Comments on: Ford’s deal an overreaction

By: Debbie

Debbie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:55:03 +0000

Same here Robert, I read the article before I saw who wrote it, also. They really should highlight editorials so misinformation doesn’t get confused with “real” news. Does this paper not know how stupid their articles sound? Sorry, I didn’t make it through the whole editorial, so don’t feel offended if it got better as it went along.

By: Mack

Mack — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:38:59 +0000

John’s correct, it might have been a little quick.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:25:25 +0000

When will I learn to check the author of an article before I read it? I’ll try not to make that mistake again.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:37:57 +0000

You see the thing is Eddie Sutton was one heck of a coach, but only a marginal recruiter. Eddie had a short fuse and a lot of star players didn’t want to play for Eddie; but the ones who did were better off for having done so. Eddie didn’t want a deep bench, he wanted eight or nine dedicated athletes. I say athletes because Eddie went for the athlete first and the basketball player second. Eddie would rather develop an athlete into a solid basketball player than to recruit the prima dona player. You had to have a lot of discipline to play Eddie Sutton’s style of basketball. Travis Ford, not so much. He’s up tempo, plays the way todays players like to play. He’s very similar in his coaching style to Bill Self at Kansas. Hey, I say if the bankers and boys on Wall Street can make money for nothing, why not college coaches. It’s all going South anyway! T. Boone is 81 years old, he doesn’t have time to wait for greatness at OSU. He’d like to see it happen in his lifetime. By gosh we’re getting there!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:26:07 +0000

Keep in mind that OSU offered Bill Self a huge sum of money to come back and coach at OSU. Money isn’t a problem anymore, we are a privately funded university now. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with the rise of OSU and the demise of OU. I think T. Boone should start up a Law School at OSU, and maybe even a Med School.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:17:06 +0000

Don’t kid yourself Rhode. Keep in mind that Travis did what he did with a short straw considering that not one of his recruits was a part of the team. I would imagine that a lot of the attention he is drawing insofar as salary increases has a lot to do with the caliber of players he’s bringing into the program. Unlike Eddie Sutton, who often won with less, Travis is proving to be a whale of a recruiter. The fact is, he may not have to be that good a coach with the kind of players he’s bringing into the program.

By: Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:50:02 +0000

Rhode,

I agree with the last comment from John. Go cover OU and leave OSU alone. Your instate coverage really slants toward Norman.

By: John

John — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:07:05 +0000

If Joe Castigalone had done the same the article would say he is a visionary and proactively retaining rising stars in coaching. Rohde – roll this one up with the football story today and shove them both.

By: Cowboy4Ever

Cowboy4Ever — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:36:40 +0000

Thank you John, this is way to soon. Take care of the guy, but don’t go overboard. We took a chance on him and it paid off, but OSU would have had to pay him either way so a new contract happened way to fast.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:53:44 +0000

John-I have to disagree with some of your logic. Mike Holder has stated more than once that OSU thinks Ford is a rising star in the coaching profession. If they truly believe that, then the big raises and buyout are purely defensive measures for what they think Ford WILL produce in the future, not what he has done so far.

Granted, the $3 million buyout wouldn’t discourage UK, but provided he stays out of trouble with the NCAA, it looks like Calipari will be there a while. The $3 million may very well discourage other teams that might come calling in the next couple of years, say a solid ACC team like a Maryland or NC State, an SEC team like LSU or a Big East team like Pitt. If Ford wins like Holder thinks he’s going to, OSU will have to fend off more than just UK every April when the wheel starts to turn. I think Holder is just hedging his bets. If he waited until AFTER Ford won a championship, wouldn’t it be too late?

As far as comparing to Gundy’s salary, I think the message is that OSU is going to reward and try to retain it’s successful coaches, rather than let it be a stepping stone job. Gundy and Ford are probably winning at about the same level right now. A 9-4 record (69%) and good mid-level bowl game is probably about the equivalent of a 23-12 record (66%) and getting to the second round of the NCAA. Had Gundy gone 9-4 and to the Holiday Bowl after his first year, he probably would have gotten a raise and extension then as well.