Crean Speech to Current Team

[MUbiz]

I'm OK with TC after all these years but serious question, is this a paid appearance for TC or just done out of the goodness of his heart?

I would like to think its free and we just paid TC's travel expenses from Sarasota, FL, but we will never know for sure.

[NCMUFan]

The FF appearance was a dream come true.
But when Wade left, the team struggled for two more years.
Then the three Amigos came.
Winning the Great Alaskan Shootout and then blowing #2 UCONN out for our BEAST entry.
Knew we were on the ascent.

[Viper]

The FF appearance was a dream come true.
But when Wade left, the team struggled for two more years.
Then the three Amigos came.
Winning the Great Alaskan Shootout and then blowing #2 UCONN out for our BEAST entry.
Knew we were on the ascent.

if Dominic James is healthy, that's a FF team

[Galway Eagle]

The FF appearance was a dream come true.
But when Wade left, the team struggled for two more years.
Then the three Amigos came.
Winning the Great Alaskan Shootout and then blowing #2 UCONN out for our BEAST entry.
Knew we were on the ascent.

Didn't they go like 14-1 the next year before Travis got injured? Or was that 05?

[avid1010]

Curious as to what he has done for others that doesn't also benefit him.

Also curious if he would have any interest in MU if he had become successful at IU.

[NCMUFan]

Didn't they go like 14-1 the next year before Travis got injured? Or was that 05?

I believe they went into a tailspin when Travis became injured and they had no backup point guard.

[JWags85]

Curious as to what he has done for others that doesn't also benefit him.

Also curious if he would have any interest in MU if he had become successful at IU.

How does this truly benefit him? It's not for some ESPN/FOX segment.  It's not gonna magically get him a new job.  He's not trying to be an assistant for Shaka.  He's further reconnecting with a program that has a huge place in his life.

And that's a largely worthless hypothetical.  Life experience and human growth isn't linear or pre-ordained.  If Al takes the Bucks job there is not 77 Championship and he doesn't have his name all over campus and the culture of the program is completely different.  But he didn't and so he does.

Crean had success and made a TON of money after Marquette even though he didn't make another F4.  It's not like he flamed out within a year or two.  He has plenty of money, has TV gigs if he wants them. It's bizarre to be this cynical 15 years later about something pretty cool that Shaka clearly appreciated...

[The Sultan]

Not only appreciated, but Shaka invited him to do!

[MUbiz]

How does this truly benefit him? It's not for some ESPN/FOX segment.  It's not gonna magically get him a new job.  He's not trying to be an assistant for Shaka.  He's further reconnecting with a program that has a huge place in his life.

And that's a largely worthless hypothetical.  Life experience and human growth isn't linear or pre-ordained.  If Al takes the Bucks job there is not 77 Championship and he doesn't have his name all over campus and the culture of the program is completely different.  But he didn't and so he does.

Crean had success and made a TON of money after Marquette even though he didn't make another F4.  It's not like he flamed out within a year or two.  He has plenty of money, has TV gigs if he wants them. It's bizarre to be this cynical 15 years later about something pretty cool that Shaka clearly appreciated...

Spot on - this does not benefit TC in anyway. He made over $40M in coaching and has the ability to command money on TV, interviews, coaching clinics, and consulting. As mentioned before, I was pissed he left, but looking back on it I understand why. I really believe he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart and I am happy he is. Yes, I realize there are angles to everything, but I do not see the angle here. He could have been wildly successful with IU and or UGA, and MU could have been afterthought - but that is not how it played out. TC coming around a few times a year is great for the program and great for the ex-players he coached.

[MUfan12]

For me it wasn't that he left, but how he left. And that anger subsided a long time ago.

It's great that Shaka asked, and that he accepted the invite to speak with the team.

[avid1010]

How does this truly benefit him? It's not for some ESPN/FOX segment.  It's not gonna magically get him a new job.  He's not trying to be an assistant for Shaka.  He's further reconnecting with a program that has a huge place in his life.

And that's a largely worthless hypothetical.  Life experience and human growth isn't linear or pre-ordained.  If Al takes the Bucks job there is not 77 Championship and he doesn't have his name all over campus and the culture of the program is completely different.  But he didn't and so he does.

