MU culture

[DoctorV]

Neither of those coaches is leaving their current job for MU.

MU is a good job.......just like about 20-30 other schools are good jobs.

You want a new coach if Shaka would leave?.......look at mid majors......college assistants.....and high majors that need a change of scenery.

That's how it works now. Just ask Michigan, Louisville, Ohio State and Kentucky......

Yep.

Shaka Smart was about as home run a hire as home runs get, a grand slam in the World Series type of hire.

He was the perfect guy at the perfect time for Marquette, and I find it hard to believe that MU could make a better hire if/when he leaves.

Could they make a good hire that is leveling up? Sure. Could they make a lateral hire, or someone like TJO or Nate Oats as referenced above? Maybe, but a big part of the ability to be able to make that hire would be the heights Shaka has brought the program to.

Better hire would be impossible imo.

That man deserved all the support he can get from everyone involved with Marquette, even if/when he has a down season or two.
I just hope he can find that March madness miracle again.

[Hards Alumni]

I think Shaka has done a great job and is one of the top coaches in the country, but the "Who are you gonna replace him with?" argument isn't a good one, IMO.  It's exactly the same thing people said about Wojo to defend keeping him around.  And ultimately, there were only a few thousand or so coaches who would've been able to do a better job than Wojo.

Yeah, you're the type of person I was talking about. 

[1SE]

There is no one on this board that doesn't love Shaka and the overall job he's done to this point. He's great, and everyone hopes the mutual interest remains warm for many many years to come.

That said, Shaka, like most coaches, still has not fully realized his potential. It certainly seems like he has a better shot than most - but until that potential is realized the mutual interest could wane. Only a handful of coaches (Izzo, Few, Wright, K) get to leave completely on their own terms - because they earned it. Shaka hasn't earned that yet. I really hope he does - but we're still in XX years to judge. XX years with no FF, XX years with no NCAAT win, XX years with no NCAAT - we can debate about what "XX" is in each of those cases, but a real integer does exist for each of those.

[Uncle Rico]

1. Bruce Pearl
2. Brad Stevens
3. Wes Matthews

[Newsdreams]

1. Bruce Pearl
2. Brad Stevens
3. Wes Matthews

Wes can double as Coach/shooting coach, saves a salary

[Newsdreams]

There is no one on this board that doesn't love Shaka and the overall job he's done to this point. He's great, and everyone hopes the mutual interest remains warm for many many years to come.

That said, Shaka, like most coaches, still has not fully realized his potential. It certainly seems like he has a better shot than most - but until that potential is realized the mutual interest could wane. Only a handful of coaches (Izzo, Few, Wright, K) get to leave completely on their own terms - because they earned it. Shaka hasn't earned that yet. I really hope he does - but we're still in XX years to judge. XX years with no FF, XX years with no NCAAT win, XX years with no NCAAT - we can debate about what "XX" is in each of those cases, but a real integer does exist for each of those.

MU waited for 12 yrs with Al, how long are we willing to wait?

[MUfan12]

TJO? Oats? Delusional. Not only are their buyouts prohibitive, there's no way a successful P4 coach is gonna leave his gig to go to a school that's likely to be out in the cold once the NCAA crumbles.

[Newsdreams]

TJO? Oats? Delusional. Not only are their buyouts prohibitive, there's no way a successful P4 coach is gonna leave his gig to go to a school that's likely to be out in the cold once the NCAA crumbles.

COLE

[The Sultan]

There is no one on this board that doesn't love Shaka and the overall job he's done to this point. He's great, and everyone hopes the mutual interest remains warm for many many years to come.

That said, Shaka, like most coaches, still has not fully realized his potential. It certainly seems like he has a better shot than most - but until that potential is realized the mutual interest could wane. Only a handful of coaches (Izzo, Few, Wright, K) get to leave completely on their own terms - because they earned it. Shaka hasn't earned that yet. I really hope he does - but we're still in XX years to judge. XX years with no FF, XX years with no NCAAT win, XX years with no NCAAT - we can debate about what "XX" is in each of those cases, but a real integer does exist for each of those.

Hypothetically, what if Shaka coaches at Marquette another 20 seasons and never makes a Final Four? But wins more Big East titles, BET titles, and gets to the Elite 8 a couple times. Would that allow him to "earn" retirement on his terms in your mind?

