Name the best assistant coach in OU football history...

[sybarite43]

If you remember the Texas wishbone of Koy, Bertleson, and Wooster, they were larger than the average back, had a good line, and blocked well. They were, indeed, three yards and a cloud of dust, Woody Hayes style.

When OU tried to copy it, they began by putting a 238 pound TE, AG Perryman, at FB. It was slow, and we didn't have the line or scheme down yet. The next Autumn, we installed Pruitt, but we really thought that we would still feature Wylie. When the game was still in doubt, and we had it third and eight deep in our territory, the pitch was to Roy Bell in Wylie's position, and he got one of the most important first downs in OU history. We marched downfield from his beautiful fight for a first down and scored, and we didn't stop scoring for ten years. The Pruitt situation was just evolving.

 

[CTOkie]

Emory Ballard from Texas A&M invented the bone or at least that's what I read.........

Ballard invented it, but since Texas was the only opponent that OU had in 1968 and 1969 that ran the wishbone, it served to show Switzer "up close and personal" the basic schemes of the formation. And since OU was a few years ahead on Texas for recruiting black athletes (players possessing greater speed) along with Switzer's ability to recruit black talent, the wishbone become much more explosive at OU.
Bertelson, Dale, Ted Koy were excellent halfbacks and Steve Worster was a great fullback and the 1969 Texas team was fun to watch, but when I watch the games Texas played against OU and Arkansas that year, the wishbone offense seems slower than the wishbone that OU perfected from the latter part of the 1970 season through the entire decade of the 1970's.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Ballard invented it, but since Texas was the only opponent that OU had in 1968 and 1969 that ran the wishbone, it served to show Switzer "up close and personal" the basic schemes of the formation. And since OU was a few years ahead on Texas for recruiting black athletes (players possessing greater speed) along with Switzer's ability to recruit black talent, the wishbone become much more explosive at OU.
Bertelson, Dale, Ted Koy were excellent halfbacks and Steve Worster was a great fullback and the 1969 Texas team was fun to watch, but when I watch the games Texas played against OU and Arkansas that year, the wishbone offense seems slower than the wishbone that OU perfected from the latter part of the 1970 season through the entire decade of the 1970's.

Ballard came up with the triple option concept for sure.
Texas had a rudimentary version of it early on.

Switzer/OU made it a science.

 

[Oklabama]

Ballard came up with the triple option concept for sure.
Texas had a rudimentary version of it early on.

Switzer/OU made it a science.

And that's why Switzer gets my vote. I have to believe had someone other than Barry been named HC, and Barry had been retained as OC to run the wishbone, Barry could still recruit and OU would have still been very,very good. But that's giving Barry a lot of credit, which is my intention.

 

[CTOkie]

And that's why Switzer gets my vote. I have to believe had someone other than Barry had been named HC, but Barry had been retained as OC to run the wishbone, Barry could still recruit and OU would have still be very,very good. But that's giving Barry a lot of credit, which is my intention.

Agree.
Ever wonder what OU's football fortunes would have been had the wishbone never come along ? From 1970-79, OU compiled a 102-13-3 record, a winning percentage of 88%, averaging 34 points per game....hard to imagine any other offense allowing such a record.

Wilkinson's decade from 1950-59 had a winning percentage of 90%, 93-10-2, but the opponents during Switzer's 1970's decade were much more formidable.
Too bad Notre Dame and OU never played during the 1970's.

 

[owenfieldreams]

The origins of the "wishbone" triple-option offense started in Alice,Tx. and in Ft. Worth. Emory Ballard was an assistant on Ox Emerson's staff at Alice. Ox decided to move a guard into the backfield to get a running start. Simultaneously, Charles 'Spud' Carson revamped his traditional T-formation at Monnig junior high in Ft. Worth by moving a "slow" fullback a step closer to the line. Ballard drew on these experiences and installed the set at Breckenridge where he won back to back 3A state championships in 1958 and 1959. The set did not become an option offense until Ballard watched A&M beat Alabama in the 1968 Cotton Bowl using an option offense. DKR asked Ballard to install a 3-back option offense before the start of the 1968 season. At that moment the Monnig T became the "pullybone", so named by Mickey Herskowitz. DKR changed it to the "wishbone". As has been mentioned earlier Switzer added speed to what had been a power offense at UT. The 1958 Breckenridge squad came to the Coyote Canyon to open the season on a yellow hammer loaded with 23 players. Some players exchanged helmets when they substituted. They beat the mighty Wichita Falls Coyotes that night. The Coyotes were eventually 4A state champions year with only one loss to Bellard's boys from Breckenridge.

 

[Oklabama]

Too bad Notre Dame and OU never played during the 1970's.

Oh, God yes. I would love to have seen a decade of OU-Notre Dame games. I hate those bastards more than any team in America. I wish they were on our schedule annually.

 

[Dastardly Deed]

Got to go with the wild man, Bobby Proctor. DB coach from '73 to '93.
Dude was a freak.
He'd run down the sideline berating a player for a bonehead move...then run down the sideline promising to name his next born after that player.

Really colorful guy.
In fact, when I bought a ticket, that was one thing I'd look forward to. The antics of BP.
Legendary to me.
Bobby Proctor.

Agree, Bobby was the best, IMO. Wasn't he coach when one of our DB's (can't recall the name) practically took Tony Dorsett's head off on a sweep on a key third down?

