The 2008-09 season marked Buzz Williams' inaugural season as the Warriors' head coach.

Buzz inherited a veteran team that won 25 games the previous year and returned four starters, including 3 highly-touted seniors, two of whom had previously flirted with early NBA departures. By the end of the season, Jerel McNeal was Marquette's all-time leader in scoring and steals, while Dominic James finished third points, second in assists and fourth in steals. Wesley Matthews finished his career as Marquette's all-time leader in made free throws and was eighth in scoring. Williams also inherited Lazar Hayward, who is on pace to be amongst Marquette's all-time leaders in scoring and rebounding.

Expectations were high for a group of seniors who had made the NCAA tournament the previous three seasons, but only managed one win under Tom Crean. The team started out strong and was ranked throughout the season, but when Dominic James broke his foot during the opening minutes of the Connecticut game on February 25th, it started a downward trend. Marquette played their remaining regular season opponents close, but could not pull out a win against any of their highly-ranked opponents. Their season-ending slide dropped them to fifth in the Big East standings, with a surging Villanova squad moving up to fourth, which gave them a two-day bye for the Big East Tournament.

Marquette managed to beat St. John's on the second day of the Big East Tournament, but lost to the Final Four-bound Villanova Wildcats on a last-second shot the next day. Marquette received a favorable seed in the NCAA tournament, but a tough draw in a Utah State team, whose boisterous fans would travel very well to Boise, Idaho. Marquette managed to get past Utah State and faced Missouri in the second round. The night before the game, it was announced that Dominic James would be available to play. James ended up playing less than 20 minutes and did not score, but was able to end his Marquette career on his terms. Marquette lost a close game to a Missouri team that ended up dismantling a Memphis squad in the Sweet Sixteen, who many had predicted to be contenders for a national title.

• Most BIG EAST Network local and syndicated games were available on ESPN Full Court, MASN, SNY, and/or MSG.

• Marquette was in discussions with UW-Green Bay in 2007 for a multi-season agreement which did not occur.

• After Tom Crean abandoned Marquette in April 2008, Nick Williams and Tyshawn Taylor asked for and received releases from their National Letter of Intent to attend Marquette. Scott Christopherson also asked to be released from Marquette after his first year of play. Taylor ended up being a huge star at Kansas. Tom Crean stole Nick Williams for Indiana, but Williams left the Hoosiers after one year. Christopherson transfered to Iowa State.
• The day before the 2008 school year began, Trevor Mbakwe decided to quit the team and leave Marquette “to go the junior college route”.
• Jimmy Butler was Buzz Williams' first recruit as head coach of Marquette.

• Buzz Williams - Head Coach
  
• Dale Layer - Assistant Coach
  
• Tony Benford - Assistant Coach
  
• David "Aki" Collins - Assistant Coach
  
• Ernest Eugene - Trainer
  
• Scott Monarch - Director of Basketball Operations
  
• Jake Nelp - Basketball Technology Assistant
• Fr. William Kelly - Team Chaplain