Buzz Williams and SMU

[IWB]

New story is up on the front page.... http://www.brewcityball.com/homepage.php

[ziggysfryboy]

This don't looka too good.

[CaribouJim]

I feel like throwing up. Crap.

[Father Dan's Camera]

What is it with every other Marquette president? I can certainly understand why you would want to mess with the only profitable sport coming off it's finest year in nearly a decade.

[MU Viking]

What is it with every other Marquette president? I can certainly understand why you would want to mess with the only profitable sport coming off it's finest year in nearly a decade.

If this comes to pass, I may not attend a Marquette basketball game next season. This comes from someone who has averaged 16+ games per year since 1996. This is incredibly upsetting.

[MUUWUWM]

No kidding Viking..I'd do the same...they are lucky it's not a reseating year.

[ydouask23]

If this happens, and its made public that Larry Williams was the reason Buzz was unhappy, then we orchestrate a takedown of the athletic administration. We sent emails, we write letters, we organize a website, and we stop donating until they fire him

[ziggysfryboy]

www.firelarrywilliams.com is available. :cool:

[Goose85]

I'll keep my tickets, but I won't make any donations while Larry W is still there. Man do I miss Fr. Wild and Steve Cottingham.

Buzz is this generations Al. Why can't they see that? We are not ND and don't want to be. We want to be MU and carry on the legacy.

Back to back sweet 16's, we are starting to attract top 100 talent on an annual basis, the city has top level kids wanting to come to MU, applications are up, etc. Yep, why the heck would you want to keep the coach who has got that going for us.

It will sure be tough for the AD to make any appearances as I'd be every group will be hostile. I just hope he hasn't upset Coach Strong too much or it's over.

[MUMac]

I will be done completely. No more season tickets and definitely not one dollar of donation money to Marquette. I will be off these boards, Marquette will be dead to me.

[mufansince72]

I will be done completely. No more season tickets and definitely not one dollar of donation money to Marquette. I will be off these boards, Marquette will be dead to me.

I don't donate as I am not an alum, but MU will be dead to me too, and I have followed and attended games for 40 years.

[geneseewarrior]

Same here - done with MU if Buzz leaves to SMU. It may take awhile to switch my MU license plates but I will...



I will be done completely. No more season tickets and definitely not one dollar of donation money to Marquette. I will be off these boards, Marquette will be dead to me.

[MU_Iceman]

Same here - done with MU if Buzz leaves to SMU. It may take awhile to switch my MU license plates but I will...


I'd be done too. No more season tickets for me. It would hurt because it's been such a huge passion for me, but if this is how the Admins are going to treat their #1 commodity, then I have no use for them.

[ydouask23]

Im glad all of you feel the same as I do about how serious this COULD be. The problem is, not donating wouldnt really be felt for years to come after the admin gets to see the books and the significant fall off to the University Blue and Gold Fund. We would need to do something right away, like start a website and get some publicity. That would help us. The question is, do we all have the time, money, and balls to get it done. After all, this is just a webblog and people can say whatever they want on here with no motives to follow up on their claims. Cue the scene at the end of Braveheart...

[lougrant]

Maybe a boycott of games would be a visible show of how distressed the fan base will be. Unless Larry has a grand plan to somehow bring Al back, I won't attend a game next season. A major disconnect here is Fr. Pilarz and LW's lack of context; they weren't around to experience the depression years of Dukiet and Deane. I'm too old to go through that crap again.

[Gato78]

I will not give up my tickets. I will not miss games. I will not alter my donations. I will not be happy. Truth is I love college hoops and MU. We lived through the Dukiet years and never wavered. However, I will not be anxious to deal with Fr. P and Larry.

[Hamostradamus]

I can't believe I am typing this, but would this happen under Donna Shalala's watch? She knew the importance of athletics and good coaches. Unfortunately, MU is forced to hand the keys to the bus to the smartest Jesuit they can find. I have to assume Pilarz is the smartest Jesuit they could find. In this day and age, a University president must be good at PR, business, economics, fundraising, and have the pulse of athletics and international academic research. If the first requirement for the job of MU President is that it be a Jesuit, your pool of applicants can fit on a matchbook. Call me a cynical Catholic, but them's the way I see it.

[Gato78]

Anyone consider how this could affect Dwyane Wade's relationship with Marquette? I have spoken with several former players who never played for Buzz and love him. This could hurt relationships with all of our NBA guys.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Gato - if the administrations plan is to get rid of buzz, or buzz go, or anything like that then I can assure you that A LOT of important things weren't considered.

