Quote Originally Posted by BLT View Post
Him and his Final 4 year are already in. Personally? I would take Rick first for his total coaching contributions. Heck, one could make the case of Buzz before Crean based on results (won the Big East, 3 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8, players in the NBA, fastest coach to 100 wins, winning %, etc.), although that would never happen for other reasons.

For whatever reasons, and I think it is wrong, Crean has a tarnished record at MU. I think it is also wrong that he has been erased from the timeline video, but the booing is a downer. He left a lot of bad blood.

I'm sorry but Crean's record at MU is way better than Rick's. Rick is a great guy and all, represented MU well, and his "failures" were not really his fault, but standing side by side, Crean simply accomplished more.

Crean seems like an easy guy to dislike. I never met him, but from others I know who have say he comes off a bit like a used car salesman. His recruiting was up and down. For instance, MU gets to the Final Four but never builds off of it. He can't seem to take that next step. And he looks a bit like a pretty boy.

And the way he departed left some people with a bad taste. But many of those same people think O'Neil was a great yet his departure was completely classless.

But I think Gato is right. If he would have turned down IU and still at MU, he would still have been successful.