Comfort level

[THEGYMBAR]

Two weeks into the Buzz experiment and curious on "real" feelings today. I actually tried to convince myself it was not the worst the thing in MU ball history and now I am not sure. Not looking to start a revolt here, just honest feelings after two weeks. My opinion, I AM SCARED TO DEATH!!!!!

[RubyWiscy]

I don't think the last two weeks have been the worst thing in MU history. The worst for me was the 4 years I attended MU with Dukiet as coach and 8 straight losses to Notre Dame.

I think/hope Buzz will work out fine in the long run. I was disappointed with his hire, not because it was him, but because it happened so quickly and I believed the program had reached a level where MU could get an experienced head coach from a quality program. This may have happened, but the powers-that-be decided not to wait, that Buzz was the man. We will see if they were right.

I am not scared to death, but I have been jolted out of my complacency and feeling that the MU program was finally on the right track. Now I am not so sure. 

[Tulsa Warrior]

Buzz is hungry and that is good.  Any more delay in hiring a coach would have set the team back and set recruiting back.

[bilsu]

I agree with Tulsa Warrior. I think we would have had a disaster if we took three weeks to hire a coach. No Butler and I think Fulce and O'Tule follow Williams to Indiana. We also lose Eric Williams. My gut feeling is that Mbakwe is gone to. Even if we hired Williams after three weeks the time delay would have been very destructive. It certainly would have made Williams look like an after thought. If you look at all the money Oklahoma St. was willing to pay, they did not hire anyone with a great record. providence hired a coach that had a great year, but he has no proven track record. Stanford looks lie they will be hiring their assistant. I know he is older and more experienced than Buzz, but I rather have the young energenic guy. Heck, LSU hired a coach that manged to get tossed from an NCAA tournament game. I am sorry Crean is gone, but I am looking forward to the change.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Maybe we should protest!   

[BrewCity83]

I am cautiously optimistic.  We all agree that the returning team is loaded.  If Buzz can get good results out of this experienced team, which I think (hope) he can--the experienced players are taking ownership of this team; they will not accept failure--then he will have a winning record to point to and the recruits will follow.

Then we continue to roll.

[ChicosBailBonds]

No one, I repeat NO ONE, was saying take 3 weeks to hire a coach.  Some of us were saying we should be "daring" and wait a whopping 7 days, instead of 3....if it meant taking a few more shots at some guys with experience.

As for comfort level, I have no idea.  Won't know a thing for many months.

[Detfan23]

I can say one thing, Buzz will not be out worked, and that means a lot.  Why don't we give the guy a chance before we write off the entire program?  It seems like most on this board think the world is ending.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I am still extremely wary of this situation. I have no doubt that Buzz is a hard worker, very detail oriented and a relationship builder. I still think he's WAY over his head here. And I question why we  hired a guy whose recruiting strength is in Texas.

I agree with Chicos. I would have preferred a few more days of searching and I would like to hear that they at least considered some of the people that Rosiak reported were interested in the job.

There is no denying that of all the coaching searches conducted in Division 1 this year, ours was the least impressive and least thorough of the bunch. We hired a guy who's been with the program for 9 months when head coaches of SIU, Illinois, Wright St. and others were knocking on our door.

It makes no sense.

Even the guy Drake hired has more experienced than our guy. Can somebody please explain that to me?

[Sir Lawrence]

The only possible explanations are:

1.  Cottingham sees something in Buzz that convinced him he's our man, or

2.  Cottingham lost his nerve and settled on what was handy. 

[BrewCity83]

The only possible explanations are:

1.  Cottingham sees something in Buzz that convinced him he's our man, or

2.  Cottingham lost his nerve and settled on what was handy. 

Maybe a little bit of #2, but mostly #1.  SC thinks that Buzz is something special.

[mr.MUskie]

Maybe a little bit of #2, but mostly #1.  SC thinks that Buzz is something special.

After knowing him for how long?  It would be interesting to know how all the other places he's been think of him. 

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I don't buy that. I know Fr. Wild is not Cottingham, but he admitted to barely knowing Buzz. I doubt also that Cottingham had much exposure to Crean's assistant coaches, especially one that had been here for just a few months.

I just sincerely believe that one of the boosters was behind this hire and Cottingham was almost forced to adhere. There's really no other explanation for taking a chance like this. He is the least qualifed coach Marquette has ever hired by a wide margin.

With The Al, the Big East, three straight NCAA appearances and 4 seniors returning, it defies all logic that more experienced and qualifed guys weren't interested. It's flat out impossible.

[AlumKCof93]

I'm feeling better about Buzz, but my issue was never with Buzz in the first place.  It was with with how the search was handled.  I don't think its possible to feel good about an inexperienced AD rushing to hire an inexperienced head coach without exploring the other possible alternatives..
My feeling about the search is the same way I feel about Crean.  I don't begrudge Crean for leaving - he was here for 9 yrs and did some good things - but I do have an issue with the manner in which he left.  Hard to feel good about that.

[MU NY]

Hang in there...we don't tip off for another seven months...I am just as anxious as anyone but the deal is done...believe me, the first game we come from behind to win or successfully hold the lead with less than two minutes to play (aka pulling an anti-Crean)...I will be hooked.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Of course one of the great ironies in this hire is if he does really well, he's going to go back to Texas or the south when an equal type of position opens up.  That's one of the drawbacks of hiring someone in that capacity, but I can live with that one.  I just hope we don't spend 100% of our recruiting focus on Texas and the south, because when the day comes and he does leave the Texas pipeline is gone.  I don't think Buzz will do that, he needs to keep the Midwest HS and AAU coaches happy and I assume will recruit very hard in those areas.  He has to.

[THEGYMBAR]

PRN---I am in complete agreement that a big donor as behind the hire. TC and Doc are tight and had great relationship with a donor to be named later. I think that MU tightened up when donor made his opinion known.

I highly question the knowledge of the game of our biggest sugar daddy. Running a billion dollar business is not the same as Div 1 top tier bball program. Ego drives certain guys. I am afraid this is what happened.

[BrewCity83]

PRN---I am in complete agreement that a big donor as behind the hire. TC and Doc are tight and had great relationship with a donor to be named later. I think that MU tightened up when donor made his opinion known.

I highly question the knowledge of the game of our biggest sugar daddy. Running a billion dollar business is not the same as Div 1 top tier bball program. Ego drives certain guys. I am afraid this is what happened.

When will he be named?  Why not now?

[augoman]

PRN---I am in complete agreement that a big donor as behind the hire. TC and Doc are tight and had great relationship with a donor to be named later. I think that MU tightened up when donor made his opinion known.

I highly question the knowledge of the game of our biggest sugar daddy. Running a billion dollar business is not the same as Div 1 top tier bball program. Ego drives certain guys. I am afraid this is what happened.

'Gym', I disagree- the donor you are alludeing to has an excellent knowledge of college bball.  I spent many halftimes of MU games in the hallway at the arena dissecting games and strategies.  Further, he played the game.  Further still, while I know he is responsible for much of Crean's clout and riches, I also believe he was a major part of the pressure on Crean to perform, which gave impetus to his constant job hunting.

[ecompt]

why would this donor push for Buzz instead of a Bennett, for example?

[Niv Berkowitz]

I'm very excited/optimistic for the short-term (2008/2009 season). I'm scared to death about the 2009/2010 season and beyond.

Again, it comes down to how this team does this coming season that will make/break Buzz. If they "underachieve" in the minds of fans/pundits (I'm saying a one-and-done in the NCAA), then it will very much hurt Buzz' chances of landing kids in the future, as well give other coaches an opportunity to negative-recruit against MU.

"I hear you are looking at Marquette too, huh? Their coach, Buzz whats-his-name? He has, what, two years coaching experience now and they did bad with a loaded team? Hmmmmm.."

We won't know about the Buzz hire for three years. At that time, it should be very apparent what we have. A great, hungry young coach, or a failure of massive proportions that drives fans away and creates apathy with the program as we make our way to the bottom of the BEast.

[Niv Berkowitz]

NOTE - I'm not predicting a one-and-done in the NCAA as poorly stated above. I'm saying that's what I think people would use as a standard to say the team "underachieved".

[Avenue Commons]

Two weeks into the Buzz experiment and curious on "real" feelings today. I actually tried to convince myself it was not the worst the thing in MU ball history and now I am not sure. Not looking to start a revolt here, just honest feelings after two weeks. My opinion, I AM SCARED TO DEATH!!!!!

Seems to me this is a conversation we should be having in March of 2009. Right now all we can do is hold on, hope for the best, and continue to support our program. Let's not be "fair weather fans" and do what we can to rally behind the program. I love Marquette and, for the most part, it has loved me back. I've moved on past Crean and am ready to get behind the new coach and continue to support the program.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Ave, I'm with you. At this point, it's not worth getting mad about the hire anymore. It is what it is and it ain't changing. Get behind the team and hope/pray for the best.

Then, about one year from, everyone will either be thrilled, going nuts with anxiety, filled with hate, or all three. But we have at least one year.

[Marquette Gyros]

'Gym', I disagree- the donor you are alludeing to has an excellent knowledge of college bball.  I spent many halftimes of MU games in the hallway at the arena dissecting games and strategies.  Further, he played the game.  Further still, while I know he is responsible for much of Crean's clout and riches, I also believe he was a major part of the pressure on Crean to perform, which gave impetus to his constant job hunting.

Why the secretive tone about Dick Strong here?  The guy's influence over MU hoops is part of the public record.


...Marquette University, where R. Strong exerts such control that he is apparently responsible for Marquette’s failure to renew a former basketball coach’s contract. It was reported that R. Strong conditioned a gift to Marquette on the appointment of a new coach. See Avoiding a fire sale, THE BUSINESS JOURNAL, Nov. 21, 2003, at A1.


From http://www.chimicles.com/pdf/Mutual%20Fund%20Complaints/Website%20complaints/Strong/Strong%20%20Consolidated%20Amended%20Fund%20Derivative%20Complaint%20.pdf