University of Oklahoma Sports

[warreng88]

Ok, I have a question that is not a bait question, but I am curious: when was the last time that OU lost a coordinator (either DC or OC) that the Sooner nation, as a whole thought it was a big loss? Maybe Mangino? I am struggling to remember anyone since Stoops took over in 1998 that left and OU thought it was a huge loss. Definitely not Chuck Long or Kevin Wilson...

Thoughts?

[PhiAlpha]

Ok, I have a question that is not a bait question, but I am curious: when was the last time that OU lost a coordinator (either DC or OC) that the Sooner nation, as a whole thought it was a big loss? Maybe Mangino? I am struggling to remember anyone since Stoops took over in 1998 that left and OU thought it was a huge loss. Definitely not Chuck Long or Kevin Wilson...

Thoughts?

Probably Leach or Mangino. Had we lost Riley as the OC, we would’ve considered that a pretty big loss and even the biggest homers acknowledged at the time that losing him as an HC/OC was a big loss for the offense even if it meant the chance at a massive improvement on the other side of the ball and in overall recruiting.

On D I’d definitely say Mike stoops in 2003 and Venables in 2012 for the segment of the fanbase that wasn’t stupid at the time. I think the majority would’ve said they thought it was a loss in him not staying as a co-coordinator with Mike Stoops regardless of how unrealistic that was.

[BoulderSooner]

Ok, I have a question that is not a bait question, but I am curious: when was the last time that OU lost a coordinator (either DC or OC) that the Sooner nation, as a whole thought it was a big loss? Maybe Mangino? I am struggling to remember anyone since Stoops took over in 1998 that left and OU thought it was a huge loss. Definitely not Chuck Long or Kevin Wilson...

Thoughts?

100% not Mangino he was actually going to lose play calling after the 2001 season

he actually first turned down KU then met with Bob and then accepted the job ..

[Jersey Boss]

Probably Leach or Mangino. Had we lost Riley as the OC, we would’ve considered that a pretty big loss and even the biggest homers acknowledged at the time that losing him as an HC/OC was a big loss for the offense even if it meant the chance at a massive improvement on the other side of the ball and in overall recruiting.

On D I’d definitely say Mike stoops in 2003 and Venables in 2012 for the segment of the fanbase that wasn’t stupid at the time. I think the majority would’ve said they thought it was a loss in him not staying as a co-coordinator with Mike Stoops regardless of how unrealistic that was.

BV leaving in 12 was the fault of Bob. Never hire a relative as it is damn near impossible to fire one,

[Bill Robertson]

Not that Cale Gundy is always right but he thinks Joe Jon Finley would be a good choice for OC. System wouldn't change, just maybe tweaked. Already has rapport with the players and contact with at least some of the recruits. Not bad points. The one thing we don't want is to name an OC with a big name but that has a different offensive philosophy than what we've built on.

[BoulderSooner]

BV leaving in 12 was the fault of Bob. Never hire a relative as it is damn near impossible to fire one,

no one wanted BV to leave in 12 including Bob

[PhiAlpha]

BV leaving in 12 was the fault of Bob. Never hire a relative as it is damn near impossible to fire one,

yeah except that the defense was declining and we won a national championship and had one of the best defenses in the nation with Mike Stoops and BV as coordinators. It wasn’t a bad hire at the time based on prior success. Just didn’t work out and was probably unrealistic to expect BV to be fine with being a Co-coordinator again when other schools were throwing money at him to build his own defense.

[Jersey Boss]

yeah except that the defense was declining and we won a national championship and had one of the best defenses in the nation with Mike Stoops and BV as coordinators. It wasn’t a bad hire at the time based on prior success. Just didn’t work out and was probably unrealistic to expect BV to be fine with being a Co-coordinator again when other schools were throwing money at him to build his own defense.

That is certainly one possibility. Another is Mike was fired halfway into the season at Arizona State and he needed redemption to continue in his career. This was disrespecting BV and in effect "quiet firing" him.
BV certainly went on to advance in the ranks while Mike not so much.

[BoulderSooner]

That is certainly one possibility. Another is Mike was fired halfway into the season at Arizona State and he needed redemption to continue in his career. This was disrespecting BV and in effect "quiet firing" him.
BV certainly went on to advance in the ranks while Mike not so much.

Mike Stoops NEVER coached at Arizona State

[Jersey Boss]

Mike Stoops NEVER coached at Arizona State

Arizona, Arizona State. 6 of one...

[PhiAlpha]

That is certainly one possibility. Another is Mike was fired halfway into the season at Arizona State and he needed redemption to continue in his career. This was disrespecting BV and in effect "quiet firing" him.
BV certainly went on to advance in the ranks while Mike not so much.

All of those things both of us said can be true but what is fact is that OU's defense was in decline at the time (though looking back, it's pretty funny what we considered declining at the time) due to the changes in style of offensive play in the Big 12 and they were looking for a spark. Fans and the media were clamoring to get Mike Stoops back at the time so it isn't like it was some nepotism rehabilitation hire Bob came up with by himself. The media, fanbase, athletic department, etc were almost all universally supportive of it.

[mugofbeer]

I think Lebby was under appreciated by many OU fans. I see on so many media outlets people roasting him on his way out the door, saying sayonara in just some really harsh ways. But really, in arguably one of the programs darkest hours, along with Venables he came in and brought Gabriel with him and pretty much kept our program relevant after the weasel left in the middle of the night for SC. I wholeheartedly agree that during his two seasons here there were some bland moments of offense, but he kept the program afloat. And this season, though losing a nasty heartbreaker to Kansas, this staff exceeded expectations. His quarterback threw for over 3,600 yards (over 3,100 last year) and his offense scored 30+ points in 9 games and 50+ points in 5 of those.

