OT:Buzz Williams to be MU head coach

[skitch815]

two sources say he will be named tomorrow. Guess they were serious about wanting continuity in the program. It will be interesting to see how this affects McNeal/James and the recruits.

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[Fort Minor]

I think I'd be a bit ticked if I were an MU fan.

[ReasonablySober]

Who?

[skitch815]

well he was an assistant here and seems to be the one the players were all in favor of, but I guess that makes sense. He's already shown that he can recruit a little, hopefully he's able to surround himself with some assistants with some experience.

Edited to add: This is my first "scoop" on here and I'm a huge dork for admitting it, but I'm kind of proud of it.

[MickeyDavis]

Ridiculous. This is the best they can do? At best they hold onto a recruit or two. Big deal.

[MrLynch07]

What a shock, another Wisconsin team cheaps out at Coach when theres a plethora of solid coaches looking for jobs.

[Superfito]

Seems to be a pretty weak hire. Hopefully results will prove us wrong.

[El Duderino]

two sources say he will be named tomorrow. Guess they were serious about wanting continuity in the program. It will be interesting to see how this affects McNeal/James and the recruits.

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CBS Sportsline

Moves like this in attempting to keep the short term going smooth rarely work out well for the long term.

Time will tell if this move turns out to be as shortsighted as it seems on the surface, but it's easy to see why most MU fans aren't happy.

[skitch815]

-= original quote snipped =-




Moves like this in attempting to keep the short term going smooth rarely work out well for the long term.

Time will tell if this move turns out to be as shortsighted as it seems on the surface, but it's easy to see why most MU fans aren't happy.

I agree that making a decision to seemingly deal with short term problems over long term ones can be problematic. I guess as a fan all I can do now is hope for the best.

Cracked Sidewalks (a Marq fan site) had an interesting comparison to between Pitt and Marquette. Ben Howland left Pitt in kind of the same shady way that Crean left, not even telling his players he was leaving. Jamie Dixen was hired by an AD that many thought was overmatched in the hiring process and thought that he botched it badly. Many thought that Dixen was hired to appease the players and a top 20 recruiting class. Seems to have worked out ok. Just have to hope that Marquette gets the same kind of turnout Pitt got.

Here's an interesting summary of Pitt's situation in 2003. The Panthers, coming of a successful season, lost Ben Howland to UCLA--one of the five or six "elite" programs in the country.

First, interesting to note the lack of class that Ben Howland showed in leaving. For all the complaints about Crean, at least he actually met with our players.

It turned out Howland didn

[paulpressey25]

I think MU got aced out and wasn't getting interest from the "big names"

So the choice was go on a long interview search for the next Crean or take Buzz with the hope/understanding he would be able to keep their 4 big recruits who had committed but might back out.

[skitch815]

I think you nailed it on the head PP.

Interesting thing that I didnt notice until now is that one of the rumored was Tracy Webster from Kentucky. Is that the same one that played at UW around the time of Michael Finley?

[Bucks_Revenge]

I am happy I am not a Marquette fan....they are just horrible at what they do. Crean was the only positive thing there.

[fam3381]

Interesting thing that I didnt notice until now is that one of the rumored was Tracy Webster from Kentucky. Is that the same one that played at UW around the time of Michael Finley?

Yep.

http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s= ... _well_id=2

[vargavpugh]

JS actually reported it last Friday. As a MU alum and someone who has seen most of the games Crean has coached, it is not that big of a loss. Yes he can recruit and that is a big part of college basketball, but he can't coach. He is the most fired up coach in the country and gets the most out of his players. But at the same time the man is always outdone on game strategy and in-game changes. Zero alums or students are really upset over Crean leaving, especially those who understood basketball. I wish him the best at Indiana, but he's overrated.

[xTitan]

In 2 years MU will be looking for a new AD and coach....this was pathetic....the problem was that MU hired an AD who is an F'ing lawyer, sound familiar Bucks fans???

[Siefer]

Just...wow. I wasn't in love with Crean, but this is the best we can get to follow him up?

[th87]

Nobody knows what this will result in. He could be better than Crean. After all, was Crean anything special after his meal ticket went to the NBA?

[NeedsMoreCheese]

Maybe they couldnt get the great Larry K away from the bucks so they had to go with another prestigious coach

[smauss]

In 2 years MU will be looking for a new AD and coach....this was pathetic....the problem was that MU hired an AD who is an F'ing lawyer, sound familiar Bucks fans???

Maybe the NIH should be brought in to see if its some kind of a viral thing in the Bradley Center. Basketball's version of Legionnaire's Disease.

puke!

[jokeboy86]

Pro basketball has become irrelevent in Milwaukee, hopefully college ball isn't next.