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Blankenship got foot in door, put on a show
Published: 1/14/2011 6:20 PM
Last Modified: 1/14/2011 6:20 PM

Everybody who wasn’t in the interview room apparently missed a heck of a performance by Bill Blankenship.

Blankenship was likely a back burner candidate for the University of Tulsa head coaching job. Speculation focused on younger, flavor-of-the-day candidates.

Then Blankenship was granted an interview. And he was so impressive in an interview setting that people charged with the responsibility of selecting Todd Graham’s successor immediately began to view Blankenship in a different light than ever before.

Hey, Bill. What did you do in that room that was so impressive? Did you show a video? Do a power point presentation? Did you present a list of assistant coaches that you were going to hire?

“I don’t want to tell you,” Blankenship said after his introductory press conference. “I might want to bottle it and sell it sometime if this gig doesn’t work out.”

Blankenship was, of course, joking. He has every intention of “this gig” working out and so do the people who hired him after being enlightened during the knockout interview session.

Bubba Cunningham admitted his opinion of Blankenship went up. “This guy is really special,” TU’s athletic director said. “And we didn’t know it. It was kind embarrassing that we didn’t realize it sooner.”

Cunningham said he didn’t really know Blankenship that well. Sure, Blankenship had fared well as a high school coach and in every role he was given while serving on Graham’s staff. But you never really get a feel for what a guy is all about until you spend quality face time with them.

Like Blankenship, Cunningham didn’t want to get into specifics of what occurred during the interview. But, said Cunningham, “Bill came in and just spoke from his heart about his own personal beliefs and his foundations for life and how he built the programs he has been around. It was just really, really good. From that, we said, you know, this guy has been incredibly successful wherever he has been. He has been a part of this place. He played here. He went to school here. His kids went to school here. And if we really, truly want to have continuity and continue to move this program forward, he’s a great guy to do it. He’s the best guy to do it.”

Blankenship was told that perhaps he was taken for granted before the interview. “That’s all right,” he said. “Somebody made the statement that it might just be a courtesy interview. Well, it’s a swing. It gives me a chance and I’m going to make the most out of it and see what happens.”

Swing? Blankenship made a baseball analogy during his press conference when referencing his interview. He said if he ever got an opportunity at the plate, he wasn’t going to watch the pitch go by. He was going to swing for the fence. Cunningham said Blankenship knocked it out of the park.

So what really happened in that interview session? “The one difference was my perspective,” TU’s new coach said. “I think that I know this place and the unique issues we face and the unique advantages we have and I just tried to play to those strengths.”


Reader Comments 5 Total
Opus (2 years ago)
I doubt that Bill did anything different. I think those in charge of this process just opened their eyes and saw what ways always there right in front of them. He's a class individual who deserves his shot.
Ignatz (2 years ago)
whaatever. they got him cheap.
SoonerSkins (2 years ago)
So what? Who cares how much they're paying him?!?! I really don't even think Blankenship cares.

Everyone else seems to, though.

Anyway, TU is going to get a great return on their investment.
Blue&Gold (2 years ago)
I think the determining factor will be if Blankenship can win 8 or more games next year. I will be sold if he manages that. As we have seen, in college football, the head coach can make a huge difference in wins and losses. Bob Stoops won with John Blake's recruits. Steve Kragthorpe won with Keith Burns recruits. And yes, Bill Blankenship would be winning with Todd Graham's recruits (which he had a hand in bringing to TU), but in football, the same team can go from winning to losing with a coaching change. As we saw, John Phillips could win with Bill Self's players (heck I could have won with Bill Self's players) but Phillips couldn't recruit or evaluate D-I talent. I think Coach Blankenship has been around the game and TU football long enough to know FBS talent. Let's go TU!
zzx375 (2 years ago)
"whaatever. they got him cheap. "

How do you know?
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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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