Ranking MU coaches since Al

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

1. KO
2. Buzz
3. Crean
4. Deane
5. Rick
6. Hank
7. Wainwright
8. Dukiet

[milwaukee ex-pat]

Think Ners hit it almost perfectly except I would put Buzz first:

Buzz not only was successful he stamped a basketball culture onto Marquette and was a better game coach than anyone since Al. He was the best tourney coach since Al - even though he didn't make the final four, his accomplishment of winning the Big East when it was best conference in basketball puts his tenure well above Crean or KO.  KO saved the program agreed but based on X and Os or success as a coach he and really none of the others since Al come close to Buzz.  Crean made the final four with a once in a generation player.  Buzz created a program that got out of the first weekend three years running.  I think its too soon for peeps to really accept that.

KO - As others have said, saved program from the disaster it was run into by Dukiet.

Buzz - Can't argue with 3, Sweet 16s and 1 Elite 8, 5 total NCAA appearances in 6 years

Crean - If not for only achieving 1 NCAA win in 9 years (without having D-Wade), I'd put him above Buzz, but there were too many empty NCAA years post-Wade

Deane - Inherited some good talent from K.O., and coached it well - but was a disaster of a recruiter and Cords rightly pulled the plug.

Rick - Limited success in his time at MU - not taking account his post MU career.

Hank - He took over the program when it was a blueblood, when 5-star kids wanted to come to MU, and we had a decade long track record of excellence.  Not only did he not sustain that, we fell to an NIT caliber program.

Dukiet doesn't even belong in the conversation. 

[RJax55]

1. Buzz
2. KO
3. Crean
4. Deane
5. Hank
6. Majerus
7. Dukiet

Before my time at MU, but everything I've read about Rick makes it seem he was way over his head with the MU job. Its too bad the timing didn't work out, because he's the best coach (by far) on this list.

Buzz has the top spot for me because he made the 2nd weekend of the tournament three straight years. That's going to be difficult to replicate. And, you're if going by career winning percentage, don't forget Brad Autry (1-0).

[WarriorFan]

In order of who I'd like to have a beer with:
1.  KO
2.  Hank
3.  .... that's it.

[Groin_pull]

1. KO
2. Crean
3. Buzz
4/5. Rick and Deane
6. Hank
7. Dukiet

#1 needs to be KO. Without him resurrecting the MU program, we'd be lucky to be in the Horizon. MU was at the bottom when KO walked in. A few years later, he had us in the Sweet 16.

1. KO
2. Crean
3. Williams
4. Raymonds
5. Majerus
6. Deane
7. Dukiet

[JoBo2756]

Hey Old Guys,

I'm an '09 alum and so don't know much about KO besides his hot Canadian wife. Can you educate me on how KO brought MU basketball back from the brink?

Thanks,
09 Alum

[tower912]

Hey Old Guys,

I'm an '09 alum and so don't know much about KO besides his hot Canadian wife. Can you educate me on how KO brought MU basketball back from the brink?

Thanks,
09 Alum

This question is probably worthy of its own thread.   

[GooooMarquette]

Hey Old Guys,

I'm an '09 alum and so don't know much about KO besides his hot Canadian wife. Can you educate me on how KO brought MU basketball back from the brink?

Thanks,
09 Alum

Under Dukiet, we were abysmal.  Playing mostly mid major competition (think Loyola)...and we were so bad that we'd celebrate when we beat them.  In short, MU was totally out of the national conversation, even though we'd won the Championship only a decade earlier.

We hired KO, and he promptly signed our best recruiting class since Al (McIlvaine, Damon Key, Roney Eford, Robb Logtermann).  It took a couple of years to turn around the train wreck that Dukiet left behind, but by the time KO's first class were seniors, we were celebrating wins over Memphis and Cincinnati (wins over Loyola were a given), and ultimately made the Sweet Sixteen.

When he left after 5 years, we were up and down for a few years under Deane...but at least we were back in the national conversation, thanks to KO.  If he hadn't come along when he had, there is a very real possibility we'd be in the Horizon with Milwaukee and Green Bay right now.

[Norm]

Hey Old Guys,

I'm an '09 alum and so don't know much about KO besides his hot Canadian wife. Can you educate me on how KO brought MU basketball back from the brink?

