Take heart, Marquette!

[IAmMarquette]

Two years ago, the Packers hired Mike McCarthy to be their head coach, taking over a 4-12 trainwreck of a football team. At the time, much of Packer nation was up in arms over the hiring of a coach who was denounced as "inexperienced," "a loser," and "below the level of the Green Bay Packers" and on and on. These opinions were based on the fact that McCarthy had zero head coaching experience, and his stints as offensive coordinator in New Orleans and San Francisco were less than encouraging. Many fans called for recently-hired GM Ted Thompson to be fired.

Two years later, the "inexperienced loser" head coach and the GM nobody wanted built a division winner and conference runner-up, and Packer fans everywhere are

How does this relate to our current situation?
-We have a brand new AD, much like Thompson at the time, who had never before made a decision of this magnitude.
-We have an inexperienced head coach whose only HC experience was a losing season at a small program in a low-major conference, not too different from McCarthy, though Buzz actually does have head coaching experience.
-If true, and TC did offer advice during the search, do you really think it's that uncommon? Do you really think Ted Thompson didn't consult Mike Holmgren even once during the Packers' coaching search?

Sure, Buzz may be a "risky" hire, and, judging from the comments here, he isn't the "name"/"experienced"/"MU-caliber" coach many of us wanted, but the guy just might prove us all wrong. Here's hoping he does.

Welcome to the big time, Coach.

[MUAlum99]

Yup, and every situation works out exactly like that.   

[bs4173]

nice post. i'm upset we couldn't get Bennett or Lowery or Grant or so on. Nonetheless, i'll support him and pray to God, Jesus, Saint Ignatius, Chris Farley and all other MU fans in heaven that he can prove all doubters wrong.

[muwarrior87]

not necessarily but does it really help anything to be a pessimistic A-hole before the news even officially is released!?!?

[farmdaddy]

Buzz deserves a shot...some people on this board need to freakin relax

[TVDirector]

please give me a good reason why Buzz 'deserves' a shot?
we're not talking about a CYO team putting in the kid who never gets to play.

we're talking a big east team being coached by an unknown commodity with little HC experience who could well be thrown to the wolves.
MU is well beyond that, imo.

[IAmMarquette]

Yup, and every situation works out exactly like that.   

Right. And not every situation like this is an unmitigated failure, either. Need proof? I already provided it.

Hell, MU is in a better situation than the Packers were for 2 KEY reasons:
1. MU is a winning team, top 25 in the nation. GB (and it pains me to say this as a Packer fan) wasn't even in the top 25 in the NFL.
2. MU is returning a whole bunch of experienced talent. Green Bay underwent MAJOR roster turnover and became the youngest team in the league shortly after McCarthy was hired.

Don't get me wrong. I'm apprehensive, too. But if I've learned anything about coaching searches, it's that the guys who do the hiring and firing know a lot more about the process and the candidates than any of us here may claim to know. To believe otherwise is, frankly, preposterous. I trust the search. If in 2 years MU is a BigEast bottom feeder, then we can all say Cottingham was in over his head, Williams had no business being hired, the BoT is treating the program like a mid-major yadda yadda yadda.

Until then, if it happens, support your goddamn team, and its new coach.

[IAmMarquette]

we're talking a big east team being coached by an unknown commodity with little HC experience who could well be thrown to the wolves.
MU is well beyond that, imo.

See above. And take a Xanax.

[mwbauer7]

Until then, if it happens, support your goddamn team, and its new coach.

Amen

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

not necessarily but does it really help anything to be a pessimistic A-hole before the news even officially is released!?!?

+1

Also,

What happened to everybody who said "MU will be fine without Crean"?

Shouldn't they be leading the charge on "We are MU, and we will be fine."

[TVDirector]

oh.
ok.
got it.
turn off your synapses and speak in tongues because a interim/cum newguy AD/Lawyer appoints a coach who a year ago admittedly says he knows didlley about the biggest hoops conference in the land and only the true fans admonish you with if ye ain't fer us yer agin us.

it's tough to have an opinion these guys-
and god forbid you feel strongly.

the position is HEAD COACH.. not head recruiter!
what credentials are there that Buzz can run a program AND take it to the next level???

other candidates, imo, while maybe not seen as a good a recruiter as Buzz is (supposedly), did show more experience in stepping in and commodeering this ship.

the mccarthy thing is not a good anaolgy, as the guy pulling the strings (GM) has gobs o' experience (agree with him or not)....

where is the experience in this situation?
AD?
nope.

coach?
nope.

MU cannot afford many stumbles- recruits are/may be bailing...
potential impact players may be leaving...
and Buzz is only a year more familiar with the big east.

sorry, but to me, this dog don't hunt.

but I can't say that, can I???

all hail....
jeesh.

[warriormom]

REasons why Buzz deserves a shot:
1. This decsion was not made in a vacuum.  It was made with the help of many knowledgeable MU people.  I trust them.  Don't bring up the Gold, who knows how that went down.  This wasn't the same people.
2. I haven't read anything from any RELIABLE sources criticizing Buzz.  I have on the other hand read many positives from many good basketball minds.
3. It is done, he is our coach for our beloved team.  Negativitiy is just wasted energy.
I am welcoming Buzz and giving him my support
Go Warriors