 

[K2C Sooner]

Agree, Bobby was the best, IMO. Wasn't he coach when one of our DB's (can't recall the name) practically took Tony Dorsett's head off on a sweep on a key third down?

 

[CTOkie]

Scott Hill. Came to OU as a QB. Switzer liked him better as a DB.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Agree, Bobby was the best, IMO. Wasn't he coach when one of our DB's (can't recall the name) practically took Tony Dorsett's head off on a sweep on a key third down?

Yep, in my personal top five D plays. Brutal hit.

As I recall it knocked Dorsett out of the game for a looooooong time.
Just rattled that brain.

 

[JConXtsy]

How about Roy WIlliams taking out 2 Horns on this play? This is pure, reckless abandonment.
Queued to the play I'm referencing.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

How about Roy WIlliams taking out 2 Horns on this play? This is pure, reckless abandonment.
Queued to the play I'm referencing.

View embedded media

Damn Roy!
You know, as far as his versatility, he might have been a little better than Boz. Maniac.

 

[Plainosooner]

Mack Brown made profound changes to OU's wishbone in 1984, and became a huge factor in the 85 nc, even though he'd left. He also brought a new discipline to the program which was badly needed.

Surprised nobody mentioned Mike Shanahan.

I'm not a big fan of Lacewell, or Gibbs, or especially not of Proctor, whom I considered a bafoon.

On the list, Gomer, Jimmy Johnson, Bud, Barry, Leach and Jerry Pettibone. But Mike Stoops and BV are 1,2 or 2,1 IMO. The defenses against Texas in 2000 and 2003 were about coaching more than personnel.

Maybe my favorite defensive play call ever was on the first Horn possession in 03 that led to Strait's pick return to around the 5. Got in their heads and led to 65-13. Genius call and design.

Most underrated: Cale Gundy

 

[Liljoe24]

Again, another subjective post. I know most will say Switzer and you're right. That's not what I'm looking for here.

Name some others.....(Plaino and Senior?)

I'm going with Larry Lacewell......Who you got?

Merv johnson

 

[Oklabama]

Mack Brown made profound changes to OU's wishbone in 1984, and became a huge factor in the 85 nc, even though he'd left. He also brought a new discipline to the program which was badly needed.

Surprised nobody mentioned Mike Shanahan.

I'm not a big fan of Lacewell, or Gibbs, or especially not of Proctor, whom I considered a bafoon.

On the list, Gomer, Jimmy Johnson, Bud, Barry, Leach and Jerry Pettibone. But Mike Stoops and BV are 1,2 or 2,1 IMO. The defenses against Texas in 2000 and 2003 were about coaching more than personnel.

Maybe my favorite defensive play call ever was on the first Horn possession in 03 that led to Strait's pick return to around the 5. Got in their heads and led to 65-13. Genius call and design.

Most underrated: Cale Gundy

Mike Shanahan. Are you really surprised he wasn't mentioned? What where Shanahan's contributions to OU? He was here one year as Galen Hall's offensive assistant. Lucky for him. Shanahan had the very good fortune to work for really good head coaches. Bully for him. Hate to sound so brutal but Shanahan's OU experience has always been over blown....IMHO. But everyone to their own opinion. Again I apologize for sounding so rough.

 

[Plainosooner]

My feelings aren't hurt.

 

[Oklabama]

My feelings aren't hurt.

Good. I sometimes get too crazy. Glad you're back. And that was a nice response.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

I can only speak for the years I've been watching Sooner football ('95 with dedicated consistency) so for me it'd have to be Mike Stoops.

I'm sure it wasnt Mike alone who designed the game plan for Florida State in the national title game, but what he got from his defensive backs that night was near perfection.

 

[veritas59]

buffoon b u f f o o n

 

[rkhufu7]

Gibbs was a great DC, but HORRIBLE HC. He brought the program down after Switzer left.

 

[CTOkie]

Gibbs was a great DC, but HORRIBLE HC. He brought the program down after Switzer left.

Maybe OU could have hired someone better after Switzer retired.....maybe not, with the terrible environment surrounding the Oklahoma program at the time....but calling Gibbs a "horrible" head coach is both unfair and silly.
The dirty diaper Gibbs inherited would have tested even the best of coaches.
And let's face the truth: the program was ALREADY brought down during Switzer's last year and the ripple effect was felt for a decade....which was further made worse by the sloppy hirings of Schnellenberger and Blake.

 

[Dastardly Deed]

Maybe OU could have hired someone better after Switzer retired.....maybe not, with the terrible environment surrounding the Oklahoma program at the time....but calling Gibbs a "horrible" head coach is both unfair and silly.
The dirty diaper Gibbs inherited would have tested even the best of coaches.
And let's face the truth: the program was ALREADY brought down during Switzer's last year and the ripple effect was felt for a decade....which was further made worse by the sloppy hirings of Schnellenberger and Blake.

This is sad but true ... especially this: "The dirty diaper Gibbs inherited would have tested even the best of coaches."

I think near the end Barry had pretty much stopped doing his homework with regard to family background and personal ethics of some of the kids he recruited. He used to camp out in the homes of recruits, get to know both, but not so much at the end. Too bad, because he was a great coach who's choice of players (and his own actions) wound up sullying the reputation of the program, leading to lousy coaching replacements later..