Can't help wondering if Berry's Article may have been inspired by a similar discussion on OUr Board, recently??? 
OU football: What if Texas coach Darrell Royal had returned to lead the Sooners?
by BERRY TRAMEL
Published: Sun, April 26, 2020 7:00 AM
Former OU player turned Texas head coach Darrell Royal, left, holds back any feeling about his Longhorns' scoring a touchdown with 39 seconds left in a 26-20 win against the Sooners on Oct. 12, 1968, in Dallas. [OKLAHOMAN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION VIA AP PHOTO]
Darrell Royal had a downhome manner on the order of Will Rogers. A pitbull competitiveness that was the Southwest equivalent of Woody Hayes. A knack for unorthodox calls at just the right time, which made him a gridiron savant. Hollywood good looks; think Earl Holliman in “Giant” days.
Royal also had shirts with Bevo just above his heart. Change that logo to an interlocking OU, and my, how college football in this part of the country would be different.
No Barry Switzer in Norman. Maybe no wishbone at OU or Texas. Maybe no Longhorn excellence in the late 1960s. Almost surely a quicker road to the Sooner renaissance.
Today, The Oklahoman begins a seven-part series on some great what-ifs in Oklahoma history, starting with the quarterback from Harmon County.
Royal was one of the best players in OU football history and one of the best coaches in college football history. But Royal never was the coach at his alma mater. What if the one-time favorite son had journeyed back across the Red River to revive a grand tradition?
The Sooners eventually were revived anyway, but it took awhile. Under Royal, OU’s ancient arch-rival had its most magnificent days. Royal became such a Texas icon, the Longhorns’ stadium is named in his honor and he’s buried in the Texas State Cemetery, with the likes of Stephen F. Austin and the veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto.
But Royal twice had the chance to return to Norman. Born and raised in Hollis, he was the star quarterback on OU’s great 1949 team, then became Bud Wilkinson’s greatest coaching protégé.
One year leading Canada’s Edmonton Eskimos. One year as head coach at Mississippi State. Two years at the University of Washington. Then finally to Texas, where he became the Longhorn version of his mentor, Wilkinson. In 20 years at Texas, Royal went 167-47-5 and won three national championships.
Royal was offered the OU coaching job after Gomer Jones resigned under pressure in December 1965. But the Sooners came closest to landing Royal in January 1964, after his first Texas national title and after Wilkinson resigned to pursue a U.S. Senate seat.
OU old-timers long have told the story that Royal made the drive to Oklahoma to accept the job in 1964, only to receive a phone call from Wilkinson that he was going to instead recommend Jones, his 17-year lieutenant.
Neither Royal, who died in 2012, nor his widow, Edith, who still lives in Austin, have spoken publicly of that incident. But Royal has acknowledged over the years that he considered returning to his alma mater.
"Other than the sentimental part” of returning to OU, Royal once told The Oklahoman, “I figured Texas was an equal coaching job, so why not just stay? I also decided I didn't want to follow Bud Wilkinson."
George Lynn Cross, OU’s 25-year president (1943-68), wrote in "Presidents Can’t Punt" that Royal in December 1965 was offered a six-year contract worth $32,000, big money during the LBJ Administration. Cross does not mention Royal in the January 1964 coaching hire.
"I hope it was the wise decision,” Royal told The Oklahoman in 1965 upon staying at Texas. "I just hope I haven't made anybody mad at the University of Oklahoma or anybody mad at the University of Texas.”
Royal eventually became Public Enemy No. 1 in Soonerville, not for spurning OU but for being Switzer’s great rival in the early 1970s, through a series of public spats. But Royal in the ‘60s was a source of pride for Oklahoma. The nation’s best coach was Sooner bred.
So how would Royal have fared if he had succeeded Wilkinson or even Jones? Fantastically.
Royal’s only downfall at Texas was the changing racial makeup of the sport. In the 1960s, the sport mostly was populated by white players. In the Southeastern Conference and the Southwest Conference, blacks were rare. Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Auburn did not have a black player until 1970.
