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Post by raiderfan20 on Apr 1, 2008 15:16:57 GMT -5
Report: Sutton out at Oklahoma State Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Oklahoma State is reportedly in the market for a new men's basketball coach, as several news outlets in Oklahoma say Sean Sutton is out after a two-year stint. The Oklahoman web site is reporting that Sutton was fired, while KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City said Sutton will resign. Sutton, who has three years remaining on his contract, has guided the Cowboys to a record of 39-29 since taking over for his father, Eddie Sutton. Oklahoma State finished this past season with a record of 17-16, losing to Southern Illinois in the first round of the NIT. The Cowboys made two NIT appearances in the younger Sutton's two seasons at the helm, losing to Marist in the first round of the 2007 tourney. www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cbask/news/AEN4142084.htm
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Post by Willie on Apr 1, 2008 19:07:13 GMT -5
New Gamecocks coach Horn to make $800K per seasonAssociated Press April 1, 2008 COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Darrin Horn vowed to bring Southeastern Conference championships to South Carolina and turn the Gamecocks into a national contender. Horn, introduced as South Carolina's new coach on Tuesday, said he'll waste no time in trying to improve the Gamecocks, who finished the season 14-18 and have made the NCAA tournament just once this decade. South Carolina won its only regular-season SEC title in 1997. "We're here to compete and to win big and to win championships in the SEC and to be relevant nationally," said Horn, who took Western Kentucky to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament this season, the Hilltoppers' best NCAA tournament finish in 15 years. The 35-year-old Horn replaces Dave Odom, who retired at the end of the season. Odom went 128-104 overall and 41-71 in the SEC in his seven years. Horn will be paid $800,000 annually. His five-year contract includes incentives for winning that could be worth up to an additional $335,000 per year. He will also be paid $50,000 for every 1,000 additional season tickets sold over this season's total of 9,322 tickets. "We're here to win championships and to not make any excuses and that's what we're going to do," Horn said. "We're going to see a team that's fast-paced, that plays extremely hard, that gets after it on both ends of the floor." He met with Gamecocks players before talking to the media, and they were impressed. "I like his attitude toward things. He's very confident in his abilities and the things he feels he is going to get done," junior Zam Fredrick said. "I like that about him -- his swagger." Sophomore Devan Downey said Horn told his new players he wasn't going to be easy on them. "He was straightforward. He was honest. He told us it was going to be hard, so get ready," said Downey, who led the team with 18.4 points per game. Horn already has three recruiting appointments inside South Carolina on Wednesday, the day he officially takes over. "We are going to put a fence around the state of South Carolina, and the best players in South Carolina are going to be recruited to play at the University of South Carolina," Horn said. Horn's Western Kentucky teams improved nearly every year, finishing this season with a school-record 29 wins. The Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Conference title and advanced to the West Regional semifinals, losing to top-seeded UCLA. It was their first trip to the round of 16 since Horn was a point guard on a team that beat Memphis and upset Seton Hall to make the regional semifinals in 1993. Horn was an assistant at Western Kentucky, Morehead State and Marquette before becoming the Hilltoppers' head coach in 2003, replacing Dennis Felton, who left for Georgia. Horn went 111-48 in five seasons. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324231
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Post by Willie on Apr 1, 2008 19:08:32 GMT -5
