I spoke to Crean on the phone for a story about Dennis Gates that should run in a few days. (Crean hired Gates to his first college coaching job when he was at Marquette.) At the end of the conversation, I asked him about the challenges of stepping up to a high-major job and how he saw Gates handling it. Here is what he had to say. And yes, like most coaches, Crean really liked Cuonzo Martin and you'll see that in his answer, but I do think there's some value in getting the perspective of a guy who has been a high-major college basketball coach for a long time.
"I think in this case of Dennis, there’s gotta be an alignment. Like, it’s gotta work for this administration with him. And so you have that — and I think he connects well with that. I think he really does. I think you can win at Missouri. I think Cuonzo won there. I mean, he just did. He went to the tournament a year ago. But you bring in somebody new, and it’s a whole different deal, and they’ve got a whole different way of seeing it. And I think it’s going to be really, really important that they get behind him, that they give him the support that he needs with NIL. One of the first conversations that I would have is I would be at Jon Sundvold’s house tonight. Because Jon Sundvold loves Missouri and can connect so many dots. And I think if you get that, I think it gives you a chance. It really does. I mean, that’s a great state to recruit from. We had players at Indiana in OG Anunoby and Juwan Morgan that weren’t really even recruited by Missouri. … So, I mean, there’s a lot of talent in there. But people are going to have to get behind it, and know that what you want to get done can get done at Missouri. But he’s going to need more support than I think Cuonzo got. And I’m not there, obviously. I’m not there. But with a new coach, there shouldn’t be any question that they give him great support. ... But I think they just gotta get behind him, get that arena filled again and really help him with the NIL. Because this league, as you’re seeing, is an extreme challenge, just to put it mildly.”
"I think in this case of Dennis, there’s gotta be an alignment. Like, it’s gotta work for this administration with him. And so you have that — and I think he connects well with that. I think he really does. I think you can win at Missouri. I think Cuonzo won there. I mean, he just did. He went to the tournament a year ago. But you bring in somebody new, and it’s a whole different deal, and they’ve got a whole different way of seeing it. And I think it’s going to be really, really important that they get behind him, that they give him the support that he needs with NIL. One of the first conversations that I would have is I would be at Jon Sundvold’s house tonight. Because Jon Sundvold loves Missouri and can connect so many dots. And I think if you get that, I think it gives you a chance. It really does. I mean, that’s a great state to recruit from. We had players at Indiana in OG Anunoby and Juwan Morgan that weren’t really even recruited by Missouri. … So, I mean, there’s a lot of talent in there. But people are going to have to get behind it, and know that what you want to get done can get done at Missouri. But he’s going to need more support than I think Cuonzo got. And I’m not there, obviously. I’m not there. But with a new coach, there shouldn’t be any question that they give him great support. ... But I think they just gotta get behind him, get that arena filled again and really help him with the NIL. Because this league, as you’re seeing, is an extreme challenge, just to put it mildly.”
