Jeff Goodman from Fox Sports reports tonight that current Marquette assistant Brent 'Buzz' Williams will be named the program's new head coach tomorrow.
Here's the link to Jeff's report.
Gary Parrish at CBS Sportsline also reports Buzz is MU's choice.
Todd Rosiak chimes in now......confirming a 2pm press conference at The Al McGuire Center on Tuesday to announce the hiring.
Here's the official MU press release.
Here is the Marquette media alert
April 7, 2008
Media Advisory
Marquette University will introduce Brent “Buzz” Williams as the men’s basketball program’s 16th head coach at a press conference at 2 p.m. CT Tuesday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.
The press conference will be held on the main court of the Al McGuire Center.
Members of the University and greater Milwaukee community are encouraged to attend and support Williams as he takes over the leadership of the nationally recognized program.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Buzz Willams to be named new head coach at Marquette
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27 comments:
Say it aint so Father Wild -- say it aint so!
Did we reincarnate Mike Dukiet and Hank Raymonds or did the Jesuits just extend the vow of poverty.
I hope they know what they are doing because I sure dont think they do. I'm scared to death we'll be the New Orleans of the North in two years. Only our program will look worse than what happened after Katrina with no federal aid to bail us out.
Championships matter -- but I am afraid they don't at MU
So upset I cannot even get Bob Dukiet's name right
Wow, what an incredible dissapointment. I thought Crean had elevated MU's status? This stiff is the best the university could do? I guess MU really is just a mid-major. Yikes...
First, the Gold, and now the Buzz. Doesn't get any lamer than that.
This sucks. I hate our administration.
Ladies and gentlemen...from the people that brought you the Marquette Gold...we bring you the 2008 blockbuster...
THE BUZZ WILLIAMS ERA!!!
WHAT.
A.
COMPLETE.
F-ING.
JOKE.
I HATE OUR ADMINSTRATION.
HATE THEM!!!!
I guess the administration figured, "hey, we may lose $800-$1M in ticket revenue, but that money is saved based on the lower new salary of our coach. Win win!!!"
Don't you wish Father Wild read this blog? This is so typical of a stingy administration that doesn't have a f*cking football team or any semblance of a national presence other than men's basketball. Find someone who gives this program continued credibility. We've lost all ground gained.
And what of the Crean buyout from IU? I heard that MU's new athletic director, who, as former general counsel, drafted or at least approved the contract, didn't include a enforceable buyout clause. Maybe that's why MU went CHEAP with a no-experience assistant who couldn't handle the rough waters of Katrina in New Orleans. Good luck in the Big East and finding recruits who commit to Buzz.
Relax guys!
I wanted Bennett but I'm willing to give this guy a chance and he did recruit our entire 2008 class.
He also might bring the 2009 kid from Racine. If I find out we made no real run at Bennett then I'm disappointed and upset but I believe we made the effort. If we take anyone else on that short list of four we lose McNeal and all the recruits. Now we actually have a chance for next year and could save the recruits. DJ might stay and that could help band everyone together, just hope he gets his jump shot back from 06.
Give Buzz a chance. We took a swing at some of the big names, but let's face it- their current situations are simply too similar to what we have to offer. This isn't the Gold decision- whining about it won't make Fr. Wild flip flop ten days later. Congratulations to Buzz and his family- despite everyone's comments, we really do wish you all the best! Go Marquette!
What a mistake! Buzz Aldrin probably has more coaching experience than Buzz Williams. I'm sure the administration sees this as the best way to maintain continuity with the current players and incoming recruits (i.e. two steps forward and one step back). However, now being in the BE, we just fell back 3-plus steps in our program. Think about it....we hire a guy who may be able to recruit a couple decent players, but his experience is what...14-17 in New Orleans as a coach.
This sounds like short-term damage control, not long-term program improvement.
Sad, sad day as a Warrior fan.
Ugh, and I heard tonight from someone in the Athletic Dept (worked closely with Crean, btw) that TC was lobbying heavily for Buzz. So our head coach dumps us and then has a lot of influence on the next hire. Great, just great.
Sometimes, MU just does things that make no sense at all (dropping Warriors, THE GOLD, THE BUZZ).
A sad day for Marquette basketball. I was already concerned about the immediate future of the program after two subpar recruiting years. Throw in Mbakwe's transfer and the loss of the key players from this year's recruiting class and the talent cupboard is pretty bare. Williams may be a great guy and a great coach, but I don't see how someone with no track record of developing players is going to be able to attract talent that can compete in the top half of the Big East.
I also don't see me paying for season tickets to watch the succession of bunnies in December (which will now be the close games) followed by a series of routs in the Big East. I will just choose from the thousands of unsold tickets to attend a game or two if and when I decide to go.
We're not going to get continuity if that's what the administration and the rubber-stamp BoT members are thinking. Core of the current team is gone after next year regardless of the coach. The recruits weren't coming to Marquette for the University nor Buzz. Odds are that Williams, Taylor are gone unless MU gets heavy-handed with the LOIs. Fulce, Otule stay for a lack of a better destination.
I doubt that Crean had much influence on the hire. If he did, then the current administration should be let go. A rule in business is that you never allow an employee to influence the hiring decision of his/her replacement. The ex-employee always wants somebody WORSE whether they want to admit or not. Secretly, nobody wants someone coming in and performing better than they did.
