Today's Tramel Article

[william_brasky]

Sampson-OU union can be saved

Anyone read it? Thoughts?

[Harry Beanbag]

link?

[william_brasky]

i'll go find it and copy and paste

[william_brasky]

Kelvin Sampson says he doesn’t want a different job. Joe Castiglione says he doesn’t want a different coach.

That doesn’t mean this employer-employee relationship, now a dozen years young, remains all romance and bliss. The OU/Sampson liason has become a bittersweet waltz.

Coaches depart schools on a variety of terms. Some are fired. Some retire. Some are lured away by brighter lights.

And some just fall out of love, what Jerry Seinfeld called the “truly mutual breakup.” Sometimes both parties agree it’s just time to move on. Happened to Billy Tubbs, when he left OU for TCU in 1994. Happened to football’s Bill Curry, who fled Alabama for Kentucky.

That is not the state of OU/Sampson, I don’t think. But we could be seeing the early signs of a breakup, barring patching of the breach.

A troubled Sooner basketball season ended last week with a disappointing loss in the NCAA Tournament, as if there are any other kind.

But on-court shortfalls are the least of the questions facing Sampson this off-season. Truth is, OU’s unexpected 2006 failures are all based on unexpected 2005 success.

This likely was Sampson’s worst coaching job in 12 years in Soonerville, but it came on the heels of his best coaching job, the ’05 Big 12 title. Such twists go in cycles.

Not so with other big red flags swirling around Sampson. OU basketball is in decline, not by game result, but in status and reputation, based on two developments:

# The NCAA investigation into improper phone calls, to which OU has pled guilty and faces an April hearing before the NCAA infractions committee.

# More slippage in what fast is becoming a competitive marketplace. OU basketball once had to fight only football for the sports-consumer dollar. Now the Sooner women are a rage and the wildly popular Hornets almost surely are in Oklahoma City to stay.

Castiglione, who next month will have been OU’s athletic director for eight years, admits he is “disappointed” in Sampson’s NCAA transgression and “concerned” about the marketing side of basketball.

But Castiglione says he stands firmly with Sampson as his coach and asks fans to consider this: What if OU’s basketball job was open, and a coach with Sampson’s exact profile was available? A coach at Washington or Iowa or Georgia Tech or somewhere, with 11 NCAA trips in 12 years, a 2005 conference title and a 2002 Final Four. Even the same NCAA trouble.

How would Sooner fans respond? Castiglione says with glee and jubilation that a coach of such caliber would come to Norman.

Point taken. Could OU find a better coach than Sampson? Absolutely. Could OU find a worse coach than Sampson? Better believe it. And odds favor the latter.

Is Sampson looking to leave, as an Arizona Republic source indicated last week?

Sampson says no: “I have no desire to go anywhere. I have a desire to make my team better.”

What else could he say? I think Sampson feels unappreciated at times. I think he would like to coach at a basketball school, but what he really wants is to turn OU into that school. Fat chance.

But that’s not enough to make Sampson too antsy. It’s hard to see how Sampson would be better off elsewhere. Duke or North Carolina are not calling anytime soon. An Arizona State or a Miami or a Penn State would not offer greener pastures.

Dave Bliss found out that in 1980, when he left OU for SMU, and Tubbs did the same 14 years later. Fighting the football monster in Norman is much easier than fighting a mediocre heritage.

Sampson is a lightning rod in Oklahoma.

Some critics bash his record, which is excellent sans NCAA.

Sampson is 11-11 in the NCAA Tournament, not a good record for a cartel-conference school. Even this century, Sampson’s 9-6 record is tempered by this: he has been the higher seed in all 15 of those games, and his first-round foes include Winthrop, Indiana State, Illinois-Chicago, South Carolina State, Niagara and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

But Sampson’s regular-season success has been superb. A better Big 12 record than Eddie Sutton and Texas. Only Kansas has a better league performance than OU during the Sampson years.

Castiglione defends Sampson’s success rate, but not his NCAA missteps.

Joe C. had two options when the phone calls - no small violation, no matter what anyone says - came to light.

Fire Sampson or give him another chance, based on previously exemplary conduct. Either choice would have been solid. Tough on crime is not a bad way to go, but giving a second chance to a well-respected 12-year employee is OK, too.

Castiglione went with Option 2, and that’s fine. But Sampson is on much shakier footing now.

With the fans, style of play often is the issue. Sampson’s teams can be hard to watch. Even some of his better squads play offense like they’re in a swamp.

That’s no small thing when the Hornets are packing the Ford Center and Sherri Coale threatens to fill Lloyd Noble Center.

“Nobody wants to play a halfcourt game where you grind out possessions,” Sampson said. He wants fans to look at his team and say, “Hey, that’s a fun team to watch.”