Kent State expected to promote Ford to head coachAssociated Press April 1, 2008 CLEVELAND -- Kent State assistant Geno Ford is expected to take over the men's basketball program, replacing Jim Christian, who resigned last week. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Ford is expected to be introduced Wednesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Ford's contract has not been finalized. Christian left after six seasons to take over at TCU. Ford inherits a program that won at least 20 games in each of the past 10 seasons. The Golden Flashes won the Mid-American Conference regular-season East title and tournament this past season, earning their fifth NCAA tournament berth in 10 years. Ford, who starred as a player at Ohio, rejoined Christian's staff at Kent this season after spending two seasons as the head coach at Division III Muskingum. Athletic director Laing Kennedy decided to stay within the program to replace Christian, who went 138-58 and took the Golden Flashes to two NCAAs and three NITs. However, Christian was 0-5 in the postseason, and concluded his impressive stint at the mid-major school with a 71-58 first-round loss to UNLV in the Midwest regional. In that game, Kent State scored just 10 points in the first half. During his news conference last week in Dallas, Christian said he hoped Ford would get the Kent State job. Instead of dragging out a national search, Kennedy decided not to venture outside the school's northeast Ohio campus to find his next coach. Kennedy did the same thing in 2002 when he tabbed Christian the successor for Stan Heath, who left for Arkansas after leading Kent State to the final eight in the NCAA tournament. Before Kent State lost in this year's NCAA tourney, Kennedy knew there was a good chance Christian would leave. However, he was confident the school would be able to attract a big-name replacement. In Ohio, Ford's name is big enough. He was named AP Ohio's Mr. Basketball after playing for his father, Gene, at Cambridge High School. At Ohio, the scrappy point guard scored 1,752 points in four years before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Bobcats in 1998. Ford was an assistant for two seasons at Ohio and then took his first head coaching job at Shawnee State. He was hired by Christian in 2002 and spent three years at Kent State, which won two MAC East titles while he was on the staff. In his first season at Muskingum, Ford led the Muskies to a 17-9 record -- their best mark in 15 years. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324497
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Post by Willie on Apr 1, 2008 19:12:25 GMT -5
Marquette's Crean takes IU jobTuesday April 1, 2008 6:43PM BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana University will hire Marquette's Tom Crean as its basketball coach and is expected to introduce him at a news conference Wednesday. University trustee Philip Eskew confirmed the hiring. Eskew said Crean had signed a letter-of-intent with the university and was meeting with his team Tuesday night. Team spokesman J.D. Campbell said a news conference had yet to be scheduled. The hiring comes near the end of a tumultuous six-week period in which former Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson resigned amid an NCAA scandal, interim coach Dan Dakich replaced him and then lost four of seven games. Dakich also suspended guard Jamarcus Ellis for disciplinary reasons for the Hoosiers' game at Penn State, and announced Tuesday that Ellis and guard Armon Bassett had been kicked off the team for missing two scheduled events. Crean, who led Marquette to the Final Four in 2003, will responsible for rebuilding not only Indiana's reputation as a national power but also its sullied image as a squeaky clean program. "I think he's a great choice," Eskew said. "He has a Big Ten background, a Midwest background, he's recruited in the state of Indiana and he has an impeccable record, so I think Indiana is on the road to recovery." Now the question is what kind of team will Crean inherit. Starting forwards D.J. White and Lance Stemler both finished their senior seasons, and it's uncertain whether Bassett and Ellis, two of the starting guards, will return after being punished for missing an appointment last week. When they didn't show up to run laps the next day, Dakich decided to dismiss them from the team. On Monday, freshman Eric Gordon is expected to announce whether he will declare early for the NBA. Most figure, he's leaving, which would leave Indiana without all five of its regular starters from last season. Outside the administration, the decision was greeted warmly, too. "I think it's a very good move," said Jared Jeffries, a former Indiana star now playing for the New York Knicks. "He's proven himself to be a successful college coach at this level, a very good recruiter, recognize talent. That's who we need at Indiana, we need somebody who is going to be stable, a foundation for our future." Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who led Indiana to the 1981 national title, also endorsed the move. Some thought Thomas might be a candidate to take over at his alma mater, but Thomas, who has never coached at the college level, said Sunday he was never contacted by university officials. "He's got a brilliant basketball mind -- definitely a good hire for Indiana -- I was very vocal about Dan getting the job, but Tom is definitely qualified and will do an excellent job at Indiana," Thomas said before his game in Milwaukee on Tuesday. "Any way that I can help him, I definitely will." Crean went 190-96 in nine seasons at Marquette. He leaves for a job that came open after Sampson's latest alleged missteps with the NCAA. Sampson left in February amid a phone-call scandal that brought five allegations of major infractions from the NCAA. Dakich's promotion to interim coach fueled threats of a player boycott and the Hoosiers (25-8) never recovered. They lost four of their final seven games, including a last-second defeat against Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals and an 86-72 loss to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Since firing Bob Knight in September 2000, a move that sharply divided Indiana fans, the Hoosiers have failed to find a suitable successor. Mike Davis, who replaced Knight, never won enough to satisfy Indiana's rabid fans, and it took Sampson, Davis' successor, less than two years to stain the university's once-impeccable reputation for playing by the rules. Sampson took the Indiana job in March 2006 and two months later was penalized by the NCAA for making 577 impermissible phone calls between 2000 and 2004 when he was coaching Oklahoma. The second wave of charges emerged in October when a university investigation found Sampson and his staff made more than 100 impermissible calls while still under recruiting restrictions and that Sampson participated in at least 10 three-way calls, another violation of the NCAA's punishment. Athletic director Rick Greenspan called the violations secondary, imposing a one-year extension of the NCAA's recruiting restrictions and pulling a $500,000 raise. The Hoosiers also took away one scholarship for the 2008-09 season. However, an NCAA report released Feb. 13 by Indiana claimed Sampson provided false and misleading information to investigators from both the university and the NCAA, failed to meet the "generally recognized high standard of honesty" expected in college sports and failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the program. Sampson has denied intentionally providing investigators with false information. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/specials/ncaa_tourney/2008/04/01/bc.bkc.crean.indiana.ap/index.html
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Post by Willie on Apr 2, 2008 20:51:00 GMT -5
Crean’s departure leaves Marquette searching for new coachBy CHRIS JENKINS, AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP)—Tom Crean’s departure felt like a kick in the stomach at Marquette. Sure, the school should have been ready to face a day like Wednesday, when Crean was introduced as the new coach at Indiana. For all his coaching and recruiting ability, Crean seemed just as skilled a job hunter over the years as he flirted with several high-profile openings. But just as it once seemed another Wisconsin sports icon, Brett Favre, never meant it when he grumbled about retirement every year, it had begun to feel like Crean would never really leave Marquette. “We had him for nine years,” said former Marquette guard Dwyane Wade, now in his fifth season with the Miami Heat and someone who has remained very close with Crean. “Can’t hold the great ones back.” Golden Eagles guard Dominic James said players understood Crean’s decision, but were hurt and embarrassed that he didn’t tell them it was coming. “We found out at the same time as everyone else,” James said. “And as his players, I feel like we should have known before a lot of people, before the rest of the country. That was the worst thing about it.” Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a former Marquette player and current school trustee, was sorry to see his close friend go. “It’s a tough loss for us, I’ll say that,” Rivers said. “A great gain for Indiana. … They’re getting a great guy. That program, it looks like they need somebody who’s going to work their butt off, and there will be no one in college basketball that will work harder than Tom Crean.” Marquette remains an attractive job with a top-notch practice facility, enthusiastic fan support, a good recruiting base and considerable financial resources. Crean’s annual salary was believed to be about $1.5 million. At his IU introduction Wednesday morning, Crean said he felt some “incredible sadness” over leaving Marquette. “I walked away from one incredible job to take another one,” he said. And it’s not like Crean’s legacy will be impossible to follow. He made the Final Four with Wade in 2003, but the Golden Eagles hadn’t won another NCAA tournament game until they beat Kentucky in the first round of this year’s tournament. “We’re looking to hire the right person who will take what we have and take us to that next level,” Marquette athletic director Steve Cottingham said. So now what? Count out Rivers, who joked that he “would make more than the extra calls” to recruits as