Billy Donovan - Out as Thunder Head Coach

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Wojo's replacement is now on the market.  Let's act now to save the program and bring it back to a high level!!!  #MediocrityIsFailure

[Billy Hoyle]

Wojo's replacement is now on the market.  Let's act now to save the program and bring it back to a high level!!!  #MediocrityIsFailure

Donovan will stay in the pros. He enjoys not recruiting.

[79Warrior]

Wojo's replacement is now on the market.  Let's act now to save the program and bring it back to a high level!!!  #MediocrityIsFailure

Does Bud get the heave ho?

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Does Bud get the heave ho?

I wasn't impressed how he was unable to adapt his offense.  He kept the same system out there rather than have people move around which allowed HEAT to stifle Milwaukee.  Bucks looked like MU's offense at times.

[Pakuni]

LOL

[Galway Eagle]

To be fair, if Donovan had any interest in coaching College again I'd be shocked if we were in the running. But I'd certainly give a call and see about it. I'm not even a fire wojo guy, just a firm believer Donovan would get us to Novas level quickly

[Pakuni]

To be fair, if Donovan had any interest in coaching College again I'd be shocked if we were in the running. But I'd certainly give a call and see about it. I'm not even a fire wojo guy, just a firm believer Donovan would get us to Novas level quickly

Supposing Donovan wanted to return to college .... just how much money do you think Marquette has?
Enough to pay Donovan's asking price (let's start at $4 million a year at the very minimum) and  what's left of Wojo’s contract? In the middle of a pandemic?

[MUHoopsFan2]

LOL

NO HE WOULDN'T! Wojo is just fine...stop it. Wojo just need guys who buy in and stop running too soon...especially his 'bigs.'

[MUHoopsFan2]

Every coach you fans want 'fired.'

LOL. For no reason at all but to feel 'empowered.' You need to have a stable program to be successful and not firing everybody after as 3 out of 5 game losing streak.

Relax.

[Lennys Tap]

Every coach you fans want 'fired.'

LOL. For no reason at all but to feel 'empowered.' You need to have a stable program to be successful and not firing everybody after as 3 out of 5 game losing streak.

Relax.

Marquette hasn’t fired a coach in over 20 years, and two coaches have “fired” Marquette since then. I don’t want to fire Wojo, and concede that Donovan to MU is a pipe dream. But a guy can dream...

[Galway Eagle]

Supposing Donovan wanted to return to college .... just how much money do you think Marquette has?
Enough to pay Donovan's asking price (let's start at $4 million a year at the very minimum) and  what's left of Wojo’s contract? In the middle of a pandemic?

Enough that's it's worth a phone call. I don't expect it to happen, I have zero expectation of it happening, but what's the harm in a quick conversation? How often does a coach with more hardware to his name than our "legendary" coach had come available?

[wadesworld]

The only phone call from a 414 area code Billy Donovan is answering is from the Bucks.  I'd love to see his laughter if Marquette left him a voicemail (because again, there is a 0.000000% chance he answers a phone call from Marquette University) seeing if he'd have any interest in their basketball coaching position.

But heck.  Let's get on the phone with Brad Stevens while we're at it.  He was a slightly less successful college coach.  Maybe he wants back in.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Enough that's it's worth a phone call. I don't expect it to happen, I have zero expectation of it happening, but what's the harm in a quick conversation? How often does a coach with more hardware to his name than our "legendary" coach had come available?

Because you really shouldn't be having those conversations unless you are committed to creating an opening.  What if words gets out? 

That's just not how organizations work.

[Galway Eagle]

Because you really shouldn't be having those conversations unless you are committed to creating an opening.  What if words gets out? 

That's just not how organizations work.

I disagree. If Wojo was absolutely killing it then absolutely, but he's been horrid for two end of the season stretches. And over all records have seemingly been stagnant outside of the 2018/19 year which wasn't vastly different. It's absolutely worth a call.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I disagree. If Wojo was absolutely killing it then absolutely, but he's been horrid for two end of the season stretches. And over records have seemingly been stagnant outside of the 2018/19 year which wasn't vastly different. It's absolutely worth a call.

If the leadership of the University felt as you do, then you fire him and move on.  But since they don't feel concerned enough to fire him, then they don't recruit other candidates.  Especially since the chances are ridiculously remote.  Bad idea all around.

[Galway Eagle]

If the leadership of the University felt as you do, then you fire him and move on.  But since they don't feel concerned enough to fire him, then they don't recruit other candidates.  Especially since the chances are ridiculously remote.  Bad idea all around.