Thanks,
09 Alum

Damon Key, Jim McIlvaine, Robb Logterman, Ron Curry

[Pakuni]

Under Dukiet, we were abysmal.  Playing mostly mid major competition (think Loyola)...and we were so bad that we'd celebrate when we beat them.  In short, MU was totally out of the national conversation, even though we'd won the Championship only a decade earlier.

We hired KO, and he promptly signed our best recruiting class since Al (McIlvaine, Damon Key, Roney Eford, Charles Brakes, Robb Logtermann).  It took a couple of years to turn around the train wreck that Dukiet left behind, but by the time KO's first class were seniors, we were celebrating wins over Memphis and Cincinnati (wins over Loyola were a given), and ultimately made the Sweet Sixteen.

When he left after 5 years, we were up and down for a few years under Deane...but at least we were back in the national conversation, thanks to KO.  If he hadn't come along when he had, there is a very real possibility we'd be in the Horizon with Milwaukee and Green Bay right now.

Good breakdown, with one minor correction above.
KO's early success also helped MU get into the Great Midwest, which begat C-USA, which gave MU a platform to get into the Big East. Had MU stayed on the downward trend, I doubt they're invited into the Great Midwest.
KO also raised hell about MU's poor facilities, and while it took too many years for anything to happen about it, his making a stink about it probably at least got the discussion going that led to The Al.

[larrym]

Pretty much correct, except that it was Charles Brakes.  Eford came later.  Also had transfers Ron Curry (Arizon), Jay Zulauf (Bowling Green) and Keith Stewart (Purdue).  

Had a good first year riding Tony Smith, a tough second year with all the new guys, then got better each year until the Sweet Sixteen.

Under Dukiet, we were abysmal.  Playing mostly mid major competition (think Loyola)...and we were so bad that we'd celebrate when we beat them.  In short, MU was totally out of the national conversation, even though we'd won the Championship only a decade earlier.

We hired KO, and he promptly signed our best recruiting class since Al (McIlvaine, Damon Key, Roney Eford, Robb Logtermann).  It took a couple of years to turn around the train wreck that Dukiet left behind, but by the time KO's first class were seniors, we were celebrating wins over Memphis and Cincinnati (wins over Loyola were a given), and ultimately made the Sweet Sixteen.

When he left after 5 years, we were up and down for a few years under Deane...but at least we were back in the national conversation, thanks to KO.  If he hadn't come along when he had, there is a very real possibility we'd be in the Horizon with Milwaukee and Green Bay right now.

[Galway Eagle]

Could someone explain the thought process behind hiring Dukiet? I just looked up his coaching record and he wasn't even good at St Peter's!  

Under Dukiet, we were abysmal.  Playing mostly mid major competition (think Loyola)...and we were so bad that we'd celebrate when we beat them.  In short, MU was totally out of the national conversation, even though we'd won the Championship only a decade earlier.

We hired KO, and he promptly signed our best recruiting class since Al (McIlvaine, Damon Key, Roney Eford, Robb Logtermann).  It took a couple of years to turn around the train wreck that Dukiet left behind, but by the time KO's first class were seniors, we were celebrating wins over Memphis and Cincinnati (wins over Loyola were a given), and ultimately made the Sweet Sixteen.

When he left after 5 years, we were up and down for a few years under Deane...but at least we were back in the national conversation, thanks to KO.  If he hadn't come along when he had, there is a very real possibility we'd be in the Horizon with Milwaukee and Green Bay right now.

In all fairness Loyola Chicago was coming off a sweet 16 when Bob started.

[larrym]

Could someone explain the thought process behind hiring Dukiet? I just looked up his coaching record and he wasn't even good at St Peter's!  

In all fairness Loyola Chicago was coming off a sweet 16 when Bob started.

He was a fall back.  Mike Newall(?) the Arkansas Little Rock coach was first choice.  He was coming off a win in the tournament.  Majerus left in June, so the choices were slim and the time frame was tight.

[CTWarrior]

KO - As others have said, saved program from the disaster it was run into by Dukiet.

Buzz - Can't argue with 3, Sweet 16s and 1 Elite 8, 5 total NCAA appearances in 6 years

Crean - If not for only achieving 1 NCAA win in 9 years (without having D-Wade), I'd put him above Buzz, but there were too many empty NCAA years post-Wade

Deane - Inherited some good talent from K.O., and coached it well - but was a disaster of a recruiter and Cords rightly pulled the plug.

