UPDATE: 6:56p - I'm told that the two staffs that are making the biggest runs at Oklahoma's current 2022 class right now are at Arkansas and Texas Tech.
Arkansas made it's way by Booker T. Washington today to check in on Gentry Williams while Tech is working hard on not only local product Kobie McKinzie but also Xavion Brice and Jason Llewellyn.
Brice has set up an official visit to Lubbock this weekend so we'll see where that goes. Beyond that Llewellyn has a girlfriend who will be playing softball at Tech and the Red Raiders are trying to use that to get in the door.
We'll see what happens but the Sooners are fighting some very real battles on every front right now.
ORIGINAL: Guys, I'm not messing with the Idiot because I just don't think anyone cares and who knows what players/coaches being looked at will even be a part of the future. Anything that happened before 2:30 yesterday afternoon is ancient history.
We'll get to board chat tonight but I thought I'd just lay out some thoughts on all that's happening recruiting and otherwise - do with it what you will.
1. We'll start with the departure, the question for me is what was the cause of Lincoln Riley's departure?
Money? No, I'm just not buying that at all. Maybe I'll be proven wrong the idea that USC has more and is willing to spend more than Oklahoma, I'm just not of the mind that's reality and as @Carey Murdock has already said, OU never got a chance to match and left an impression they were willing to match whatever LSU was trying to push forward.
Compliance? Maybe, we discussed that a lot in the pod but the thing that kind of spurred me to get into this is the rumor that's going around...
Support staff, and money for more staff in general.
I want to start off with I do not know that this is was/is the issue at hand but it is also something I've heard for years and something I've brought up time and time again on the pod, on the board, etc. And I'll simply say that it didn't come from thin air, there was clearly something that the staff wanted the athletic department to address and maybe they felt it wasn't going to?
That part I can't say but I can say in a few conversations today it does sound like Oklahoma was in the works to make that happen - maybe it wasn't happening fast enough for Riley? I'm honestly just not sure and I may be simply trying to create a conversation that isn't needed. It's just hard to ignore the baffling nature of this move, even to national sportswriters, beyond the one obvious reality.
It's a lot easier to win the Pac-12 than the SEC.
**But let's get into some other topics, namely some of the buzz around Norman and just the general coaching staff.
Obviously by now we all know that Alex Grinch, Dennis Simmons, and strength and conditioning coordinator Bennie Wylie are headed to USC with Lincoln Riley. But what of the remaining staff?
I'll just kind of isolate what I'm hearing and go from there this is not FACT, this is what I'm hearing. Please bear that in mind.
Demarco Murray - Staying, if any guy has emerged from this as someone rallying the troops, it's Murray. He's in and seems pretty fervent about it.
Cale Gundy - I don't think any guy was safer but Gundy will be staying in Norman.
Bill Bedenbaugh - One of the real ones I've got some debate on, I've heard nothing definite but if I'm betting? I bet he eventually ends up a Trojan. I am NOT sure though.
Calvin Thibodeaux - Like Murray and Gundy, I keep hearing he loves OU and wants to remain.
Jamar Cain - From what I've gathered perhaps no one was more disappointed - Cain looked primed for a huge close and as Marvin Jones' mother has made clear, he was probably going to land his top target. Always tough when all that work gets washed away. I'm betting more and more that he stays.
Brian Odom - From what I've gathered he, Riley, and Grinch, and Bedenbaugh were together socially due to their children a lot. Odom's conflict seems greater than anyone on staff - he's got real feelings for Oklahoma but he also has spent a lot of time with Alex Grinch. I'd bet he stays but I'm far from sure.
Roy Manning - hasn't left yet but you'd have to think he follows the crew to Los Angeles. Maybe I'm wrong and he'll want to hang onto the Jordan's a little longer? Ha.
Alright as far as some recruiting notes...
I expect Oklahoma to hit the road in the next 24 hours, maybe as early as tonight and know that the staff has already come together to iron things out a bit. I do not think any replacement 'staff' has been added yet to try and fill OU's possible allotment of coaches who can get out on the road but I'd guess that comes in the near future.
What I did hear?
Bob Stoops isn't just acting as a figurehead, he's doing what he can for the staff. He is wanting to talk to various recruits and their families to try and calm concerns and any wild overreactions. It's not an overall fix but it's a way to stem the tide a bit.
Finally I continue to hear that Oklahoma has a chance to keep Gabe Dindy in the fold but it's going to be largely contingent on the future of Calvin Thibodeaux. If he stays the family has given indications that they cold remain part of the plans. As I always say coaches are the reason for commitments, not tradition, etc. relationships are the key. But at the same time making any decision based off of one player is dangerous.
As I talk to more and more people it's about Oklahoma moving quickly and I'd expect 10 days, at most, for this to come to a resolution.
And yes, I've seen the buzz about Brent Venables, at this time I can't confirm anything about it, if he's being introduced at 3 - as I know some have hinted at there are people in the building who are completely unaware of it (with a little more than an hour to go).
