If I'm Bill Scholl...

[goldeneagle91114]

I would sit Wojo Down and say...

I don't need a million excuses on why the Hauser's left. However, you need to know this is not a good look for Marquette basketball. Secondly, The best way to get past all of this is to win games next year, and next year's expectations don't change - you don't get to use the Hauser's departure as a crutch/excuse if things don't go well. We hired you to continue the tradition of Marquette basketball excellence.  It will be year 6 we expect the following.

1. Top 2 finish in the Big East
2. Playing in the finals of the Big East Tournament
3. Playing in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament
4. consistency ranked in the top 25
5. No additional distractions from your locker room

After the conversation takes place, I would also enact my plan B and start working all of my connections to figure out who our next coach could be in 12 months.

[Nukem2]

That sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[goldeneagle91114]

That sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Personally i don't think Wojo is up to the task, but you have to at least give him enough rope...

Also, we're late to the game for a coaching search to take place this year. by bying yourself a year, you keep Markus and hopefully have a solid plan in place 12 months from now.

[MU82]

OK, but what if Wojo does 4 of the 5?

Say, 1, 2, 3 and 5 all happen but we don't make it to the second weekend of the NCAAs because we lose an exciting, well-played game in Round 2 on a buzzer-beater.

Oh, and he also has lined up another good recruiting class.

Do you fire him anyway?

If the answer is yes, that's harsh.

If the answer is no, then you are lowering your standards.

Not so easy being an AD.

[goldeneagle91114]

OK, but what if Wojo does 4 of the 5?

Say, 1, 2, 3 and 5 all happen but we don't make it to the second weekend of the NCAAs because we lose an exciting, well-played game in Round 2 on a buzzer-beater.

Oh, and he also has lined up another good recruiting class.

Do you fire him anyway?

If the answer is yes, that's harsh.

If the answer is no, then you are lowering your standards.

Not so easy being an AD.

I assume you mean if he does 1,2,4, and 5. and if we make that assumption then we should be at least a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and odds should be in our favor that the scenario above does not play out.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't agree with everything the OP said but agree with the general theme. The best possible outcome for Marquette at this point is Wojo finding a way to win big in spite of recent developments. You have to give him the opportunity to recover.

However,  you have to prepare for the possibility that he won't be able to recover.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

OK, but what if Wojo does 4 of the 5?

Say, 1, 2, 3 and 5 all happen but we don't make it to the second weekend of the NCAAs because we lose an exciting, well-played game in Round 2 on a buzzer-beater.

Oh, and he also has lined up another good recruiting class.

Do you fire him anyway?

If the answer is yes, that's harsh.

If the answer is no, then you are lowering your standards.

Not so easy being an AD.

I agree that these things are never so rigid as we want them to be.  But you're describing my nightmare scenario. A coach that always does just enough to stay but never enough to prove he belongs. I don't think scoop can handle any more years of that

[GooooMarquette]

What if we have a good (but not great) regular season, aren't in the top 25 and finish 3rd or 4th in the BE...but we finish strong and take a 5 or 6 seed to the Elite 8?

[brewcity77]

What if we have a good (but not great) regular season, aren't in the top 25 and finish 3rd or 4th in the BE...but we finish strong and take a 5 or 6 seed to the Elite 8?

Personally, that's not good enough. It may seem contradictory, but from my perspective, the need to meet next year's pre-Hauser news expectations went up this week, not down. If the Hausers come back and we are slightly better than last year, fringe top-25, 4-seed, win a game or two in the NCAAs, it's disappointing but you accept it and move on.

This situation is of Wojo's creation. There is no other way to view it. If the problem was Markus' usage, that was Wojo's system. If you think the problem was team chemistry, Wojo recruited these guys. If you think the problem was Hauser selfishness, again, Wojo brought them in. Ultimately, whatever led to this week's transfers lays at Wojo's feet because it was his job to assemble this team and keep the team member happy once they were on campus.

