What a wild week........as of 3:15pm CDT on Friday afternoon, here is what we think we know is going on since Tom Crean 'went Irsay' on Marquette University back on April Fools Day.
- The Marquette Board of Trustees is meeting today to discuss the search for a new head coach. It is noteworthy that former MU basketball players Doc Rivers and Ulice Payne serve on the board. It is also noteworthy that this is the same organization that brought us the Marquette Gold (though they did hire TC way back when).
- 2009 commits Nick Williams and Tyshawn Taylor have asked to be released from their commitment to attend Marquette. MU has not officially responded to these requests.
- 2009 recruits Chris Otule and Joseph Fulce are in 'wait and see' mode.
- Per IWB, it looks like former MU assistant coaches Tim Buckley and Bennie Seltzer will join Tom Crean in Bloomington.
- The Dayton Daily News is reporting that the next head coach at Marquette will be current Dayton coach Brian Gregory. This guy had better be wrong, very wrong. Brian Gregory is the second-best college coach in his own city.
- Yesterday, another reporter at the same Dayton newspaper claimed that Wright State's Brad Brownell was on MU's short list. Brownell is an intriguing candidate who was evidently the runner-up choice for Indiana.
- KJR sports radio in Seattle reported last night that Tony Bennett informed his university president that he will be staying at Washington State University.
- Other coaches mentioned in connection with the MU job: Bruce Weber, John Groce, and Sean Miller. Cracked Sidewalks thinks it is extremely unlikely that Miller departs Xavier. He already makes good money, has great facilities, and a supportive administration. Ther guess here is that he is waiting for Jamie Dixon to bail on Pittsburgh so he can return to his Alma Mater.
- With the MU fan base, the candidacy of current assistant Buzz Williams is a very hot topic.
- If that's not enough, IWB has a list of rumors to check out at the SportsBubbler.
- According to a few reports in the Hoosier State, IU has agreed to pay MU a buyout of $650K. We've not heard the last on that issue.
Who is your preferred candidate from among that group?
6 comments:
Gosh, if you'd asked me halfway through the season about Dayton's coach I would have been intruged - they really caught my attention winning at Louisville and blowing out Pittsburgh to get to 14-1. However, they just absolutely imploded after that, and obviously it turned out Louisville and Pitt were just beat up. As you can tell I'm a glass half-full guy, but I'd really have to learn to understand that hire.
I don't like any of these choices, but Williams is the best of the three. Gregory is mediocre and Brownell has never been a part of a big-time program.
I am probably biased, but I thought Marquette would be able to attract someone with more weight. I would rather get an assistant from a big program than a head coach from a small school. At least the assistant would have a taste of what it takes to succeed in the big time.
I really like this blog. Really strong stuff.
My personal choice would be Brad Brownell. Like you said, he was rumored to be very high on Indiana's list. Most Hoosier fans seemed to be pleased (although not necessarily wowed) by Brownell. His body of work speaks for itself at Wilmington and Wright State.
I'd be shocked if there was any truth to the Gregory rumor.
With all the money, facilities, conference and shape of the program, this is the best we can do? I don't buy it and never will.
The one string in the Dayton report is that all the guys are from the Dayton area. Provincialism, maybe? Perhaps coaches sending an expression of interest?
$1.5 million smackeroos says we can do better.
7:30Pm on a Friday night. If they were gonna hire a putz or a second rate asst. they would have done so by now. Gotta be soemone big....hoping...
I just pray if we are recruiting someone big noone rejects us publicly. As bad as the sudden Crean departure was, I think to follow it up with a rejection would make a lot of people question if the program is really as attractive as we all think it is. Dominic James is my hero for stepping forward with the best post-Crean quotes - and the report that Jerel and Dominic are both leaning toward returning to prove Crean wrong - that Marquette is the best place for basketball - were a real pick me up.
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