Wojo’s replacement.

[Cheeks]

What is a "Marquette level" job? A program with 0 NCAA tournament wins in the past 5 years?

6 years...Buzzard didn't get us into the tournament his last year when we were picked first in the Big East and we finished 6th.

[NickelDimer]

So the nuance of how Marquette lost to Murray state doesn't matter because at the end of the day, it's a loss.

But the nuance of how buffalo lost to Marquette matters, even though at the end of the day, it's a loss.

Fair enough.

You think they're comparable? Agree to disagree. Strongly.

[LAZER]

First off, Wojo is not going anywhere over next few years, unless he decides to move on. Secondly, I would doubt if MU would embrace the Buffalo style of program. To me, it has a feel of mini Buzz environment and we know how original version ended here. MU has exactly the type of program they want to have and are comfortable in that decision. No fearing a phone call in middle of the night over off court issues popping up.

Has Buffalo had off court issues?

[Scoop Snoop]

I am not in the fire Wojo camp.   But I will be happy when he leaves.

For the Civil War buffs he is George McClellan.  Knows how to build an army but doesn't know how to use it.

Very interesting analogy. I hope that Wojo becomes Ulysses Grant who learned from his lack of preparation and humiliation at Shiloh early in the war.

[Cheeks]

Very interesting analogy. I hope that Wojo becomes Ulysses Grant who learned from his lack of preparation and humiliation at Shiloh early in the war.

You guys really think they didn't prepare?  Look, they may have made strategic mistakes (I think they did), but that doesn't mean they didn't prepare.  Those are two different things.  A third is execution.

[wadesworld]

What good coach in their right mind is going to leave their situation to go to a non-blue blood that just fired a coach following a season they finished top 2 in their conference and got the top 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Are people really this clueless?

[Pakuni]

What good coach in their right mind is going to leave their situation to go to a non-blue blood that just fired a coach following a season they finished top 2 in their conference and got the top 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Are people really this clueless?

Is that a rhetorical question?
Seriously, though, I think the job is good enough and the returning roster good enough that it would draw interest.
But the only way Marquette hops on the coaching carousel is if Wojo chooses to leave. Which I find highly improbable.

[5DollarPitcher]

What good coach in their right mind is going to leave their situation to go to a non-blue blood that just fired a coach following a season they finished top 2 in their conference and got the top 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Are people really this clueless?

I think most good coaches in their right mind can tell Wojo is a terrible coach.  We need to stop settling with Wojo because we think "we may or may not be able to do any better!".  Wojo is a terrible coach, and it's been demonstrated time and again.  Sad that the state of the program now is acceptable to some.

[rocky_warrior]

I think most good coaches in their right mind can tell Wojo is a terrible coach. 

Jay Wright on Winning Coach of the Year...

"I was surprised," Wright said by phone from New York. "At the press conference I talked about Wojo (Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski). I even said I voted for Wojo. I felt bad I couldn't vote for Kevin (Willard of Seton Hall) because I thought he did a great job, too."

So...Jay not in his right mind.  I think you need some self reflection.

[5DollarPitcher]

Jay Wright on Winning Coach of the Year...
So...Jay not in his right mind.  I think you need some self reflection.

Ahh you've played right into my hand.  I almost included the following as a part of my original reply, but I decided to leave it out.

Jay Wright has talked up Wojo every year, every game they play, since Day 1.  This always seemed weird to me.  I honestly believe that he does this because he likes to have Wojo in the Big East.  Wojo isn't too tough to beat, and he knows that Wojo isn't building something that's going to consistently challenge his Nova program for Big East regular season and tourney titles.  But he knows Wojo is building an averagely competitive program that won't tank the reputation of the Big East.  It's in his best interest to shower Wojo with praise because then all the dopey administration like Lovell and the AD will say "JAY WRIGHT LOVES WOJO HE MUST BE GOOD LET'S KEEP HIM AROUND" and ferociously pat each other on the back for hiring a coach that Jay Wright likes!  So yes, Wright has given kudos to Wojo publicly, but I don't think Wright actually believes himself when he says Wojo is a fantastic coach.

[wadesworld]

Ahh you've played right into my hand.  I almost included the following as a part of my original reply, but I decided to leave it out.

Jay Wright has talked up Wojo every year, every game they play, since Day 1.  This always seemed weird to me.  I honestly believe that he does this because he likes to have Wojo in the Big East.  Wojo isn't too tough to beat, and he knows that Wojo isn't building something that's going to consistently challenge his Nova program for Big East regular season and tourney titles.  But he knows Wojo is building an averagely competitive program that won't tank the reputation of the Big East.  It's in his best interest to shower Wojo with praise because then all the dopey administration like Lovell and the AD will say "JAY WRIGHT LOVES WOJO HE MUST BE GOOD LET'S KEEP HIM AROUND" and ferociously pat each other on the back for hiring a coach that Jay Wright likes!  So yes, Wright has given kudos to Wojo publicly, but I don't think Wright actually believes himself when he says Wojo is a fantastic coach.

