[Rosiak's Blog] Williams hired

[ToddRosiakSays]

Williams hired

Written by: Todd Rosiak


Marquette University's coaching search drew to a close just five days after it began with Brent "Buzz" Williams agreeing to terms on a six-year deal to replace Tom Crean, deputy athletic director Mike Broeker confirmed Monday night.

Williams will be formally introduced at 2 this afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.

"He's had the opportunity to meet with the team and he's very excited," Broeker said of Williams.

Williams, 35, has been employed by MU for less than a year, having been to Crean's staff as an assistant early last July. He came to the Golden Eagles following a one-year stint as head coach at the University of New Orleans, where he led the Privateers to a 14-17 record in the 2006-'07 season.

Prior to that Williams served as an assistant to Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M, where from 2004-'06 he spearheaded the recruitment of two nationally ranked classes for the Aggies.

"He is a tenacious guy," Gillispie said last month of Williams' ability to recruit, prior to MU's first-round NCAA tournament game against Kentucky, which is where Gillispie now coaches. "He's very, very well-organized. He just goes after it. Everyone likes him. If they don't start out liking him, he forces them to like him.

"And he's not only a good recruiter, he is a very, very good basketball coach. He...is a total basketball coach and a guy that gives you the best chance to win over the long haul."

A native of Van Alstyne, Texas, Williams made his presence felt at MU not long after his hiring. He was the primary recruiter of three of the four members of the Golden Eagles' 2008-'09 recruiting class - guard Tyshawn Taylor, forward Joseph Fulce and center Chris Otule - and also landed an oral commitment from junior high-school forward Erik Williams.

That undoubtedly caught the eye of MU administrators, who were looking for a coach who could not only maintain a sense of stability in a program rocked by Crean's unexpected departure, but also continue to land top-notch, Big East-level talent for a program that's won at least 10 games in the three years it's been a member of the league.



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/04/07/williams-hired.aspx

[Tugg Speedman]

Todd:

You know who else was seriously considered?

[🏀]

Todd:

You know who else was seriously considered?

It's not actually Todd. It's an automatic feed the fine moderators here have setup.

[TallTitan34]

I think it's really Todd.  When other people write (such as jagbag Emmett Prosser) it puts their name.