a college coach—a reference to the circumstances that led to Kelvin Sampson’s departure from Indiana. The first name that came out of Rivers’ mouth was former Marquette coach Rick Majerus, who coached three seasons at his alma mater in the 1980s. Chicago Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan, the point guard for Marquette’s 1977 national championship team, said he wasn’t shocked by Crean’s departure. So will Boylan, who is not likely to be retained by the Bulls, throw his hat in the ring? “We’re having a press conference tomorrow morning at 9, so we’ll let you know,” Boylan joked Tuesday night. That didn’t happen, of course, but Cottingham said the school plans to move “aggressively” to hire Crean’s replacement. Cottingham has only been on the job full-time since February, but said past media reports about other schools’ interest in Crean led him to put together contingency plans just in case. Cottingham said the school already has started its search and has a short list of candidates. The school does not plan to form a search committee or hire an outside search firm. Forward Lazar Hayward said he is confident the school will attract a top-level coach. “We have a great university,” Hayward said. “and I have no worries as to the decision that they’re going to make and I trust them with all my heart.” The list of potential replacements for Crean could include several of the same names that surfaced during Indiana’s search. Marquette’s home-run hire would be Washington State coach Tony Bennett, who has strong ties to the state because of his father, former Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett. But the younger Bennett didn’t jump when Indiana expressed interest, and it is unclear whether he would listen to Marquette. Other names of interest could include UNLV’s Lon Kruger, Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings, Xavier’s Sean Miller, Butler’s Brad Stevens and Wright State’s Brad Brownell.Majerus is coaching at another Jesuit school, St. Louis University. But the Billikens had a so-so first season under him, and the gregarious coach made waves with controversial comments off the court—two strikes against him. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter could be considered despite his ties to rival Wisconsin and his mentor, Bo Ryan. Then there’s Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak, who had success at Montana before jumping to the NBA and could be out of a job when the Bucks hire a new general manager. It also wouldn’t hurt to put out feelers to Illinois coach Bruce Weber, a Milwaukee native who might not be feeling appreciated by Illini fans who have pressured him to recruit more big-name players. Cottingham said he would not discuss the school’s interest in specific candidates. “We’re going to be in a good place,” Cottingham said. “Sometimes the journey’s a little bit rocky and hard, but the results will be great.” AP Sports Writers Andrew Seligman in Chicago and Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report. sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=ap-marquette-nowwhat&prov=ap&type=lgns
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Post by Fastbreak on Apr 3, 2008 20:46:23 GMT -5
Brownell: Front Runner at Marquette?By Tom Archdeacon Wednesday, April 2, 2008 A source close to the Marquette University basketball program has said Wright State’s Brad Brownell is thought to be on the short list of Golden Eagles athletics director Steve Cottingham as a replacement for departed coach Tom Crean. Crean was introduced Wednesday as the new head coach at Indiana University. According to ESPN.com and at least two other national sports web sites late Wednesday night, Brownell is considered one of the front-runners to replace Crean. Earlier in the day, ESPN”S Andy Katz reported that IU had been set to go after Brownell had it not been able to lure Crean. One basketball insider at WSU said he expects Brownell to take a higher profile job as soon as he finds one that fits. Although Brownell has admitted he’s been contacted by a couple of schools since the Raiders season ended, he hasn’t named them publicly and has reiterated that he is happy with his job at WSU. Brownell remains one of the hotter prospects in college coaching right now. He is the winningest NCAA Division I coach under the age of 40. In two seasons at Wright State, he’s led the Raiders to a 44-20 record, took the team to the NCAA Tournament last year and was named co-Coach of the Year in the Horizon League this season. Prior to Wright State — in his four seasons as head coach at UNC-Wilimngton — he led the team to two NCAA Tournaments and twice was named Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. He’s never has a losing record in six years as a head coach. www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/throughthearch/
