 is soon. 

Great point.  Basketball is way different than football.  I think nationally there's as much interest (or more) in the collective Butlers and Davidsons of the world than in which P5 school beats another P5 school in some quarterfinal bracket.  Obviously football playoffs must be winnowed down to even be possible.  I suppose the question is whether in 2024 they value the historic 64 team field (or whatever it is now) over a watered down P5.  Perhaps the compromise is some form of tiered payout with big conferences getting a disproportionate share of the money.

[jsglow]

You have to divorce Buzz the smart guy from Buzz the salesman.  Buzz, while not forced was certainly made to feel uncomfortable at MU and it wouldn't get better for him.  So he decided he needed to find a safe place to land, and VT makes all the sense in the world if you want to build something in your own image and have no expectations whatsoever.

Buzz the salesman knows that line doesn't play with the public and with recruits so he creates a cockamamie narrative about how he's out on the thought curve regarding the changing landscape and why MU was a terrible choice.  These soundbites are for recruits and parents, not statements of "truth"

+1.

Buzzed wasn't officially forced.  But many were dancing the the halls at Zilber.

[MerrittsMustache]

Let's not overcomplicate this...

Buzz was an excellent coach at Marquette who wore out his welcome.

A coach who wears out his welcome at a program rarely goes on to immediately take a better job.

Va Tech is a football school who was willing to take a chance on a basketball coach who can occasionally rub administrators the wrong way.

BC, Cal, Missouri, Oregon State, Tennessee, Wake Forest and Washington State were all looking for a new coach. All are P5 programs and all are better programs that Va Tech. None of these schools were interested in Buzz.

Clearly events took place in the last 12-15 months that sullied Buzz's reputation.

No one in the college basketball world considers Va Tech to be a step up from Marquette but Buzz needs a somewhat plausible justification for leaving his position to take a lesser one.

[MUMountin]

But many were dancing the the halls at Zilber.

To "Country Roads"?

[WarriorInNYC]

Part of the reason I could see him feeling like he needs to come out and say this now is because of the whole narrative thats been written about the Big East this early in the season.  Many sportswriters and analysts have been talking about how great the Big East has been so far, some have even said its been the best conference this early in the season.

With this narrative being written, he probably feels as though he has to provide more justification and something else to slam it on.

[GGGG]

BC, Cal, Missouri, Oregon State, Tennessee, Wake Forest and Washington State were all looking for a new coach. All are P5 programs and all are better programs that Va Tech. None of these schools were interested in Buzz.

Hold on...

The Cal, Missouri, Oregon State and Teneessee jobs opened up after Buzz already took the Virginia Tech job.

Wake Forest opened up the day before Buzz left.

Washington State (not to mention Oregon State) are not better programs anyway.

[Marquette_g]

2024.  This is when the contract ends for the NCAA basketball tournament.  I was involved in the last round of bidding for the contract that ultimately went to Turner and CBS.  Unless the final document is different (which it could be), it is clear that tournament was to be carried to include the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I entities as they currently exist with over 300 DI schools and 30 conferences. 

The television guys know that what makes the stories are Butler, FGCU, Gonzaga, david and goliath, plus the success of many basketball traditional schools.  The television guys are not stupid, but I wonder about a coach down in Virginia who just might be.

Or maybe he thinks 2024 is soon. 

I'll be really curious to see how publicly funded enterprises view football in 10 years.  I truly believe that the evolving head trauma research and education is going to have a lot of publicly funded institutions questioning the value, expense (liability insurance will continue to sky-rocket) and ethics of using tax money to support the sport.    Don't get me wrong, I love watching football, but the tide seems to be changing.

I think football will survive, but I don't know that it survives within tax-supported schools long-term.

[MerrittsMustache]

Hold on...

The Cal, Missouri, Oregon State and Teneessee jobs opened up after Buzz already took the Virginia Tech job.

Wake Forest opened up the day before Buzz left.

Washington State (not to mention Oregon State) are not better programs anyway.

Fair enough. The fact remains, Buzz took a job very early in the offseason despite it being likely that better jobs would open up. He needed to get out and knew that the bigger offers weren't going to come.

Washington State and Oregon State are better programs than Va Tech.

[GGGG]

Washington State and Oregon State are better programs than Va Tech.

No they aren't.

