MILWAUKEE -- Marquette head basketball coach Buzz Williams has known hard times, but he has worked his way up to the top of his profession, and has managed to stay true to himself in a world where that can be hard to do.
There are many sides to Marquette University basketball coach Buzz Williams. He has the memory of an elephant - spouting off memorized statistics in press conferences like it's nothing! The 39-year-old Texan has bachelors and masters degrees in kinesiology, and many say he's too hip to be square - taking part in a sidelines dance after a Darius Odom dunk - one that earned Buzz national acclaim!
Williams got the nickname "Buzz" because he buzzed around the basketball team so much while attending Navarro College. Williams is a spiritual man, who says his faith guides him every step of the way, such as when trying to determine whether to red-shirt injured center Chris Otule. "He can play again, but I've got to find peace that it's the right thing for his future. I have told him to pray for peace on what he feels is right, relative to his future, and I'm trying to find peace with that as well," Williams said.
There is no doubting how much love the coach has for his players, especially Otule and Junior Cadugan, who have been with him since day one. "I don't have more love for Jun and Chris than the others. They are really special human beings though. If you really knew their story you would stand at attention. It is some real-life, hard-core, make you want to cry stuff," Williams said.
Williams is a husband, father of four, and father-figure to every one of his players. "My purpose is to help these guys grow relative to their playing career, but more important, relative to their life, and I think the people that I hire, that I put around these guys, are just as important as me. I think the complexion of the roster, relative to talent, is less important than the complexion of the roster relative to the character of the kids that are going to be around one another," Williams said.
Williams has reached lofty heights as a coach. He has the contract to prove it. Yet, he's remained grounded in a world where it's easy to get carried away with self. "I've never asked for anything. I don't have an agent. That is really immature in this business. Even though I have great protection, it's still really immature. I wouldn't advise that to anybody. I've been really fortunate and unbelievably blessed,
Blessed beyond his wildest dreams, Williams believes you always know the true character of someone when they are dead broke, or really rich. Williams has known both, so he doesn't plan on veering off-course as a human being. "I think I will walk away if I feel like I'm changing. Regardless of my age, regardless of my location. Because that is not what this is. It's not about me. It's not about my socio-economic status or the number of wins, or the league that we play in," Williams said.
Williams says he feels the way to do that in the high-profile business he lives in is to keep his priorities in order. "I'm going to have quiet time every day for an hour. I am going to work out every day for an hour. I am going to read every day for an hour. I am going to take my kids to school three days out of the week. I am going to put my kids to bed the other three days out of the week. I am trying. I am really trying to do a lot better at taking care of myself, and that has really been a struggle," Williams said.