Marquette hires Wojciechowski as new basketball coach
Longtime Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski gets his first head-coaching position.
MARQUETTE found its replacement for Buzz Williams in Mike Krzyzewski's coaching tree.
The Golden Eagles introduced Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski as their next men's basketball coach yesterday, with Krzyzewski's longtime righthand man saying he wants to follow his mentor's lead while bringing his new program to similar heights.
Krzyzewski "allowed me to understand just how fun and incredible the game of basketball is, but when used the right way, how it can change your life," Wojciechowski said during his introductory news conference in Milwaukee. "I hope to do that here at Marquette."
University president-elect Michael Lovell called Wojciechowski, 37, "a winner on the court.
He replaces Williams, who left for Virginia Tech last month after leading Marquette to a 139-69 record and five NCAA Tournament appearances in six seasons. The Golden Eagles missed the tournament this year.
"I wasn't going to leave [Duke] for just any job," Wojciechowski said. "I was only going to leave for a job that I thought is the perfect job for me, and I feel like Marquette is that place."
The Golden Eagles, picked to win the reconfigured Big East this season, finished sixth in the 10-team league with a 17-15 record and had their 8-year run of NCAA Tournament appearances snapped.
Noteworthy
* LSU post player and leading scorer Johnny O'Bryant III, who has been projected as a late first-round or second-round draft pick, announced he will bypass his senior season and make himself eligible for the NBA draft. O'Bryant averaged a career-high 15.4 points to go with 7.7 rebounds this season.
* Tennessee is reworking the contract of coach Cuonzo Martin, who said he intends to remain with the Volunteers. Martin is 63-41 in three seasons at Tennessee, including a 24-13 mark and NCAA regional semifinal appearance this season. Martin makes $1.35 million per year, which ranks him in the bottom half of Southeastern Conference coaches.
* Oregon assistant coach Brian Fish will be the coach at Montana State. Fish, a native of Seymour, Ind., has been an assistant coach for 25 years.