Tom Crean's Hot Seat
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:45 pmWhen are these coaches going to learn that the grass is not always greener. In my opinion (and I know some disagee), Crean was a better coach than Buzzy (discussion for another thread, but I though Buzzy was a product of a gr8 opportunity for success rather than a gr8 coach).
Anyway, Crean was set up to become one of the most established coaches in the country at Marquette. Now he's going to get fired.
Had Crean stayed at Marquette, he would be in his 16th season at a school he regularly took the dance. A school that he took to the final 4 with a future nba finals Mvp. He likely would have continued to make consistent tournaments at Marquette. Marquette pays their coaches in the high end of the range. His fan base would have plenty of patience with him and it would be a good situation. He would be seen as the guy who resurrected the program.
Instead he bolts to Indiana and is about to miss the tournament for the 5th time in his 7 year tenure.
I don't understand why some of these guys think it is necessary to mess with happy. I know Indiana is on that highest blue blood level (at least it was) while marquette is more of an excellent program in the next notch down. But he showed that you can reach the highest level of success from Marquette, and Al showed that you can win it all out of Marquette. It's not easier to win a championship just because you hop over to a bigger name (in perception only) than where you have had success. There are more billy gillespie's out there than john calipari's.
As a Nova fan, we remember when Kentucky tried to hire Jay in 2006. Many think part of the reason why Jay stayed (quoting, "don't mess with happy") was because he was with Rollie at nova during the 80's and followed Rollie to unlv in the 1990's. That didn't work out so well for Rollie, and fortunately Jay was there to see it. The 2009 scare when the 76ers went after him was a bit different, as who can blame a coach for wanting to try a different level of competition. But he made it pretty clear when he passed on that offer that he had put the effort into building his program and he was going to see the results through long term.
A great thing about our conference is that we seem to have guys genuinely committed to their programs. Jay at Nova. Obviously JTIII is a gtown lifer. Cooley has bounced around a bit as an assistant, but usually in new england, and he's a providence kid. Can't see him getting the itch to jump. They pay him well too. Lavin has no need to leave provided the johnnies want him. He's don't the ucla thing, he has it out of his system. Big Doug is in a spot that looks like it is his long term. I don't know as much about Chris mack, but he is at his alma mater. Don't know as much about holtmann. Obviously Purnell and Willard might not have the options of sticking it. I think Wojo is smart enough through his experience at Duke to appreciate the hard work that goes into program building and the value of stability for him as it relates to his success. If he were just a guy looking for the next gig, he would have left duke years earlier than he did. (of course when coach k retires, marquette will be sweating, but you can't blame Wojo if he wants that job).
How many times do you see guys have good success and then make a jump for another rebuild and a marginal raise and then they are looking for jobs a half decade later? Pete Gillen to Virginia. Tommy amaker to michigan. Rick Barnes was no better at Clemson than he was at PC.
It seems to be the exact opposite of the norm roberts/ tim welsh effect (when a school holds on to a bad coach just a couple years too long and sets the program back half a decade).
Anyway, Crean was set up to become one of the most established coaches in the country at Marquette. Now he's going to get fired.
Had Crean stayed at Marquette, he would be in his 16th season at a school he regularly took the dance. A school that he took to the final 4 with a future nba finals Mvp. He likely would have continued to make consistent tournaments at Marquette. Marquette pays their coaches in the high end of the range. His fan base would have plenty of patience with him and it would be a good situation. He would be seen as the guy who resurrected the program.
Instead he bolts to Indiana and is about to miss the tournament for the 5th time in his 7 year tenure.
I don't understand why some of these guys think it is necessary to mess with happy. I know Indiana is on that highest blue blood level (at least it was) while marquette is more of an excellent program in the next notch down. But he showed that you can reach the highest level of success from Marquette, and Al showed that you can win it all out of Marquette. It's not easier to win a championship just because you hop over to a bigger name (in perception only) than where you have had success. There are more billy gillespie's out there than john calipari's.
As a Nova fan, we remember when Kentucky tried to hire Jay in 2006. Many think part of the reason why Jay stayed (quoting, "don't mess with happy") was because he was with Rollie at nova during the 80's and followed Rollie to unlv in the 1990's. That didn't work out so well for Rollie, and fortunately Jay was there to see it. The 2009 scare when the 76ers went after him was a bit different, as who can blame a coach for wanting to try a different level of competition. But he made it pretty clear when he passed on that offer that he had put the effort into building his program and he was going to see the results through long term.
A great thing about our conference is that we seem to have guys genuinely committed to their programs. Jay at Nova. Obviously JTIII is a gtown lifer. Cooley has bounced around a bit as an assistant, but usually in new england, and he's a providence kid. Can't see him getting the itch to jump. They pay him well too. Lavin has no need to leave provided the johnnies want him. He's don't the ucla thing, he has it out of his system. Big Doug is in a spot that looks like it is his long term. I don't know as much about Chris mack, but he is at his alma mater. Don't know as much about holtmann. Obviously Purnell and Willard might not have the options of sticking it. I think Wojo is smart enough through his experience at Duke to appreciate the hard work that goes into program building and the value of stability for him as it relates to his success. If he were just a guy looking for the next gig, he would have left duke years earlier than he did. (of course when coach k retires, marquette will be sweating, but you can't blame Wojo if he wants that job).
How many times do you see guys have good success and then make a jump for another rebuild and a marginal raise and then they are looking for jobs a half decade later? Pete Gillen to Virginia. Tommy amaker to michigan. Rick Barnes was no better at Clemson than he was at PC.
It seems to be the exact opposite of the norm roberts/ tim welsh effect (when a school holds on to a bad coach just a couple years too long and sets the program back half a decade).