With all the turmoil about coaches/staffs recently, I was trying to come up with all the names on Mackenzie's coaching staff in 1966. Fairbanks, James, Switzer, Lacewell, Hall, and Pettibone is what I have come up with. Who have I missed? Was Robertson officially on the coaching staff? Pretty strong foundation for the future.
Mackenzie's Staff
- Thread starter LakeoThePines
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IT was Paul Harvey who told me McKenzie is "dead from a heart attack." I was on the flight line at Clinton-Sherman AFB, Oklahoma.
I was a senior at OU in 1966 and got to see the final year of Bud, the two years of Gomer and the first year of Mackenzie. The future was good, but I often wonder what if he had a longer tenure as the football coach at OU.
I had a lot of bad guesses. I thought that Buck Nystrom was the OL coach. But he was at OU because he played with Chuck Fairbanks and Mich State and didn't get the OU job until Chuck succeeded Mackenzie.
And in that time frame, I thought Pettibone was probably a GA. But you're right, he was held onto after already being a Sooner staff member, though he didn't have varsity coaching duties. I didn't think Lacewell was on the staff yet. That was wrong. I knew that Lacewell came from Wichita in 1969, after being with the Shockers in 68. But he'd come with Mackenzie and was the Boomer coach on Mackenzie's staff. Left for two years, then came back.
Pat James was assistant head coach and the DC. In his obit, Switzer said that he and Galen Hall thought James, the old Bear Bryant assistant was going to get the hc job, but instead it went to Fairbanks. Chuck was the DB coach.
Don't think Billy Gray, who was the DB coach my first year in Norman in 1969, was on the staff til Chuck became hc.
But I think the only way you're going to figure out who the OL coach was, and the linebacker coach was, is to find a 1966 program, or talk to Barry. He'd remember it.
I thought maybe Warren Harper, but he came later. So did Nystrom. So did Bill Michaels.
And in that time frame, I thought Pettibone was probably a GA. But you're right, he was held onto after already being a Sooner staff member, though he didn't have varsity coaching duties. I didn't think Lacewell was on the staff yet. That was wrong. I knew that Lacewell came from Wichita in 1969, after being with the Shockers in 68. But he'd come with Mackenzie and was the Boomer coach on Mackenzie's staff. Left for two years, then came back.
Pat James was assistant head coach and the DC. In his obit, Switzer said that he and Galen Hall thought James, the old Bear Bryant assistant was going to get the hc job, but instead it went to Fairbanks. Chuck was the DB coach.
Don't think Billy Gray, who was the DB coach my first year in Norman in 1969, was on the staff til Chuck became hc.
But I think the only way you're going to figure out who the OL coach was, and the linebacker coach was, is to find a 1966 program, or talk to Barry. He'd remember it.
I thought maybe Warren Harper, but he came later. So did Nystrom. So did Bill Michaels.
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