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Dickie V predicts Danny M will "sell tickets" at Tulsa
Published: 3/29/2012 2:02 PM
Last Modified: 3/29/2012 2:02 PM

Danny Manning has never been a head coach, but the University of Tulsa’s new hire was praised Thursday by a former coach.

“I think he is a great hire and I look for him to do some really outstanding things because in Tulsa they love their basketball.”

Who said it? Dick Vitale.

Dickie V. was a college and NBA head coach before embarking on the career that made him famous. During an ESPN teleconference Thursday, Vitale was asked for an opinion on TU’s hiring of Manning, a Kansas assistant and former KU and NBA player.

“I think that Danny certainly brings a wealth of unbelievable credibility,” Vitale said.

“He’s synonomous when you talk (about) the Final Four in 1988, Danny and the Miracles, what he did to carry Kansas on his back to win the national title.

“You think of the fact of all his experience at Kansas as a player and coach and his NBA experience. He’s a magical name in recruiting. His dad was a coach. He learned so much under Bill Self and guys that he played under, (including) Larry Brown.”

Vitale said he feels badly for Doug Wojick because he was a “big fan” of the former TU coach. Declining attendance was cited as a factor when the Golden Hurricane parted company with Wojcik.

“The bottom line is Danny should be able to put some people in the stands,” Vitale said. “I will tell you that. He should sell tickets.”

Because Manning has never been a head coach, Vitale suggests Manning assemble a staff with a lot of experience.

And, regarding the never-been-a-head-coach topic, Vitale said, “We could have said the same thing basically about Roy Williams when Roy Williams took over at Kansas. He had never been a head coach, ever. In fact, many people would say he was probably the second or third assistant on the staff with Dean Smith (at North Carolina). But (former KU athletic director) Bob Frederick was able to recognize potential greatness and he rolled the dice and gave him a shot... I think sometimes that experience factor can be overrated a little bit.”


Reader Comments 4 Total
The Picker (11 months ago)
Dickie V finished in the 14th percentile in the NCAA bracket contest.

He couldn't pick a replay.

Bart78 (11 months ago)
Dickie V. sure knows his way around words, doesn't he? "...unbelievable credibility..." So, DV, which is it? Waiting...[crickets...]...[sounds of DV flipping through the dictionary]...still waiting, DV.
WillyJ (11 months ago)
An empty chair would improve attendance over another year of Woj. . but personally I'm excited over the Manning hire.

Could be a bust but I think he'll do well.
P.OswaldBoone (11 months ago)
Dickie V. may not be a great picker but he's taking it to the bank and we are working jerks stuck in Tulsa. Who's laughing?
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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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