End of season contract extension for wojo?

[dgies9156]

Brother and Sister Scoopers:

Are you people nuts? Anyone who opposes a contract extension needs to be taken out, put underneath the stands at the old Bradley Center as the wrecking ball comes in and feel their fate. You folks don't get it.

Peoples Exhibit 1: Wojo inherited a Dumpster Fire. We can argue all day whether the Hillbilly was guilty of arson, but the fact remains that five years ago, the program was on fire and about to burn out. Coach Wojo stopped the burning and raised us up to a program that again is receiving national attention. We made the Top 10 and probably will still be in the Top 25 this year. No, this is not Coach McGuire's team,  but we're headed there.

Peoples Exhibit  2: If we don't renew Coach Wojo, we're sending a signal. Sleeze like the Red Rodent will use the sign against us. Folks, it costs a couple of years of a Division 1 salary to complete in this world, which is what we would  lose if Coach Wojo were ever terminated.

Peoples Exhibit 3: Were Wojo to be terminated, we would regress from where we are today. Short of going back to Shaka ("He's coming... He's coming!"), who would we hire and how long would it take to get us back to where we are today? Folks, this Warrior is tired of rebuilding. I want us back to the Final Four and another banner next to 77. Changing coaches again isn't going to get us there in my lifetime nor will it do so in the lifetimes of most Scoopers.

Look, each of the last three games we lost were winnable and we should have won all three. But what I see on this board is people who see national prominence in our near future and then watch our team blow a chance at something special. Yes, I'm frustrated at that too, but get real. I think this frustrates Coach Wojo more than we see in his public pronouncements but what do you expect him to do? Throw the team under the bus? Talk about a quick way to lose you team, that's it!

As a final thought, take a hard look at Coach McGuire's record. We lost to SIU in the 1967 NIT final. In 1969, we were one missed free throw away from the Final 4. In 1971, we lost to a middling Ohio State team. In 1973, a young Bobby Knight team beat us and in 1974, we lost after our coach took two technicals in the NatChamp game. 1975 was a disappointment and 1976 was an unfortunate situation in that we were matched up in the regional final against the last team ever to go unbeaten in a season. God help us if we would have had Scoop back then.

Patience is not a virtue in this room, but some of it would be helpful.

[4everwarriors]

As a final thought, take a hard look at Coach McGuire's record. We lost to SIU in the 1967 NIT final. In 1969, we were one missed free throw away from the Final 4. In 1971, we lost to a middling Ohio State team. In 1973, a young Bobby Knight team beat us and in 1974, we lost after our coach took two technicals in the NatChamp game. 1975 was a disappointment and 1976 was an unfortunate situation in that we were matched up in the regional final against the last team ever to go unbeaten in a season. God help us if we would have had Scoop back then.



Allow me to clarify:
1967: Walt "Clyde" Frazier was a member of that SIU team.

1969: vs. Purdue (with Rick Mount) at the Field House in Madison. #51 never was a reliable free throw shooter.

1971: vs tOSU in Athen, GA. Luke Witte and Jim Cleamons were part of that team and they were good. #14 fouled out for the first time ever in either high school or college.

You have 1973 listed vs IU. I believe losing to IU in Nashville occured in 1972 after losing #22 to the ABA in February.

1974: vs. NCState with David Thompson and Monte Towe on their home court in Greenboro in the Monday night Championship Game

1976: vs. IU in Baton Rouge. IU was loaded with Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, and Bob Wilkerson--all played in the NBA


What this really shows, and you younguns take note, is just what a powerhouse Al built and sustained for years. When its said that you want to compete at the highest level--this is the highest level.
Hank, Rick, Bob, Kevin, Mike, Tom, Buzz, and Wojo have not built anything near that successful and certainly don't come close to sustaining it.

[Mike Deane's Seat Belt]

Lets not start comparing wojo to AL that is apples to oranges all day. 

Al took 3 seasons to build his program, he was in the ncaa tourney every season (NIT champ 70 of course / snub), and was an AP top 5 program for the last 7 years of his career. 

The issues so far have been lack of accomplishment for the type of salary we are paying the guy. Hes one of the highest paid coaches in the nation and we have gone nowhere up until this season, and the wheels are falling off at the worst possible time. 

The question is if we don't make say a sweet 16 at the very least this year or next year, why should we expect any other result down the road.  The roster he will have on paper next year is elite caliber and anything less than a deep run should be considered a total failure. 

