While waiting for volleyball to start its match vs. Northern Illinois at the Klotsche Center, here are a few more quotes about Bud Haidet.
Wisconsin and former UWM men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan
"I want to thank Bud Haidet for giving me the opportunity to pursue my coaching career on the Division 1 level. He believed in what we could bring to the team and to the program and he gave us a chance to do it. I will forever be indebted to him for that. Without micro-managing, he was able to give coaches a chance to pursue their ideas and do their own thing and for that I am deeply grateful. I wish him the best of luck in his retirement."
Yale and former UWM soccer coach Brian Tompkins
"Bud saw the department through some lean times in the early years but
always held fast to his vision of making UWM a respected Division One
program. By all objective measures he has succeeded admirably. He gave
me and many other coaches the chance to develop our craft and although
things weren't always easy, the experience was invaluable. Bud can
head into retirement with the knowledge that many people, students,
coaches and administrators alike have been indelibly enriched during
his tenure."
UWM Associate AD and former volleyball coach Kathy Litzau
“One of the greatest things about Bud was the leadership he provided for each of us to do our thing. Certainly the thing that I am probably most thankful for was the work and life balance that he allowed us to have. I think I was the first coach to have kids and he allowed me to bring them in or take the time that I needed and still be in a profession that I loved. He made it very easy for that to occur. I think the commissioner said it best when he said Bud really knew how to locate talent [in hiring coaches]. Everybody knows there is more to it than just the sport. The development of the student-athlete and good academics has always been instilled to us by him. Academically and athletically we have always excelled and he certainly had a lot to do with that.”
UWM Track and Field/Cross Country coach Pete Corfeld
“Besides being here about as long as he has been and being one of his first hires as a coach, I have pretty much seen all of the things he talked about [at the press conference]. Going from NAIA to division three, division two, division one … I have lived all of that and it has brought a big difference over the 20, 21 years the changes have happened. It’s pretty impressive and it’s really cool, as an alum of the university, to see those changes as a coach.”
Loyola Director of Athletics John Planek
“Bud's longevity in this business is a testimony to his hard work, knowledge and dedication to intercollegiate athletics. He will be missed."
Also, in case you haven't caught it yet, you can see coverage from Garry Howard in the Journal Sentinel here and coverage from Mike Kennedy in the UWM Post here.
