OT: 2021 Coaching Carousel

[MUfan12]

I wouldn't put too much stock into this.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I don't know why people are surprised.  People have said he isn't going to be fired this year.

This has nothing to do with the UNC win or any other recent...uh....success.  This decision was made weeks ago, and unless something substantially changed (ie, those with actual influence decided to exert it), Wojo will be our coach next year.

And it might be ugly.

[Uncle Rico]

I was expecting the administration to tell Borzello they want to fire him and hate him to placate the idiot brigade of fans that don’t understand how these things work

[5DollarPitcher]

I don't know why people are surprised.  People have said he isn't going to be fired this year.

This has nothing to do with the UNC win or any other recent...uh....success.  This decision was made weeks ago, and unless something substantially changed (ie, those with actual influence decided to exert it), Wojo will be our coach next year.

And it might be ugly.

Sure - we’ve resigned to that. But he’s “been told that the administration is happy with Wojo”. That’s contradictory with those that are telling us he won’t be back in 2022 unless he “wins bigly”. You’d think an administration one year out from firing a guy barring “winning bigly” would not be described as “happy with him”.

Alas, here we are. The admin is happy with him. I believe that 100%. They are incompetent rubes and the on-court results of the basketball team are priority zed in their master plan.

It’s gone great so far! Declining enrollment, mass layoffs, national irrelevance - keep it up Lovell! Soon they’ll have us on the level of a Ball State...

[Hards Alumni]

I don't know why people are surprised.  People have said he isn't going to be fired this year.

This has nothing to do with the UNC win or any other recent...uh....success.  This decision was made weeks ago, and unless something substantially changed (ie, those with actual influence decided to exert it), Wojo will be our coach next year.

And it might be ugly.

And that should worry MU, not to mention Wojo. 

[MUfan12]

Yeah, Fiserv is not gonna be a fun place next season.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Sure - we’ve resigned to that. But he’s “been told that the administration is happy with Wojo”. That’s contradictory with those that are telling us he won’t be back in 2022 unless he “wins bigly”. You’d think an administration one year out from firing a guy barring “winning bigly” would not be described as “happy with him”.

Alas, here we are. The admin is happy with him. I believe that 100%. They are incompetent rubes and the on-court results of the basketball team are priority zed in their master plan.

It’s gone great so far! Declining enrollment, mass layoffs, national irrelevance - keep it up Lovell! Soon they’ll have us on the level of a Ball State...

The quote is actually "the administration likes him" not "the administration is happy with him." Two very different statements. I've only fired a handful of employees in my life. I liked most of them. I still fired them when they couldn't perform.

Wojo will get extended this offseason in exchange for a massively cut buyout. He will either win bigly or be fired. But as I said before, I have no idea what "win bigly" means to the administration. I know it at least means an NCAA tournament appearance, I hope it means more than that.

Plus, what do really expect MU to say to an ESPN reporter?

[panda]

And that should worry MU, not to mention Wojo.

As a poster said earlier, what else is the administration going to say when an espn reporter is asking their opinion to put in an open forum?

In reality, everyone is aware of the temperature of the fan base. How could they not be? Barring several big time off season player additions, this will still be a mid to lower tier BE team.

It will get ugly next season with fans in the stands and the administration absolutely knows it.

Wojo won’t float his name for other jobs until after MU’s season is done, but he’d be prudent to do so. Far more job security elsewhere.

[cheebs09]

Sure - we’ve resigned to that. But he’s “been told that the administration is happy with Wojo”. That’s contradictory with those that are telling us he won’t be back in 2022 unless he “wins bigly”. You’d think an administration one year out from firing a guy barring “winning bigly” would not be described as “happy with him”.

Alas, here we are. The admin is happy with him. I believe that 100%. They are incompetent rubes and the on-court results of the basketball team are priority zed in their master plan.

It’s gone great so far! Declining enrollment, mass layoffs, national irrelevance - keep it up Lovell! Soon they’ll have us on the level of a Ball State...

I feel that’s a throwaway line. The administration isn’t going to throw him under the bus in a public setting. Maybe Wojo turns it around and goes out and wins the Big East and goes to the Elite 8 next year. There’s no reason to speak negatively about him until you are prepared to fire him.

I’m sure if Wojo said, “I’m taking job X” there wouldn’t really be much fight from the administration. But I’m sure they still like the guy. Also, it probably helps him get another job if the narrative isn’t Marquette can’t wait to get rid of him.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Welp, Creighton may be looking for a new coach this offseason.

[wadesworld]

So 5$ believes the Marquette administration has its hands around the necks of the Milwaukee media market and requires them to be nice and throw softball questions to Wojo or get bent in terms of access to the program...and then also believes that if the administration was not pleased with the results Wojo is producing they would go to Jeff Borzello and tell him that?