Crean had success and made a TON of money after Marquette even though he didn't make another F4.  It's not like he flamed out within a year or two.  He has plenty of money, has TV gigs if he wants them. It's bizarre to be this cynical 15 years later about something pretty cool that Shaka clearly appreciated...

You know anyone who was an a$$ 15 years ago?  You think he's still an a$$?  Well...stop being cynical.

[Lennys Tap]

You know anyone who was an a$$ 15 years ago?  You think he's still an a$$?  Well...stop being cynical.

Unlike most, I wasn't butt hurt when he left. I was happy. I thought he was full of himself and not all that much as a coach. Nothing I saw of him at Indiana or Georgia changed my opinion. He was fired at both places and I don't think either place is inviting him back for any celebrations. The only "home" he has to go back to is MU.

Maybe he's changed, maybe he's grateful for what he had at MU. If so, I'm OK with him turning up every once in a while. But I'll never be a fan.

[dgies9156]

It's time to forgive.

Let's stop judging the guy and be thankful for the folks he brought to our program, one of which is a basketball HOFer.

His talk was a good one and his accomplishments at MU were not insignificant.

[tower912]

The cold never bothered me anyway.

[Goose]

Lenny

You summed my feelings on Crean. Not a word I would change from your post. I love Shaka getting these speakers in and Crean is part of our last FF. It definitely seems like the program has very lofty expectations of what success looks like this season and I love it.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

You know anyone who was an a$$ 15 years ago?  You think he's still an a$$?  Well...stop being cynical.

Exactly, it's 15 years and 3 coaches ago. Let it go.

If Shaka feels comfortable enough to invite him to speak to the team that should be enough of a reason.

[Uncle Rico]

I hate him.  I've hated every coach since Al quit.  As a Marquette fan, I find great joy in hating coaches, players, media, the university, athletic department and quite frankly other fans.  Hate drives my fandom

[Skatastrophy]

The cold never bothered me anyway.

Absolute banger

[Dickthedribbler]

For me it wasn't that he left, but how he left. And that anger subsided a long time ago.

It's great that Shaka asked, and that he accepted the invite to speak with the team.

How he left???

How did he leave that at the time got you chafed??

[SaveOD238]

Spot on - this does not benefit TC in anyway. He made over $40M in coaching and has the ability to command money on TV, interviews, coaching clinics, and consulting. As mentioned before, I was pissed he left, but looking back on it I understand why. I really believe he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart and I am happy he is. Yes, I realize there are angles to everything, but I do not see the angle here. He could have been wildly successful with IU and or UGA, and MU could have been afterthought - but that is not how it played out. TC coming around a few times a year is great for the program and great for the ex-players he coached.

Would Crean ever have interest in coming on board as an assistant? He'd be the experienced vet clock manager type.

[MUfan12]

How he left???

How did he leave that at the time got you chafed??

Mainly that the team didn't hear from him for hours after the report came out that he took the IU gig.

The Indiana job was one he had to take, especially back then.

[cheebs09]

Mainly that the team didn't hear from him for hours after the report came out that he took the IU gig.

The Indiana job was one he had to take, especially back then.

Also, I'm pretty sure the announcement was when MU leadership was in the air too a WNIT game.

[The Sultan]

If the people who were actually on the team have forgiven him for "how he left," I'm sure fans who had no personal relationship with him could let it go too.

[Coleman]

I believe they went into a tailspin when Travis became injured and they had no backup point guard.

Rob Hanley, walk on, became starting point guard if I recall correctly.

That team, with Travis healthy, was a solid NCAA caliber team. But it was basically just him and Novak carrying the entire load. No depth whatsoever. Once Diener went down, it was a bad, bad situation.

[cheebs09]

Rob Hanley, walk on, became starting point guard if I recall correctly.

That team, with Travis healthy, was a solid NCAA caliber team. But it was basically just him and Novak carrying the entire load. No depth whatsoever. Once Diener went down, it was a bad, bad situation.

Are we forgetting Marcus Jackson bringing the ball up?