Sampson expects incoming freshmen Scottie Reynolds and Damion James to be more up-tempo players. The ’06 Sooners became a lumberjack team - no real point guard, and two true centers in the lineup.

“Had we had a different kind of point guard, this team would have been much more up and down,” Sampson said.

“To play fast, you’ve got to have good guards. We’ll be as fast as our point guard is good.

“The bottom line is to win games. If you can be exciting and win games, that’s the ultimate goal.”

Fans can bury a coach. Sometimes, coaches are replaced merely for the excitement and buzz a new face can bring.

Castiglione is not ready to resort to such tricks. But he’s a businessman. He would do it if he had to.

“We have a bloodthirst,” Sampson said. “Let’s get a new guy. I realize we haven’t been pleasing to the eye. But it ain’t time for me to go yet.”

Agreed. But the romance needs rekindling. No more NCAA problems. A more fun product on the court to counter Chris Paul and Courtney Paris. And NCAA Tournament victories never hurt.

[okienole3]

I thought it was already established that KS wants to leave. How long until JCU deletes this thread?

[william_brasky]

My general opinion of this article is that it's all PR propaganda BS, generally speaking of course. ;)

[Harry Beanbag]

I think the program is at a crossroads. I can see it imploding next year (like '94) under probation and hardly any experienced players returning, but I really hope Kelvin can turn it around.

[william_brasky]

“Had we had a different kind of point guard, this team would have been much more up and down,” Sampson said.

“To play fast, you’ve got to have good guards. We’ll be as fast as our point guard is good.

Sounds like Sampson taking pot-shots (pun initially unintentional) at Everett.

[Harry Beanbag]

Sounds like Sampson taking pot-shots (pun initially unintentional) at Everett.

Yeah I noticed that, and I don't like it. Kelvin is responsible for the players he has and the players he ran off. It's not Everett's fault that he was the only dude on the team who could dribble the ball halfway decently.

[william_brasky]

Sampson’s teams can be hard to watch. Even some of his better squads play offense like they’re in a swamp.

heh

[okienole3]

“Had we had a different kind of point guard, this team would have been much more up and down,” Sampson said.

“To play fast, you’ve got to have good guards. We’ll be as fast as our point guard is good.

Like 04 said, Sampson himself says that Everett is best when he is "helter skelter," so why not make the game helter skelter?

[william_brasky]

Fans can bury a coach. Sometimes, coaches are replaced merely for the excitement and buzz a new face can bring.

Castiglione is not ready to resort to such tricks. But he’s a businessman. He would do it if he had to.

“We have a bloodthirst,” Sampson said. “Let’s get a new guy. I realize we haven’t been pleasing to the eye. But it ain’t time for me to go yet.”


it is my estimation that "the writing is on the wall" my fellow Sooner Fans.

did I mention that I also believe there was more than one guman? :texan:

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Like 04 said, Sampson himself says that Everett is best when he is "helter skelter," so why not make the game helter skelter?

Good question. Even more so in the Neb game in the conf tourney when Neb was playing in consecutive days. I thought that was a game that if nothing else we should have turned into an endurance contest.

Thing with Everett was that in a helter skelter game he could have close to a triple double or he could have 8-9 turnovers (or chocolate covered cheetos).

I thought Tramel's best observation though was the Bookout and Gray were both true centers and that the team really couldn't run or play pressure halfcourt defense with both in the game. It's no real indictment of either player but it became a lot like JD Runnells blocking for JD Runnells. Gray ran great for a 5 but when Bookout was in the line-up Gray was basically a 4 and his defense was primarily shot blocking. With Griffen being a true freshman though I think it was usually our best lineup. Offensively against teams dumb enough to play man-to-man like OSU we could exploit teams inside but good teams like Villanova and West Virginia were able to find mismatches with our D.

On paper next year we do look to be a team that can get up and down the court a lot more. I really doubt KS's style is going to change much but having a quicker more athletic line-up on the defensive end especially is going to lead to more break opportunities and Willams comes to OU with a reputation of being a great shooter.

I really like the talent we have next year. It should be our most athletic team since at least 2001 and maybe since the Tubbs years.

90% of my concerns are with NCAA sanctions and the fallout..

[TopDawg]

I know a lot of people don't agree, but I think Tramel is solid.

[NormanPride]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. KS gets this next year to show me he's still the coach for OU. I'm still supporting him and his methods until then. I don't like the stuff with Everett or the calls, but he's done a lot of good here that we shouldn't forget.

But if this next team sucks, then it's on.

[C&CDean]

I won't disagree about the assessment of the two programs.

However, I happen to be with the crowd that likes Sampson. I think he's a very good coach. Do I like the way his teams have looked recently? Nope.

I'm older than a lot of the posters here. I'm much more patient than a lot of the posters here. I'm also wiser than a lot of the posters here.