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Post by Class of '83 on Apr 4, 2008 6:12:25 GMT -5
Will Marquette come calling?By Kyle Nagel and Marc Katz Staff Writers Friday, April 04, 2008 University of Dayton basketball coach Brian Gregory and Wright State's Brad Brownell are both being mentioned as possible candidates for the suddenly vacant Marquette job. One ESPN analyst, Doug Gottlieb, mentioned Brownell and Gregory in the same sentence. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel unveiled a probable short list, which includes Brownell, Tony Bennett (Washington State), former UD player Anthony Grant (Virginia Commonwealth), Chris Lowery (Southern Illinois) and Bob McKillop (Davidson). Gregory does not appear on that list. Tom Crean left Marquette this week to take over at Indiana, a job for which Brownell also was discussed. Brownell is a hot commodity after leading the Raiders to their first back-to-back 20-win seasons in Division I program history, plus an NCAA tournament appearance, in his two seasons. WSU Athletic Director Mike Cusack said he has not been contacted for permission to speak with Brownell, but added, "This is what we've always hoped for, that we'd have coaches that people want." Golden Eagles' possible wish list Sean Miller, Xavier (93-39 career record) Tony Bennett, Washington State (52-17) Anthony Grant, VCU (52-14) Bob McKillop, Davidson (338-224) Brad Brownell, Wright State (127-60) Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois (96-41) Buzz Williams, Marquette assistant (14-17 in one year at New Orleans) — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/ud/2008/04/04/ddn040408spcoachesb1.html
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Post by Class of '83 on Apr 4, 2008 6:14:36 GMT -5
Marquette talk news to Gregory; Brownell mumBy Kyle Nagel and Marc Katz Staff Writers Friday, April 04, 2008 University of Dayton basketball coach Brian Gregory says he has had no contact with Marquette. "All the speculation has been in the media, and those guys don't hire people," Gregory said Thursday, April 3. "I've not had any contact with any schools — at all." Gregory and Wright State head coach Brad Brownell both are being mentioned as possible candidates for the Marquette job, vacated this week by Tom Crean, who left for Indiana somewhat unexpectedly. ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb said on the air Wednesday, April 2, that both Gregory and Brownell would be attractive to Marquette. A Milwaukee newspaper speculated that Brownell is on the school's short list. "I'm extremely happy at Dayton and excited about building on the success of the last two years and the inroads we're making with the Dayton area (high school) players," Gregory said. "I have no desire to leave. I want to coach here for a long, long time. I've always said the very best (in college basketball) is right here, and I'm a strong believer in that." A move to Marquette might make more sense for Brownell at this point than for Gregory, but the WSU coach on Thursday stuck to his stance of not commenting on open jobs. Brownell is 44-20 in two seasons at WSU with one NCAA tournament appearance after going to the tournament twice in four years at North Carolina-Wilmington. His name is popping up for just about every job that appears to be a step up. WSU Athletic Director Mike Cusack, however, said nobody has contacted him seeking permission to speak with Brownell. UD athletic director Ted Kissell said the same about his coach. "Sometimes these things percolate in back channels," Cusack said. "Brad and I have a good relationship. I think if there's something going on, he'll tell me." For athletic directors whose coaches are successful, these can be nervous times. "I have great confidence in Brian's commitment to the University of Dayton, and that we'll have stability in our program," Kissell said. "(But) you should not be surprised if you have to go look for a coach. That's just your job." Tony Bennett, the Washington State coach, appears to be at or near the top of Marquette's wish list, followed by Virginia Commonwealth coach Anthony Grant (a former UD player), Brownell and Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery. Davidson's Bob McKillop and Marquette assistant Buzz Williams are also considered candidates. Marquette officials have declined comment on the coaching search. "University policy keeps us from commenting on these types of matters," a university spokesman wrote in an e-mail. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/ud/2008/04/04/ddn040408spcoaches.html
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Post by Class of '83 on Apr 4, 2008 19:42:21 GMT -5
