Marquette honors former coach Tom Crean with his name in the rafters

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- At halftime of Marquette's 70-55 win over Butler on National Marquette day, the team honored its former head coach Tom Crean by raising a banner with his name to the rafters of Fiserv Forum.

Crean spent nine seasons with the Golden Eagles leading the program to its last Final Four in 2003. He has a career record of 190-96 at Marquette. His 190 wins are the third most in program history by a coach. He helped Marquette make the NCAA tournament 5 times, including the Final Four appearance. He also helped the program navigate to the Big East in 2005-06.

He joins a select list of names to have banners inside Fiserv Forum, including the all-time winningest coach in program history, Al McGuire.

"I would have never imagined that" said Crean. "I always looked up to those guys."

His 2005-06 team was also honored and several players from his time as a coach came back for the recognition. Crean says he is most proud of his players, the memories they made and all of their accomplishments in life.

"It's amazing how quick it all comes back. And really in any great team, any great organization you pick up right from where you left off when you get around each other. Incredible honor to be back and to have my name up there. just incredible," says Crean.  

"It's a big honor for each guy that played under Coach Crean. We understand what he meant to us first and foremost as a figure. some roles, as a father figure, obviously as a coach a mentor. Everything he meant to us," says Dwyane Wade, who played two seasons for Crean from 2001-03. "We've been able to celebrate team success, which is the goal and from there some individuals have been able to have some success and get banners raised. But this is one of the most important ones for us, I know myself, to watch my coach get his banner raised because he deserves it."

Marquette also plans to honor all-time leading scorer Markus Howard when the Golden Eagles take on DePaul on March 1.