MU Coaching Candidates

[wadesworld]

I'd put the chances at Oats leaving Bama after one year while having a really good team this year and a huge recruiting class next year at 0.001%. I'd put him at one if I thought there was any chance at all he'd come to MU.

[Johnny B]

oats is a zero chance. come on kids..

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

oats is a zero chance. come on kids..

Exactly, that oats ship has unfortunately sailed. He's the goods and that was apparent a couple years ago.

I think Craig Smith is also the goods. Just look at his progress and then success everywhere he's been - South Dakota and Utah State. I fear, like Oats, the timing won't line up and we'll miss out on him and regret it a few years later.

Either way it needs to be someone with head coaching experience. I know it's been done but its too tough to learn on the job in the big east imo.

Nova, UConn, hall, creighton, prov, butler were all sitting head coaches prior to their current job.

[brewcity77]

I'd put the chances at Oats leaving Bama after one year while having a really good team this year and a huge recruiting class next year at 0.001%. I'd put him at one if I thought there was any chance at all he'd come to MU.

I agree, but you make the call. Never know if someone has a go home clause in their buyout. We were 30 minutes from having Tony Bennett. When there's an obvious home run out there, you at least pick up the phone.

[willie warrior]

So many are speculating MU has no chance on one guy or another. Well, Wojo-Dukiet and the admin have put the program into this position. It is long past time to cut bait and find the right guy. Wojo-Dukiet ain't the one.

[The Sultan]

I'd put the chances at Oats leaving Bama after one year while having a really good team this year and a huge recruiting class next year at 0.001%. I'd put him at one if I thought there was any chance at all he'd come to MU.

This is his second year but I agree with you. 

[GoldenWarrior11]

I've mentioned this before, but I would be very intrigued, and optimistic, by an actual coaching search by Scholl.  Every hire he has made thus far has been very successful, and let's not forget that he was hired after Wojo.  Duffy was already a head coach before she came here (and was successful at Miami, OH).  In 2014, I would be absolutely shocked if I was told that the women's program would be in much better shape and trajectory than the men's side.  But, that's where we are unfortunately. 

I continue to believe that our administration would have a pool of coaching candidates similar to the likes of Wardle, Moser and DeVries, if the position did become open.  I would really love our next coach to be someone in the Lon Kruger-mold, a successful and proven head coach that wins everywhere he goes.  A few seasons ago, I would have put Bruce Weber in this grouping, but the last two seasons have not been kind for him at KSU.  Rick Barnes is obviously someone with a resume like this.  I'd imagine this would be hiring a head coach that was recently dismissed, I guess (ala Mike Anderson/St. John's).

If a change does end up being made, either this Spring or down the road, I don't think the program can gamble on an up-and-comer assistant again.  We struck gold with both Crean and Buzz; struck out with Wojo; it happens. 

[GoldenWarrior11]

And, if it does end up getting opened, the very first calls for the job should be to Beilein and Matta.  Both are long-shots to accept (as both would likely have other opportunities elsewhere) but the message about getting a proven and successful winner would be sent and clear.  Both also have Jesuit backgrounds on the resume, which the school would obviously love (Beilein - Wheeling Jesuit and LeMoyne College; Matta - Xavier). 

[Farley36]

nm

[Silent Verbal]

nm

There are a few posters whose slupery of Wojo borders on lascivious, and will rip anyone who dares question his greatness.  They're mysteriously absent today, but would surely be on here beating their chests had we squeaked one out against DePaul.

[Silent Verbal]

And, if it does end up getting opened, the very first calls for the job should be to Beilein and Matta.  Both are long-shots to accept (as both would likely have other opportunities elsewhere) but the message about getting a proven and successful winner would be sent and clear.  Both also have Jesuit backgrounds on the resume, which the school would obviously love (Beilein - Wheeling Jesuit and LeMoyne College; Matta - Xavier).

Beilein will be 68 in a couple weeks.  He *might* have five years left if he starts coaching tomorrow, but would likely be ready to retire by the time he got the program rolling.  Matta's another story.  He's only 53, is a lifelong Midwesterner, and has had success at two different basketball-only schools.  Georgia thought he was healthy enough to offer him $16 million, but he turned them down.  He said he wasn't ready to accept a job at that time, but I'd also guess that moving his family to the south and coaching at a school where basketball is a very distant second to football had something to do with him rejecting their offer.  He *will* coach again someday and Marquette would be a perfect fit.  I do worry that a school like Wichita State will snap him up while we're still spinning our wheels with Wojo.

[GBPhoenix1993]

I'm a UW-Green Bay grad and a Marquette fan.  I really liked Wardle when he was at UW-Green Bay, but it wasn't perfect.  There was a point where he was investigated for dishing out verbal and emotional abuse a little too far with some of his players.  That said, the administration decided the allegations weren't strong enough for him to lose his job and I never heard of any of those issues after that investigation and the team played very well in the years after the allegations.

