Tanned Tommy on the ropes?

[GGGG]

I would assume that there would be a lot of people not renewing season tickets.  My problem with Crean was when he left. The '08 team has the lowest combined efficiency ratings of an MU team since Pomeroy started tracking.  They were screwed by the seeding process (no way that ND should have been higher than us, based purely on 3 head to head games) and lost a heart breaker in OT on a shot, I still have no idea how it went in.  Decent recruiting class coming in, led by Ty Taylor, who would have helped a lot over the next 4 years.  And he left for Indiana, a decent team with all kinds of problems coming.  We were in a better conference, with better facilities.  I grew up in Indiana and I really only believe it's a blue blood in Indiana (not nationally) anymore.  I don't think that 17 and 18 year old players think it's cool that Indiana won a national championship 10 years before they were born.  I appreciate what he did for Marquette, but it still doesn't make sense to me.

Crean grew up in Big Ten land in the 70s and 80s when Indiana was clearly one of the best programs in the country.  I can understand the allure.  And it is still a good job.  Indiana still generates a lot of D1 basketball talent.

[Dr. Blackheart]

New AD...new President...I don't think so.

Same bank, though.

[brewcity77]

Crean grew up in Big Ten land in the 70s and 80s when Indiana was clearly one of the best programs in the country.  I can understand the allure.  And it is still a good job.  Indiana still generates a lot of D1 basketball talent.

A big part of Crean leaving was his inability to recruit at the highest level here. He's had his faults at IU, but he has landed 4 McDonald's All Americans. Indiana certainly isn't what it was when Crean was growing up, but he is attracting the kind of recruits he could never attract here.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Says who? No way anybody can know that for sure. Maybe we would've had the next Coach K on our hands. A guy who stays for life and wins multiple national titles. Pretending nobody could've possibly done as well or better at MU than Crean did is as bad or worse than pretending Crean did nothing for MU.

Correct, no way anyone will know for sure.  You are exactly right.  Just as there is no way of knowing for sure if we hired someone other than Buzz that guy does even better, or worse.  We'll never know.  We'll never know for sure if we hired someone other than Al McGuire we could have won 5 national titles.   We'll never know for sure.

[GGGG]

A big part of Crean leaving was his inability to recruit at the highest level here. He's had his faults at IU, but he has landed 4 McDonald's All Americans. Indiana certainly isn't what it was when Crean was growing up, but he is attracting the kind of recruits he could never attract here.

And most of those high level prospects are from Indiana, which still produces near the most college basketball players per capita in the US.

[Lennys Tap]

I'm a Bulls fan and I know Michael Jordan is king of the assbags but is anyone going to discount what he accomplished?

Michael Jordan was a genius. Geniuses, for lack of a better word, are different. The public recognizes that and largely forgives their eccentricities. Fair or not, a basketball coach of modest accomplishment is not granted that same privilege. Sixteen years in the public eye as an asshat and a douchebag trump one final four and a pair of sweet 16s. TC isn't just ripped on MU and IU boards. Fan bases everywhere despise him and mock him. He has very few friends in the coaching fraternity. Most writers see through his obviously self serving act. People everywhere are celebrating his struggles - it's what happens to a first class jerk on the way down.

[HutchwasClutch]

Michael Jordan was a genius. Geniuses, for lack of a better word, are different. The public recognizes that and largely forgives their eccentricities. Fair or not, a basketball coach of modest accomplishment is not granted that same privilege. Sixteen years in the public eye as an asshat and a douchebag trump one final four and a pair of sweet 16s. TC isn't just ripped on MU and IU boards. Fan bases everywhere despise him and mock him. He has very few friends in the coaching fraternity. Most writers see through his obviously self serving act. People everywhere are celebrating his struggles - it's what happens to a first class jerk on the way down.

I don't disagree with your assessment of him, but he's been gone 7 years now.   Move on maybe?  The sports world is full of coaches that are incorrigible jerks.  It's like Crean came in and messed up the sainthood that is the college basketball coaches profession.  Your could celebrate the struggles of countless jerks, some worse than him.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't disagree with your assessment of him, but he's been gone 7 years now.   Move on maybe?  The sports world is full of coaches that are incorrigible jerks.  It's like Crean came in and messed up the sainthood that is the college basketball coaches profession.  Your could celebrate the struggles of countless jerks, some worse than him.

Well stated.  He's celebrating his struggles?  Character revealed, and not at all surprising.  I'd love to know how that clown knows who his friends are.  Love the "everywhere" lazy comment as well....same old tripe from him.  Thank you for quoting him.

[wadesworld]

Correct, no way anyone will know for sure.  You are exactly right.  Just as there is no way of knowing for sure if we hired someone other than Buzz that guy does even better, or worse.  We'll never know.  We'll never know for sure if we hired someone other than Al McGuire we could have won 5 national titles.   We'll never know for sure.

Agreed.  Which is why I say that assuming that without Tom Crean we would be practicing in the Old Gym and playing in the Horizon League is just as bad as trying to discredit what Crean did for MU.

I have been consistent in saying that I am thankful for the very many very good things Tom Crean did for the program at Marquette.  I will always be thankful for those things.  I will never try to discredit those things.  But I will continue having fun watching him fail at Indiana for the way he left Marquette and for being a d-bag.  Saying those things doesn't mean I am discrediting what he did at Marquette.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't disagree with your assessment of him, but he's been gone 7 years now.   Move on maybe?  The sports world is full of coaches that are incorrigible jerks.  It's like Crean came in and messed up the sainthood that is the college basketball coaches profession.  Your could celebrate the struggles of countless jerks, some worse than him.

