Marquette basketball player John Glaser has become the voice of the forum

John Glaser liked to jump into a fray and cause trouble.

That was true on the basketball court as one of Marquette’s all-time leading rebounders. It was also true later in life when he found a voice as a prolific poster on one of the often-raucous MU hoops-related message boards.

Glaser died earlier this week at age 87, leaving behind a unique legacy.

Glaser first gained notice as one of Marquette University’s greatest high school athletes. He was an accomplished high jumper and pole vaulter on the track team, and he used that leaping ability to his role in basketball while relentlessly chasing rebounds. Glaser helped MUHS win the 1954 state basketball championship for private schools under legendary coach Jim Harding.

Glaser then went to MU and competed for the basketball and track teams. He left MU ranked second on the all-time rebounders list, impressive for a guy who stood about 6-foot-3.

“His jumping ability was second to none,” said Pat Foran, chronicler of MUHS sports history. “In the 1950s, you didn’t really keep track of that as a statistic, especially at the high school level, but he was an exceptional rebounder. He used that throughout his college career.”

Glaser got into coaching in the Chicago area, then returned as head coach at MUHS in 1961. In six seasons, he led the Hilltoppers to state championships in 1965 and 1967.

Glaser left coaching in 1967 for the financial industry.

“I could tell you, his players loved him,” Foran said. “Jesuits like to talk about ‘men for others’ and he certainly was an example of service.

“He had talent. He was a very, very good student. I want to point out that he studied business while he was at Marquette U.”

Glaser has expressed strong opinions on the MarquetteHoops.com discussion forum

John Dodds knew Glaser his entire life.

Dodds’ father, Malcolm, preceded Glaser as MUHS basketball coach. Malcolm Dodds and Harding, Glaser’s coach at MUHS, were close friends. Harding later coached the Minnesota Pipers in the American Basketball Association.

“Because Jim Harding was like Uncle Jim to me and Jim Harding was a mentor to (Glaser), I’ve seen (Glaser) my whole life,” Dodds said. “So John Glaser was a household name in our house.”

John Dodds started a basketball discussion forum at Marquette in 1999. Glaser, always an athletics enthusiast, was there as a poster in the early days and followed the forum through its various iterations.

Dodds’ forum is now hosted by 247Sports, and Glaser has remained a constant voice on the site until recent months.

Glaser has posted under the pseudonyms “Gr8one” and “Murfeus”, although he is best known as “Murf”.

“I asked him five times why he chose that name, and he gave me some crazy answers,” Dodds said. “But it was kind of a joke to him.”

Glaser became known for his outlandish views, including a rigid aversion to zone defenses and a belief that good tape work could prevent ankle or knee injuries.

“He loved throwing kerosene on the campfire,” Dodds said. “Marquette signed Travis Diener. And he said, ‘I saw Diener in AAU and he’s nothing more than a dime-a-dozen goalie.’

“So the place, the board, is going crazy. He was very stubborn and he loved to incite people. I would say, John, I want insight, fight, not incite, quote.”

But Glaser also had extensive, long-standing knowledge of the University of Missouri basketball program.

“He really knew basketball because he coached and played,” Dodds said. “So I was like, ‘Hey, John, can you tell me a story about Tex Winter when you were in high school and you watched him when he was the youngest coach in Division 1 when he was at Marquette. He was 29 years old.

“Tell me about Jack Nagle (Glaser’s coach at MU). Tell me about (MU basketball legend) Don Kojis. And when you started watching from afar, tell me about (former MU coach) Eddie Hickey. »

Dodds said former MU coach Tom Crean recently asked Dodds’ board about “Murf” because Glaser was driving Crean crazy with his criticism.

Then there was the 90th anniversary of Marquette basketball in 2007. Former players from every era of MU sought out Glaser at a party, wanting to talk about his rebounding prowess but also his personality on the forum.

“John’s wife, Jane, was there and some guys wanted to come up and say, John, we need to talk to you about what you’re saying on the forum,” Dodds said. “And his wife said, oh no, not this forum yet.

“And he just had this really devilish smile, like, that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”