But, of course, this is the "Gold" administration that still has that poor Native American being forced to row a canoe by Father Marquette on our University seal. Our nickname was so awful, but the image on the seal is no big deal. So nothing should come as a surprise.
The best we can hope for is that Buzz has some tourney success next year with a veteran group and he can pull off a good recruiting class. He'll have playing time to offer since I believe the cupboards will be bare.
Had to jump on Buzz before Kansas looked to him to replace Self.
Bad news everybody... I heard the sky is actually falling too.
terrible hire...and from what i've heard the administration was divided on the hire. don't blame the BoT...blame our inept AD who will be back at Quarles & Brady before you know it.
god i'm pissed. if bennett falls through, why not go back to the drawing board...what the f*** was the rush?
shut up everybody. stop acting like you know more about hiring a college basketball coach than cottingham (even if it is his first hire). You have no idea what was happening behind the scenes and non of you know what Buzz is capable of. Sorry they didn't get a hot name coach but we're going to have to stand behind our decision and keep supporting our team. At least give the guy a chance to prove himself before you start bashing him like you're all college hoops experts.
You guys need to calm down. The guy has an amazing record as a recruiter, all of the players love him (that should tell you something. How many of you have been in a Marquette huddle?).
Plus, 9 years ago, who was Tom Crean? Six years ago, who was Jamie Dixon? Sometimes all these assistants need is a chance. Buzz has his now. We'll see how he does. He has my support.
hey DePaul...dont worry, we'll be missing the Big East tourney with you in 2 years...god this BLOWS
This is seemingly typical of the administration. Anyone remember voting between the Lightning and Golden Eagles?? It seemed like they took all the community opinion, threw it in a hat, threw the hat away, and came up with those winner names. (I've come to terms with Golden Eagles, but not their process)
Does any know if anyone else was seriously interviewed??
I hope Buzz can handle it. We know he can recruit, but can he coach...
My complaint is more with the process than Buzz. MU did not engage a search firm. Cottingham did not go to San Antonio. I haven't read any report of MU interviewing any candidates other than Buzz. When you only serioulsy consider one guy, he probably will appear to be the best person for the job.
JoltinJoe: I guess you are a fan that is contempt to have a mediocre team that loses in the first round or two of the tournament? If you are looking for a similar mindset then that is your journey. Just don't expect most of the people who read this blog to get on the bus with you.
You can't compare Tom Crean's hire 9 years ago (we were in CUSA, without the Al Center, and we were a mediocre team, in a cold town) with the hiring of Buzz Williams. He had his coaching shot at UNO, and we can see how that turned out. Marquette SHOULD be above hiring an assistant coach.
You don't need to be a 'college hoops expert' to understand that this is a major downgrade. Buzz might be a 'great' recruiter (for other people as coach, not himself, mind you), but that doesn't mean he is even a decent coach.
Best case scenario is that he is as good a salesman as Tom Crean and can win some games next year and bring in a couple of recruits who overachieve. Worst case scenario is that Buzz is the coach that went 14-17 at UNO, and has no name recognition, loses most of his recruits to other programs and brings Marquette back down in the Big East even with Depaul.
oh, and kiss Jamil Wilson goodbye. Someone with his talents will find a school that is committed to excellence instead of mediocrity.
As a Marquette student, I'm disappointed because it seems that the University settled on Buzz out of fear of recruits. A big name coach can be just as effective at keeping recruits as Buzz, who while a good recruiter, has had only limited and mediocre success as an actual head coach. One of the recruits, Taylor stated that contrary to previous reports, Buzz Williams was not the reason he committed to Marquette. To assume that Buzz is the solution to the fear of recruits leaving is a vast overstatement of his abilities. I see this as an immense failure by a new athletic director incapable of selling Marquette's program to a big-name coach. What it tells the Marquette community, when we are unable to convince the coaches of Davidson, Dayton, Xavier, and Washington State to come to a top Big-East school with an experienced squad is that there has been a failure behind closed doors by our AD and Administration. Nonetheless, good luck to Buzz but I hope he understands the meaning of HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
nice copy paste from your espn.com comment goodlknx1, I agree with everything (except the Bruce Pearl comments, haha)
Comparing Williams to Crean and Dixon shows what a dangerous choice this is for MU. Although Crean and Dixon were unknown, you could at least look at their biographies and see that they had several years of experience as top assistants at successful, high profile programs.
Williams has one year of experience at MU (and not as top assistant) and a couple of years at Texas A&M, not exactly a MECCA of college basketball. He may have had success recruiting kids to play for Crean (who has developed players that have gone to the NBA) but he hasn't shown that he can recruit top flight players to play for himself.
I sense alot of bruised egos on this board.
I'll admit, I was hoping for the Xavier coach, then the SIU coach, but most appear in shock that MU is not a final desination school.
We've done well, but we always struggle for the top recuits. Who was the last top 10-15 player who signed with Marquette? I think it was Glen Rivers. Not Wade, or Novak, or James....Kevin O'Neil used to talk about that, and so did TC. MU is simply not on a par with Kansas or Indiana in getting the elite players.
So get over it, and let's give this guy a chance. If he screws the pooch, then he's out and so is the new AD.
to add to "the chuter" -- even if you get the best, they stay for just 1 year and jump ship on you anyway, so how do you figure?? In reality, we don't want the Eric Gordons & Michael Beasleys of the world if they're just going to be 1 & done, that really hurts the fabric of TEAMS.
Regardless.. time to regroup this team and get back on track.
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