Thank You Coach Marshall

[Good News]

Yes I draw the distinction you describe; I am not relishing how this sad episode has unfolded. I care deeply for the damage caused to WSU by Marshall's behavior and the failure of relevant University Administrators.

Your choice of Jack Welch is appropriate as IMO Marshall shares many of Welch's personality and management traits. And note that GE replaced Welch with an insider (Immelt) who initially looked good but rapidly exhibited an inability to manage GE. Similar to my post regards Gary Thompson (assistant coach) replacing Ralph Miller (in seven years Shocker Valley record goes from 14-4 to 4-14 while the MVC weakened overall).

Funny cheap shot that I could easily turn on posters who attack me on Shockernet. Organizations I have built and managed in the US and globally involved more than a few "...stuffed animals arranged around a card table..."

Yes, plans have to be fluid as circumstances will definitely change; witness Forbes and Jans. Forbes goes to ETSU establishes a great record and is hired by Wake Forest; Jans becomes HC at BG performs well but gets fired for a clear public lapse in judgment.

I have no strong feelings regards Boatright but I post with confidence that given my limited knowledge/experience of/with Boatright's management skills Welch would have already fired him for incompetence if Welch were managing WSU.

Edit: to provide clarity that I have limited interaction with Boatright but given Marshall's public statements about retiring at age 60 Boatright should have prepared more than a "what if list." I share your opinion that Welch contributed to GE's decline.

I didn’t ask whether you cared about damage to WSU or your disappointment, I asked whether you understood that we’re not going to attract the same candidates with an abrupt resignation during a pandemic with media damage as we would with a planned retirement with continued success.

I will give you credit though for deflecting – good management skills.

Not to get too far afield, but my hot take is that Welch was highly overrated. And that’s repeating the opinion of guys who knew him personally and came from his socioeconomic class, not mine. Or you can reference Buffett and Munger laughing about GE’s rotational culture and how they would never destroy value like that at BRK.

Anyway

What exactly should Boatright have had ready more than a “what if” list, at least 3 years out from a planned Marshall retirement? And let’s be honest, if that guy had a loaded roster with the wind at his back he was going to lay waste to the all time coaching wins list, so it wasn't really 3 years.

Coaches turn over every year. P5 coaches have a 3 year runway for not making the tournament before they get fired. The best ones are entrenched. You can’t call around because then you’re known as a jackal.

So… what would you propose?

For what it’s worth, I like your posts even though I don’t agree with them. Same with the initiative to contact the university directly.

Just back it up.

Which you aren’t, so far.

[Shocker1976]

I didn’t ask whether you cared about damage to WSU or your disappointment, I asked whether you understood that we’re not going to attract the same candidates with an abrupt resignation during a pandemic with media damage as we would with a planned retirement with continued success.

I will give you credit though for deflecting – good management skills.

Not to get too far afield, but my hot take is that Welch was highly overrated. And that’s repeating the opinion of guys who knew him personally and came from his socioeconomic class, not mine. Or you can reference Buffett and Munger laughing about GE’s rotational culture and how they would never destroy value like that at BRK.

Anyway

What exactly should Boatright have had ready more than a “what if” list, at least 3 years out from a planned Marshall retirement? And let’s be honest, if that guy had a loaded roster with the wind at his back he was going to lay waste to the all time coaching wins list, so it wasn't really 3 years.

Coaches turn over every year. P5 coaches have a 3 year runway for not making the tournament before they get fired. The best ones are entrenched. You can’t call around because then you’re known as a jackal.

So… what would you propose?

For what it’s worth, I like your posts even though I don’t agree with them. Same with the initiative to contact the university directly.

Just back it up.

Which you aren’t, so far.

You asked a nuanced question and I gave you a more direct answer but still nuanced. Unsatisfied you now provide clarity to the question you want answered with a direct response. Is WSU "...going to attract the same candidates with an abrupt resignation during a pandemic with media damage as we would with a planned retirement with continued success." The answer is clearly no WSU is going to encounter greater difficulty in finding a coach of the caliber required to continue the growth of the MBB program.

Is finding such a replacement possible? IMO of course it is. WSU's replacement of its icon baseball coach (a man who built the program from scratch not just returning it to a successful pathway) is a perfect example. Hopefully though WSU will avoid the hiring mistake made with Butler before hiring Eric Wedge.

Is Boatright qualified to create and manage this replacement effort is the question before WSU at the moment. Boatright did recruit and hire Wedge so he has that fact and success in his corner; however, his degree of complicity in permitting Marshall to behave as he did in managing Shocker basketball may prove to be an unnecessary burden for the university to carry.

WSU has not indicated Boatright has a succession plan ready to be executed, so an interim coach is hired until such a plan can be developed and executed. Boatright's interview in The Sunflower signals that he is not qualified which may have contributed to some posters on this board concluding Jans is the best coach WSU can find and hire - who really knows?

My take on Welch is slightly different than yours. I think Welch demonstrated that he possessed the skills required to move his organization to the top of its field. Unfortunately, Welch like other leaders who arrived at the pinnacle of success in their chosen field fell prey to "believing in their own infallibility."

