The Concept of Building a Culture

[Phantom Warrior]

On numerous occasions I've heard/read Buzz talk about building/creating a culture. It was a concept that - in terms of basketball - I had not previously thought about. Over the past four years, however, the kind of culture Buzz envisioned creating has become obvious.

This got me thinking - and wondering. One question that has popped into my head a few times is whether or not Al created a culture at MU during his run, and I think the answer is a resounding "Yes!" I just never viewed what he accomplished in that way. But Al didn't just create a successful program; he created a culture in his own image.

In some ways the culture Buzz has created/is creating and the one Al created are very similar. Yet in other ways, they are/were very, very different.

Two different eras, two very different individuals, yet both possess/possessed the vision, the ability, and the perseverence to create an actual culture.

I may be wrong, but I think very, very few programs/coaches ever manage to create/instill a culture. As an MU fan, I think I have been very fortunate to have witnessed such a creation not once, but twice.

Furthermore, I don't believe Buzz is anywhere near satisfied with his creation at this point. He has too strong a desire to analyze, evaluate, refine, and, most of all, grow. It is really, really, really exciting to watch this culture evolve.

I'm hoping others will add their thoughts about the culture Al created and the culture Buzz is creating - especially where they are similar and where they are different.

[IWB]

Great post Phantom. and I think you are spot on. There is no question that he has been building a culture and is still in the process. There have been recruits that MU has passed on because they couldn't deal with the culture. The culture is all about the work ethic, the dedication, the mindset and the attitude. Guys have transferred and said that they don't work anywhere near as hard as they did at Marquette, and some like it that way.

Buzz' style, approach and demand for hard work is not for everybody, and those who can adapt will always be part of something special.

[Markedman]

I know both DJO and Jae verbaled without visiting and it worked out great but I really think that the "culture" aspect is one reason why players should always visit before committing. They should watch practices and get a first hand look at what it means to play at Marquette on and off the court.

I know that won't eliminate early transfers but at least it should give both sides a good idea if it is a good match or not.

[The Reptile]

I think that all coaches attempt to create a culture. For whatever reason, whether it be the system they grew up using, the coaching family they come from or the personality that they possess the culture is not always differentiated from others out there. Al without a doubt built a distinct culture around MU and it was one that was unique to Al and the era that he coached in. O'Neill and Crean spent a lot of time trying to change our culture. Both had success and both left the program different from the one that existed when they arrived. However, the culture was not all that different from any other program out there. In fact, you could have listed a dozen teams and say that our culture was very similar to theirs.

That said, Buzz is simply a different animal much the same way that Al was different. Both are competitive and were about winning. At the same time, both are about the people that are in their programs. I couldn't see many coaches that we had who would have pushed Jim Chones to go pro midway through an undefeated season like Al did with the exception of Buzz (I could be wrong but that's my read on the situation). And it is their uniqueness and their humanity that sets them apart from nearly all of the rest of the coaches we've had and we have seen in college basketball.

[Markedman]

IWB would probably know this for sure but shouldn't Crean get some credit here? I mean hasn't Buzz taken the culture that Crean established here and just kind of continued it?

[Nukem2]

IWB would probably know this for sure but shouldn't Crean get some credit here? I mean hasn't Buzz taken the culture that Crean established here and just kind of continued it?Buzz has taken it much farther than TC without spouting all those superlatives. No knock on TC, but they are quite different.

[Pipelayer]

Crean changed the culture dramatically, more so than Buzz imo. But he also inherited a terrible "culture" so the change was that much more dramatic.

Crean, a hot shot assistant from MSU with stud recruiting credentials, instilled a youthful energy to the MU program and got the fan base revved up. Timing was essential for us as a program.

Buzz has created his own culture with better athletes and a caring approach to those less fortunate and promoting the importance of work ethic.

[IWB]

I think you guys are misreading the term "culture". It is not about Marquette basketball in the Marquette basketball community, it is about the culture within the confines of the team. The culture of Buzz' program is much different that that of Crean's program.

[TrevorCandelino]

I think you guys are misreading the term "culture". It is not about Marquette basketball in the Marquette basketball community, it is about the culture within the confines of the team. The culture of Buzz' program is much different that that of Crean's program.

Interesting way to look at it....can you expand?

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I think TC was more focused on branding the program. He wanted Marquette to have a strong following from fans, boosters, and Milwaukee as a whole. I feel his aims were more focused on making the program marketable than anything else. Of course, on-court performance mattered because winning is marketable, but I think TC worked from the outside in.

Buzz seems to do the opposite, working from the inside out. His first focus is getting his kind of guys and binding them together. At times, I think Buzz thrives on the fanbase even turning against his guys because he is more the "us against the world" type. The loyal following is a by-product of the success, rather than the end goal.

Both systems have their merits, and maybe I'm totally off-base, but that's the sense I get (if it makes any sense, that is :D ).

[Markedman]

My view of the culture of the basketball program is that when TC arrived he made the program about toughness, hard work, team and accountability. Everything was monitored and tracked. Structure was everywhere within the program.

I think Buzz has pretty much kept all of that focus.

Crean was obviously much more of a marketing guy then Buzz but the style of the team and type of player that would thrive here seems similar.

[IWB]

I disagree that the type of player that would thrive here is similar. Some would, but not all.

Buzz has many differences - especially with the religious aspect of it. He is also into the love and family aspect too. I have heard him tell individual players, "I love you" several times. He does it after games, he does it in text messages etc etc.

Crean built a team and a program, where Buzz is different is that he is building a hardcore family within the program. A family that is about hard work, accountability, love and God, with an us against the world mentality. He loves getting the kids that have not had a great background, have not had a structured family - guys that need this opportunity and will fight for it as opposed to guys who have earned the opportunity.

I have seen both coaches programs from both the inside and out, and I think there are similarities, but extremely different as a whole.

[Phantom Warrior]

Agreed. the basic similarity I see between Crean's "culture" and Buzz's is the work ethic. Even prior to games MU, under both Buzz and Crean, held intense practices, so intense that announcers frequently commented on them.

Buzz's whole religious/spiritual dimension and its role in the program seems to me to be marked difference as do the "life lessons" that Buzz emphasizes.

Buzz also has the team extended into the community to a significantly greater extent than Crean did. Buzz's Bunch (or whatever they are called is a prime example.)

But those are all merely specific examples. I appreciate what Crean did for the program. He, like Buzz, worked his tail off to build the program. But Crean's focus always seemed to be Crean, while Buzz's focus seems to be the players.

Huge difference.

[ziggysfryboy]

I4 was sizzle. Buzz is a big Texan steak.

[TulsaWarrior]

IWB your outline of what the Marquette Basketball program is under Buzz Williams should be on a plaque outside the Al McQuire Center. Some day there's a good chance it will be along with a statue of a 21st Century basketball coach.

[IrwinFletcher]

I disagree that the type of player that would thrive here is similar. Some would, but not all.

He loves getting the kids that have not had a great background, have not had a structured family - guys that need this opportunity and will fight for it as opposed to guys who have earned the opportunity.



I have thought of this point many times and think this is dead on. I believe that this is why we may have had some off-court issues in the past couple years. Buzz is trying to give some of these guys, who have not had an easy childhood, who haven't had some of the advantages others have had and give them an opportunity to change their lives at Marquette.

He really sees himself as someone who can change a kids life and therefore he is willing to take some chances on some kids that others wouldn't. This can lead to some issues down the road, but it ultimately goes back to Buzz wanting to take some immature kid who might not have a great future and change his life for the better.

[Markedman]

I'd be curious as to which players who thrived under Crean would not have under Buzz? Wes, Diener, McNeal, DJ, Wade, Lazar etc all either played well for both coaches or certainly could have.

Novak doesn't athletically fit what Buzz likes to do but somehow I think Buzz could have utilized him well.

Both coaches had plenty of guys who flamed out for one reason or another. Both have made plently of recruiting mistakes.

I guess I just sometimes feel that TC is forgotten because of the way he left. Buzz's team on the court are very similar to TC's. TC played more zone and ran more sets but defensively not much different and the hard work and toughness were staples in the program when Buzz got here and he was smart not to change that part of the culture.

I have little doubt that Buzz is closer with the players then Crean was and bonds with them at a different level.