Source: Ex-Stanford coach Montgomery headed to rival CalBy Andy Katz ESPN.com April 4, 2008 Former Stanford and Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery has agreed in principle to replace Ben Braun at rival California, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Braun was fired as coach last Wednesday after 12 years at Cal. Montgomery led Stanford to the 1998 Final Four and helped resurrect the Cardinal into a national program. The move to Stanford's chief rival comes as a surprise given Montgomery's former and current links to the Cardinal. His former assistant, Trent Johnson, replaced Montgomery at Stanford. Most recently, Montgomery has been working as an assistant to Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, as well as working in television for Fox Sports Net. Montgomery compiled a 393-167 record with 12 NCAA tournament appearances in his 18 seasons at Stanford, making him the school's winningest men's basketball coach. He left Stanford in 2004 to coach in the NBA, where he compiled a 68-96 record in two seasons with the Warriors. Cal's top player, All-Pac 10 forward Ryan Anderson, announced on Thursday he was declaring for the NBA draft, but will not sign with an agent in order to preserve his college eligibility, if he changes his mind. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3329152
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Apr 5, 2008 7:23:10 GMT -5
UD's Kissell prepared, just in caseBy Sean McClelland Staff Writer Saturday, April 05, 2008 Midway through the basketball season, University of Dayton Athletic Director Ted Kissell guessed he might have a hot coach on his hands. Having beaten Louisville and Pittsburgh, Dayton was 14-1, No. 4 in the RPI and No. 14 in the Associated Press poll. It was only natural to begin putting together a list of potential successors in the event Brian Gregory were to bolt at season's end. "There are two kinds of ADs, those who are always prepared — and complete idiots," Kissell said. His preparation might pay off soon if Gregory is lured away by Marquette, although Gregory on Friday, April 4, insisted he is staying at UD. "I've not heard from anybody from Marquette, nor from Brian saying he's heard from anybody from Marquette," Kissell said. "I believe he's committed to Dayton." Both Gregory and Wright State coach Brad Brownell have been rumored to be in the running for the job vacated by Tom Crean's departure to Indiana. Brownell on Friday said there was "no news" and WSU Athletic Director Mike Cusack, reached at the Final Four, reported the same.Marquette assistant Buzz Williams, meanwhile, has interviewed for the head job and could be the front-runner, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday. In an intriguing twist, if Gregory is considered by Marquette, he could be competing with a former UD player. Anthony Grant, currently the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth, is being linked to a number of power-conference vacancies. "Up to this point, I'm fairly certain we haven't been contacted by anybody," said Chris Kowalczyk, VCU's men's basketball media liaison. "Nobody's asked permission." Grant, a Billy Donovan disciple who might be the head coach at Florida today if Donovan had left for the NBA, is expected to hear from LSU if he hasn't already. South Carolina seemed interested before hiring Darrin Horn away from Western Kentucky. The Final Four is where rumors go to flourish. One on Friday had Gregory taking over at Marquette and Grant replacing him at Dayton. "He's a carbon copy of Billy Donovan, which is off the Rick Pitino tree," former UD coach Don Donoher said of Grant, who played for him in the mid-1980s. "And he's as solid a human being as you've ever been around. He's just quality personified." Some other schools with coaching vacancies include Oklahoma State, Western Kentucky, Providence and Toledo. The dominoes could start falling shortly after the NCAA champion is crowned on Monday. With a 52-15 record in two seasons, Grant is considered a hot property. His contract was reworked after last season, and there has been talk of a possible extension or additions aimed at making him one of the highest-paid mid-major coaches. VCU's season ended with an 80-77 loss to Alabama-Birmingham in the National Invitation Tournament. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/ud/2008/04/05/ddn040508spgregory.html
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 5, 2008 7:29:45 GMT -5