So you don't buy into the idea that an AD should have a short list of candidates ready if he decides to move on?

I equate my view to when I was in sales at Groupon. There was no chance in hell I was going to close restaurants like Alinea but heck what have I got to lose by making a call? Same here. And honestly can any coach not named Coach K be upset if their school called a guy with 4 final fours, 2 championships, 9 conference championships (between tournament and regular seasons). Absolutely not, in the least it let's Wojo know he'd better step it up.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

So you don't buy into the idea that an AD should have a short list of candidates ready if he decides to move on?

I equate my view to when I was in sales at Groupon. There was no chance in hell I was going to close restaurants like Alinea but heck what have I got to lose by making a call? Same here. And honestly can any coach not named Coach K be upset if their school called a guy with 4 final fours, 2 championships, 9 conference championships (between tournament and regular seasons). Absolutely not, in the least it let's Wojo know he'd better step it up.

Having a list, and actively talking to people on that list despite there not being an opening, are two completely different things.

And your sales analogy is a poor one.  This isn't about sales.  It's about hiring someone for a job for which there already is someone in that role. It's ethically questionable.

[Pakuni]

Having a list, and actively talking to people on that list despite there not being an opening, are two completely different things.

And your sales analogy is a poor one.  This isn't about sales.  It's about hiring someone for a job for which there already is someone in that role. It's ethically questionable.

On top of that, it does the current coaching staff no favors on the recruiting trail. The chance of it hurting the staff's recruiting efforts far exceeds the likelihood that a) Donovan would be interested in Marquette and b) the university coming up with the money to pay him.

It seems far more likely Donovan either lands one of the four NBA gigs currently open or takes a year off from coaching for a cushy analyst job.

[naginiF]

I'm I the only one that sees the irony in the fact that there is a thread in the Al entitled "Mouth breathing Badgers fans" and we have this inane pipe dream being defended?

[Galway Eagle]

I'm I the only one that sees the irony in the fact that there is a thread in the Al entitled "Mouth breathing Badgers fans" and we have this inane pipe dream being defended?

I'm not defending an idea he'd come to marquette or did you fail to read my bolder sentence? I just don't like to be the person going home alone at the end of a party with blue balls because I was too scared to talk to the girl who was out of my league. Prefer to go down swinging personally. But apparently you all were different good for you.

Enough that's it's worth a phone call. I don't expect it to happen, I have zero expectation of it happening, but what's the harm in a quick conversation? How often does a coach with more hardware to his name than our "legendary" coach had come available?

[Pakuni]

I'm not defending an idea he'd come to marquette or did you fail to read my bolder sentence? I just don't like to be the person going home alone at the end of a party with blue balls because I was too scared to talk to the girl who was out of my league. Prefer to go down swinging personally. But apparently you all were different good for you.

How would your wife and kids back at home feel when they learn that you're out at parties trying to pick up other women?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

How would your wife and kids back at home feel when they learn that you're out at parties trying to pick up other women?

Exactly.  If you had a coach opening, OF COURSE you would reach out to him.  But you don't.

[Galway Eagle]

How would your wife and kids back at home feel when they learn that you're out at parties trying to pick up other women?

I don't have a wife or kids at home. And I was referring to college days, an era I thought that analogy would've been relevant to everyone.

Exactly.  If you had a coach opening, OF COURSE you would reach out to him.  But you don't.

So it's cool if he sniffs around other openings but we can't? He can either be an adult walk into the AD's office and say "I'll step up my game and not take calls from VATech" or be a whinny child about it because he wants to be able to have all the cards and treated like royalty without having earned it.

[Pakuni]

I don't have a wife or kids at home. And I was referring to college days, an era I thought that analogy would've been relevant to everyone.

Then your analogy doesn't work, because Marquette does have a wife and kids (Wojo, assistant coaches, players, recruits) back home. And they won't be thrilled to learn that their spouse is out at parties trying to hook up with other coaches while they're back taking care of business home.

Look, if you can guarantee that Donovan would welcome MU's approach and be inclined to take the job at MU's price point, then go for it. But all of that is exceptionally unlikely, and the damage of making such a hamhanded approach outweighs the benefit.

[jesmu84]

I don't have a wife or kids at home. And I was referring to college days, an era I thought that analogy would've been relevant to everyone.

So it's cool if he sniffs around other openings but we can't? He can either be an adult walk into the AD's office and say "I'll step up my game and not take calls from VATech" or be a whinny child about it because he wants to be able to have all the cards and treated like royalty without having earned it.

Source?