Marshall turned down $3 MM offer from MU

[WSUwatcher]

Excellent question, pie. Why soon, indeed?

[Rlh04d]

Am I the only one who is disappointed that the MU job changed the media narrative on 3G? It used to be "he's happy, treated very well, and may possibly retire at WSU". Now it is "when a better job shows up in the next couple of years". What exactly happened here?

Success.

With this last season, Marshall pushed himself out of the upper-mid-tier level. The previous narrative was one being used for a mid-major coach that was very happy staying in Wichita rather than being paid $2 million a year at a Big 7 school. It sounds complimentary to WSU, but it's also still factoring in Marshall as a "mid-major coach." He's bucking the general trend of those types of coaches, but he's still a "mid-major coach."

He's now in elite coach territory as the national coach of the year. The media narrative has changed accordingly to an assumption that the type of jobs he'll be offered will be in excess of $3 million a year and at major, elite universities.

Basically, the media's just realized how many more opportunities he's going to have moving forward. And while they could imagine him staying at WSU given the previous level of opportunities, they can't see it at this new level.

[wsushox1]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

[ripemupshocks]

I think this latest revelation changes the narrative for the better. Instead of "there were meetings" which sounds like 3G has interest, it changes to "he turned down a 70% raise to stay at WSU."

To put it in perspective, that's like going from 50k to 85k, or from 70k to 120k. (comparing 3m to 1.75m) Yes, I know that once you get into the millions, at some point money loses it's value, but how many people would really turn that down?

The article said:

Not to quibble, but 3G's compensation package here, even without incentive bonuses, is certainly worth more than $1.75m. Hell, tooling around on one of those Business Jets he's supplied with (per contract), even a small one, ain't cheap: www.jets.com/fleet-access-jet-card. Then there's all the insurance, pension, annuity payments, kids college fund payments. That's all guaranteed. Then you start throwing in a little incentive money, and 3G's guaranteed pay package here and what Misery offered wouldn't be all that far apart. Certainly not worth pissing off the wife and kids by moving them, and the hassle of starting all over again with a potential loser. And as I've said before, there's the job security of a seven year rolling contract. That's worth a hell of a lot more than $3.0m per year with the risk of getting fired after only three.

So are you saying that the $3m per year would be including incentives? I assumed that it was a $3m base rate and that the difference in incentives wouldn't make that much of a difference. But I could be wrong. And it's not that big of a deal anyway. If you include those it does start to close the gap considerably, I understand.

Obviously I don't know what was discussed between 3G and Misery, so I could be wrong. I also don't know how accurate the article is. But the word in the article that I keyed on was "offer". In my experience, when an offer is made by a potential employer, that is everything I can expect to receive from that employer. Nothing more. Nothing less. But like you said, it's not a big deal.

[Bluzrover]

3G comes in at number 25 in a review of the highest paid BB coaches in the country according to Norlander at CBS http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ege-basketball.

I think that is just part of what keeps him at Wichita State as we've all debated and discussed her. So you look at that list and it seems to me that the first four would be perhaps the only schools with deep college BB tradition that might lure him away. I mean, he turned down UCLA afterall.

On another note, who knew Coach K gets close to $10M a year? Wow, just wow.

[WuShock16]

I am not worried about Kansas. Even if Self were to leave (and there is no indication of that happening anytime soon), there is enough tension between 3G and the Beaker administration/fans (remember Chickenhawks?) plus former KU guys like Tad Boyle and Danny Manning would probably be fan favorites to take over (notice who I didn't include) that I don't think Gregg will be rocking any chalk in Lawrence.

[ISASO]

KU would bring Red Auerbach or John Wooden back from the dead before they would consider a HoF caliber coach from Wichita State, like you know, Ralph Miller or Gregg Marshall :)

[WuShock16]

When did they turn down Ralph Miller? Wasn't he a KU graduate?

[ciaomichael]

Who knows what's stirring in the heart of a middle aged man? Sometimes, the outward signs may not tell much. Heck sometimes their closest friends may not really know what they're really thinking.

I think what really satisfies the good coaches is the time with their players - mainly, the time spent in practices spent teaching the game. Like really good teachers, it's the satisfaction of helping to develop, shape and motivate a young life that is the essence of what they do and where their sense of self-worth ultimately derives. Sure, the trappings of the job maybe add a little spice and interest, but that's not what they will look back on.

Heck, I have little idea what really makes Gregg Marshall tick. My sense is he's a pretty complex person. Clearly competitive, meticulous and intelligent. From outward signs, as others have mentioned, seems like a great family man. Now, exactly were money fits into his hierarchy of values is difficult to tell.

As fans, all we can accept is to live with the uncertainty. For some reason, I doubt there will ever come a day where we can completely relax and declare that Coach Marshall is here for the rest of his career. Heck, even Coach Wooden admitted even he didn't know the day he was going to quit until he found himself telling his players right before his last NCAA championship game in 1975. Now if such a principled and centered man as John Wooden had some uncertainty up until the last day of his career, why should we expect anything more of any coach?

[WSUwatcher]

A better question is, why not relax? Marshall is here and he wants to be here. He's shown no interest in leaving, has a great thing going, and has rebuffed overtures that according to the stereotype, would have had him out of here long ago. Besides, we can't control what WSU's administration or Marshall do, so why worry about it?

I'm not at all concerned, and I'm completely relaxed. If a time comes when Marshall decides to retire from somewhere other than WSU, I'll think about it then, and the program will be in a condition and with resources to attract a quality successor. But for now, the only reason I'm wasting even this much time on it is to encourage others to relax and be happy, too.

[pie n eye]

I'm not worried.

[im4wsu]

When Marshall was asked to boil down his goals for the season into one word, his word was "Appreciate."

At the beginning of the practice session two seasons ago, Marshall said, "In about 5 minutes, I'm going to do what I really like to do. Teach." You can take away all of the other parts of being a coach and he wouldn't care. He does it all so he can teach, develop, mold, build, etc.

IMHO, "teach" may be the single most important characteristic that will keep Marshall happy at Wichita State. With a handful of blue-chippers on a squad, "blending" may be more important than "teaching." That player that is unwilling to submit to being taught will be the source of dissatisfaction that can crumble the regime that Marshall has built.

At WSU, Marshall has the support of the administration, the fans, and the city to recruit those players that are willing to submit to the teaching, and Marshall can APPRECIATE that.

[Shocker-maniac]

When Marshall was asked to boil down his goals for the season into one word, his word was "Appreciate."

At WSU, Marshall has the support of the administration, the fans, and the city to recruit those players that are willing to submit to the teaching, and Marshall can APPRECIATE that.

I appreciate his appreciation.

[pogo]

I appreciate his appreciation.

And conversely I think he appreciates our appreciation.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I appreciate that you all appreciate his appreciation of our appreciation.