Bob Lutz: Texas will likely want Gregg Marshall, but will he want Texas?

It’s the time of year when Wichita State basketball fans wish they could throw their cellphones in the nearest body of water.

The Internet is awash in speculation about where Gregg Marshall might be headed. It’s Gregg Marshall Is Being Wooed season and you can bet that Texas will be batting its big ol’ eyelashes in short order.

The Longhorns reportedly are cutting Rick Barnes loose after 17 seasons, 16 of which the Longhorns landed in the NCAA Tournament. But Texas hasn’t been doing quite enough of late to keeps its fan base or its athletic director content.

And when Texas chases a coach, it chases big. You’ll probably hear Bill Self’s name crop up. Sean Miller of Arizona will get mentioned.

But Marshall is going to be at or near the top of the Longhorns’ list. There will be a lot of money on the table. And this is one of just a handful of jobs that make some sense for Marshall.

As with anything, there are pros and cons.

Pros: Austin is a big-time city. Despite Barnes’ success, following him won’t be an issue. The Longhorns will soon have a new, state-of-the-art arena. Texas is in a power conference, the Big 12. The Texas coach can walk into any living room in the country and get a nice piece of pecan pie from the mother of a high-level recruit.

Cons: Texas is a football school and basketball pales in comparison. Help me think of another.

Not that Texas is the perfect basketball job. And let’s acknowledge that Marshall has a great job where he is. He’s helped make Wichita State a plum and makes lots of money.

In talking to Marshall about his coaching future over the years, several things have stood out.

▪ He’s always expressed his love and appreciation for his job, but has never said he wouldn’t be open to another opportunity. He’s been willing to listen and has done so concerning several openings over the years. But it’s always been with the understanding that the situation he has in Wichita will be tough to top.

▪ Marshall has said numerous times that he doesn’t want to coach “forever.” That word can be interpreted many ways, but for me it’s meant that he would probably not be someone who is still coaching when he’s 65. He’s 52 now.

▪ The opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament is a must for Marshall. And he’s been able to lead the Shockers to the tourney four years in a row, three of those as an at-large team. But even when Texas has a mediocre season, by Texas standards, the Longhorns get into the tournament. It’s almost a given because of their Big 12 status.

▪ I’ve always felt Marshall wanted one more big challenge in his coaching career. Not a rebuilding job, but a challenge. Texas offers just that. The Longhorns don’t need a coach to come in and blow things up. They need a proven coach who can recruit talent and get the most out of players. Marshall has never recruited the kind of blue-chippers he would have an opportunity to go after at Texas.

▪ Marshall is one of the most confident coaches – most confident people – I’ve ever been around. Being the coach at Texas would not faze him. He has a big personality and a big ego, which isn’t a criticism. Name a successful coach or person who doesn’t. And there’s more room for all of that in Texas. Marshall is a gregarious, good guy whose sense of humor and charisma would play anywhere. And if you think he would be scared off by the size of Texas football, think again. That kind of stuff just doesn’t matter to Marshall.

Marshall could have a preseason Top 10 team at Wichita State next season. Trust me, he knows that. If Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet return – and there is some doubt about that, especially Baker – the Shockers will be loaded with transfer Conner Frankamp, some top-notch recruits and a season under the belt for the likes of Shaq Morris, Rashard Kelly and Zach Brown. Evan Wessel and his toughness return, too.

The Shockers’ cupboard could be loaded with fun treats.

After Wichita State’s loss to Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Cleveland, Marshall was asked about the future. He gets asked about the future more than a fortune teller.

“I control what I can control,” he said. “I just want Ron and Fred … I just want them to do the best they can do for them, their families and to be wise with their decisions.

“There are a lot of decisions to be made, but we’ve all got to control what we can control and hopefully it works out for the best for all of us.”

It’s hard to tell where cryptic messages about all of this stuff may be looming. Perhaps there are none. But paranoia runs deep for Shocker fans annually now after WSU is knocked out of the tournament and Marshall’s resume glistens more each year.

He’s a commodity. Athletic directors at other, high-profile schools want to talk to him. They want to entice him.

So far, Marshall hasn’t found anything he likes more than Wichita State. But Texas is attractive enough to make any man’s knees weaken.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Bob Lutz: Texas will likely want Gregg Marshall, but will he want Texas?."