OU’s first black player, Prentice Gautt, played for the Sooners in 1957. OU had a black captain by 1971 and a black quarterback in 1972.
The racial discrepancy was not a Royal thing. It was a Texas thing.
“It was a racist society down there,” said Brent Clark, a former NCAA investigator who became an author and wrote "Texas Caesar," a Royal biography. “Didn’t take Switzer long to start cleaning house in Texas, after he got hired, and Darrell wasn’t allowed to do that. The boys around the lunch table at the Petroleum Club wouldn’t allow that.”
Clark says Royal absolutely would have recruited black players, if allowed, and he would have been allowed at OU. Chuck Fairbanks, hired as the Sooner head coach in 1967, initiated the full-scale recruiting of blacks.
“Darrell was a fierce competitor, and he wanted to kick your (butt) every time he went out on the field,” Clark said.
There is a direct parallel. Frank Broyles, a son of Georgia, became the Missouri head coach in 1957. He gave a scholarship to Norris Stevenson, breaking the Mizzou color line. Broyles moved on the next season to Arkansas, but no black player made the Razorback varsity until 1970.
Oklahoma football in the 1960s was so-so. The Sooners were quite good in 1967 and 1968 under Fairbanks; they were a consistent national power by 1971, and when Switzer succeeded Fairbanks in 1973, OU’s dynasty was sealed.
But Royal almost surely would have sped up that process.
That would have meant no Switzer. When Royal rejected OU in December 1965, the Sooners turned instead to Arkansas assistant Jim Mackenzie, who brought in that glorious staff of Switzer, Fairbanks, Galen Hall, Larry Lacewell and Pat James.
It might have meant no wishbone. The offense by which OU came to be known for two decades was adopted from Texas by Fairbanks and Switzer. After a sluggish 1967 season, Royal named as his offensive coordinator wishbone guru Emory Bellard, who had excelled at Texas’ Breckenridge High School, and the Longhorns rode the wishbone to a 31-game winning streak.
If Royal had been coaching OU, would Bellard have come to Norman instead of Austin? Would the wishbone have turned crimson, first at Oklahoma and then at Alabama, where Bear Bryant became intrigued after the 1970 OU-Bama Bluebonnet Bowl? The Sooners and the Crimson Tide were the dominant programs of the 1970s, both using the ‘bone.
Either way, it seems fairly certain that OU football would have thrived with Royal. Would Texas have thrived without him?
Depends. Mike Campbell, Royal’s 20-year defensive coordinator, was the heir apparent if Texas had promoted from within. But UT passed on Campbell when Royal retired in 1976, hiring Fred Akers instead.
If Texas had gone outside, who knows? OU tried to lure Georgia’s young Vince Dooley in 1965. Maybe the ‘Horns would have done the same. Maybe they would have sought Florida’s Ray Graves or Michigan State’s Duffy Daugherty or Washington’s Jim Owens, the latter a Wilkinson and Royal protégé.
But it seems unlikely the Longhorns could have matched the Royal success. In 111 years of conference play, the only Texas coaches with more than two outright conference championships were Royal and Dana X. Bible; the latter won three SWC crowns during the World War II years.
With Royal, Texas had caught lightning in an Oklahoma bottle. In the 44 years since Royal’s retirement, Akers and Mack Brown had periods of sustained success, but neither approached Royal’s level.
Maybe the biggest historical victim of Royal’s decision to stay in Texas was Royal himself. He retired at age 52. Royal was a made man, but he still drew criticism — 0-5-1 in his last six OU-Texas games, no Cotton Bowls in his final three seasons.
Buoyed by recruiting black athletes, perhaps Royal could have coached even longer at OU and put up numbers that would rank with the all-time greats.
Certainly, Royal is as revered in Texas as Wilkinson is in Oklahoma, but both get lost in the Bear Bryant/Joe Paterno/Bobby Bowden discussions.