Wojo created the expectation of a top-10 team & Wojo was overseeing the program whose Twitter account spent the past two weeks retweeting every top-10 projection for Marquette, reinforcing to the fanbase that a top-10 team & all the accolades & results that accompany such a lofty position is what we should expect for next year. In that regard, nothing has changed & if anything, it only became more important that the team we put on the court deliver the results Wojo & the program have been pushing out to the fanbase since the 2018-19 season ended.

I agree there needs to be flexibility. If we finish 3rd in the AP Poll, win the Big East, make a BET title game, earn a 1-seed, and lose on a buzzer beater to an 8-seed, that shouldn't result in a firing. But if we're nowhere close to the expectations the program has been pushing for the past two weeks? Say being ranked 24th, 3rd in the league, losing in the second round as a 6-seed, and generally not being close to the team we were projected to be 5 days ago? Then the accountability should result in a firing.

[DegenerateDish]

...I'd hand Wojo a gym bag with unmarked bills and say "go get Kerry Blackshear".

[Coleman]

What if we have a good (but not great) regular season, aren't in the top 25 and finish 3rd or 4th in the BE...but we finish strong and take a 5 or 6 seed to the Elite 8?

Don't see how you could get rid of Wojo at that point.

The tournament is everything. A Sweet 16 or better next year, regardless of what happened before it, and Wojo is more than safe.

Winning the conference is a great achievement but beyond that it really doesn't matter if you come in 2nd or 5th, as long as you make the tournament and get to the 2nd weekend. I could give a rat's @ss about rankings during the season. We were ranked 10th for a decent amount of time this season and look what that ended up doing for us. It was fun in the moment but it ultimately meant nothing.

There are only 2 real goals in college basketball:
-Make the NCAA tournament
-Win games once you are there

[Nukem2]

Don't see how you could get rid of Wojo at that point.

The tournament is everything. A Sweet 16 or better next year, regardless of what happened before it, and Wojo is more than safe.

Winning the conference is a great achievement but beyond that it really doesn't matter if you come in 2nd or 5th, as long as you make the tournament and get to the 2nd weekend. I could give a rat's @ss about rankings during the season. We were ranked 10th for a decent amount of time this season and look what that ended up doing for us. It was fun in the moment but it ultimately meant nothing.

There are only 2 real goals in college basketball:
-Make the NCAA tournament
-Win games once you are there

In order to get to the NCAAs, there are a lot of major goals that have to be met.  Getting to the NCAAs is really the result of meeting all those goals.  Think you have the cart before the horse here.

[wadesworld]

...I'd hand Wojo a gym bag with unmarked bills and say "go get Kerry Blackshear".

+1.  You have Will Wade, Bill Self, Sean Miller, and Bruce Pearl all remaining in their positions despite the FBI having proof that their programs cheated under their watch.  The NCAA isn't going to do anything.  It's time to start leveling the playing field and play ball.

Not to mention, you won't have yourself an employee for very long if you sit him down and start a conversation that goes into, "You're getting fired unless you..."  Either the employee fails to meet your list of expectations and you fire them (or you whimp out and don't) or he is a very successful employee and he finds somewhere else that will appreciate his work without a bullet point list of expectations you're required to meet.

[Coleman]

In order to get to the NCAAs, there are a lot of major goals that have to be met.  Getting to the NCAAs is really the result of meeting all those goals.  Think you have the cart before the horse here.

Not really. You don't have to win the conference to make the tournament. You don't have to be ranked. You don't have to beat a top 10 team. You don't have to win a preseason tournament. All of these arbitrary "goals" are meaningless.

You just have to, in total, be one of the top 40 (or so) programs in college basketball, measured in a variety of different ways.

[mu_hilltopper]

If the criteria is as written in the OP .. the failure possibility is 100% and they should look for a new coach immediately, not in 12 months.