April 5, 2008 Marquette talks to assistant Williams about coaching vacancy By Chris Jenkins The Associated Press MILWAUKEE -- Marquette officials have spoken to assistant coach Buzz Williams about their vacant head coaching job and will send a representative to the Final Four in San Antonio to continue their search, a person familiar with the search said Friday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because school officials are not discussing specific candidates in public, said officials spoke "informally" to Williams on Thursday. The meeting came one day after former Golden Eagles coach Tom Crean was announced as the new head coach at Indiana. Williams joined Crean's staff last July after one year as the head coach at the University of New Orleans. Before that, Williams was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons at Texas A&M under then-head coach Billy Gillispie. Marquette's meeting with Williams was reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday. Williams is a respected recruiter and would give the Golden Eagles a sense of continuity in the wake of Crean's sudden exit -- key strengths that could calm some incoming recruits who are believed to be wavering on their commitment to Marquette. But the school also is expected to make a run at some marquee names. Marquette's home-run hire would be Washington State coach Tony Bennett, who played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and was an assistant under his father, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin. But the younger Bennett recently spurned interest from Indiana and is nearing a contract extension to stay at Washington State according to Seattle media reports. The other high-profile coach who is expected to draw interest from Marquette is Xavier's Sean Miller, but Miller isn't widely expected to leave. Other up-and-coming potential candidates include Wright State coach Brad Brownell, Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant, Butler's Brad Stevens, Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery and Bob McKillop of Davidson. www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080405/MNH02/804050633
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Post by Willie on Apr 5, 2008 8:20:59 GMT -5
Marquette Looks to Buzz Williams By: Jim Ganzer SportsBubbler.com April 4, 2008 Rumors were flying all day, but the dust is beginning to settle and it appears that Buzz Williams may be the man left standing when Marquette University Athletic Director Steve Cottingham finalizes his decision Throughout the day the rumors kept coming and going, some proving not to be true faster then they came in. Amidst all of the rumors, Buzz Williams' never bounced out of the rumor mill, it just kept swirling around the top. Confidential sources kept saying, "It's Buzz", but then they would turn around and question if it could be true. Well, at the end of the day, it sounds like those rumors were in fact true. So, who is Buzz Williams? Buzz Williams proved to be a tireless recruiter at Colorado State before heading off to Texas A&M. While at Texas A&M under Billy Gillespie, Williams landed his share of recruits, including a top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class which included one of Marquette's committments, Joseph Fulce. Williams then took the head coaching job at the University of New Orleans, but had to deal with very difficult situations due to Hurricaine Katrina. The University did not feel that a locker room was a priority in the rebuilding process, so his players would dress under the bleachers. His assistant coaches were not receiving their paychecks on a consistant basis, and Williams decided to resign. The offfer came to re-join Billy Gillespie at Kentucky, but Williams turned it down to take a position with Tom Crean at Marquette. Why would Williams turn down Kentucky and more money for Marquette? He wanted to get into Tom Crean's network, and before long, it paid off. Williams spent time with Tony LaRussa learning how he manages the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent time with Mike McCarthy learning how to Coach the Green Bay Packers. and most of all, Williams spent time next to Tom Crean, learning how to run the Marquette Men's Basketball Program. While at Marquette, Williams played a major role in landing four of five committed recruits and proved to be a tireless recruiter. Williams is a relationship builder, a very detailed coach and a work-a-holic. According to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Williams cut his trip to San Antonio short to return to Milwaukee to meet with Marquette University officials. Williams and his wife Corey have a daughter, Zera, and two boys, Calvin and Mason. If all goes as planned, it won't be long before Buzz Williams is named the head basketball coach at Marquette University. sportsbubbler.com/DisplayTopic.aspx?TopicID=1357
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Post by Raider Country on Apr 5, 2008 12:31:12 GMT -5
