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| By Jeff Sherman OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Jeff Sherman |
| Published April 4, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. |
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Chicagotribune.com's Skip Myslenski reports today that "word on the street is Marquette is looking at Siena coach Fran McCaffrey as a possible replacement for Crean." McCaffrey's team upset No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament this year.
Sources tell me that Bradley University coach and former NBA player Jim Les is also interested in the job. Les, a point guard standout in his playing days, took Bradley to the Sweet 16 in 2006. His brother, Gary, has strong ties to the state and the Milwaukee area.
Personally, I want Marquette to hire the best coach available. The program is strong and Crean got it there. MU needs a passionate communicator, strong civic-minded soul and, obviously, a great basketball mind.
I don't have a top choice in mind, but do like Pitt's Jamie Dixon and Washington State's Tony Bennett. Dixon turned down California already, though, and Bennett has shunned an offer already, too, of course, as he was Indiana's first choice ahead of Tom Crean.
MU assistant Buzz Williams is a recruiting dynamo who should also get a look. Rick Majerus? L:ove the guy, but he's locked in at St. Louis. And, don't believe that MU would hire Kevin O'Neill back. If I had to bet, you might see him back in the NBA next year. How about UMass' Travis Ford? Or, John Calipari? He can't be satisfied in C-USA. Hmm. Should be interesting.
Who's your pick? Use the talkback feature.
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2 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Posted by marq2004 on April 4, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (report)
JIM LES. There are some good candidates but Jim Les out of Bradley is my choice. I graduated from MU in 2004 and have been a fan of the program my whole life. I think Majerus and Bennett are both great coaches but Les is a better fit for the team. He first caught my attention during his 2006 run to the sweet sixteen with Bradley. Seems like a real "players coach" who also has a number of years of experience playing in the NBA. He's young, graduates his players and could bring the much needed energy that this program needs. He's been a great recruiter for Bradley so I can only imagine the kind of talent he would be able to bring in at Marquette. That being said, GO MU!
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Posted by yinger73 on April 4, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (report)
Dixon or Bennett would be dream candidates. I'd guess that neither is interested. You need to ask them though. Buzz would probably be at the top of my list. He'd provide continuity for the current players. He's a good recruiter too. The only thing with him that I'd be concerned about is his abilities as a game coach (but you could say the same thing about Crean if he was still at MU). It would be similar to what Pitt did when they hired Dixon after Howland left for UCLA. Dixon has shown that promoting from within can work in the Big East. Good luck to Marquette, whatever path they choose.
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