Figures.

[tower912]

One other thing.  The anticipation is that this off-season is going to be absolute chaos with transfers.   I don't know what the net will be for MU, good or bad.    I am comfortable saying that being without a coach for several weeks during Filenes basement wedding dress rush will probably not work out on MU's favor.

[panda]

One other thing.  The anticipation is that this off-season is going to be absolute chaos with transfers.   I don't know what the net will be for MU, good or bad.    I am comfortable saying that being without a coach for several weeks during Filenes basement wedding dress rush will probably not work out on MU's favor.

A good AD always has a short list of candidates available in case something happens with the current head coach.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

A good AD always has a short list of candidates available in case something happens with the current head coach.

While that most certainly is the case, it will still take a few weeks to do the due diligence that needs to be done.

[Shooter McGavin]

I was expecting the administration to tell Borzello they want to fire him and hate him to placate the idiot brigade of fans that don’t understand how these things work

Ha!  Spit out my drink.

[cheebs09]

One other thing.  The anticipation is that this off-season is going to be absolute chaos with transfers.   I don't know what the net will be for MU, good or bad.    I am comfortable saying that being without a coach for several weeks during Filenes basement wedding dress rush will probably not work out on MU's favor.

I’m willing to take that risk. The chaos may allow the new coach to hit the ground running compared to a less chaotic year next year.

[tower912]

But is the administration?   Ultimately, the only answer that matters.

[Silent Verbal]

I’m willing to take that risk. The chaos may allow the new coach to hit the ground running compared to a less chaotic year next year.

Agreed.  If anything, the relaxed transfer rules this offseason could allow for a new coach to bring in a bunch of new players and really hit the ground running.

We need to just burn the Wojo program to the ground and salt the earth. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Yeah, Fiserv is not gonna be a fun place next season.

Unless somehow he wins.  Hard to boo too loudly after we beat Wisconsin and ND (definitely possible) in the same noncon season and go into conference season on a roll.  TBD. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

We've gone into the conference season "on a roll" the last three years.  Then....

[MUfan12]

We've gone into the conference season "on a roll" the last three years.  Then....

Bingo. Fans (rightfully) don't trust him.

[GoldenWarrior11]

We might be stuck with Wojo next year.  But, whomever our coach is next year, I don't see us as a tournament team next year unless several impact transfers are going our way.  Considering our last few (Perez, Chartouny, Rowsey, Johnson), I don't have any confidence in that occurring.  Carton, if he stays, Garcia and Lewis are just three players.  No one else on the roster has displayed any showings that they can consistently be Big East-level skill players. 

Next year, like this year, will be rough.  I don't think there's anything anyone can really do about it. 

[Shooter McGavin]

We've gone into the conference season "on a roll" the last three years.  Then....

True, but I’m just saying that he will be able to build some good will early on and that could help.  If the roster construction is somehow better next year and the team is objectively good it will be hard to boo.

Offering another possibility (no matter how small) that it’s not a forgone conclusion. 

[cheebs09]

Bingo. Fans (rightfully) don't trust him.

If I remember right, there was a smattering of boos at the start of the Villanova game last year. That was the second conference game after we got blown out by Creighton but had a decent Non-Conference.

 I think at this point Wojo has lost the students and general fan base until he has some real tournament success. Plus, I’m sure there’s a lot of pent up booing from not having fans this past year.

As a fan, I’m leaning towards not buying season tickets next year. It’s my small protest if Wojo’s the coach and this past year priorities have shifted. Plus, the product is not that enjoyable. I’m sure I’m not alone.

[MU82]

If I remember right, there was a smattering of boos at the start of the Villanova game last year. That was the second conference game after we got blown out by Creighton but had a decent Non-Conference.

 I think at this point Wojo has lost the students and general fan base until he has some real tournament success. Plus, I’m sure there’s a lot of pent up booing from not having fans this past year.

As a fan, I’m leaning towards not buying season tickets next year. It’s my small protest if Wojo’s the coach and this past year priorities have shifted. Plus, the product is not that enjoyable. I’m sure I’m not alone.

Not that you were asking for anybody's respect, cheebs, but I respect that stance. As fans, we have very little power. The little bit we have:

1. Booing.

2. The power of the pocketbook.

I happen to think 2 will send a much better message, especially if Wojo is smart and simply doesn't have his name announced before games.

If Wojo returns, and if serious fans really want to express their displeasure about it, the single best way to express it is to not renew season tickets. If the season-ticket base goes from whatever it has been to half of that or less, it will get the administration's attention. Even better if those who don't renew can explain their reason: "Dissatisfaction with the direction of the program under this coaching staff."

It sucks that it has come to that ... but it has.