What have we learned

[TulsaWarrior]

What have we learned – what has the administration learned by the events or lack of events in the past week?

(1) Buzz’s support among the Marquette fan base and dnors hasn’t been approach since the days of Al.

(2) Social networking means a tremendous amount of pressure can be put on the Marquette Administration

(3) The Marquette Administration has a clearer idea of who Buzz Williams is and what it will take to keep him happy (it isn’t the same as Crean or O’Neill)

(4) An AD is not the show and needs to be the person who makes positive things happen without becoming the focus.

[Hamostradamus]

(2) Social networking means a tremendous amount of pressure can be put on the Marquette Administration


I think hiring the PR firm hammers home your point. The Admin for years has been caught on its heels in the face of social media and message control. They need to be dragged into the 21st century and realize you either monitor and control social media presence 24/7, or you play catch-up for 3 news cycles.

[novakfor3]

Who did MU hire as PR Firm?

This needed to be done years ago. Great move.

[CaribouJim]

What have we learned – what has the administration learned by the events or lack of events in the past week?

(1) Buzz’s support among the Marquette fan base and dnors hasn’t been approach since the days of Al.

(2) Social networking means a tremendous amount of pressure can be put on the Marquette Administration

(3) The Marquette Administration has a clearer idea of who Buzz Williams is and what it will take to keep him happy (it isn’t the same as Crean or O’Neill)

(4) An AD is not the show and needs to be the person who makes positive things happen without becoming the focus.

...and maybe, just maybe that we all need to get to know Fr. Pilarz and Larry Williams and most likely we would think that they are good people who mean well and we may look back years from now and think they were the best things to happen to Marquette - again, just maybe. Lastly, just because someone is connected to Georgetown or ND doesn't mean that they don't appreciate MU's own history or want to change MU to mirror GTown or ND.

[farmerdoc]

Really though, isn't the problem/question, how do you go from "don't mess with happy" to thinking about leaving? It seems obvious to me that there had to be friction of some kind between coach and the admin. Since many of us feel that Buzz is almost a reincarnated version of Al, the potential of losing him so suddenly was hurtful.

Now with time, those relationship issues can be ironed out.

The alternative is that Coach Buzz isn't the person that most of us believe him to be.

I choose to believe in Buzz and that the relationships between the admin folks and Buzz need to be repaired/improved.

Here's to the future!

[TulsaWarrior]

Seeing Father Pilarz at the NCCA Tournament and basking in the spotlight on the CNN feature on Marquette Basketball it certainly seemly like he appreciated the positive publicity for his new school. I had a pretty neutral opinion of Larry Williams but did scratch my head after reading the piece he did with the JS reporter. If Buzz would have left for SMU I would have written LW off as an empty suit connected to a large ego. Since that didn't happen I am reserving my judgement. He does have a nice resume and I am hopeful by nature.

As too Marquette hiring a PR firm -- there are PR people and there are PR people. The rules have changed so radically over the years that the best firms have some youngblood who understand the power of social media. I've worked with a lady who had a Ph. D. in PR from 15 years ago. She hasn't kept up with new trends and doesn't have a clue.

[mu_hilltopper]

What have we learned – what has the administration learned by the events or lack of events in the past week?

(2) Social networking means a tremendous amount of pressure can be put on the Marquette Administration



Did social networking (emails, calls) put any pressure on the MU Administration?

I think at best, it the commentary was that messages "were received." Does that mean the messages actually had an impact? And by impact, I mean, whatever Pilarz and LW were requiring/demanding of Buzz were somehow tempered by some alumni emails? Or that they sprang into action to convince Buzz to stay? -- I can't say I know the answer to that, but my guess is that it didn't amount to much.

Thinking back to the two biggest "email worthy" events in recent memory .. Choosing The Gold over Warriors, and the near-hiring of Jodi O'Brien, where there would have been an avalanche of negative alumni emails, yet the University forged ahead.

(True, the public did have an impact on negating the Gold, but didn't get what it overwhelmingly wanted.)

[TulsaWarrior]

The impact of social media is increasing exponentially.

[Gato78]

We have learned that Marquette and Buzz can do without the mainstream media outlets in Milwaukee and still get information in the public domain.

[The Reptile]

On social media: sentiment can be measures very accurately. I work for HP and the folks in our analytical lab can predict movie openings within $1M based on pre release chatter on twitter. So, we do need a PR firm university wide that understands the metrics of sentiment based on social media.

On what happened this week: It is possible, and I am not saying that it is true only a possibility, that having the buyout we have and the investment in place that the policy is to give Buzz the option to talk with others and we reserve the right to match or better all offers. One would hope based on his comments that we have earned his trust to allow this to happen.

[835schroeder]

Does anyone else think that Larry Williams reminds you of Marvin Dorfler, the other bounty hunter in Midnight Run - the great Robert De Niro film?