At UW-Green Bay, it was actually pretty incredible the amount of talent he brought in there.  The 2013-2014 team that won the Horizon League regular season had 2 future NBA draft picks (neither made it to the NBA though) plus 1 other guy in Alfonso McKinnie who has been a spot starter in the NBA.  Wardle's last couple of seasons at UW-Green Bay, they were fantastic defensively, one of the better teams in the country before he left.

Now, the downside was that for whatever reason, there was an incredible amount of turnover at shooting guard, like every year a different guy would transfer and it was the one weakness he never really fixed during his time there and it limited the offense a little bit and probably prevented them from greater success though they certainly were very good his last couple seasons at GB. 

I haven't seen much of his Bradley teams, they do look better offensively than his UWGB teams did overall in the rare times I've seen them.  Based on what I saw at UWGB, I think he'd have Marquette play better defense than they have under Wojo.  I think he could do a good job at Marquette.  I don't know if he'd be as good as Buzz, but few guys are that good.  And as good as Buzz was, I just wasn't a fan of his, I just thought he was phony as hell the whole time and was always looking to leave if he could.  At least Wardle having been an alumni will probably more eager to stick around if things are going well. 

As for Wojo, I was definitely a Wojo fan until the collapse 2 seasons ago that led to the Hausers transferring.  At that point, I knew he was in trouble.  To his credit, they looked pretty good last year, but watching them this year where they clearly have the talent to be better than they are, I think it's time Marquette gave someone else a chance.

[WarriorPride68]

Kevin O'Neil

[OffTheGlass]

Dayton is his alma mater.  He's not leaving there for Marquette.

Totally agree, 5-8 years ago maybe but Wojo has brought this program to a new low. I don't like taking shots at a guy who works his tail off, is a genuinely nice person and good family man, but he's paid well and the truth hurts.  Accountability is a tough pill to swallow at times.

[vogue65]

The coach is not the problem.
The next coach will be the same.
The selection criteria has to change, I don't think it will.

[wadesworld]

The coach is not the problem.
The next coach will be the same.
The selection criteria has to change, I don't think it will.

The "selection criteria" has changed since Wojo was brought in.

[Billy Hoyle]

Totally agree, 5-8 years ago maybe but Wojo has brought this program to a new low. I don't like taking shots at a guy who works his tail off, is a genuinely nice person and good family man, but he's paid well and the truth hurts.  Accountability is a tough pill to swallow at times.

A new low would be what Hopkins is doing at UDub,  St Joes and Iowa State right now, Georgetown. This is mediocrity that can be remedied quickly.

[NickelDimer]

We could've had Oats if we'd sh-tcanned Wojo after the inexcusable collapse followed by the botched MH/Hauser situation, and it was the obvious right move at the time. MU really fucked that up bad.

[Galway Eagle]

A new low would be what Hopkins is doing at UDub,  St Joes and Iowa State right now, Georgetown. This is mediocrity that can be remedied quickly.

Agreed. People calling this a new low or complete trash etc aren't being intellectually honest with the situation.

It's frustrating mediocrity mixed with unacceptable bipolar results.

[LAZER]

John Beilein (not happening)
Thad Matta (not happening)
Mike McMahon (will have a lot of competition)
Luke Yaklich
Wes Miller (waiting on Roy to retire)
Chris Jans
Bob Richie

Is Matta really that unrealistic? Will he have many better opportunities than MU?

[HutchwasClutch]

We could've had Oats if we'd sh-tcanned Wojo after the inexcusable collapse followed by the botched MH/Hauser situation, and it was the obvious right move at the time. MU really unnatural carnal knowledgeed that up bad.

Add to that, he not only wasn't shown the door, they gleefully extended him! Scholl's statement being they were excited at direction of the program under him!!  🤯

[Galway Eagle]

We could've had Oats if we'd sh-tcanned Wojo after the inexcusable collapse followed by the botched MH/Hauser situation, and it was the obvious right move at the time. MU really unnatural carnal knowledgeed that up bad.

[wadesworld]

I'm sure coaches would've been sprinting to get in line for a job that just "sh*tcanned" it's coach following a 2nd place finish in the BE and a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

[panda]

I'm sure coaches would've been sprinting to get in line for a job that just "sh*tcanned" it's coach following a 2nd place finish in the BE and a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Exactly. It was a disappointing finish but no ad will ever make a move following the season they had, even after the bad finish.

[HutchwasClutch]

Is Matta really that unrealistic? Will he have many better opportunities than MU?

The great unknown is his health situation.