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Eggs-it strategy
Published: 1/8/2007 11:04 AM
Last Modified: 1/8/2007 11:04 AM

Tulsa fans shouldn't be mad at Steve Kragthorpe when he takes the Louisville job.
My opinion is Kragthorpe is more gone than Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind" and more gone than Nicolas Cage in "Gone in 60 Seconds." There have been many job openings linked to Kragthorpe that were nothing but false alarms, but this one is a red alert.
Kragthorpe and Louisville's athletic director go way back. Their wives are reportedly close. Word spread like wildfire at the coaches convention Sunday that former Louisville coach Bobby Petrino had taken the Atlanta Falcons job and word also spread that Kragthorpe was going to be Petrino's successor.
Almost as quickly, it became apparent that ex-Miami coach Larry Coker (a former assistant at TU, OSU and OU) is among folks who will likely pursue the Golden Hurricane job.
When TU basketball coaches left for other jobs in the past, fans and media sometimes threw stones at the guys who were on their way out the door. Kragthorpe deserves better. He took a laughing stock of a program and turned it into a winner. Congratulate him and wish him success.
In the end, a coach should want to leave a program in better shape than he found it. Kragthorpe did that. Essentially, he was to TU football what Tubby Smith was to TU basketball, re-igniting tradition that had gone dormant. Basketball coaches hired after Smith's departure continued to add to the program's legacy. That's what TU fans should hope for in regard to football.
If Kragthorpe stays, I stand to have a bit of egg on my face. But I like eggs, preferably a big omelet with ham and cheese and green peppers. This is one omelet I don't think I'm going to get to eat. Be nice to Kragthorpe. He was good for Tulsa.




Reader Comments 10 Total
buddy (6 years ago)
Get ready for an omelet, Jimmy! Perhaps we can construct a device to launch all the eggs at you at once.

Don't you believe Coach K when he said he wasn't interested in leaving TU? Perhaps Mr. Coker will be going to Louisville...
TAB (6 years ago)
You may seem a little negativity, but most knowledgeable TU fans will completely agree with this posting. This ain't Buzz Peterson. From the sound of things, this has been planned for a long time. Good luck to Kragthorpe.
Tom (6 years ago)
If it is 100 degrees and not a cloud in the sky and Jimmy says it is going to rain, just get out the raincoat because this Tramel is very accurate in his reporting. If Jimmy says he is going to Louisville, then pack your bags Kragthorpe family with the thanks of thousands of TU football fans.
Chris (6 years ago)
ESPN.com and CBS Sportsline are both reporting it as a mere formality now. I think the main thing that bothers me is that we had Saban's lies and then Petrino talking the Louisville game before bolting. Granted, Kragthorpe never went to the extremes as these two guys, but he did say how much he loved Tulsa and enjoyed being here. I see a bunch of major stories on "coaches lies" on the horizon in the sports journalism world.


It seems the fates have conspired against TU too. This honestly seems like one of only a rare handful of jobs he would bolt for. It just seems too good for him not to. But he is not to blame. No, I blame Michael Vick. Yep, I blame the "coach killer" himself. He set off the dominoes.


If I'm not mistaken, Larry Coker was a candidate when Keith Burns was hired. I hope he stays one this time. He got the bum's rush at Miami and believe he could do well for TU. Otherwise, I can't think of any other viable candidates (and don't anyone dare say Blankenship!). Any more ideas, Jimmie?

AS (6 years ago)
Chris, I don't think for a second that Coach K. was lying when he said how much he and his family love Tulsa. Taking another job does not make that a lie.
Chris (6 years ago)
Just to be clear, I never said I think Coach K lied either. I'm just saying the way coaching changes have gone down, it's all put a bad taste in my mouth about it, and that rubs off on this situation. I for one think Kragthorpe is a class act and enjoyed the times I got to work with him. I wish him luck.


I do think he may get linked to stories about a sort of "double talking," if you well. That was my point.

kingfisher (6 years ago)
Good sound piece Jimmie, Kragthorpe hung longer, and did more to rebuild the Tulsa football brand than any coach in my lifetime. Great people the Kragthorpes, hope he wins a national championship in his 1st year at Louisville.
chris (6 years ago)
What a bunch retards you guys are.
Tony (6 years ago)
i'm a Uof L alum & long time cards season ticket holder. If this is true and he is the class act i've been hearing he is i feel badly for the Tulsa program, because i personally know how it feels to have a coach leave when the program is on the rise. i.e. Howard Schnellenberger, John L. Smith and Mr. opportunity himself Petrino. You guys seem to be handling this alot better than our fans here in louisville. This shows alot of class on your part. I wish both programs the best of luck. Down, but not out cards fan
brian (6 years ago)
brent venables anyone?
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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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