All-in-all, I think he was slightly above average for OCs due to his seemingly lack of adjustments. And I can't dismiss the OU/Texas shut-out debacle last season and playing that Beville QB. To me, that game is where he could have really come out and shined to show us SOMETHING.... ANYTHING.... but there was no genius there.

Now, how about Kliff Kingsbury for OC??

Probably a no for me for what's worth. He has no roots and he'd bolt at the first good offer that came his way.

[mugofbeer]

Arizona, Arizona State. 6 of one...

One of them there schools in that hellishly hot and dry state.

[Boop]

Sooners have hired Littell and Finley as offensive co-coordinators

[Bill Robertson]

Sooners have hired Littell and Finley as offensive co-coordinators

That's what Cale Gundy was predicting would happen yesterday morning. All the while saying he has no inside info anymore.
Not a huge fan of co-coodinators. But they know the system and the players. Hiring just one might have lost the other to another school and they're both good enough to want to lose either. And Venables gets to hire a new QB coach. Wonder how much Arnold's input matters on that?

[BoulderSooner]

That's what Cale Gundy was predicting would happen yesterday morning. All the while saying he has no inside info anymore.
Not a huge fan of co-coodinators. But they know the system and the players. Hiring just one might have lost the other to another school and they're both good enough to want to lose either. And Venables gets to hire a new QB coach. Wonder how much Arnold's input matters on that?

OU has had a Co-oc for most of the last 25 years ..

OU currently has a DC and 2 co-dc's

there is a limit on coaches ... Seth Littrell is the new QB coach .. there is not another spot

[jedicurt]

i'm actually mostly happy with this. i was hoping for an actual outside search and at least a few interviews, even if we ended up promoting within... but Seth is who i wanted at OC before we hired Lebby.... so i am not upset by this. i always felt it weird that no one ever looked at seth when he was doing so well at UNT.

[Bill Robertson]

OU has had a Co-oc for most of the last 25 years ..

OU currently has a DC and 2 co-dc's

there is a limit on coaches ... Seth Littrell is the new QB coach .. there is not another spot

True. I forgot Littrell was an analyst. Not a full coach.

[soonermike81]

Wonder how much Arnold's input matters on that?

I hope none. I think this is one of the biggest problems we have with sports today. It should not be happening at the college level whatsoever, but I guess this is how it’s going to be. Letting kids dictate how programs are run is crazy, no matter how much talent he has. Kids need to begin trusting the staff, again, to do what’s right for the team.

[kukblue1]

Well in the end Texas win at Bama was Huge for them. A one loss OU team beating Texas twice would of not gotten them in. I said they couldn't afford to lose and looks like I was right. They would of found a way to take Georgia over a one loss OU team. JS

[soonermike81]

Well in the end Texas win at Bama was Huge for them. A one loss OU team beating Texas twice would have not gotten them in. I said they couldn't afford to lose and looks like I was right. They would have found a way to take Georgia over a one loss OU team. JS

The incessant need to be correct is wild. I can’t recall what all was said but I remember hearing there’s not a chance a one-loss Big XII school gets in over an undefeated conference champ. Or something like that.

[BoulderSooner]

Well in the end Texas win at Bama was Huge for them. A one loss OU team beating Texas twice would of not gotten them in. I said they couldn't afford to lose and looks like I was right. They would of found a way to take Georgia over a one loss OU team. JS

umm no

[MagzOK]

Well in the end Texas win at Bama was Huge for them. A one loss OU team beating Texas twice would of not gotten them in. I said they couldn't afford to lose and looks like I was right. They would of found a way to take Georgia over a one loss OU team. JS

I don't think so. Texas and Oklahoma would have been interchangeable this season. Look at all the times Oklahoma has even back-doored in -- OU is a blue blood and always gets the nod if they're up there.

[kukblue1]

I don't think so. Texas and Oklahoma would have been interchangeable this season. Look at all the times Oklahoma has even back-doored in -- OU is a blue blood and always gets the nod if they're up there.

LOL FSU is a blue blood and couldn't get in with no losses. Only reason Texas is in cause of the win over Bama. If they didn't have that win they were not getting it.

[PhiAlpha]

LOL FSU is a blue blood and couldn't get in with no losses. Only reason Texas is in cause of the win over Bama. If they didn't have that win they were not getting it.

So all of us who said a one loss big 12 champion wouldn’t be left out were right.

The only reason FSU didn’t get in is because their best player and QB got injured (which is ridiculous for a number of reasons but justifiable as it was part of the criteria the committee decided on long ago) and they’ve been a shell of themselves since then.

And no, FSU is not considered a true blueblood by anyone outside of Tallahassee with a brain who follows college football. Borderline ar best but even that is a stretch.

If OU’s only loss was bedlam, I think they would’ve gotten in by beating Texas twice. If the loss was Kansas, I think it would’ve hurt their chances. At the end of the day, the reason Texas got in was because of their win against SEC Champ Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a quality loss to OU in a rivalry game. The committee looks at head to head and common opponents and they aren’t leaving OU out if they beat the team that beat Bama twice on a neutral field with a single loss to OSU in a rivalry game.

But at the end of the day, who cares? None of that happened. OU lost two games that they absolutely shouldn’t have and they deserve to be exactly where they are right now. Still a massive improvement over last season and moving the right direction but clearly not championship level yet.