2025 Coaching Carousel

[Galway Eagle]

I mean his greatest success happened 3-4 years after they graduated.  So I don't think thats fair.  If James doesn't get hurt and they make a run to the FF or more, then its maybe a valid discussion.  But I don't think his career was made off a team that finished 5th in the BE and a second round exit, and I don't think thats what allowed him to build the rosters he did.

I meant more of how he'd have done working his way up as an assistant or having to go back through the low majors.

[The Sultan]

I'm not a Buzz fan, and really not interested in him since he left MU, but an honest assessment is he is a great DI coach and a very good P5 coach.

He's been to one Sweet 16 in the 11 seasons since he left Marquette. Here are his respective conference finishes: 15, 7, 7, 7, 5, 6, 14, 5, 2, 7, 5. (He did get to the SEC Championship game a couple times however.)

I'm not sure how "great" that is.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That's exactly it, but the thing is Buzz's personal PR always tries to push it as some type of emotional storyline. This time he'd be leaving his dream job so what's he going to say "they left the B12 and it just doesn't feel like home anymore, unlike Maryland"

That last line would be a tough sell given that TAMU left for the SEC before Buzz left for Virginia Tech

[cheebs09]

That last line would be a tough sell given that TAMU left for the SEC before Buzz left for Virginia Tech

Buzz doesn't let the truth get in the way of a good narrative.

[cheebs09]

I think what drove Buzz's success at MU was knowing the JUCO landscape better than almost all D1 head coaches. It allowed him to recruit some very good players to MU that had development. Then, he was able to make the Elite Eight with a mostly veteran team since he hit on some high school recruits and Jamil.

I think the Amigos biggest help to the future success was allowing Jimmy to come along slowly and start in a niche role.

I'm not sure if he's still able to leverage the JUCO route as well or if things have changed.

[WhiteTrash]

He's been to one Sweet 16 in the 11 seasons since he left Marquette. Here are his respective conference finishes: 15, 7, 7, 7, 5, 6, 14, 5, 2, 7, 5. (He did get to the SEC Championship game a couple times however.)

I'm not sure how "great" that is.

For DI, it is great. For P5 I said "very good", but I could agree to "good". IMO, getting a P5 job generally puts you in the very good to great category out of 350ish coaches.

The VT job was not great when he took over. I don't like him but if I take my blue and gold glasses off, I can see why he is in demand.

[Uncle Rico]

For DI, it is great. For P5 I said "very good", but I could agree to "good". IMO, getting a P5 job generally puts you in the very good to great category out of 350ish coaches.

The VT job was not great when he took over. I don't like him but if I take my blue and gold glasses off, I can see why he is in demand.

He's in demand because he's very good at putting his name out there via his media buddies

[MU82]

IMO, getting a P5 job generally puts you in the very good to great category out of 350ish coaches.

You'd think ... but a lot of not-so-good coaches have had such jobs over the years. We had one quite recently.

Buzz has been a good coach. Helped turn around two struggling programs but ultimately left (or is trying to leave) without having nearly as much success as he had at Marquette.

[GoldenEagles03]

I'm not a Buzz fan, and really not interested in him since he left MU, but an honest assessment is he is a great DI coach and a very good P5 coach.

He's a good coach, but that's about where it stops.

He has 4 Sweet 16s and 3 of them were with Marquette.

[CTWarrior]

What does that even mean?

Anyway, professional coaches have long ago come to grips with free agency. College coaches are acting like their whole world is ending with the transfer portal and NIL.

Pro coaches don't have it nearly as bad as college coaches.  In college, every player on every team is a free agent every year.  It's the wild west.  At least there are buyouts for coaches.
I want to be clear that I do not for one second hold a grudge against any player moving wherever they want for whatever reason they want.

[WhiteTrash]

You'd think ... but a lot of not-so-good coaches have had such jobs over the years. We had one quite recently.

I disagree that Wojo was a "not-so-good" college coach. I would say he was was in the top 150 maybe 100 college coaches.

Not good enough for MU or maybe any P5 program, but he ran a clean program with good people and some very good talent. The coaching aspect of being a college coach was not P5 great and maybe not even good.

[MU86NC]

His record of 124-93 with two NCAA appearances(both loses) at MU doesn't speak anything remotely to "good" ... with all the resources and good will he had I would label him a "bad" coach.  Will never forget that look he would have on his face when he got out-coached late in games!