[dgies9156]

As a final thought, take a hard look at Coach McGuire's record. We lost to SIU in the 1967 NIT final. In 1969, we were one missed free throw away from the Final 4. In 1971, we lost to a middling Ohio State team. In 1973, a young Bobby Knight team beat us and in 1974, we lost after our coach took two technicals in the NatChamp game. 1975 was a disappointment and 1976 was an unfortunate situation in that we were matched up in the regional final against the last team ever to go unbeaten in a season. God help us if we would have had Scoop back then.



Allow me to clarify:
1967: Walt "Clyde" Frazier was a member of that SIU team.

1969: vs. Purdue (with Rick Mount) at the Field House in Madison. #51 never was a reliable free throw shooter.

1971: vs tOSU in Athen, GA. Luke Witte and Jim Cleamons were part of that team and they were good. #14 fouled out for the first time ever in either high school or college.

You have 1973 listed vs IU. I believe losing to IU in Nashville occured in 1972 after losing #22 to the ABA in February.

1974: vs. NCState with David Thompson and Monte Towe on their home court in Greenboro in the Monday night Championship Game

1976: vs. IU in Baton Rouge. IU was loaded with Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, and Bob Wilkerson--all played in the NBA


What this really shows, and you younguns take note, is just what a powerhouse Al built and sustained for years. When its said that you want to compete at the highest level--this is the highest level.
Hank, Rick, Bob, Kevin, Mike, Tom, Buzz, and Wojo have not built anything near that successful and certainly don't come close to sustaining it.

Brother 4Ever, I remember most of those games (even the SIU Clyde Frazier game) and you're right, we  played the best. But along the way, we choked as well. I really thought Nashville was 1973 (I was at that game, yuck) because I drove  to Memorial Gym. My point is that it took 13 years to get the NatChamp from Coach McGuire. Coach Wojo has not gotten the team to that level.

But, Brother 4Ever, do you think switching leadership now -- or anyone else for that matter -- will get us there more efficiently than our present course? I sure as heck don't and I don't want to start over. I'm tired of starting over.

I've been frustrated with our beloved Warriors as of late -- and was after Indiana and Kansas. But I haven't lit my torch and  am not ready for a stakeburning out in front of Joan of Arc Chapel. I'm very optimistic that amid my swearing after the 18-0 run by Seton Hall, we're still headed where we should be.   

[Galway Eagle]

As a final thought, take a hard look at Coach McGuire's record. We lost to SIU in the 1967 NIT final. In 1969, we were one missed free throw away from the Final 4. In 1971, we lost to a middling Ohio State team. In 1973, a young Bobby Knight team beat us and in 1974, we lost after our coach took two technicals in the NatChamp game. 1975 was a disappointment and 1976 was an unfortunate situation in that we were matched up in the regional final against the last team ever to go unbeaten in a season. God help us if we would have had Scoop back then.



Allow me to clarify:
1967: Walt "Clyde" Frazier was a member of that SIU team.

1969: vs. Purdue (with Rick Mount) at the Field House in Madison. #51 never was a reliable free throw shooter.

1971: vs tOSU in Athen, GA. Luke Witte and Jim Cleamons were part of that team and they were good. #14 fouled out for the first time ever in either high school or college.

You have 1973 listed vs IU. I believe losing to IU in Nashville occured in 1972 after losing #22 to the ABA in February.

1974: vs. NCState with David Thompson and Monte Towe on their home court in Greenboro in the Monday night Championship Game

1976: vs. IU in Baton Rouge. IU was loaded with Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, and Bob Wilkerson--all played in the NBA


What this really shows, and you younguns take note, is just what a powerhouse Al built and sustained for years. When its said that you want to compete at the highest level--this is the highest level.
Hank, Rick, Bob, Kevin, Mike, Tom, Buzz, and Wojo have not built anything near that successful and certainly don't come close to sustaining it.

Yeah any youngin can watch YouTube and read Wikipedia and old newspaper articles you aren't telling any young person anything new.

Al was 6-6 in the month of March after 4yrs you say that's the only month that matters so maybe you're right thank goodness there wasn't a scoop back then for you to proclaim what a bust that Al was at that point.

[Pakuni]

The issues so far have been lack of accomplishment for the type of salary we are paying the guy. Hes one of the highest paid coaches in the nation and we have gone nowhere up until this season, and the wheels are falling off at the worst possible time.

He's nowhere close to being one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation.