The only way it makes sense to keep Wojo employed through April is if you slash your expectations. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Personally, that's not good enough. It may seem contradictory, but from my perspective, the need to meet next year's pre-Hauser news expectations went up this week, not down. If the Hausers come back and we are slightly better than last year, fringe top-25, 4-seed, win a game or two in the NCAAs, it's disappointing but you accept it and move on.

This situation is of Wojo's creation. There is no other way to view it. If the problem was Markus' usage, that was Wojo's system. If you think the problem was team chemistry, Wojo recruited these guys. If you think the problem was Hauser selfishness, again, Wojo brought them in. Ultimately, whatever led to this week's transfers lays at Wojo's feet because it was his job to assemble this team and keep the team member happy once they were on campus.

Wojo created the expectation of a top-10 team & Wojo was overseeing the program whose Twitter account spent the past two weeks retweeting every top-10 projection for Marquette, reinforcing to the fanbase that a top-10 team & all the accolades & results that accompany such a lofty position is what we should expect for next year. In that regard, nothing has changed & if anything, it only became more important that the team we put on the court deliver the results Wojo & the program have been pushing out to the fanbase since the 2018-19 season ended.

I agree there needs to be flexibility. If we finish 3rd in the AP Poll, win the Big East, make a BET title game, earn a 1-seed, and lose on a buzzer beater to an 8-seed, that shouldn't result in a firing. But if we're nowhere close to the expectations the program has been pushing for the past two weeks? Say being ranked 24th, 3rd in the league, losing in the second round as a 6-seed, and generally not being close to the team we were projected to be 5 days ago? Then the accountability should result in a firing.

No program is going to fire a coach that got a team to the Elite 8.

[forgetful]

1. The AD has a better understanding of what has transpired with this team than anyone on this board. So he is in a better position to react rationally and manage the situation. For all we know, Wojo handled this all properly and the AD is happy with his handling of the situation. Or, the AD thinks Wojo blew this, and has given him more direction and a rope to either save himself, or hang himeself, depending on what Wojo does now.

2. The AD is always planning contingencies. Any AD has a list of several names as potential targets for a new coach.
 

[mu03eng]

As I said on the Scrambled Eggs podcast, expectations of what should happen can't change because this is an issue of Wojo's making (willful or not). Whatever the expectations are prior to the Hauser exodus remain in place, and if he doesn't meet them he gowne. Part of those expectations are that the program is on a stable to climbing trajectory from a talent/performance standpoint. You give him this year to achieve those and if he doesn't, we move on.

[brewcity77]

No program is going to fire a coach that got a team to the Elite 8.

It doesn't have to be that black and white. You don't have to fire that coach, but you can still make a change. Encourage them to look around some more, be willing to lower the buyout, and acknowledge that NCAA results are not the end-all. If this team goes 19-13, 6th in the league, wins a game in Dayton as an 11, and gets to the Elite 8 after beating a 6, 14, and 10, is that something we're clamoring for an extension over?

I'm not looking at any one result. I think you lay out your goals as criteria & if most of them are not met, you do what you have to do to wipe the slate clean and start over. There's more than one way to do that.

[Loose Cannon]

I agree that these things are never so rigid as we want them to be.  But you're describing my nightmare scenario. A coach that always does just enough to stay but never enough to prove he belongs. I don't think scoop can handle any more years of that

If the Bold is True, then the answer seems simple.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It doesn't have to be that black and white. You don't have to fire that coach, but you can still make a change. Encourage them to look around some more, be willing to lower the buyout, and acknowledge that NCAA results are not the end-all. If this team goes 19-13, 6th in the league, wins a game in Dayton as an 11, and gets to the Elite 8 after beating a 6, 14, and 10, is that something we're clamoring for an extension over?

The narrative is going to be that Wojo overcame the loss of two of his top stars to lead a team to the Elite 8.  Like it or not, the press and fanbases put a great deal of emphasis on tournament results over the regular season.  Yeah you would pretty much have to extend him at that point.