Maybe it's true and we'll keep checking but that would be some subterfuge that even Lincoln Riley could be impressed by.
Arkansas made it's way by Booker T. Washington today to check in on Gentry Williams while Tech is working hard on not only local product Kobie McKinzie but also Xavion Brice and Jason Llewellyn.
Brice has set up an official visit to Lubbock this weekend so we'll see where that goes. Beyond that Llewellyn has a girlfriend who will be playing softball at Tech and the Red Raiders are trying to use that to get in the door.
We'll see what happens but the Sooners are fighting some very real battles on every front right now.
ORIGINAL: Guys, I'm not messing with the Idiot because I just don't think anyone cares and who knows what players/coaches being looked at will even be a part of the future. Anything that happened before 2:30 yesterday afternoon is ancient history.
We'll get to board chat tonight but I thought I'd just lay out some thoughts on all that's happening recruiting and otherwise - do with it what you will.
1. We'll start with the departure, the question for me is what was the cause of Lincoln Riley's departure?
Money? No, I'm just not buying that at all. Maybe I'll be proven wrong the idea that USC has more and is willing to spend more than Oklahoma, I'm just not of the mind that's reality and as @Carey Murdock has already said, OU never got a chance to match and left an impression they were willing to match whatever LSU was trying to push forward.
Compliance? Maybe, we discussed that a lot in the pod but the thing that kind of spurred me to get into this is the rumor that's going around...
Support staff, and money for more staff in general.
I want to start off with I do not know that this is was/is the issue at hand but it is also something I've heard for years and something I've brought up time and time again on the pod, on the board, etc. And I'll simply say that it didn't come from thin air, there was clearly something that the staff wanted the athletic department to address and maybe they felt it wasn't going to?
That part I can't say but I can say in a few conversations today it does sound like Oklahoma was in the works to make that happen - maybe it wasn't happening fast enough for Riley? I'm honestly just not sure and I may be simply trying to create a conversation that isn't needed. It's just hard to ignore the baffling nature of this move, even to national sportswriters, beyond the one obvious reality.
It's a lot easier to win the Pac-12 than the SEC.
**But let's get into some other topics, namely some of the buzz around Norman and just the general coaching staff.
Obviously by now we all know that Alex Grinch, Dennis Simmons, and strength and conditioning coordinator Bennie Wylie are headed to USC with Lincoln Riley. But what of the remaining staff?
I'll just kind of isolate what I'm hearing and go from there this is not FACT, this is what I'm hearing. Please bear that in mind.
Demarco Murray - Staying, if any guy has emerged from this as someone rallying the troops, it's Murray. He's in and seems pretty fervent about it.
Cale Gundy - I don't think any guy was safer but Gundy will be staying in Norman.
Bill Bedenbaugh - One of the real ones I've got some debate on, I've heard nothing definite but if I'm betting? I bet he eventually ends up a Trojan. I am NOT sure though.
Calvin Thibodeaux - Like Murray and Gundy, I keep hearing he loves OU and wants to remain.
Jamar Cain - From what I've gathered perhaps no one was more disappointed - Cain looked primed for a huge close and as Marvin Jones' mother has made clear, he was probably going to land his top target. Always tough when all that work gets washed away. I'm betting more and more that he stays.
Brian Odom - From what I've gathered he, Riley, and Grinch, and Bedenbaugh were together socially due to their children a lot. Odom's conflict seems greater than anyone on staff - he's got real feelings for Oklahoma but he also has spent a lot of time with Alex Grinch. I'd bet he stays but I'm far from sure.
Roy Manning - hasn't left yet but you'd have to think he follows the crew to Los Angeles. Maybe I'm wrong and he'll want to hang onto the Jordan's a little longer? Ha.
Alright as far as some recruiting notes...
I expect Oklahoma to hit the road in the next 24 hours, maybe as early as tonight and know that the staff has already come together to iron things out a bit. I do not think any replacement 'staff' has been added yet to try and fill OU's possible allotment of coaches who can get out on the road but I'd guess that comes in the near future.
What I did hear?
Bob Stoops isn't just acting as a figurehead, he's doing what he can for the staff. He is wanting to talk to various recruits and their families to try and calm concerns and any wild overreactions. It's not an overall fix but it's a way to stem the tide a bit.
Finally I continue to hear that Oklahoma has a chance to keep Gabe Dindy in the fold but it's going to be largely contingent on the future of Calvin Thibodeaux. If he stays the family has given indications that they cold remain part of the plans. As I always say coaches are the reason for commitments, not tradition, etc. relationships are the key. But at the same time making any decision based off of one player is dangerous.
As I talk to more and more people it's about Oklahoma moving quickly and I'd expect 10 days, at most, for this to come to a resolution.
And yes, I've seen the buzz about Brent Venables, at this time I can't confirm anything about it, if he's being introduced at 3 - as I know some have hinted at there are people in the building who are completely unaware of it (with a little more than an hour to go).
Maybe it's true and we'll keep checking but that would be some subterfuge that even Lincoln Riley could be impressed by.
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