Everybody wants to throw Kelvin under the train. Everybody wants to run him outta town on a rail. Everybody wants to blame him for all the problems with OU basketball. I believe he's responsible for allowing some of the things to happen (much like Switzer was), but I do not believe it's because of him. He's gotten lazy, and this year is like the visit to the doctor where he tells you "dude, you better lose weight or you're gonna die." The ball is in his court, and what he does with it will determine his future here.

Sampson will be here next year (and years to follow) if the NCAA thing results in a minor penalty.

And I will bet lots of $$ that most of the haters never darken the door of the LNC. I know 04, 24, and a few others are passionate fans, but most of the bitchers and whiners can't be bothered with actually investing something of themself in the team and program. They're too busy blaming others.

[C&CDean]

Of course the above post should have been in the "2 ships passing in the night" thread, but it fits here OK too.

[NormanPride]

I'm older than a lot of the posters here. I'm much more patient than a lot of the posters here. I'm also wiser than a lot of the posters here.

More modest, too... ;)

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

I know a lot of people don't agree, but I think Tramel is solid.


I generally agree with him on this article and more often than not but Tramel has been off base on several occaisions on football. I'm pretty sure at one point last year Tramel predicted that OU wouldn't even go to a bowl game (not that he was the only one). Still he is more grounded than most anyone else.

I do think he is right on about this being a wake-up call for Sampson as well. Of course the genie is already out of the bottle so if the NCAA slaps us hard there may not be anything Sampson can do but leave.

Also I think the Hornets/Chris Paul thing is a Red Herring. If the Hornets move permanantly to OKC that could be an issue but if they are back in New Orleans in a year or two it is pretty irrelevant. Plus the OKC area isn't the biggest in the country but there should be enough fans to fill Ford and LNC on the same night.

I also agree with C&C Dean's observation on the anti-Sampson crowd and believe that many of them wouldn't go to a game if OU were 28-0 and the Crimson and Cream girls were pole dancing at halftime. Some of the problems have to do with how the tickets are sold but it generally takes a Texas/OSU game for fans to show up. I'd be at a lot of games if I didn't live 4 hours away so I don't get it.

[C&CDean]

More modest, too... ;)

Well, yeah.

[Newbomb Turk]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. KS gets this next year to show me he's still the coach for OU. I'm still supporting him and his methods until then. I don't like the stuff with Everett or the calls, but he's done a lot of good here that we shouldn't forget.

But if this next team sucks, then it's on.

Good points, I agree with you.

[soonervegas]

and the wildly popular Hornets almost surely are in Oklahoma City to stay.

Why does the media keep pushing this myth on OKC readers. The Hornets are NOT going to stay in OKC.

Sorry..I know that was kind of a thread jack.

Kelvin will need to get us back to the Sweet 16 in the next 24 months or Castig will probably make the call.

[oumartin]

all i care to know is whether or not sampson said he is looking to move.. thats all i care about.
If he dent say it then fine. let him prove he wants to be here.
if he did.. ADIOS

[RacerX]

Of course the above post should have been in the "2 ships passing in the night" thread, but it fits here OK too.
How does that fit in with the wiser part....:D

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

"Hi, this is Kelvin Sampson. When you want to save money on your collect call remember to dial down the center."


Really, there is a big opportunity here....

[Bourbon St Sooner]

I won't disagree about the assessment of the two programs.

However, I happen to be with the crowd that likes Sampson. I think he's a very good coach. Do I like the way his teams have looked recently? Nope.

I'm older than a lot of the posters here. I'm much more patient than a lot of the posters here. I'm also wiser than a lot of the posters here.

Everybody wants to throw Kelvin under the train. Everybody wants to run him outta town on a rail. Everybody wants to blame him for all the problems with OU basketball. I believe he's responsible for allowing some of the things to happen (much like Switzer was), but I do not believe it's because of him. He's gotten lazy, and this year is like the visit to the doctor where he tells you "dude, you better lose weight or you're gonna die." The ball is in his court, and what he does with it will determine his future here.

Sampson will be here next year (and years to follow) if the NCAA thing results in a minor penalty.

And I will bet lots of $$ that most of the haters never darken the door of the LNC. I know 04, 24, and a few others are passionate fans, but most of the bitchers and whiners can't be bothered with actually investing something of themself in the team and program. They're too busy blaming others.

Excellent post, Dean. I agree with what you say here, although I'll save the judgement on the anti-Kelvin crowd. Kelvin's at a point where he needs to adjust some on his offensive philosophy. He's already proven he's a good coach, but even good coaches need to change some things.

We'll see next year. I'm at the point where if I don't see more fire from next year's team than we did from this year's than it's time to make a change.

I think the most salient point that Tramel made is the odds of finding a better coach. Right now, I'd say the chances are we'd end up with worse, hopefully not a Quinn Snyder worse.