Report: MU Coaching Search Down to FourBy Jay Sorgi Apr 5, 2008 A Marquette assistant and a coach who led his team within a three-point shot of the Final Four head the new list of candidates for Marquette's men's basketball coaching job. Today's TMJ4's Lance Allan reports that four candidates remain to replace Tom Crean. The two major names on the list include Bob McKillop of Davidson and MU assistant Buzz Williams, a former head coach at New Orleans. Wright State's Brad Brownell and Chris Lowery of Southern Illinois also stand on Marquette's list, according to Allan.Williams came back to Marquette to work under Crean during the 2007-08 season after a year as the head coach at New Orleans. In that year (2006-07), Williams' team went 14-17, 9-9 in conference, after going 9-9 and 6-9 the year before. The Journal Sentinel says Williams spent time in Milwaukee for formal talks with MU administrators about the position. Under McKillop's direction, Davidson reached the NCAA Elite Eight, falling to Kansas by two points in their attempt to reach the Final Four. McKillop, who's 57, has a 311-218 record in 19 seasons at Davidson. On his biography on the Davidson web site, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski described McKillop as "a sensational coach." Brownell completed his second year at Wright State and brought the Raiders a 21-10 record. In his first year, he took them to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993, earning the Horizon League title. Lowery ended his fourth year at Southern Illinois by delivering a 20-15 record to the Salukis. He's 78-26 for his career and has taken his teams to the NCAA tournament for three appearances (2005-07), each of which had him as the youngest coach in the tournament. The Journal Sentinel said that MU made inquiries into Tony Bennett of Washington State, Xavier's Sean Miller and Anthony Grant of Virginia Commonwealth, but that none of them seemed to want to discuss leaving their current position. www.620wtmj.com/sports/17321564.html
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Post by raiderguy06 on Apr 6, 2008 11:39:31 GMT -5
HAHA Blitz, you are freakin' hilarious. I always though Tom Crean looked like some dude who would be in the Talking Heads or just some office guy.
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Post by Nutt House on Apr 6, 2008 21:38:24 GMT -5
Hilltoppers tab Texas assistant McDonald as coach April 6, 2008 CBSSports.com wire reports BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Ken McDonald spent most of his final season as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky in 2002-03 working inside a cramped trailer outside E.A. Diddle Arena while the university gave the aging facility a makeover. By the time the remodeled arena reopened, McDonald was following coach Dennis Felton to Georgia. Still, McDonald kept his eye on the Hilltoppers, secretly hoping one day he'd get a chance to return, make himself at home in the new digs and cement Western Kentucky's place as one of the nation's top mid-major programs. That happened Sunday, when the Texas assistant was hired to replace Darrin Horn, who left the Hilltoppers for South Carolina last week. "I think when I left here, there was some unfinished business," McDonald said. "I think we need to have the attitude that we'll take on anybody, anywhere at any time." It's an attitude McDonald developed from his years coaching under Felton and Texas coach Rick Barnes, who told Western Kentucky athletic director Wood Selig that McDonald was "the best assistant he's ever had." Not that Selig needed to be reminded. McDonald was Felton's lead recruiter during his five years at the school from 1998-03, and Selig said McDonald's development as a teacher with the Longhorns helped put him over the top. "I'm amazed at the growth he's had in the last five years," Selig said. "He's made a brilliant transformation as a coach and it really came through during the interview. We could start to see him in a different light from the assistant that we knew five years ago." McDonald, 38, said he knew he could have left the Longhorns sooner to become a head coach, but stayed until the right opportunity came along. He takes over a program vastly different from the one he came to as a young assistant under Felton in 1998. At the time the Hilltoppers were coming off three straight losing seasons and had lost much of the luster that made the program one of the nation's most consistent winners from the 1960s through the 1990s. This time, there will be no rebuilding necessary. Western Kentucky went 29-7 this season, winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA regional semifinals for the first time since 1993 before falling to UCLA. "I really believe that this program has no ceiling," McDonald said. "During the interview process I told them I think it would be a big mistake if you put a ceiling on this program because as much as we did when I was here, as much success recently as Western has had, I don't think it has to stop." www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10763816
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