Marquette coaching staff

While we wait for some recruiting news or other developments of interest with the team I thought I’d post some random thoughts about the coaching staff Wojo has put together.

A lot has been said about the fact that this staff is made up of coaches who have played college ball at a high level. Mark Phelps is the exception. What his resume has is D1 head coaching experience. While his tenure at Drake was somewhat of a mixed bag – he did recruit well and had more success than any coach at that school not named Davis. His long run at NC State and Arizona State means he’s worked successfully as an assistant, at a high level of division one basketball.

Like most assistant coaches -- Phelps attached his star to a head coach. In his case it was Herb Sendek. Phelps left that coaching branch to try his luck at Drake. When that didn’t work out he had a nice landing with a quality Missouri Tiger program. The trouble was the head coach, Stan Haith was on shaky ground. Phelps jumped to what promises to be a more stable situation.

In most jobs the person doing the hiring picks someone who is similar to themselves. Wojo seems to have followed that pattern. Chris Carrawell shares the Duke “experience.” Carrawell has waited a long time to get that first shot as a college assistant. He stuck around Duke after graduation in a number of roles and paid big time dues as an assistant in the NBA’s Developmental League. I suspect he is hungry to prove himself at this level after pro ball in Europe and his own flirtation with an NBA playing career.

Brett Nelson was a Mickey D high school player and All America point guard. A guy who absolutely maximized the talent God gave him. In his coaching career he’s had some bad luck and jumped around a bit to find the right head coach that would help him get to his ultimate goal – his own D1 head coaching gig. Marshall, South Florida for a cup of coffee, Arkansas, Drake and Ball State have all be stops. (What role did the Phelps connection have to him coming to Marquette?)

Marquette fans know Travis Diener’s story and the similarities to Wojo college playing career. Travis had the most successful pro playing career of any of the staff members. He’s another one of those guys who maximized the gifts God gave them.
Justin Gainey is one of those overachieving college point guards. He has a NC State connection with Phelps. Gainey worked as a lower level D1 assistant and had bad luck with bosses who were not able to move up. He’s a talented hard working young coach who was looking for a career break when Wojo called.

Jake Presutti is really an entry level guy who has done just about anything to build a career. He started as a walk-on at Syracuse, USA Basketball team clipboard holder, Eastern Michigan entry level guy and Houston Rockets video guy. Can you say this young man knows how to pay his dues?

The bottom line – this staff looks like no other in the history of Marquette Basketball and is probably younger than 90-percent of the high division one staffs in the country. It also has more on court college playing experience than 95-percent of high division one staffs.