Trust Jay Wright, Doc Rivers, and Coach K on their opinion of a coach or trust an anonymous MUScoop poster. That's a tough choice.

[Goose]

Wades
Coach K and Doc are very good friends of Wojo's. That does not carry much weight, IMO.

[5DollarPitcher]

Trust Jay Wright, Doc Rivers, and Coach K on their opinion of whether a coach is a good coach or not or trust an anonymous MUScoop poster. That's a tough choice.

.....Or trust your eyes?  Wojo has objectively had little success making teams more than the sum of their parts.  MU has played 1 on 1 basketball all year hoping that Markus (or Rowsey or Matt Carlino or Sam) goes off for 30+ and the other team just can't keep up.  Should we even break down the X's and O's of the Murray State game?  Wright, Rivers, and K can spout whatever praises they want, but if you offered to them Wojo to take over Nova, the 08 Celtics, or Duke if for some reason those guys couldn't continue - you and I both know they'd look elsewhere.

[Scoop Snoop]

OK Cheeks-fair point regarding preparation vs. execution. I think the U. S. Grant analogy about learning from one's errors fits though. I am hoping that Wojo comes a better coach by acccepting and learning from his mistakes. Just to be clear, I am not in the "fire Wojo" camp.

[rocky_warrior]

Wades
Coach K and Doc are very good friends of Wojo's. That does not carry much weight, IMO.

I'll bite.  Can you name a prominent person down on Wojo that "carry's weight"?

[wadesworld]

Wades
Coach K and Doc are very good friends of Wojo's. That does not carry much weight, IMO.

Do you think they're just friends with him because their view that he has a terrible mind for the game of basketball and it boosts their confidence so that's why they became such great friends?

[5DollarPitcher]

I'll bite.  Can you name a prominent person down on Wojo that "carry's weight"?

Coaches/"prominent people" come out in public now talking down bad coaches?

[Goose]

Rocky
No I cannot. Simple reply to wades post regarding Coach K and Doc.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

.....Or trust your eyes?  Wojo has objectively had little success making teams more than the sum of their parts.  MU has played 1 on 1 basketball all year hoping that Markus (or Rowsey or Matt Carlino or Sam) goes off for 30+ and the other team just can't keep up.  Should we even break down the X's and O's of the Murray State game?  Wright, Rivers, and K can spout whatever praises they want, but if you offered to them Wojo to take over Nova, the 08 Celtics, or Duke if for some reason those guys couldn't continue - you and I both know they'd look elsewhere.

My eyes see a guy who has improved every season and just led us to a high seed in the NCAAs but had a dreadful performance once he got there. My eyes tell me that he will continue to improve and we will be even better than we were this season.

Could other guys have been better? Maybe, probably even. Does that matter now? Nope.

[5DollarPitcher]

My eyes tell me that he will continue to improve and we will be even better than we were this season.

Your eyes can see the future?  I think the only way anyone is going to be OK with Wojo in the long-term is if he improves A LOT.

[Goose]

I do question people's confidence that Wojo will improve moving forward. He is 43 years old, been mentored by an all time great, been on the sideline coaching some of all time best players and still looks confused in regards in game coaching. I would hope all lessons have been learned already.

[Badgerhater]

Jay Wright on Winning Coach of the Year...
So...Jay not in his right mind.  I think you need some self reflection.

I would definitely compliment a coach that handed me a Big East title.  It is what gracious people do.

[rocky_warrior]

Coaches/"prominent people" come out in public now talking down bad coaches?

I"m just asking - if the opinion of people who say complimentary things about Wojo  carry no weight, who does?  Trust me, Wright/K/Doc don't throw around compliments willy-nilly.

I do question people's confidence that Wojo will improve moving forward. He is 43 years old...I would hope all lessons have been learned already.

43 year olds can't learn new things?  I think you're assumption that Wojo has peaked is very wrong.

[Goose]

Rocky
Possibly he can learn to speak Mandarin or ride a unicycle, but he should have 99% of coaching chops by now. You can have confidence in his upward growth, and I respect that opinion. That said, he has been around greatness, both coaches and players, for his entire life. Part of the reason why I was in favor of the hire, after losing my top choice, was his pedigree.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Your eyes can see the future?  I think the only way anyone is going to be OK with Wojo in the long-term is if he improves A LOT.

They don't see the future. But they have seen Wojo improve every year on the job. I don't have any reason to doubt that it won't continue to be the case. As for being ok with Wojo? I will be A-OK as long as the high seeds keep coming. High seeds are the best path towards postseason success.