[Aircraftcarrier]

Mike Deane's seat belt.Get your facts straight before you post.

[4everwarriors]

When I look at this year's team, the lack of athleticism stands out. That has been a fundamental flaw in Wojo's recruiting to this point. The game is played on a 94 ft floor and we can't compete with quicker teams.
More disturbing to me is other teams have shown how to beat MU and seemingly, Wojo can't answer that challenge. This doesn't bode well for a deep Tourney run. So, what's the answer? I don't know, but it's disturbing that the staff hasn't gotten the necessary talent, or mis-evaluated talent, to strengthen these weaknesses. As for Wojo, I expected more by this point, particularly with in game adjustments.

[Nukem2]

When I look at this year's team, the lack of athleticism stands out. That has been a fundamental flaw in Wojo's recruiting to this point. The game is played on a 94 ft floor and we can't compete with quicker teams.
More disturbing to me is other teams have shown how to beat MU and seemingly, Wojo can't answer that challenge. This doesn't bode well for a deep Tourney run. So, what's the answer? I don't know, but it's disturbing that the staff hasn't gotten the necessary talent, or mis-evaluated talent, to strengthen these weaknesses. As for Wojo, I expected more by this point, particularly with in game adjustments.

Looking ahead, we have Greg  and Kobe and Samir coming in while Brendan and Jamal and Theo have a year under their belts along with the Class of 2020.  The tide is turning.

[79Warrior]

When I look at this year's team, the lack of athleticism stands out. That has been a fundamental flaw in Wojo's recruiting to this point. The game is played on a 94 ft floor and we can't compete with quicker teams.
More disturbing to me is other teams have shown how to beat MU and seemingly, Wojo can't answer that challenge. This doesn't bode well for a deep Tourney run. So, what's the answer? I don't know, but it's disturbing that the staff hasn't gotten the necessary talent, or mis-evaluated talent, to strengthen these weaknesses. As for Wojo, I expected more by this point, particularly with in game adjustments.

Completely agree with both your posts. Lack of athleticism is why SJU ran us over twice. The team also is a little soft imo. Other than Theo, and Ed to a certain extent, team lacks toughness. We need a Luke for sure.

[Aircraftcarrier]

MU is 23-7.Ranked 16th in Nation.Going to be a 4 or 5 seed and people are still bitching.4everwarriors if you can't see the trajectory of the program  you will never be happy.

[Cheeks]

Al isn’t walking through the doors.  The world is vastly different than when he coached, so is the game of basketball.

An extension is warranted and progress still being made.  If a change were made, my God it would send a signal of how completely out of touch and out of our minds we are.  Unless someone has Brad’s signature on a contract, why on earth would anyone even consider a change at this point with this trajectory? 

God bless Al....he is dead.  RIP.  Move on. 

[Cheeks]

When I look at this year's team, the lack of athleticism stands out. That has been a fundamental flaw in Wojo's recruiting to this point. The game is played on a 94 ft floor and we can't compete with quicker teams.
More disturbing to me is other teams have shown how to beat MU and seemingly, Wojo can't answer that challenge. This doesn't bode well for a deep Tourney run. So, what's the answer? I don't know, but it's disturbing that the staff hasn't gotten the necessary talent, or mis-evaluated talent, to strengthen these weaknesses. As for Wojo, I expected more by this point, particularly with in game adjustments.

We have to get better, no doubt.  We have to get more athletic, agreed.  But we have gotten better and we have gotten more athletic.  Next year’s team is already going to be more athletic than this year’s based on who is coming in, who is eligible and who is leaving.

Progress made and still going right direction in trajectory.  No off court issues.  Proud of this team, think next year could be very special if lines up properly.

[Pakuni]

MU is 23-7.Ranked 16th in Nation.Going to be a 4 or 5 seed and people are still bitching.4everwarriors if you can't see the trajectory of the program  you will never be happy.

I think a lot of it depends on when one became a fan of the program. Old timers like 4ever lived through the Al years and think that's a realistic expectation for the program.
Those of us who've hopped aboard the bandwagon in the 40+ years since might have less lofty - and I believe more realistic - expectations.

[Galway Eagle]

Al isn’t walking through the doors.  The world is vastly different than when he coached, so is the game of basketball.

An extension is warranted and progress still being made.  If a change were made, my God it would send a signal of how completely out of touch and out of our minds we are.  Unless someone has Brad’s signature on a contract, why on earth would anyone even consider a change at this point with this trajectory? 