Oh well. It all worked out. The Longhorns were great with Royal. The Sooners were great without him.
OU football: What if Texas coach Darrell Royal had returned to lead the Sooners?
by BERRY TRAMEL
Published: Sun, April 26, 2020 7:00 AM
Former OU player turned Texas head coach Darrell Royal, left, holds back any feeling about his Longhorns' scoring a touchdown with 39 seconds left in a 26-20 win against the Sooners on Oct. 12, 1968, in Dallas. [OKLAHOMAN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION VIA AP PHOTO]
Darrell Royal had a downhome manner on the order of Will Rogers. A pitbull competitiveness that was the Southwest equivalent of Woody Hayes. A knack for unorthodox calls at just the right time, which made him a gridiron savant. Hollywood good looks; think Earl Holliman in “Giant” days.
Royal also had shirts with Bevo just above his heart. Change that logo to an interlocking OU, and my, how college football in this part of the country would be different.
No Barry Switzer in Norman. Maybe no wishbone at OU or Texas. Maybe no Longhorn excellence in the late 1960s. Almost surely a quicker road to the Sooner renaissance.
Today, The Oklahoman begins a seven-part series on some great what-ifs in Oklahoma history, starting with the quarterback from Harmon County.
Royal was one of the best players in OU football history and one of the best coaches in college football history. But Royal never was the coach at his alma mater. What if the one-time favorite son had journeyed back across the Red River to revive a grand tradition?
The Sooners eventually were revived anyway, but it took awhile. Under Royal, OU’s ancient arch-rival had its most magnificent days. Royal became such a Texas icon, the Longhorns’ stadium is named in his honor and he’s buried in the Texas State Cemetery, with the likes of Stephen F. Austin and the veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto.
But Royal twice had the chance to return to Norman. Born and raised in Hollis, he was the star quarterback on OU’s great 1949 team, then became Bud Wilkinson’s greatest coaching protégé.
One year leading Canada’s Edmonton Eskimos. One year as head coach at Mississippi State. Two years at the University of Washington. Then finally to Texas, where he became the Longhorn version of his mentor, Wilkinson. In 20 years at Texas, Royal went 167-47-5 and won three national championships.
Royal was offered the OU coaching job after Gomer Jones resigned under pressure in December 1965. But the Sooners came closest to landing Royal in January 1964, after his first Texas national title and after Wilkinson resigned to pursue a U.S. Senate seat.
OU old-timers long have told the story that Royal made the drive to Oklahoma to accept the job in 1964, only to receive a phone call from Wilkinson that he was going to instead recommend Jones, his 17-year lieutenant.
Neither Royal, who died in 2012, nor his widow, Edith, who still lives in Austin, have spoken publicly of that incident. But Royal has acknowledged over the years that he considered returning to his alma mater.
"Other than the sentimental part” of returning to OU, Royal once told The Oklahoman, “I figured Texas was an equal coaching job, so why not just stay? I also decided I didn't want to follow Bud Wilkinson."
George Lynn Cross, OU’s 25-year president (1943-68), wrote in "Presidents Can’t Punt" that Royal in December 1965 was offered a six-year contract worth $32,000, big money during the LBJ Administration. Cross does not mention Royal in the January 1964 coaching hire.
"I hope it was the wise decision,” Royal told The Oklahoman in 1965 upon staying at Texas. "I just hope I haven't made anybody mad at the University of Oklahoma or anybody mad at the University of Texas.”
Royal eventually became Public Enemy No. 1 in Soonerville, not for spurning OU but for being Switzer’s great rival in the early 1970s, through a series of public spats. But Royal in the ‘60s was a source of pride for Oklahoma. The nation’s best coach was Sooner bred.
So how would Royal have fared if he had succeeded Wilkinson or even Jones? Fantastically.
Royal’s only downfall at Texas was the changing racial makeup of the sport. In the 1960s, the sport mostly was populated by white players. In the Southeastern Conference and the Southwest Conference, blacks were rare. Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Auburn did not have a black player until 1970.