I think you're shortchanging TC's ranking in the pantheon of jerks, but I'll certainly concede there are plenty of them out there. But he was our jerk, so I take him more personally. Please quote me in your response so Chico can thank you, claim to have me on ignore and still respond to my post with his typically false/inane remarks. Hilarious.

[wadesworld]

Ok you guys are saying another guy could have done it but Crean DID DO IT!

I think Crean is an assbag too, but I'm not going to discredit what he did.

I'm a Bulls fan and I know Michael Jordan is king of the assbags but is anyone going to discount what he accomplished?

See list above and let us know what would have worked out better.

Knock it off, guy did a lot for Marquette, but left in a crapty way.

Where have I tried to discredit what Tom Crean did at Marquette?

[HutchwasClutch]

I think you're shortchanging TC's ranking in the pantheon of jerks, but I'll certainly concede there are plenty of them out there. But he was our jerk, so I take him more personally. Please quote me in your response so Chico can thank you, claim to have me on ignore and still respond to my post with his typically false/inane remarks. Hilarious.

WTF?  Go rip him if you don't like what he said.

[keefe]

...and challenges Tom Crean


http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2015/03/20/doyel-iu-plays-best-basketball-loses/25114069/

[ChicosBailBonds]

...and challenges Tom Crean


http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2015/03/20/doyel-iu-plays-best-basketball-loses/25114069/

It's Gregg, not Greg.   He's been so all over the board in the last 5 months....fire him, don't fire him, fire him, don't fire him.....he's like a teenage girl.    He's a confirmation bias wet dream.  Contingent of IU fans that love him because of what he writes.  Contingent of IU fans that hate him because of what he writes.  So goes the beat of the drum.  He is used by both parties to back up their views, and he serves both purposes because of his ever shifting opinion on the subject.

[4everwarriors]

Picture Marquette practicing in the old gym playing in Conference USA needing to win the conference tournament most of the time to make the NCAA's.

That's where we are without Crean.

Absolutely not true. The University's commitment to basketball is what allowed the program to improve and advance.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Absolutely not true. The University's commitment to basketball is what allowed the program to improve and advance.

They go hand in hand.  The Final Four led to massive donation avalanche to get the Al built.  It also meant us being accepted into the Big East...direct words from commissioner Mike Tranghese of the Big East.   

The university gave a commitment and then we had to go out and do it.  Which we did.

[keefe]

It's Gregg, not Greg. 

Is it my fault his parents can't spell?

[Lennys Tap]

WTF?  Go rip him if you don't like what he said.

Joking, Hutch - giving Chicos (not you) grief for his typical "I've got him on ignore but I can respond because someone else quoted him" BS.

[MUMonster03]

They go hand in hand.  The Final Four led to massive donation avalanche to get the Al built.  It also meant us being accepted into the Big East...direct words from commissioner Mike Tranghese of the Big East.   

The university gave a commitment and then we had to go out and do it.  Which we did.

The Al broke ground in May 2002 and opened the fall after the final four. Not sure how many donations from a final four 6 months before the building opened really contributed. Anyone know?

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Al broke ground in May 2002 and opened the fall after the final four. Not sure how many donations from a final four 6 months before the building opened really contributed. Anyone know?

In the days after MU whooped #1 Kentucky, MU announced the "Final $4 Million" donation campaign that week for the Al McGuire Center.





Tracy also said there was some unexpected funding help which came the university's way while trying to raise the funds for the McGuire center.

"An anonymous donor made a multi-million dollar donation early on in the process," Tracy said. "Also Marquette's trip to the final four last year allowed the university to raise more than $4 million dollars in approximately two weeks."

The campaign was called the push for the "Final $4 million," according to Tracy. Tracy said it was the Final $4 million which put Marquette over the top for its goal of $31 million dollars for the project.

[MUMonster03]

In the days after MU whooped #1 Kentucky, MU announced the "Final $4 Million" donation campaign that week for the Al McGuire Center.

Thanks for the info. I know sometimes ground is broke before full funding but couldn't remember if this was the case with the Al.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Thanks for the info. I know sometimes ground is broke before full funding but couldn't remember if this was the case with the Al.

Yup, they were having trouble closing the deal for awhile.  MU's play that season helped secure more donations, then the tournament run helped more, then the Final Four run with the special campaign drove it home.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Just as Yankee Stadium will forever be known as the "House that Miller Huggins Built, so too will the Al McGuire Center be known as the "House that Tom Crean Built."

[GoldenWarrior11]

Was Tom Crean ever rumored for other jobs while head coach at Marquette (not including Indiana), not unlike Buzz while he was here?  If so, does anyone remember what schools tried pursuing him?

I would imagine he was at his highest demand immediately after the Final Four run.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Was Tom Crean ever rumored for other jobs while head coach at Marquette (not including Indiana), not unlike Buzz while he was here?  If so, does anyone remember what schools tried pursuing him?

I would imagine he was at his highest demand immediately after the Final Four run.

Yes, some where he pushed it to get more money, and some where schools went after him and he declined.  Fans on this board were very receptive of it.