[Mark Miller]

Sounds like Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg is emerging as a strong candidate at SMU.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Does that mean Buzz said no?

[SchoolofZupko]

Does that mean Buzz said no?

Who knows. However, a quick trip to Pony land and it seems that the SMU faithful aren't too cold to the idea of bringing Greenberg in. Does he think that he's plateaued in Blacksburg? Perhaps - it might be easier to recruit to Dallas than to rural VA...let's hope the Greenberg thing catches fire...

[ziggysfryboy]

Who knows. However, a quick trip to Pony land and it seems that the SMU faithful aren't too cold to the idea of bringing Greenberg in. Does he think that he's plateaued in Blacksburg? Perhaps - it might be easier to recruit to Dallas than to rural VA...let's hope the Greenberg thing catches fire...

Greenberg has my vote!

[ilovefreeway]

Sounds like Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg is emerging as a strong candidate at SMU.

Mark, anything more on this?

[ydouask23]

Just asking a question for everyone...is Buzz crazy for even thinking about this? Or not shutting these rumors down right away?

[warriorfan4life]

Just asking a question for everyone...is Buzz crazy for even thinking about this? Or not shutting these rumors down right away?

A touch crazy, though it seems like SMU may be playing for real now and a few years ago Baylor was a similar wasteland (and by hook or crook, they have been to Elite 8 two of last 3 years). Definitely not crazy for shutting down the rumors and I think Buzz has let of plenty of info come out for a reason. As emotional of a roller coaster as it may be, I think is just as much of Buzz pulling a power play as it is that he actively wants to take the SMU job. He's probably decided that he will take it if push comes to shove and proper support is not given/changes are not made, but I do not believe that taking the SMU job is his main intention.

[ydouask23]

keep talking me off the ledge big boy....hopefully this leads to a power play goal!

[Markedman]

I'm not a big fan of the "coach pulling a power play" stuff. If Buzz is in fact committed to the university and its mission then handle this stuff without leaking it to the media.

Everyone has had disagreements with their bosses at one time or another. Sit down and work it out. For all we know the stuff that Buzz may be upset about would strike the rest of us as perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.

Bottom line is the
University is obviously sick of being in the news for these off the court issues. Buzz should feel the same way(and I'm sure he does).

Find a solution....they all get paid alot of money....earn it.

[Markedman]

I'm not sure if Mark got the Greenberg stuff off of twitter or if he has other sources on this but here is what I found.

http://www.scacchoops.com/tt_NewsBreaker_External.asp?NB=7087&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[IWB]

This is not a power play.

[MUfan12]

This is not a power play.

So he's that homesick, or pissed off with the administration that he'd be taking a huge step down in jobs?

[IWB]

I hear you, but how is a program in the same conference, paying the same money, a step down?

[ydouask23]

People are going to look at this for its face value....looking at a job at a school that scored 12 points in a half this year. 12! The intangibles might be pretty similiar in $, conference, and school prestige...but man it just doesnt look similiar on the surface.

[warriorfan4life]

But is just alluring enough to send a message. Matt Painter seriously (on the surface) considering Missouri last year sent a message. This is doing the same.

[lougrant]

Jim, is Greenberg to SMU gaining more traction now than Buzz to SMU?

[geneseewarrior]

really? every comment on the twitter universe says it is a huge step down job wise... SMU has a horrible basketball program, some even say it's joke to let them into the BEast. Would you say the same if Buzz went to Providence or DePaul....

Is the rationalization / justification period commencing?



I hear you, but how is a program in the same conference, paying the same money, a step down?

[Markedman]

So if Nebraska was paying the same money as Indiana or Michigan State it wouldn't be a step down?

[MUfan12]

I hear you, but how is a program in the same conference, paying the same money, a step down?

In the short term, it certainly is. MU has great history and a proven track record of elite level investment into hoops. Not sure SMU can say that, though I'm sure they are promising it.

Just seems like he'd be leaving a lot to rebuild from scratch. Things at the Al must be as bad as people are speculating.

[Hamostradamus]

Well, do you think all current MU players, commits and recruits stay put if Buzz goes? That's how a program turns around quickly.

[IWB]

I have no idea about Greenberg.