God bless Al....he is dead.  RIP.  Move on.

Not just brad, if Donovan became available I'd take him in a heartbeat

[Cheeks]

Guilty as charged, my brother.

All good Doc.


And please understand that some of you guys saw MU for what it could be, the top of Everest.  You have a different POV which many of us cannot get our heads around.  I think your experience in seeing it gives you a feeling it can happen again, and that may very well be true.  We may be selling is short on what is possible.

I am of the opinion the BBall world has changed so much it will be difficult if not impossible for a school like MU today to be MU of the 70’s, but I think we can get close.  That said, what Nova has done and Gonzaga gives me hope, too.  But I truly believe that will require some stability.  Wojo is not a finished product, a lot of growth needed....agree completely.  Need better players, but I don’t think we have come close to plateauing yet in the 5 years so I’m still buying.

[Cheeks]

Ego much?

And yes, analysts, sportswriters, coaches and many others have been saying basketball is a guard's game for well over a decade. Just because you have been parroting it over and over as an anonymous interwebs dude for years doesn't mean you invented it.

Now, "4 or 5 years to judge" ... maybe I'll give you that one. Take the win and be satisfied, chicos!

Yup, I have a healthy one ESPECIALLY when it involves a few folks....and so do you and others.  Definitely an Internet personality thing, not something I do face to face....but yeah, no doubt there are a few of you it is a bit of a pleasure proving wrong...and guess what, you would be stone cold lying if you said you don’t do the same thing to some posters here.  You are wise enough to admit that....I think

[Cheeks]

Not just brad, if Donovan became available I'd take him in a heartbeat

Hmmm.....I have been privy to too much of the background stuff at UF....no thanks.  Great coach, but no thanks.

[Aircraftcarrier]

I am an old timer too.I lived through the Al years.It was awesome.Times are different.I am happy how the programs trajectory is going.People are way to negative.Would I like to see the team have more guards this year? Absolutely.The staff knows the problem and have addressed it with McEwen and hopefuuly Torrence next year.Throw in Elliott too.I am a glass half full guy.There are many programs that would change places with MU in a minute.Lets try supporting the team and Wojo instead of bashing them.It may even help get a recruit.

[Galway Eagle]

Hmmm.....I have been privy to too much of the background stuff at UF....no thanks.  Great coach, but no thanks.

Didn't know there was dirt with him. Suppose he played under Pitino...

[WhiteTrash]

He's nowhere close to being one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation.

I'd bet he's in the top 10% or 15%.

[Cheeks]

I'd bet he's in the top 10% or 15%.

Probably, but all that means is one of the top 35 to 50 paid coaches out 350 D1 programs. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'd bet he's in the top 10% or 15%.

And we're in the top 10 or 15% off teams, so theoretically eye getting our money's worth eh?

[MU82]

Brother and Sister Scoopers:

Are you people nuts? Anyone who opposes a contract extension needs to be taken out, put underneath the stands at the old Bradley Center as the wrecking ball comes in and feel their fate. You folks don't get it.

Peoples Exhibit 1: Wojo inherited a Dumpster Fire. We can argue all day whether the Hillbilly was guilty of arson, but the fact remains that five years ago, the program was on fire and about to burn out. Coach Wojo stopped the burning and raised us up to a program that again is receiving national attention. We made the Top 10 and probably will still be in the Top 25 this year. No, this is not Coach McGuire's team,  but we're headed there.

Peoples Exhibit  2: If we don't renew Coach Wojo, we're sending a signal. Sleeze like the Red Rodent will use the sign against us. Folks, it costs a couple of years of a Division 1 salary to complete in this world, which is what we would  lose if Coach Wojo were ever terminated.

Peoples Exhibit 3: Were Wojo to be terminated, we would regress from where we are today. Short of going back to Shaka ("He's coming... He's coming!"), who would we hire and how long would it take to get us back to where we are today? Folks, this Warrior is tired of rebuilding. I want us back to the Final Four and another banner next to 77. Changing coaches again isn't going to get us there in my lifetime nor will it do so in the lifetimes of most Scoopers.

Look, each of the last three games we lost were winnable and we should have won all three. But what I see on this board is people who see national prominence in our near future and then watch our team blow a chance at something special. Yes, I'm frustrated at that too, but get real. I think this frustrates Coach Wojo more than we see in his public pronouncements but what do you expect him to do? Throw the team under the bus? Talk about a quick way to lose you team, that's it!

