He inherited the OU job and the wrong time and was evidently AD Donnie Duncan's bad decision.....and Duncan's next "hail Mary hire" (Blake) was a disaster.
Coach Schnellenberger dead at 87
- Thread starter CTOkie
- Start date
Did he really “Smell of bourbon” on the field during his short stop in Norman ? I know his players quit
Personality conflicts, imo. Big balls Schnelly wanted the reigns after the King got the raw deal, well, you know politics and all with universities and their ADs. Donnie crapped himself gittin rid of Schnelly then hiring Blake.
Before that, Gary Gibbs followed Switzer and inherited Switzer’s dirty diapers. Maybe a better coach, a more established coach, could have been a better choice, but Gibbs was given too much to overcome.
I’ll always wonder if Gibbs had succeeded Switzer under normal circumstances what would have happened. Gibbs could not recruit against other teams using the OU’s probation against Gibbs and OU became regarded as a rogue program of recruiting and crime issues.
Gibbs does not deserve condemnation for his time at OU. He had his back to the wall as soon as he was hired as head coach.
No, Gibbs deserves no condemnation for his his time as HC. I believe he was probably the obvious hire at the time but unfortunately took on a no-win situation. He's proven himself as an outstanding coach at the pro level though whether Lbs or DC. Much love for Gary. My memories of the 90s have been repressed for obvious reasons.
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OU may have had three or four more national championships had Gibbs or a defensive coach of his caliber been in charge of OU’s defenses under Stoops.
Gibbs was a great Sooner on the field and sidelines.
Gibbs was a great Sooner on the field and sidelines.
Gibbs has a great defensive mindset, proven with his time with the King as well as his stops at the college level and his tenure with the pros. No doubt about it. Too bad he's workin for little brother now. 😁
An Oklahoman newspaper article. Beatniks. I remember readin it on one my of visits home. Probably got their scoop from some pastors wife. You know them gals got some, some some. 😁
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I think we only smell the bourbon when the team isn't winning...
I had the pleasure of attending an OU Club of Houston fun raiser at the Petroleum Club the year he was in Norman. Schnelly and his wife were shit faced when they arrived. Uwe Von S. was trying disparately, with little success, to marshal His & Her's drunks away from the free bar.
No one lobbied harder than Switzer on behalf of Blake.
No one lobbied harder than Switzer on behalf of Blake.
My recollection now from that article has been confirmed from someone who was there. Thank you Scottsdale. Keep bringin it brother. 👍
I think you might be giving Gibbs a little too much credit. In my opinion, he was a much better coordinator and a behind the scenes kinda guy. No doubt he knew and could coach the game, but his personality was that of a rock. I can't see him going into a recruits house and winning them over. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
Gibbs worthiness as a head coach was not on the same level as Switzer or Stoops and I never believed Gibbs was the perfect successor to Switzer.
My point is that Gibbs inherited a mess left by Switzer that very few, if any, coaches could have made better.
But like Gomer Jones, Gibbs had to follow a Hall of Fame coach and had to succeed immediately. Neither man could do it, but both had done extremely well as assistants under two great coaches.
Gibbs' recruiting was damaged severely by the scandals and the probation at OU. Clearly he was not the recruiter Switzer was but even with his low key personality, Gibbs could not overcome the negative recruiting by other schools, especially in Texas....and especially by UT, a "watch dog" school for the NCAA.
Switzer was quite possibly the best coach in OU history. Unfortunately, OU recruited a few talented losers and tarnished the program and the coach. I understand the buck stops with him but the whole thing snow balled in a hurry. Its not like he was an Art Briles or Sandusky.
So you think a couple of players tarnished Switzer's image? You could not be more wrong. He might have been the best coach in Xs and Os but he flat out abandoned his responsibilities as a head coach in the late 80s and the team went to shit quick. Switzer could not keep his peck in his pants in those years much like Scott Hill and a couple of other coaches could not keep the powder out of their noses. Switzer was fired after big money stepped in to protest the head coach dragging the school's reputation in the dirt. It doesn't matter how successful he was on the field, his off field antics garnered him the pink slip. After the Houston heavyweight donors like Dunham and Gault dropped into Norman in their private jets to see the Board of Regents it was not long before Switzer and Horton were both gone. As a result, Switzer was persona non grata for several years.
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Switzer and many other coaches of that era did things off the field. Was he a different person in the late 80's than he was in 85 and in this 70's? Of course not. It was the publicity surrounding Thompson and the other few idiots in the dorm room. Switzer was not a tight ship type of person. He gave his players too much freedom and it came back to bite him in the butt. He will always be the king of OU football
All I know is Barry won Championships and brought Great players to Norman for many years. Without him there’s no guarantee the program would have been nearly as successful. I can forgive his transgressions.
Love that book. I've read it about 10 times.