No, SMU has no history. No, SMU is not MU. That being said, SMU is headed to the Big East and their alums have deep pockets and want their move to the Big East to be the right move. They do not want to be in DePaul's shoes. If Buzz had left for Oklahoma, or Arkansas, or even Texas A&M, it would have been bad, but understandable. If he was to leave for SMU, excuse the expression, but it would suck ass... but it is still the Big East and big money, it wouldn't be like he was leaving for Panhandle State (no offense to the Aggies intended).

Buzz is a different cat - he doesn't care about the cash, he doesn't care about the prestige of the school - he will win recruiting battles and games no matter where he is.

[2012Warrior]

People are going to look at this for its face value....looking at a job at a school that scored 12 points in a half this year. 12! The intangibles might be pretty similiar in $, conference, and school prestige...but man it just doesnt look similiar on the surface.

Wait a second.....Buzz is looking at the Wisconsin job too? ;)

[kneelb4zerg]

Come on. It's a step down, whether the money is there or not.

[IWB]

I didn't say it wasn't, what I was trying to say, is that it isn't a jump of the bridge. Crean took Indiana from 0 Big 10 wins to a Sweet 16 in four years. You honestly think it would take Buzz longer?

[warriorfan4life]

I think Buzz is a better coach then Crean, especially for a program like Marquette. However, there's no comparison of Indiana and SMU. Not too many Cody Zeller's in Dallas, Texas growing up as SMU fans. I think Buzz would do a very good job there, but it far from a sure thing.

[geneseewarrior]

Even though Buzz is a great recruiter - I think Crean may have that "it's Indiana, It's Indiana" thing going for him....

[IWB]

I agree on the "It's Indiana" point, but never underestimate the amount of talent in the state of Texas. And, when comparing to Nebraska, realize that Nebraska has never put serious money into their hoops program, whereas SMU is willing to do so.

Look, I hope it doesn't happen, I don't want it to happen, but the fact that SMU has always sucked has nothing to do with it.

[TulsaWarrior]

I've spent a lot of time on the SMU Campus, gone to church in Highland Park, gotten to know some of the schools money people and hired a lot of SMU grads. The school's backers can put together a mind boggling package. I hated living in the Dallas Metroplex but to each his own. Just like TCU in football -- SMU has the potential and the backing to get things done. The recent donations for Moody Coliseum prove that. Here's hoping Buzz stays in Milwaukee.

A side note -- in the next couple of years SE Wisconsin will be producing a bumper crop of high D1 recruits with the recruitment of Burton and the Wilson cousin and the Sweet 16 showing in the NCAA -- Buzz's recruiting life will be a hell of a lot easieer than it has been.

[TedBaxter]

My whole thought process on this situation and basically the situation for every coach is comfort level with the university and the comfort level with his or her athletic director. I have no doubt that Larry Williams and Buzz Williams have the same goals as far as winning games, but there has to be that comfort level for both of them on how those games are won and what is going on within the program. That's why you see AD's come in and in many instances, they clean house, albeit sometimes gradually. For instance, Larry Williams parted ways with Michael Holton as his basketball coach at the University of Portland after a year or so on the job and hired Eric Reveno, an assistant from Stanford.

College athletics is a business and Larry Williams is the CEO of the Marquette athletic department. For anyone who has every worked in the corporate setting, people are hired in management and there's often a mix of people let go and people who leave on their own who don't mesh with the new management and that may be what we are seeing right now. The problem is, management has to realize the negative of losing the most visible person in the company and what kind of impact this would have on your company. The visible employee may do things in a little different manner or have a different outlook on things than the CEO, but the CEO has to analyze if he can accomodate this different style into his company and if not, what losing this person does for the company's bottom line. In the end, there may be nothing the CEO can do if the employee doesn't feel the new way of doing business is what he will thrive in and it would be better to move on for his and his families future.

What I'm saying is that Buzz has to be happy where he's working and Larry Williams has to be comfortable with the working relationship he has with Buzz. If neither of them are totally satisfied, it's not going to work for long and it may be better to move on. I know that's tough for a lot of us to think about since we have enjoyed the success and then you have student athletes who made a commitment to Marquette and Buzz who would be left in limboland. A lot to think about right now for everyone involved and nobody but Buzz has a feeling for what he is thinking.

[Goose85]

Hopefully there is something to this one. I'm still worried that the powers that be at MU are going to screw this up.


http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2012/march/26/report-smu-interested-seth-greenberg