More Smoke From the Buzz Williams Angle
by dishingoutdimes on Mar 24, 2011 7:26 PM CDT
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PrintA couple of stories today are starting to make me put a little more credence into the Buzz Williams rumors. First, a story in the Dallas Morning News:
Sources on both sides have indicated strong mutual interest, though no official contact has been, nor will be, made until after the Golden Eagles are through playing in the NCAA Tournament. [...] Reports of Williams’ buyout at Marquette, placed at more than $3 million, are way over the top according to a source with knowledge of that situation. A standard buyout clause is usually a year’s salary, which in Williams’ case is likely around $1.5 million, give or take. [...] As the OU job would, coaching at Arkansas would have enabled him to better tap his recruiting ability in Texas. Four Texans are on his roster at Marquette.
And second, a chat from Barry Tramel, posted at OUHoops:
Yes. I think Buzz Williams is interested in OU. We've been told that he's told coaches that. Other than him, I can't confirm interest in anyone else.
I'm still a little skeptical that Buzz would want to leave Marquette, but it's kind of hard to ignore all of these comments. I've been wrong before, as evidenced by the fact that I thought OU would surely leave for a new "Pac-16 Conference" instead of bending to Texas' will.
As they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. What do you think?
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I like the idea of Williams...
but during all this speculation all I’ve heard about is getting head coaches to come to Norman. What about up & coming assistant coaches. Joe C did that very thing with Bob Stoops. Surely there are some good candidates that would jump at the chance to be the head coach.
I don't think they can afford to do that
Jeff Capel was an experiment and after he failed they have to do their best to hit a homerun with the next hire.
^this^
With the soon to be added Sooner Network, they will absolutely need a successful basketball program to be the anchor of their tv network. Therefore like CC said, they simply can’t afford anything less than a homerun hire.
"I don't like Texas. I don't like the city of Austin. And I don't like the color orange. It reminds me of puke." The Boz
Crimson and Cream Machine - There's only one Oklahoma!
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Is he really a home run hire?
His teams have finished 4th, 5th, 5th and 9th in conference play, as a head coach.
He coaches in the Big East
4th-5th place finishes are pretty decent (it’s a 16 team conference). A 4th place finish gets you 2 byes in the conference tourney and a 5th place finish one bye.
Even their worst finish this year, Marquette is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since Dwayne Wade left.
Plus his team has advanced further than any other Big East team than UCONN.
He works his teams hard, keeps them in excellent shape so they can run with anyone.
You can’t just hire someone and automatically get championships. That’s not how it works. But Buzz is a pretty darn good coach. OU would be lucky to have him.
"Coach Gundy, why was Oklahoma able to march right down the field against you?" --Erin Andrews
by dishingoutdimes on Mar 24, 2011 11:17 PM CDT up reply actions
You can’t just hire someone and automatically get championships. That’s not how it works
well…dang
When I write: Rockies Reporter (www.rockiesreporter.wordpress.com)
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year"
haha
let’s hope our football team can oblige in fall.
Honestly, I think getting our men’s team to about 18-19 wins next year would be a great job. It’s going to take little steps.
"Coach Gundy, why was Oklahoma able to march right down the field against you?" --Erin Andrews
by dishingoutdimes on Mar 24, 2011 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions
18-19 wins
with OUR talent? that would be Miracle Worker
When I write: Rockies Reporter (www.rockiesreporter.wordpress.com)
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year"
Well if we hired the right guy
I’m betting he would bring in about 2-3 guys who would immediately improve the team
"Coach Gundy, why was Oklahoma able to march right down the field against you?" --Erin Andrews
by dishingoutdimes on Mar 24, 2011 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Or just bring in rotnei Clark
Who is leaving Arkansas…. Better than taking a juco chance…
by OU JJ on Mar 25, 2011 11:51 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
The first fourth place finish was at New Orleans
And, it looks like his price is dropping by the minute, thanks to UNC.
I like the "no official contact"
but there are I’m sure a TON of back room, contacts to agents, by “associates” etc, etc.
Buzz seems ok. I don’t know why he doesn’t excite me.
When I write: Rockies Reporter (www.rockiesreporter.wordpress.com)
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year"
I must agree
He doesn’t seem to excite me either. And I don’t believe OU would be a job he would stay at for very long.
by dasoonerman on Mar 25, 2011 8:11 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
maybe because he looks like Curly...
….and it’s hard to take him seriously. Yuk, yuk, yuk.
I’ve heard him speak in postgame interviews and such and he seems to have much more charisma than Capel did.
I rememeber back when Sampson was hired. I went to have lunch one day at the student union and Sampson was there speaking to any of the students who would listen. I remember thinking it was a nice touch even though I didn’t know a thing about him at the time other than he came from Washington State. He basically asked for the support of the student body and explained that he wanted to create a basketball team that we could be proud of.
I’m not asking for national championships, but I just like the idea of our basketball team being relevant in March and making a nice run from time to time.
Buzz Williams just might be the answer. Then again someone like Terry Evans could be the answer too. None of us really knows.
Butler's coach would be my first choice
But Buzz seems like it would be a good hire as well.
by IBleedCrimsonandCream on Mar 25, 2011 12:37 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
While he doesn't seem like a huge ego....
….I don’t see Stevens coaching at a school where football is king. I could see him at Indiana if that job ever came open again. I could also see him staying at Butler for many years as he is still young, the expectations are reasonably low and he’s got a good thing going there.
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