MU Coaching Candidates

[willie warrior]

He is absolutely coming back unless he decides to leave.

So there is that to look forward to

[McLintock]

Matta has been rumored to be going back to Butler next year and if not Matta then Dennis Gates has been mentioned as a candidate. Obviously presumes Jordan is out after this year.  No idea on that. Supposedly Matta is ready and able to coach again? Ohio State is no longer paying Matta not to coach so who knows. Point is there may be competition for Gates if MU was interested in him.

[JWags85]

Matta has been rumored to be going back to Butler next year and if not Matta then Dennis Gates has been mentioned as a candidate. Obviously presumes Jordan is out after this year.  No idea on that. Supposedly Matta is ready and able to coach again? Ohio State is no longer paying Matta not to coach so who knows. Point is there may be competition for Gates if MU was interested in him.

Beyond Gates' time at Marquette (which I don't think is too impactful given it was brief and just a GA stint, I think Marquette is unequivocally a better job across the board. From pay to faculties to resources, kind of slam dunk. Short of a special relationship he had on the administration at Butler, or a random affinity for Hinkle or St Elmos Steakhouse, that would be a head to head hiring matchup Marquette should comfortable win. Key word is "should"

[wadesworld]

After hearing Beilein's interview on Titus and Tate, I get the feeling he'll be back coaching college again next year.  What schools are likely to be looking and attractive enough for him to take?

[Billy Hoyle]

After hearing Beilein's interview on Titus and Tate, I get the feeling he'll be back coaching college again next year.  What schools are likely to be looking and attractive enough for him to take?

My guess is BC.

[shoothoops]

Dennis Gates at Cleveland St.?

How it started:

https://twitter.com/TheAthleticCBB/status/1166485545293406208?s=19

How its going:

https://twitter.com/clevelanddotcom/status/1364273974310559744?s=19

[JWags85]

I still find it incredible that Beilein was never an assistant. Not even for a year. Just the most methodical climb up the ladder you can get

[MU82]

My guess is BC.

As Wojo's assistant?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

After hearing Beilein's interview on Titus and Tate, I get the feeling he'll be back coaching college again next year.  What schools are likely to be looking and attractive enough for him to take?

I think Beilein will go wherever is willing to hire his kid as an AC. That may be a non-issue, but I'd want some clarity as to why Beilein the younger suddenly packed his bags in the middle of the night weeks before coaching his first season as a D1 head coach.

[MarquetteMike1977]

After hearing Beilein's interview on Titus and Tate, I get the feeling he'll be back coaching college again next year.  What schools are likely to be looking and attractive enough for him to take?

Have said this on this site earlier, but my CoWorker was in Coach Beinlein's  office in Michigan talking with Coach Beilein and came away thinking he was one of the most organized people in any profession he had ever met. Coach Beilein a Catholic also has a great memory, when Coaching the Cavs he noticed my Coworker and friend walking into Saint John's Cathedral in Milwaukee remembered him and said hi to him by name.  If MU moves on, Coach Beilein would be an awesome choice given his organizational skills, having been to an NCAA title game, having been a pro Coach, he could probably keep our recruits here.

[Silent Verbal]

Matta has been rumored to be going back to Butler next year and if not Matta then Dennis Gates has been mentioned as a candidate. Obviously presumes Jordan is out after this year.  No idea on that. Supposedly Matta is ready and able to coach again? Ohio State is no longer paying Matta not to coach so who knows. Point is there may be competition for Gates if MU was interested in him.

Man, I hadn't even considered Matta to Butler as a possibility, but it makes a ton of sense.  He'd be comfortable there, and after the dumpster fire of a season the Bulldogs have had, the fans would view him as a savior.  And Butler needs help, but quick.  Matta's a stud coach, and he'd be able to make them relevant again.

It would really, really suck to see Butler hire Matta and pass us up as a program while we're still stuck with Wojo's sorry ass.

[JWags85]

I think Beilein will go wherever is willing to hire his kid as an AC. That may be a non-issue, but I'd want some clarity as to why Beilein the younger suddenly packed his bags in the middle of the night weeks before coaching his first season as a D1 head coach.

There was a lot of chatter and supposedly sexual harassment filings from his female DOBO who came with him from Le Moyne. So nothing criminal, just some personal improprieties. I would think they would be easy enough to get past a few years later of his father was the outcome, provided there isn't some mandatory succession plan asked for

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

There was a lot of chatter and supposedly sexual harassment filings from his female DOBO who came with him from Le Moyne. So nothing criminal, just some personal improprieties. I would think they would be easy enough to get past a few years later of his father was the outcome, provided there isn't some mandatory succession plan asked for

I'd still want more information than what's here. I work in Title IX Compliance. "Sexual Harassment" is used by universities as an umbrella term that covers everything from telling a raunchy joke too many times all the way up to violent sexual assaults at gunpoint. I would want to understand where on that spectrum this guy fell before making any decisions (assuming hiring the son as an AC is an actual demand). I don't think we can assume that nothing criminal happened. Complainants are under no obligation to go to the police, its possible something criminal did happen but her preference was to have the university handle it.

