The funny thing is, I think other teams thought Tennessee had an up and coming coach before the 3 week run. Martin is respected in the coaching community.
The problem with Howland is that he is damaged goods. His reputation as a coach was in the toilet at the end of his U.C.L.A. run. His teams had a reputation as being undisciplined on and off the court. He wasn't winning big with big time talent, and his players were constantly in the news. I think this is why Marquette would be willing to buy Martin out and pay him instead of just paying Howland.