What if he is Gene Keady? Or John Chaney? Legendary, program defining coaches to never make a Final Four. Is that not satisfactory?

[Uncle Rico]

TJO? Oats? Delusional. Not only are their buyouts prohibitive, there's no way a successful P4 coach is gonna leave his gig to go to a school that's likely to be out in the cold once the NCAA crumbles.

Steve Kerr spent years in Beirut, so he would be familiar with living in Milwaukee

[muwarrior69]

Enough of this talk about who would replace Shaka. We should be talking about how Shaka is going to get this team back on the winning track. It is just so inexplicable to me how poorly we have played over the last several games and that includes some of the games we won. They know they can play better because they have. We talk about Marquette Culture. A part of that culture is to instill a mental toughness and urgency to every game. So far, they look like they are just going through the motions. I know many here criticize Shaka for playing the subs, but I think that is a good thing and will pay dividends down the stretch this year and for the long term.

We'll see if Shaka can instill that wining attitude and show us that he is that home run hire we know he is.

[tower912]

Is Mark Few a successful coach?

[Uncle Rico]

Is Mark Few a successful coach?

No

[Hards Alumni]

Is Mark Few a successful coach?

Gonzaga fans would prefer Mark More

[TSmith34, Inc.]

MU waited for 12 yrs with Al, how long are we willing to wait?

Is Mark Few a successful coach?

Few people think so

[Hards Alumni]

Few people think so

ack, yours is better

[Scoop Snoop]

1SE has made it clear that he considers our regular season and the BET as mere warmups for the NCAA tourney. He has shown interest only in the 6 NCAA games in which we are 3-3 under Shaka. Weird. An average of 2 games per season and he's done. 

[The Sultan]

1SE has made it clear that he considers our regular season and the BET as mere warmups for the NCAA tourney. He has shown interest only in the 6 NCAA games in which we are 3-3 under Shaka. Weird. An average of 2 games per season and he's done. 

I simply don't understand fans like that. If you can't enjoy the journey, sports is usually pretty miserable since there is only one champion at the end.

[wadesworld]

TJO? Oats? Delusional. Not only are their buyouts prohibitive, there's no way a successful P4 coach is gonna leave his gig to go to a school that's likely to be out in the cold once the NCAA crumbles.

We could never get the active head coach from a program like Texas to come to Marquette.

[The Sultan]

We could never get the active head coach from a program like Texas to come to Marquette.

I think you realize that Oats current circumstances around Alabama are significantly different than Shaka's were at Texas.

[wadesworld]

I think you realize that Oats current circumstances around Alabama are significantly different than Shaka's were at Texas.

Right, but he didn't specifically say, "A coach who went to a Final Four at a power 4 program last year and might return there this year."  He said "a successful power 4 coach."  I guess you can argue how you define "successful," but Shaka is a coach who has been to a Final Four and was coaching at one of the bigger non-blue blood programs in the country when we hired him.

[MUfan12]

I think you realize that Oats current circumstances around Alabama are significantly different than Shaka's were at Texas.

And Marquette/the Big East's circumstances are more up in the air than they were four years ago.

Wades just wants to troll these days. Which is too bad, because he knows his stuff.

[MUfan12]

I guess you can argue how you define "successful," but Shaka is a coach who has been to a Final Four and was coaching at one of the bigger non-blue blood programs in the country when we hired him.

Shaka got out before getting canned. And I think Texas waived the buyout.

[Scoop Snoop]

Shaka got out before getting canned. And I think Texas waived the buyout.

I think you are correct about waiving the buyout. It was a win-win in the minds of Texas fans. Shaka gone and it sort of looks like he left on his own rather than Texas having to pull the plug. Well....maybe to Texas fans. I doubt that anyone else was gullible to believe it. With the money that Texas must have? No big deal.

[The Sultan]

I think you are correct about waiving the buyout. It was a win-win in the minds of Texas fans. Shaka gone and it sort of looks like he left on his own rather than Texas having to pull the plug. Well....maybe to Texas fans. I doubt that anyone else was gullible to believe it. With the money that Texas must have? No big deal.

And Texas had his replacement lined up.