Buzz to A&M? Why I'm Not Convinced I Should Be Concerned

by Rubie Q on May 10, 2011 9:45 AM CDT in Rumormongering

In the wake of the news that (now former) Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon has accepted Maryland's offer to replace the recently retired Gary Williams, there's been some mild to moderate concern expressed that Marquette coach Buzz Williams, a former assistant at A&M and Texas native, might be interested in the TAMU coaching job. Some of that concern, of course, is fueled by the predictable and incessant (and apparently sourceless) speculation of Badger Boy Andy Katz, who was quick to stoke the "Hey, Buzz at A&M would make a lot of sense" fires last night.

For m'self, and only m'self: I'm not convinced that I should be worried. At least not yet. Here's why:

The following is a list of the coaches that Texas A&M has employed since 1963:

Shelby Metcalf (who coached there for 26 years until he was fired in 1990);
John Thornton (who finished the year after Metcalf was dumped);
Kermit Davis, Jr. who left Idaho to take over in College Station;
Tony Barone, hired away from Creighton;
Melvin Watkins, who came from Charlotte;
Billy Gillispie, who jumped from UTEP;
and Turgeon, who was lured away from Wichita State.

If you're scoring at home, that's five coaches making the move from mid-major-dom to take the reins at A&M. Not one of them came from a power conference, and not one of them made the (at best) lateral move that Coach Buzz would be making to take the Aggies job.

The other thing that has me unconcerned: I know Coach Buzz is on record as saying that he's never made a decision based on money and that the dollars will never be a primary motivating factor for him, but let's be honest: it has to matter a little bit, doesn't it? And if that's the case, A&M hasn't shown that it's willing to spend the kind of money that gets people's attention: Turgeon, for example, made $1.5 million this year, a bump of about $300,000 from 2009. What's more, A&M's football coach, Mike Sherman, makes $1.8 million, which places him firmly in the middle of the pack amongst Big XII coaches. Maybe A&M makes the leap and ponies up the kind of cash that Rick Barnes gets at Texas, but I'm not holding my breath.

All this being said, of course, the unknown element at this point is whether Coach Buzz and his family want to go home. Maybe that pull is strong enough to overcome a sizable salary difference and the prospects of what looks like a significant rebuilding project for a football-first school, but again: I'm not worried. Yet.

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I'd hold off on that rebuilding project comment.

Turgeon’s the first A&M coach to ever make 3 straight NCAA appearances.

Restoring carousel. Come help.

by Brewtown Andy on May 10, 2011 9:54 AM CDT reply actions

But are kids going to follow him to Maryland?

There are sure to be defections with Turgeon leaving. There always are.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on May 10, 2011 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Couple of Items

A&M looks to be Top 3 in the Big XII next year b/c Texas loses a lot

The A&M job is much more attractive than it’s been in the past. They have made a commitment to basketball with a new arena. Additionally, Texas is much improved and you can’t underestimate A&M’s burning passion to beat the Longhorns in anything from football to jacks.

A&M has loads of money to spend. They have a huge and dedicated alumni base and draw 90k+ for football. But, will they spend it on basketball? Shelling out $2MM+ for a basketball coach would probably draw Sherman’s attention away from the philly cheese steak currently sitting on his desk.

Despite this, I don’t believe Buzz will go. The timing after the contract extension is terrible. Also, does he want to coach against Billy Gillespie every year?

"When a guy takes off his coat, he's not going to fight. When a guy takes off his wristwatch, watch out!"
- Al McGuire
www.anonymouseagle.com

by Warrior Brad on May 10, 2011 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions

The thing about Texas is they don't rebuild......they reload

They may be losing alot, but I guarantee there are guys in the waiting or will soon arrive in Austin. I’m not sayin’ A&M won’t be better the UT, but to essentially dismiss them from being a contender is a bit foolish IMO

by Mr.McCarter on May 10, 2011 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

ESPN lists 15 guys on the A&M roster

Only 6 are from outside Texas. And two of them are from Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Both incoming recruits for A&M are from Texas.

And Turgeon kept all of Gillespie’s recruits when he started.

Restoring carousel. Come help.

by Brewtown Andy on May 10, 2011 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions

If it wasn't Maryland...

I think both Jamal Branch (Arlington, TX) and Jordan Green (Flower Mound, TX) would be much more willing to follow Turge. Staying close to home is a big factor, and there’s also the fact that Branch has been committed for over 2 years. College Station is a second home for him at this point. I’d say the likelihood of keeping those recruits would be in the 90% range, especially if a coach like Buzz showed up.

by Stewade on May 10, 2011 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

And last year was his 4th straight.

Not quite a rebuilding project. Turge said he thought he was leaving behind his best team in his four years, and A&M is consistently ranked in the (early) preseason polls…some ahead of Marquette.

by Stewade on May 10, 2011 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions

And again: I understand all that.

But I don’t think your team is going to look the same in a month. Maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t remember the last time that a program didn’t lose at least a couple recruits/players when the coach bailed.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on May 10, 2011 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree with you Rub

Most kids don’t committ because of the school……they committ because of the coach/staff. So I would expect a couple of kids to defect……especially those high school seniors that haven’t even stepped onto campus yet. The new recruits is typically where a program gets hit the hardest after a coaching change. And it’s not just for the ’11 class as most if not all coaching staffs are hard after kids for the ’12 and ’13 classes as well so A&M will suddenly lose kids on that front as well.

by Mr.McCarter on May 10, 2011 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions

See my post above.

I would normally agree with you, but you have to know the two recruits’ individual situations to make that argument. Both are Texas kids, both have been committed for a long time (Branch for nearly 3 years), and both already have a great relationship with the A&M players. Again, I’d say there’s a 90% chance they stay if the right coach is hired. The only current player that would possibly make the leap would be Naji Hibbert, who’s actually FROM Maryland.

by Stewade on May 10, 2011 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Faust is from the Baltimore area, yet it looks like he is going to decommitt from Maryland. Just sayin'.

Time will tell regarding Texas A&M

by Mr.McCarter on May 10, 2011 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions

True, time will tell.

The one I’m most scared about is Branch. I’d be surprised if he bolted after a solid coaching hire, but not shocked. He and Turge had a close relationship, and he’s a stud, former 5-star recruit. It would be pretty devastating for A&M fans, who have been waiting for him to arrive for literally 3 years. We shall see…

by Stewade on May 10, 2011 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions