Ranking MU coaches since Al

[tower912]

Since the threads that aren't devolving into Derrick bashing are devolving as to which former coach is more despicable, it is time to pull it together in one place.   Rank the MU coaches since Al.  My list is going to be strictly on X's and O's and not on whether they were nice guys, who they drank with, what they did after they left. etc.  Strictly their time at MU. If you wish to include those things, stipulate in your ranking.  I hope Wojo surpasses them all, but I am not going to include him based on a month.


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

[Galway Eagle]

Since the threads that aren't devolving into Derrick bashing are devolving as to which former coach is more despicable, it is time to pull it together in one place.   Rank the MU coaches since Al.  My list is going to be strictly on X's and O's and not on whether they were nice guys, who they drank with, what they did after they left. etc.  Strictly their time at MU. If you wish to include those things, stipulate in your ranking.  I hope Wojo surpasses them all, but I am not going to include him based on a month.


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

Is switch Hank and KO but other than that mines the same

[Pakuni]

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

I think some people way undervalue KO's contribution to the program because of his relatively short tenure and hard feelings over the way he left.
KO saved Marquette from becoming another Loyola-Chicago or Detroit Mercy.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I agree with KO being 3rd but I think after Al he was the most important coach in MU history. Not necessarily the best but the most important.

[GooooMarquette]

Strictly on X's and O's?  Not recruiting?  Then I'll say:

1.  Hank
2.  Deane
3.  KO
4.  Buzz
5.  Rick
6.  Crean


7.  Dukiet.

Buzz and TC were reasonably decent bench coaches, but they won more than the others because they were better recruiters, not better X's and O's guys.

[dgies9156]

OK, let's cause some problems

1)  Crean:  He got us into the Final Four for the first time since 1977. That's worth being ranked 1.
2)  Buzz: You can't argue with success, no matter how it happened.
3)  KO: He saved the program, pure and simple.
4)  Wojo: Very incomplete but I like what I am seeing.
5)  Tie, Rick and Mike Deane: Neither did anything with a world-class program.
7)  Hank: Nice guy, sent the program in a tailspin that it almost died from.


999999999) Dukiet: I think even Ners and Keefe could have done a better job than Dukiet. He was badly overmatched and almost cost us everything.

[humanlung]

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

I think some people way undervalue KO's contribution to the program because of his relatively short tenure and hard feelings over the way he left.
KO saved Marquette from becoming another Loyola-Chicago or Detroit Mercy.

This is absolutely correct.  KO inherited nothing.  In my opinion, he is solely responsible for saving MU basketball from obscurity.

[🏀]

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

[jsglow]

Some interesting observations.  I'll need to think on this more.

I will say that Hank was the greatest assistant coach in Marquette history.  He had been a candidate for the job when Al was selected.  When the university and Al convinced him to stay as Al's right hand man, history was made.  They were a perfect fit. 

[SuddenSam]

Easy:

1. Crean - rebuild program enthusiasm/Big East entry/Final Four
2. Buzz - continued momentum and direction est. by #1
3.  KO - reached heights not recently seen (Sweet 16), though below #'s 2 & 3
4. Rick - though better in MU class he taught, or sports talk
5. Hank - call a time out, Hank!
6. Deane - we're getting down there
7. Dukiet - way down there, is there a sub basement?

[drbchilds]

1)  Buzz
2)  Crean
3)  KO
4)  Hank
5)  Rick
6)  Deane
7)  Dukiet

[Texas Western]

1. Crean-Restored the program to being in the national conversation.
2. Buzz- sustained and enhanced on Creans Body of work.
3. KO brought program back from the brink. A few more years with us and he would rank higher.
4. Rick- took over at a tough time, left too soon. His subsequent legend accrues to us though.
5. Hank- good guy , tough to follow a giant ,but I believe he set the downward motion in place which is why I rank him lower. He had plenty of talent to work with . I will never forget sitting in the stands at the Miami  of Ohio game dumbfounded. I still think that was the beginning of the steady downtrend .
6. Deane- tread water, which at a school like ours is dangerous.
7. Dukiet- Dumpster Fire

[Goose]

1. KO
2. Crean
3. Buzz
4. Hank
5. Rick


KO had the hardest job and saved the program. Truthfully I have hard time putting Hank at four but Rick became a great coach after he left. Crean and Buzz are a toss up to me and gave Crean nod for Wade and FF.

[Coleman]

1) Buzz
2) - Tie - Crean and KO

Everyone else.



In a few years, shift everyone down one and Wojo will be at the top.

[Lennys Tap]

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

[Norm]

5)  Tie, Rick and Mike Deane: Neither did anything with a world-class program.

Well, Deane did win 100 games faster than any MU coach in history and went to two NCAAs, 2 NITs, and won MU's only conference tournament championship.

[Nukem2]

Well, Deane did win 100 games faster than any MU coach in history and went to two NCAAs, 2 NITs, and won MU's only conference tournament championship.

Of course, he did that with KO's guys.  After that, Cords was correctly reading the tea leaves.

[oldwarrior81]

Well, Deane did win 100 games faster than any MU coach in history and went to two NCAAs, 2 NITs, and won MU's only conference tournament championship.

Raymonds, Crean and Williams all made it to 100 wins quicker than Deane.

after 5 seasons Hank was 107-40, Buzz 122-54, Crean 102-53 and Deane 100-55.

[NersEllenson]

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. 

[lurch91]

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

I think some people way undervalue KO's contribution to the program because of his relatively short tenure and hard feelings over the way he left.
KO saved Marquette from becoming another Loyola-Chicago or Detroit Mercy.

+1

[StillAWarrior]

For a lot of us on this board, this is a really depressing conversation.  At least I got one year of KO.

For those of you who weren't around, it's difficult to put into words just how bad Dukiet was.  Was anyone else there the night at the Varsity when he wanted to play the piano and asked for a couple of back up singers?  Ranks up there as one of the most awkward public moments I've ever witnessed.

I'd probably go with:  1) KO; 2) Crean; 3) Buzz; 4) Hank; 5) Rick; 6) Deane; 7) Dukiet

[Norm]

For a lot of us on this board, this is a really depressing conversation.  At least I got one year of KO.

For those of you who weren't around, it's difficult to put into words just how bad Dukiet was.  Was anyone else there the night at the Varsity when he wanted to play the piano and asked for a couple of back up singers?  Ranks up there as one of the most awkward public moments I've ever witnessed.

I'd probably go with:  1) KO; 2) Crean; 3) Buzz; 4) Hank; 5) Rick; 6) Deane; 7) Dukiet

Yep, I witnessed the Piano Man at the Varsity. Also ate at McCormick a couple times with him - he used to eat there with his players every now and then.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

1.  KO
2.  Crean
3.  Buzz
4.  Rick
5.  Hank
6.  Deane

Receiving votes: Dukiet

[Galway Eagle]

1. Shaka Smart - zero losses can't argue with that

2. Buzz- most consistent success

3. Crean - highest level of success

4. KO - brought is back to life

4.5-> where I see Wojo as of now but very likely to move up with time

5. Hank - wasn't the coach for us when we were at that level

6.  Deane - I think people are too hard on him he was somewhat successful not a flop

7. Rick - don't understand the MU love. Proud to call him an alum but he didn't coach great for us and ditched us for the NBA

8. Dukiet - pretty sure some of the assistant coaches over the years rank higher than him.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

1: Crean
2: Buzz
3: KO
4: Majerus
5: Deane
6: Hank
7: The empty space between one coach leaving and another coach arriving
8: Dukiet