OU’s first black player, Prentice Gautt, played for the Sooners in 1957. OU had a black captain by 1971 and a black quarterback in 1972.
The racial discrepancy was not a Royal thing. It was a Texas thing.
“It was a racist society down there,” said Brent Clark, a former NCAA investigator who became an author and wrote "Texas Caesar," a Royal biography. “Didn’t take Switzer long to start cleaning house in Texas, after he got hired, and Darrell wasn’t allowed to do that. The boys around the lunch table at the Petroleum Club wouldn’t allow that.”
Clark says Royal absolutely would have recruited black players, if allowed, and he would have been allowed at OU. Chuck Fairbanks, hired as the Sooner head coach in 1967, initiated the full-scale recruiting of blacks.
“Darrell was a fierce competitor, and he wanted to kick your (butt) every time he went out on the field,” Clark said.
There is a direct parallel. Frank Broyles, a son of Georgia, became the Missouri head coach in 1957. He gave a scholarship to Norris Stevenson, breaking the Mizzou color line. Broyles moved on the next season to Arkansas, but no black player made the Razorback varsity until 1970.
Oklahoma football in the 1960s was so-so. The Sooners were quite good in 1967 and 1968 under Fairbanks; they were a consistent national power by 1971, and when Switzer succeeded Fairbanks in 1973, OU’s dynasty was sealed.
But Royal almost surely would have sped up that process.
That would have meant no Switzer. When Royal rejected OU in December 1965, the Sooners turned instead to Arkansas assistant Jim Mackenzie, who brought in that glorious staff of Switzer, Fairbanks, Galen Hall, Larry Lacewell and Pat James.
It might have meant no wishbone. The offense by which OU came to be known for two decades was adopted from Texas by Fairbanks and Switzer. After a sluggish 1967 season, Royal named as his offensive coordinator wishbone guru Emory Bellard, who had excelled at Texas’ Breckenridge High School, and the Longhorns rode the wishbone to a 31-game winning streak.
If Royal had been coaching OU, would Bellard have come to Norman instead of Austin? Would the wishbone have turned crimson, first at Oklahoma and then at Alabama, where Bear Bryant became intrigued after the 1970 OU-Bama Bluebonnet Bowl? The Sooners and the Crimson Tide were the dominant programs of the 1970s, both using the ‘bone.
Either way, it seems fairly certain that OU football would have thrived with Royal. Would Texas have thrived without him?
Depends. Mike Campbell, Royal’s 20-year defensive coordinator, was the heir apparent if Texas had promoted from within. But UT passed on Campbell when Royal retired in 1976, hiring Fred Akers instead.
If Texas had gone outside, who knows? OU tried to lure Georgia’s young Vince Dooley in 1965. Maybe the ‘Horns would have done the same. Maybe they would have sought Florida’s Ray Graves or Michigan State’s Duffy Daugherty or Washington’s Jim Owens, the latter a Wilkinson and Royal protégé.
But it seems unlikely the Longhorns could have matched the Royal success. In 111 years of conference play, the only Texas coaches with more than two outright conference championships were Royal and Dana X. Bible; the latter won three SWC crowns during the World War II years.
With Royal, Texas had caught lightning in an Oklahoma bottle. In the 44 years since Royal’s retirement, Akers and Mack Brown had periods of sustained success, but neither approached Royal’s level.
Maybe the biggest historical victim of Royal’s decision to stay in Texas was Royal himself. He retired at age 52. Royal was a made man, but he still drew criticism — 0-5-1 in his last six OU-Texas games, no Cotton Bowls in his final three seasons.
Buoyed by recruiting black athletes, perhaps Royal could have coached even longer at OU and put up numbers that would rank with the all-time greats.
Certainly, Royal is as revered in Texas as Wilkinson is in Oklahoma, but both get lost in the Bear Bryant/Joe Paterno/Bobby Bowden discussions.
Oh well. It all worked out. The Longhorns were great with Royal. The Sooners were great without him.