[Kung Wu]

Who would have known that just a few months after this photo was taken, I would be dragging this four year old to Atlanta?

Thanks for the memories Coach Marshall.

[NCAABound]

Got the hair of a 40 year old KW!

and i mean that in a good way!

[ShockAzs]

That is a great pic Kung

[shock-it-to-me]

So several weeks ago, I probably would’ve been slightly more in the camp which was in favor of Marshalls removal as head coach. However, I’ve had a change of heart. An astute poster somewhere recently said, just collect all of the players who have come out for him and against him and look at the characteristics of those two groups. But one particular player really, really stands out to me now and that is TE. That kid just impresses the absolute heck out of me. Work ethic, attitude, he’s the real deal. And he seems to be pretty pro Marshall. Of course none of us were there so we have to rely on individuals who were, so if Tyson was in support of Marshall, that’s really all I need to know.

[ShockingButTrue]

So several weeks ago, I probably would’ve been slightly more in the camp which was in favor of Marshalls removal as head coach. However, I’ve had a change of heart. An astute poster somewhere recently said, just collect all of the players who have come out for him and against him and look at the characteristics of those two groups. But one particular player really, really stands out to me now and that is TE. That kid just impresses the absolute heck out of me. Work ethic, attitude, he’s the real deal. And he seems to be pretty pro Marshall. Of course none of us were there so we have to rely on individuals who were, so if Tyson was in support of Marshall, that’s really all I need to know.

GGG appeared to be blindsided a little? That's how it looked to several people, myself included.

[ABC]

DB doesn't survive.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

DB doesn't survive.

I hope you are right. I hope it's sooner than later. Don't want him anywhere near the hiring of the next permanent mens basketball coach.

[Shockadaisical]

So several weeks ago, I probably would’ve been slightly more in the camp which was in favor of Marshalls removal as head coach. However, I’ve had a change of heart. An astute poster somewhere recently said, just collect all of the players who have come out for him and against him and look at the characteristics of those two groups. But one particular player really, really stands out to me now and that is TE. That kid just impresses the absolute heck out of me. Work ethic, attitude, he’s the real deal. And he seems to be pretty pro Marshall. Of course none of us were there so we have to rely on individuals who were, so if Tyson was in support of Marshall, that’s really all I need to know.

I'm generally not going to back someone who has thrown a punch at a player or choked an assistant coach. Unless you believe that this was all just some grand conspiracy to get him fired, in that case , let's start a conspiracy theory thread. I have no doubt that there are players who are of good character who support him, he was obviously a great teacher of the game and motivator. That doesn't change the fact that he made some poor decisions that will cost you a job pretty much anywhere In the country. In fact I would go as far to say that if he wasn't at a place that allowed him to get away with some of it and to hold so much power, he probably would have been gone earlier. If he was a total raging A-hole 24-7 , no one would be in support of him. He had his moments when he crossed lines he shouldn't have.

[bleed yellow]

I think the hardest part to grasp about all of it is that Marshall went from probably getting a banner and maybe a statue of himself after he eventually retired to someone the university can't support moving forward. If the success can be sustained 20 years from now there won't be banners or statues of a coach that elevated WSU to a force to be reckoned with in college basketball, just the stories us fans like to tell

[Thecoffeecake]

You guys could easily more than double McDermott's salary, any reason his name hasn't been brought up? Or has it? Genuinely asking, I don't know if it sounds like a dumb question. I've just been wondering why I haven't heard that come up even once.

[shock]

You guys could easily more than double McDermott's salary, any reason his name hasn't been brought up? Or has it? Genuinely asking, I don't know if it sounds like a dumb question. I've just been wondering why I haven't heard that come up even once.

Idk. WSU likes defense and not paying players...

[ShockingButTrue]

I'm generally not going to back someone who has thrown a punch at a player or choked an assistant coach. Unless you believe that this was all just some grand conspiracy to get him fired, in that case , let's start a conspiracy theory thread. I have no doubt that there are players who are of good character who support him, he was obviously a great teacher of the game and motivator. That doesn't change the fact that he made some poor decisions that will cost you a job pretty much anywhere In the country. In fact I would go as far to say that if he wasn't at a place that allowed him to get away with some of it and to hold so much power, he probably would have been gone earlier. If he was a total raging A-hole 24-7 , no one would be in support of him. He had his moments when he crossed lines he shouldn't have.

Not knocking your opinion at all, but there's one person who did back that coach who knew the whole story, and it was Shaq upon leaving the program 2 years after the incident happened, when he had nothing but complimentary things to say about what that coach did for him as a player and person. So was he lying then (about respecting GGG), or now (that's rhetorical)?

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

You guys could easily more than double McDermott's salary, any reason his name hasn't been brought up? Or has it? Genuinely asking, I don't know if it sounds like a dumb question. I've just been wondering why I haven't heard that come up even once.

Gee, I wonder. I think it has to do with the fact that we'd like to see the Shox consistently make the NCAA tournament and make it past the round of 32. Given his underachieving when it matters and paying players, he'd probably be a better fit at KU.