Rick - Limited success in his time at MU - not taking account his post MU career.

Hank - He took over the program when it was a blueblood, when 5-star kids wanted to come to MU, and we had a decade long track record of excellence.  Not only did he not sustain that, we fell to an NIT caliber program.

Dukiet doesn't even belong in the conversation. 

This is exactly how I would rank them, and my comments would be almost identical. 

[tower912]

From the Pipines/Neufeldt book,  Hank was the AD, Hubie Brown and Jud Heathcote recommended Dukiet.  
From me, Rick left in the middle of the summer and the likely candidates were pretty well gone.   IIRC, there was another candidate who nearly took the job, but, foreshadowing Shaka, his wife torpedoed it at the last second.   I can't remember that guy's name.  
If you weren't in it, you can't imagine just how bad the basketball was under Dukiet.   Trevor Powell and Tony Smith were the talent.   Niagara/Fairfield/Loyola Chicago would come to the arena and there was genuine concern whether MU would win.    Whisperings in the faculty and the administration that maybe MU should drop to DII.  He couldn't recruit talent and he was brutal to the players he had.   Rod Strickland pointing at Anthony Candelino guarding him and laughing as he brought the ball up.   Rod Grosse jumping center and leaving at the first dead ball, never to be seen again.  

[willie warrior]

Pretty tough to do considering different eras, TV contracts, conferences/independents, etc., but this would be my opinion:
1. Hank--a great guy, X and O coach, and part of Marquette during the glory years. He had Al's back.
2. KO-- an intense guy who turned the program around
3. Crean-- a dork but took the program to greater heights (Wade and a final four)
4 Rick--have to include because of his journey, the McGuire era, and did as much as he could with nothing from the administration as the college basketball landscape was changing so much. A real junkie--basketball, food and one liners.
5. Deane--very good X and O and tactician. Jerk off the court, but did well with what he had.
6. Buzz---the man who said "I will be at Marquette as long as they want me", and Derrick is an elite gamechanger. A real B'ser.
Negative Infinity. Dukiet--a good piano player but clueless as a coach

[CTWarrior]

From the Pipines/Neufeldt book,  Hank was the AD, Hubie Brown and Jud Heathcote recommended Dukiet.  
From me, Rick left in the middle of the summer and the likely candidates were pretty well gone.   IIRC, there was another candidate who nearly took the job, but, foreshadowing Shaka, his wife torpedoed it at the last second.   I can't remember that guy's name.  
If you weren't in it, you can't imagine just how bad the basketball was under Dukiet.   Trevor Powell and Tony Smith were the talent.   Niagara/Fairfield/Loyola Chicago would come to the arena and there was genuine concern whether MU would win.    Whisperings in the faculty and the administration that maybe MU should drop to DII.  He couldn't recruit talent and he was brutal to the players he had.   Rod Strickland pointing at Anthony Candelino guarding him and laughing as he brought the ball up.   Rod Grosse jumping center and leaving at the first dead ball, never to be seen again.  

I can remember watching Dukiet's squad get torched at the Meadowlands by a mediocre Iona team.  Had tickets for a Fordham game later (I think it was at MSG, not Rose Hill) and didn't go, which was good, since they got spanked again.

[willie warrior]

Ah yes, the glory years under Dukiet. Wonder how Newell would have turned out after accepting and then unaccepting, Kind of like Billy Donavan did at Fla.?

[Texas Western]

Interesting to see peoples comments  on this thread. Our standards here at MU are very high. One of the reasons I think we can get back to the highest tier again. Wojo obviously saw that when he took the job.

In comparison to our standards lets take an example of Judd Heathcoate. He  had 6 losing seasons at Michigan State out of his 19 years there and was never noted as a great recruiter. Yet he is considered one of their all time greats. Obviously they won the whole thing early on and Judd milked that till he had some great teams toward the end of his career. Even then his last six years performance was not at the level of Buzz. Buzz gets run out /showed the door / let the door slam on the way out whatever version you want, with one bad Winning season .Not sure a guy like Judd would have survived here with some of his 10-18 11-17 performances. Although it is ironic that several of Judds assistants played a role here Crean , Deane, Dwayne Stephens.