[Pakuni]

It doesn't have to be that black and white. You don't have to fire that coach, but you can still make a change. Encourage them to look around some more, be willing to lower the buyout, and acknowledge that NCAA results are not the end-all. If this team goes 19-13, 6th in the league, wins a game in Dayton as an 11, and gets to the Elite 8 after beating a 6, 14, and 10, is that something we're clamoring for an extension over?

I'm not looking at any one result. I think you lay out your goals as criteria & if most of them are not met, you do what you have to do to wipe the slate clean and start over. There's more than one way to do that.

No, Fluffy is right. Firing and/or pushing out a coach after an Elite 8 run not only is exceptionally unlikely barring a cheating scandal, but it tells every other decent coaching candidate out there to stay away. What coach with options is going to want to come to a program like Marquette that says an Elite 8 falls short of expectations?

Moreover, if Wojo can get this roster as currently assembled into an Elite 8, it says his coaching chops are far beyond what most of us here believe.

[CTWarrior]

I would sit Wojo Down and say...

I don't need a million excuses on why the Hauser's left. However, you need to know this is not a good look for Marquette basketball. Secondly, The best way to get past all of this is to win games next year, and next year's expectations don't change - you don't get to use the Hauser's departure as a crutch/excuse if things don't go well. We hired you to continue the tradition of Marquette basketball excellence.  It will be year 6 we expect the following.

1. Top 2 finish in the Big East
2. Playing in the finals of the Big East Tournament
3. Playing in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament
4. consistency ranked in the top 25
5. No additional distractions from your locker room

After the conversation takes place, I would also enact my plan B and start working all of my connections to figure out who our next coach could be in 12 months.

Your Plan B would be Plan A, because if you do that and Wojo is gone after next season.  If he fails to meet the goals you fire him and if he does meet the goals he leaves on his own.

[muguru]

If the criteria is as written in the OP .. the failure possibility is 100% and they should look for a new coach immediately, not in 12 months.

The only way it makes sense to keep Wojo employed through April is if you slash your expectations.

The problem is, this administration is so in love with Wojo, I'm not sure anything short of an FBI investigation gets him fired, as sad as that is. Cuz now what's going to happen is...they will make the tournament, win a game and they will think "what a great job he did with all the adversity etc etc". that's what I'm expecting unfortunately.

[MUBurrow]

No, Fluffy is right. Firing and/or pushing out a coach after an Elite 8 run not only is exceptionally unlikely barring a cheating scandal, but it tells every other decent coaching candidate out there to stay away. What coach with options is going to want to come to a program like Marquette that says an Elite 8 falls short of expectations?

+1. For me, this is the most under discussed aspect of the Wojo conversation. We get in all kinds of fights about the "level" of MU's basketball program, and how it competes for coaches and talent vs other schools. But that's an extraordinarily fluid thing if you aren't UNC or Kentucky, and often depends on the structures and people in charge at any given time.

Sure, MU is a far better basketball tradition than places like Alabama and Va Tech that replaced coaches this year. But the resources allocated to men's basketball will continue to grow, especially at big $$ football power conference schools.  You bring a new AD to a middle tier SEC, Big 12, ACC school who emphasizes mens BB, and I guarantee you most of those schools have the coffers to compete with what MU can offer. So there's something to be said for keeping a coach long enough to be able to tell future candidates weighing the MU job "Hey, we clearly did all we could and gave the last guy more than a fair shake - but there's no real debate it just didn't work out." Sure, you have to be demanding, and we all want this program to be successful.  But you can't let your high opinion of yourself throw up red flags for the next guy that's going to be weighing your offer that's likely to be competitive on $ vs places like Miami (FL), NC St, Oklahoma State, etc. etc that have conference affiliation, climate, and other competitive advantages MU doesn't.