As a final thought, take a hard look at Coach McGuire's record. We lost to SIU in the 1967 NIT final. In 1969, we were one missed free throw away from the Final 4. In 1971, we lost to a middling Ohio State team. In 1973, a young Bobby Knight team beat us and in 1974, we lost after our coach took two technicals in the NatChamp game. 1975 was a disappointment and 1976 was an unfortunate situation in that we were matched up in the regional final against the last team ever to go unbeaten in a season. God help us if we would have had Scoop back then.

Patience is not a virtue in this room, but some of it would be helpful.

Outstanding post. Every point is great.

What your paragraph about Al's March frustrations shows is how very difficult it is to win a national title. Al got close, year after year after year, but couldn't get even some of the most talented teams in the nation over the hump. There was an injury here, a guy going pro there, a matchup against an All-American here, a matchup against an unbeaten team there. That's sports -- it's always something.

Finally, in 1977, Al got his title. Interestingly, that season included a 3-game losing February losing streak. All 3 were at home, two were to unranked teams, the third was a double-digit loss to a Wichita State squad that would finish third in the MVC.

Six games into February, Marquette had a 2-4 record for the month. The only two wins were  over a Loyola team that finished 13-13 and a Manhattan squad that was 13-14.

Can't you just hear the 77Scoopers?

"With so much at stake, why can't Al motivate those guys to play better!"

"We look lethargic coming out in the second half. Where are the adjustments?"

"We are underachieving. Al is just mailing it in."

"Looks like Al is gonna go out a loser!" (To which at least a few Scoopers would have responded: "Good! He can let the door hit him on his way out!")

We can sit here now and say that through all of his earlier accomplishments, Al "earned" a slump like that, but that's not how fans think at the time. Certainly not interwebs fans. 77Scoop would not have been kind.

Ten days ago, we were 23-4, leading the BEast, had beaten Nova, Wisconsin, K-State, Louisville, Buffalo, etc. We were a top-10 team, projected as a 3-seed with a decent shot at a 2. Many of Wojo's critics had backed off.

Then we lose 3 games, and it's as if the first 27 were a mirage. We're done!

Even an optimist like me is not naive enough to say this team will do what the 76-77 lads did -- turn things around and go on to win the title. But jeesh ... to write our guys off as dead (as many MU fans surely did 6 games into February 1977) ... I just don't get the over-the-top negativity.

Some Scoopers get their undies so twisted in a bundle that they'll spit out anything: Wojo is one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation ... Sacar is the worst 2 in the BE by far ... maybe we're a better team without Markus ... Wojo can't recruit ... Joey is garbage ... Morrow is useless ... not to mention all the wonderfully, ridiculously inaccurate musings after the IU and KU games. And let's not forget all the Scoopers who actually have come right out and said they know more about basketball than Wojo does.

Of course no Warriors coach has built anything like Al did. There's a reason why one-of-a-kind coaches are called one of a kind!

So because Wojo is not Al and never will be, we should start over, looking for the Next Al? Shaka was supposed to be the savior, wasn't he? Ask the folks in Austin how the saving is going so far.

And to top it all off ... unless some kind of scandal pops up, there is ZERO chance that Wojo will get fired. He almost surely will get a contract extension that will be (IMHO) well-deserved.

Pining for a different coach now is akin to pining for a romp in the hay with Scarlett Johansson. It's fantasy world!

[dgies9156]

Outstanding post. Every point is great.

Finally, in 1977, Al got his title. Interestingly, that season included a 3-game losing February losing streak. All 3 were at home, two were to unranked teams, the third was a double-digit loss to a Wichita State squad that would finish third in the MVC.

I was on campus in 1977 and Brother MU, your post captured what the chattering class throught quite well.

We choked against Wichita State and looked terrible in February. The team was booed at the Arena as it walked off the floor after Coach’s last home game. Not sure Bill Neary ever forgave that.

What we never knew is what happened in practice and what Coaches McGuire and Raymonds did to ready our guys for the title. It isn’t that one suffers adversity, but what you do afterward that matters. That team showed that despite our weaknesses that year, despite a coach retiring and despite an angry fan base, they got up off the deck and basically told the whole world “We are Marquette ... screw you!”

I’m with our guys this year, win or lose, and am hopeful Coach Wojo is here for a long time to come.

Thanks Brother MU for the compliment.