[Lennys Tap]

Years
1.Crean 9
2.Buzz/Hank 6
4.KO/Deane 5
6.Rick/Dukiet 3

W/L %
1.Hank .716
2.Buzz  .681
3.Crean.664
4.Deane.645
5.Rick   .615
6.KO     .581
7. Dukiet.459

Regular Season Conference Championships
KO 1 (Great Midwest)
Crean 1 (CUSA)
Buzz 1 (Big East)
(Hank and Rick didn't coach in conferences)

Tournament Conference Championships
Deane 1 (Great Midwest)

Times in NCAA Tournament
1.Hank/Buzz 5/6
3.Crean 5/9
4.KO/Deane 2/5
6.Rick/Dukiet 0

Wins in NCAA Tournament
1.Buzz 8
2.Crean 5
3.Hank/KO/ 2
5.Deane 1
6.Rick/Dukiet 0

Winning % in NCAA Tournament
1.Buzz .615 (8-5)
2.KO/Crean .500 (2-2, 5-5)
4.Deane .333 (1-2)
5.Hank .286 (2-5)
6.Rick/Dukiet .000 (0-0)

Final Fours
1. Crean 1

Elite 8s
1.Buzz 1

Sweet 16s
1.Buzz 2
2.KO/Hank 1

Times Advancing out of Week 1
1.Buzz 3
2.Crean/Hank/KO 1

KO gets extra credit because he inherited a mess. Hank gets major deductions because he inherited the #2 or 3 program in the country. The rest inherited solid programs, though Rick, Dukiet, Deane and Buzz got more solid ones than Crean.

These facts won't change opinions, especially in areas of "close calls", but at least they'll debunk some of the more outrageous (see Willie's).

[Coleman]

Dukiet remind anyone else of Chevy Chase?

[tower912]

Chevy Chase is a better coach.    "Be the ball, Danny."

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Chevy Chase:  Kevin O'Neill's personality locked in Bob Dukiet's body.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah, and without Kevin the Old Gym woulda never been built, aina?

[MU82]

Years
1.Crean 9
2.Buzz/Hank 6
4.KO/Deane 5
6.Rick/Dukiet 3

W/L %
1.Hank .716
2.Buzz  .681
3.Crean.664
4.Deane.645
5.Rick   .615
6.KO     .581
7. Dukiet.459

Regular Season Conference Championships
KO 1 (Great Midwest)
Crean 1 (CUSA)
Buzz 1 (Big East)
(Hank and Rick didn't coach in conferences)

Tournament Conference Championships
Deane 1 (Great Midwest)

Times in NCAA Tournament
1.Hank/Buzz 5/6
3.Crean 5/9
4.KO/Deane 2/5
6.Rick/Dukiet 0

Wins in NCAA Tournament
1.Buzz 8
2.Crean 5
3.Hank/KO/ 2
5.Deane 1
6.Rick/Dukiet 0

Winning % in NCAA Tournament
1.Buzz .615 (8-5)
2.KO/Crean .500 (2-2, 5-5)
4.Deane .333 (1-2)
5.Hank .286 (2-5)
6.Rick/Dukiet .000 (0-0)

Final Fours
1. Crean 1

Elite 8s
1.Buzz 1

Sweet 16s
1.Buzz 2
2.KO/Hank 1

Times Advancing out of Week 1
1.Buzz 3
2.Crean/Hank/KO 1

KO gets extra credit because he inherited a mess. Hank gets major deductions because he inherited the #2 or 3 program in the country. The rest inherited solid programs, though Rick, Dukiet, Deane and Buzz got more solid ones than Crean.

These facts won't change opinions, especially in areas of "close calls", but at least they'll debunk some of the more outrageous (see Willie's).

Great stats, Lenny. Thanks for compiling it.

It's pretty difficult -- almost impossible, really -- to look at that list and all that Buzz accomplished while spending his first five seasons in arguably one of the best basketball conferences ever, and not conclude that Buzz is No. 1.

Crean got us to the Final Four and that matters. O'Neill helped rebuild the Marquette basketball brand. But neither has the overall results Buzz did, and, as I said, Buzz did it while competing against the best of the best; it's kind of ironic that his one bad season came after the Big East took a major step down in quality.

The rest shouldn't even be in the conversation, IMHO.