Oregon State's facilities are considered some of the worst in Power 5 athletics.  They are in a crappy little cow-town, miles away from any fertile recruiting.  And their past success is decades in the past.

Washington State is better that OSU, in that they have better facilities and a more recent history, but it is still isolated.

I think both of those schools would have been thrilled with Buzz Williams.

[79Warrior]

Fair enough. The fact remains, Buzz took a job very early in the offseason despite it being likely that better jobs would open up. He needed to get out and knew that the bigger offers weren't going to come.

Washington State and Oregon State are better programs than Va Tech.

Wrong. You are fooling yourself if you think Tenn, for example, would not love to have Buzz as HC. Buzz was fine with VT because he knew the AD,  would have complete control of the program and Buzz feels he can compete in the ACC. The latter point is debatable.

[mattyv1908]

Buzz Williams will do just fine at VT just as Marquette will do just fine without him.

Seriously, if you think a good recruiter who has sent kids on to the NBA with a S16-S16-E8 run in very recent history who also happens to get his team playing at a great effort level won't have success simply because of the lack of previous success at VT is irrational at best.

That said, I can't think MU is worse for ware with a top 5 recruiting class coming in, top of the line facilities, a quality basketball conference and a commitment to basketball few other schools offer.

With the exception of last season, the Buzz Williams era was a success.  Fortunately our tradjectory doesn't seem to have diminished with his departure.

[MU82]

Has Crean been at IU for three decades??

C'mon, Crash, I said LOVED!

[MU82]

2024.  This is when the contract ends for the NCAA basketball tournament.  I was involved in the last round of bidding for the contract that ultimately went to Turner and CBS.  Unless the final document is different (which it could be), it is clear that tournament was to be carried to include the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I entities as they currently exist with over 300 DI schools and 30 conferences. 

The television guys know that what makes the stories are Butler, FGCU, Gonzaga, david and goliath, plus the success of many basketball traditional schools.  The television guys are not stupid, but I wonder about a coach down in Virginia who just might be.

Or maybe he thinks 2024 is soon. 

This is good to hear, though I hope it is more ironclad than most coaches' contracts, NFL players' contracts and many other contracts in sports that seem written to be broken.

[Lennys Tap]

The television guys are not stupid, but I wonder about a coach down in Virginia who just might be.

You television guys are smart and Buzz Williams is stupid. Right.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Oregon State's facilities are considered some of the worst in Power 5 athletics.  They are in a crappy little cow-town, miles away from any fertile recruiting.  And their past success is decades in the past.

While I won't argue with the assessment of facilities and history, I'd say a city that ranks in the top 10 nationally for resident education, alternative transportation, and work-life balance is a little better than "a crappy little cow-town."  (Sorry, a tad emotional about the Riley to Nebraska announcement.)

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

You television guys are smart and Buzz Williams is stupid. Right.

I don't think Chicos statement was inaccurate. I don't think Buzz is dumb, he's very sly but those TV guys know how to make money.

[Brewtown Andy]

I don't think Chicos statement was inaccurate. I don't think Buzz is dumb, he's very sly but those TV guys know how to make money.

As does the NCAA, as do university presidents.

[Benny B]

I'll be really curious to see how publicly funded enterprises view football in 10 years.  I truly believe that the evolving head trauma research and education is going to have a lot of publicly funded institutions questioning the value, expense (liability insurance will continue to sky-rocket) and ethics of using tax money to support the sport.    Don't get me wrong, I love watching football, but the tide seems to be changing.

I think football will survive, but I don't know that it survives within tax-supported schools long-term.

When Ma and Pa Boomer stop paying the cable bill, it's going to be chaos in those P5 presidents meetings.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't think Chicos statement was inaccurate. I don't think Buzz is dumb, he's very sly but those TV guys know how to make money.

I don't think too many of those TV guys make the type of money Buzz makes.

[keefe]

+1.

Buzzed wasn't officially forced.  But many were dancing the the halls at Zilber.

And Hitler was never voted out of office

[GGGG]

While I won't argue with the assessment of facilities and history, I'd say a city that ranks in the top 10 nationally for resident education, alternative transportation, and work-life balance is a little better than "a crappy little cow-town."  (Sorry, a tad emotional about the Riley to Nebraska announcement.)

Yeah, that was a little harsh.