[MU82]

Matta has been rumored to be going back to Butler next year and if not Matta then Dennis Gates has been mentioned as a candidate. Obviously presumes Jordan is out after this year.  No idea on that. Supposedly Matta is ready and able to coach again? Ohio State is no longer paying Matta not to coach so who knows. Point is there may be competition for Gates if MU was interested in him.

Very interesting.

If I were somebody like Matta, I'd love to go to Butler. The money is fine, the conference is good, could build a Nova-like (or heck, a Stevens-at-Butler-like) program that reaches the second weekend regularly and maybe can go further. And the pressure is so much less than at a blueblood.

It's not "settling." It's realizing that the grass isn't always greener and that one can do excellent things in a more comfortable situation.

Assuming that Matta wants to coach again and that Marquette doesn't get him, I hope he does go back to Butler.

[The Sultan]

My understanding is that Matta lives in Indy.  Also Matta used to be an assistant coach for Barry Collier, Butler's current AD.

If both positions came open this year, I doubt Matta would give MU a look at all regardless of the $$ offered.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think the Matta waiting for Butler rumors are correct. IIRC, Matta's kids go to Butler.

I don't know that Jordan will be fired this year. I think under normal circumstances he wouldn't be, but maybe if they know Matta is waiting in the wings they make a move early.

[Silent Verbal]

Absolute home run hire for Butler if that happens.

[Galway Eagle]

I would commend Butler for having the guts to fire Jordan. Theres a lot said about "when would you have fired Wojo" well Jordan went NCAA, NIT, likely NCAA and now a rough year. That's quite the first three years to have and then fire a Coach. If Marquette had done that I might've been against it at the time but we wouldn't be here now in purgatory

[Silent Verbal]

I would commend Butler for having the guts to fire Jordan. Theres a lot said about "when would you have fired Wojo" well Jordan went NCAA, NIT, likely NCAA and now a rough year. That's quite the first three years to have and then fire a Coach. If Marquette had done that I might've been against it at the time but we wouldn't be here now in purgatory

While I haven't pored over Butler's roster from those seasons, I'd guess Jordan did most of that winning with Holtmann's players.  And if you have the chance to hire a guy like Matta vs keeping someone who's relatively unproven like Jordan is, you dump him and hire Matta.  Butler isn't the type of program that can withstand an extended period of irrelevance.  I'd liken it to when the Cubs fired Rick Renteria to bring in Joe Maddon.  If you have the chance to get a stud coach you think would be a perfect fit, you take it.

[Galway Eagle]

While I haven't pored over Butler's roster from those seasons, I'd guess Jordan did most of that winning with Holtmann's players.  And if you have the chance to hire a guy like Matta vs keeping someone who's relatively unproven like Jordan is, you dump him and hire Matta.  Butler isn't the type of program that can withstand an extended period of irrelevance.  I'd liken it to when the Cubs fired Rick Renteria to bring in Joe Maddon.  If you have the chance to get a stud coach you think would be a perfect fit, you take it.

I agree. That's why I'm saying it's commendable for them being willing to make that change. We weren't when plenty of people were saying let's move on and now we suck. If we had their guts we'd have canned Wojo ages ago in spite of the optics

[wadesworld]

I agree. That's why I'm saying it's commendable for them being willing to make that change. We weren't when plenty of people were saying let's move on and now we suck. If we had their guts we'd have canned Wojo ages ago in spite of the optics

Should've made that call to Billy Donovan after all.

[cheebs09]

I agree. That's why I'm saying it's commendable for them being willing to make that change. We weren't when plenty of people were saying let's move on and now we suck. If we had their guts we'd have canned Wojo ages ago in spite of the optics

Well, I think it's a little different if you have a Thad Matta sitting at home saying, "whenever you're ready, just give me a call." I'm sure Wardle has said that, but I don't know if we have a clear upgrade that's just biding time for MU to open up.

[GoldenWarrior11]

If Butler gets Matta, and DePaul actually hires a respected basketball coach, the bottom of the Big East definitely evolves headed into next year.

I'd be worried as an MU fan if things stay the course going into next season.

[Galway Eagle]

Should've made that call to Billy Donovan after all.

Now we'll never know. Guess we'll have next year's sub .500 season to also look forward to.

[Silent Verbal]

Should've made that call to Billy Donovan after all.

Donovan was never a realistic option for Marquette, I agree with you there.  Maybe ten years from now after he's been fired from two more NBA coaching jobs and has taken two years off and is looking to get back in the game, maybe then, if we happen to be in the market for a coach and we're lucky, he'd take our call.

Now with that being said, what I don't agree with is the spirit of your post.  You seem to think it's absurd for us to hope that any coach of merit would want to come to MU, so we may as well stick with Wojo, because just like you need 68 teams for a 68 team tournament, you need a coach to coach a basketball team, and who's coming to Marquette, huh?  Yeah, that's what I thought, so you might as well stick with Wojo.

But like I've said before, it's all over for Marquette when it comes to Wojo.  Any way you slice it, Wojo will not be here after next season is over.  If he's retained for 21-22, he'll either have another bad year and get canned, or have a good one and bolt for another job because it may well be his last, best chance to leave on his own without getting fired.

I know you love Wojo, you've been his biggest acolyte on here besides Chico and were a massive jerk to anyone who dared question his greatness (and you know it), but it's all over.  Just accept it.  Or go to Kohl's and buy some red.  Either one works.