[Scoop Snoop]

I disagree that Wojo was a "not-so-good" college coach. I would say he was was in the top 150 maybe 100 college coaches.

Not good enough for MU or maybe any P5 program, but he ran a clean program with good people and some very good talent. The coaching aspect of being a college coach was not P5 great and maybe not even good.

Marquette was his only HC job. The Hauser fiasco is what he is remembered for. He said he was surprised when it happened.  Did any school-even a mid major-attempt to hire him? If so, that would be news to me.

[willie warrior]

He's a good coach, but that's about where it stops.

He has 4 Sweet 16s and 3 of them were with Marquette.

He is even better as the downhome lonesome cowboy.

[WhiteTrash]

His record of 124-93 with two NCAA appearances(both loses) at MU doesn't speak anything remotely to "good" ... with all the resources and good will he had I would label him a "bad" coach.  Will never forget that look he would have on his face when he got out-coached late in games!

All fair. His quality of coaching is in the eye of the beholder. I believe he would have has 3 NCAATs except for COVID. He was not a quality coach for MU, but there are probably a dozen or more P5 programs that would have been excited for his level of success.

That said, you position is valid even if I don't agree 100%. I like your point about the level of resources MU provides and that has to be taken into account. I'm still a No-Jo!

[Pakuni]

Pro coaches don't have it nearly as bad as college coaches.  In college, every player on every team is a free agent every year.  It's the wild west.  At least there are buyouts for coaches.
I want to be clear that I do not for one second hold a grudge against any player moving wherever they want for whatever reason they want.

NBA free agency is also rigged to give a player's current team a market advantage over other teams by allowing them offer contracts a year (or two, in some circumstances) longer.
It's not an apples-to-apples comparison with the portal.

[MuMark]

NBA free agency is also rigged to give a player's current team a market advantage over other teams by allowing them offer contracts a year (or two, in some circumstances) longer.
It's not an apples-to-apples comparison with the portal.

And current team can pay more money to max players.........and bird rights allow teams to over the cap to keep current players.........they definitely try to give teams a better opportunity to keep their own......and it's worked pretty well.

[MU82]

I disagree that Wojo was a "not-so-good" college coach. I would say he was was in the top 150 maybe 100 college coaches.

Not good enough for MU or maybe any P5 program, but he ran a clean program with good people and some very good talent. The coaching aspect of being a college coach was not P5 great and maybe not even good.

Hmm.

[zcg2013]

Is there any world in which Shaka would leave us for the open Maryland spot?

[tower912]

There is a world, I am sure.  If you are into that infinite alternate universe thing.

[MU82]

Is there any world in which Shaka would leave us for the open Maryland spot?

People are saying it's his dream job.

[GB Warrior]

All fair. His quality of coaching is in the eye of the beholder. I believe he would have has 3 NCAATs except for COVID. He was not a quality coach for MU, but there are probably a dozen or more P5 programs that would have been excited for his level of success.

That said, you position is valid even if I don't agree 100%. I like your point about the level of resources MU provides and that has to be taken into account. I'm still a No-Jo!

One of them surely hired him then

[muwarrior69]

Last thought on buzz. Has anyone wondered where his career would be if he hadn't inherited the 3 amigos and lazar? I mean the guys clearly talented but he got absurdly lucky falling into an upper tier big east job, after a single sub .500 year as a low major coach, inheriting 4 upper classmen that are in top echelon of MU's all time players.

Don't we all wish we had that kind of luck in our careers. I would also ask do you think Crean would have had the same success with those same players if he had not taken the Indiana job? Of course, will never know, but Buzz succeeded on the court given that opportunity; the off the court issues notwithstanding.

[The Sultan]

I would also ask do you think Crean would have had the same success with those same players if he had not taken the Indiana job?

He definitely could have. Would we have retained Tyshawn Taylor? Would Buzz have still been an assistant and landed Jimmy Butler?

[Galway Eagle]

Don't we all wish we had that kind of luck in our careers. I would also ask do you think Crean would have had the same success with those same players if he had not taken the Indiana job? Of course, will never know, but Buzz succeeded on the court given that opportunity; the off the court issues notwithstanding.

We quite literally do know with almost the exact same core group (Jimmy for Mbakwe)

In 2008 we went 25-10, 5th in big east,  lost a close game in the round of 32 as a 6 seed.

In 2009 we went... 25-10, 5th in big east, lost a close game in the round of 32 as a 6 seed.