Buzz to Okie Lite....What do Marquette fans think

[robinreed]

I was listening to the WV radio last night and they were discussing Buzz going from Virginia Tech to Oklahoma State. Three sportswriters in conversation and two of them said the word is he will apply for the Okie Lite job after the B12 tournament. Buzz has been a great coach in the old and new Big East and has done well in his two years in the ACC.

Any opinions from Marquette fans? Has anyone heard anything?



Go Muskies

[GoldenWarrior11]

Ah yes, the annual "Buzz-to-???" discussions. At Marquette, it was annual tradition for rumors to come out at the conclusion of every year about certain schools having interest in Buzz, Buzz having interest in certain schools, etc. The reason for so many rumors is because Buzz doesn't have an agent - he negotiates everything himself and acts as his own representation. So, if a school has interest in Buzz, they contact him directly - which leads reporters to factually state that Buzz and X have had discussions about their coaching vacancy. Over the years, it was reported that he talked with SMU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Illinois, Minnesota, among others.

At the end of the day, Buzz is not a job-hopper, per se. He likes being challenged and thoroughly enjoys building a program up with his type of players and only leaves when he feels like he can no longer get any higher. At Marquette, there were numerous theories about why he left (not being able to recruit JUCOs anymore, no AD/President, lack of power football elevating basketball, lack of ESPN deal, desire to coach in best basketball conference in country, etc.). I personally think that once he sheds his "underdog" role, he looks to another place to find that. He hates being the favorite - as evidenced by the 2013-2014 Marquette team, a squad favorited to be a contender for the Big East Championship. His team underperformed, everyone got unhappy and the team struggled mightily. He embraces being the underdog, and at Virginia Tech - where he is king of the mountain by beating Virginia and competing with the likes of Duke, UNC, Louisville, Syracuse et al. - he can be successful there for a long time.

I don't think Buzz leaves after two years. Once he builds Virginia Tech into a consistent tournament team, which he will, and gets them to heights never reached before - then he may leave for another opportunity.

[Doge McDermott]

Ah yes, the annual "Buzz-to-???" discussions. At Marquette, it was annual tradition for rumors to come out at the conclusion of every year about certain schools having interest in Buzz, Buzz having interest in certain schools, etc. The reason for so many rumors is because Buzz doesn't have an agent - he negotiates everything himself and acts as his own representation. So, if a school has interest in Buzz, they contact him directly - which leads reporters to factually state that Buzz and X have had discussions about their coaching vacancy. Over the years, it was reported that he talked with SMU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Illinois, Minnesota, among others.

At the end of the day, Buzz is not a job-hopper, per se. He likes being challenged and thoroughly enjoys building a program up with his type of players and only leaves when he feels like he can no longer get any higher. At Marquette, there were numerous theories about why he left (not being able to recruit JUCOs anymore, no AD/President, lack of power football elevating basketball, lack of ESPN deal, desire to coach in best basketball conference in country, etc.). I personally think that once he sheds his "underdog" role, he looks to another place to find that. He hates being the favorite - as evidenced by the 2013-2014 Marquette team, a squad favorited to be a contender for the Big East Championship. His team underperformed, everyone got unhappy and the team struggled mightily. He embraces being the underdog, and at Virginia Tech - where he is king of the mountain by beating Virginia and competing with the likes of Duke, UNC, Louisville, Syracuse et al. - he can be successful there for a long time.

I don't think Buzz leaves after two years. Once he builds Virginia Tech into a consistent tournament team, which he will, and gets them to heights never reached before - then he may leave for another opportunity.

So...he's going to be coaching DePaul in a couple years?

[aughnanure]

At the end of the day, Buzz is not a job-hopper, per se. He likes being challenged and thoroughly enjoys building a program up with his type of players and only leaves when he feels like he can no longer get any higher. At Marquette, there were numerous theories about why he left (not being able to recruit JUCOs anymore, no AD/President, lack of power football elevating basketball, lack of ESPN deal, desire to coach in best basketball conference in country, etc.). I personally think that once he sheds his "underdog" role, he looks to another place to find that. He hates being the favorite - as evidenced by the 2013-2014 Marquette team, a squad favorited to be a contender for the Big East Championship. His team underperformed, everyone got unhappy and the team struggled mightily. He embraces being the underdog, and at Virginia Tech - where he is king of the mountain by beating Virginia and competing with the likes of Duke, UNC, Louisville, Syracuse et al. - he can be successful there for a long time.

Where does this belief come from? Buzz basically pissed off a bunch of people at Marquette, had several high-profile scandals involving players, and didn't get along with the new AD and President (no one did, they're gone now). He was put on a lot of restrictions near the end (JUCO recruiting being a major one), which pissed him off but then again he kind of did it to himself. There is no history/evidence to him being a "I'm going to build a program up and then leave" narrative. He claimed to love being an underdog, but when the league split he went running to a football conference because he was all worried. The 2013-2014 was a debacle for many reasons, I don't know how/why you point to that as being evidence he hates being a favorite (i.e., he decided to lose to stick it to being a favorite? What?). Its more he just sucked as a coach that year and his poor backcourt recruiting was finally starting to hurt him compounded with Vander leaving early.

Also, just want to point out that Buzz never "built" Marquette up. He came in to a top 10 team with Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews with Lazar Hayward as a junior. He looks like he'll do fine, but he was never put in the hole that he put Wojo in. Crean gave him a program in very good shape and he helped raise it up even more (before crashing it).

[MUBoxer]

He wants to go back to the B12 there was an interview he did with Huggins years ago that he mentions how much he loved playing in those stadiums and how intimidating they are. It may or may not be this year but before long you'll see him jump to that conference.

[DudeAnon]

Buzz left because he hated the NBE. I mean, Virginia Tech is a huge step down from Marquette. I can find the interview he did with CBS Sports. But he basically said (in a weird neurotic way) that the NBE was doomed and he had to get out for his own good.

[whiteandblue77]

Yeah, I saw that whole video, ranted all about how the P5 will be a new division, F-him, kill this thread, he isn't worth the space.

[MUBoxer]

Buzz left because he hated the NBE. I mean, Virginia Tech is a huge step down from Marquette. I can find the interview he did with CBS Sports. But he basically said (in a weird neurotic way) that the NBE was doomed and he had to get out for his own good.

This is the interview. Where he says he "projected" the likelihood of winning at a non football school and keeps coming back to being off ESPN. Basically just comes off looking like a huge Dbag

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24592329/new-faces-new-places-why-did-buzz-williams-leave-marquette-for-vtu

[MUPanther]

Buzz worked for a President and VP President that got fired in about two years at Marquette that did not hire Buzz. They made his life a nightmare. The so-called rape in the dorms and bar fight with his players did not help Buzz Williams at Marquette.

[MUBoxer]

Buzz worked for a President and VP President that got fired in about two years at Marquette that did not hire Buzz. They made his life a nightmare. The so-called rape in the dorms and bar fight with his players did not help Buzz Williams at Marquette.

With all due respect that was not a "so-called rape" I know the first girl and it was straight gang rape.