OU coach search: the Texas Factor
Published: 3/23/2011 11:11 PM
Last Modified: 3/23/2011 11:24 PM
Mike Anderson has eliminated the Arkansas Factor in Oklahoma's coach search, assuming Oklahoma's coach search revolves around Buzz Williams (let's assume it does, for the sake of this blog).
Arkansas supposedly would have called Williams had Anderson not accepted an outrageous sum of money to coach in Fayetteville. Anderson did, though, and now Joe Castiglione's only competition in the Buzzstakes is Marquette.
(There wouldn't appear to be a Missouri Factor. If Williams leaves what he has at Marquette, it's to escape the Big East vice, to make insane money, and to be closer to home. He escapes/gets rich at either OU, Mizzou or some Texas school. But he's closer to home in Oklahoma or Texas than in Columbia, Mo.)
And what about Texas, anyway? What about something ESPN's Doug Gottlieb speculated on the OKC Sports Animal Wednesday – that Texas was Williams' dream job. Totally plausible, since Williams is from Texas, cut his coaching teeth in Texas, still recruits Texas, and even hires staff from Texas.
What I'm saying is there is high potential for a Texas Factor in OU's search.
Rick Barnes isn't taking the North Carolina State job, contrary to what delusional Wolfpack fans might think. So it's not like Castiglione has to worry about a late DeLoss Dodds charge at Williams.
But consider this scenario…
Williams takes over the Sooners in a few days. In his second year on the job, he gets them in the NCAA tournament.
Two weeks later, after losing in the Final Four, Roy Williams retires at North Carolina. One week after that, the Tar Heels ask Barnes to come home. He accepts.
Dodds, knowing a shooting star when he sees one, calls OU. And right then, Buzz Williams also decides to head home.
Just two years after breaking the bank and his back to land Williams, Castiglione goes right back on the hunt, worried sick about the psyche of a program just now back on its feet again. Worried, too, about how many of those Texans Williams recruited to OU would want to cross the Red with their coach.
I know. We're just ridden "Trolley" to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, but humor me. We're nine days into the search. I'm going to get worse before I get better.
Under this scenario, do you still want Williams to come on down?
Coaches don't just jump from OU to Texas. Not without a few stops in between, anyway (see: Darrell Royal, Mack Brown).
This one would at least have the potential to make that history. A dark day in Sooner history, were it to happen.
Would you blame him? Would you thank him before his departure? Would you immediately start asking why Castiglione didn't settle for Kevin Stallings, Tad Boyle or Gregg Marshall?
And while we're at it, is there any chance Williams considers this if/when Castiglione rings his bell?
It's not crossing Joe C's mind, I realize. If he lands Williams for the money it's going to take, he's going to expect a nice, long, prosperous career that includes beating Texas, not leaving to coach there.
Still, until Williams gets here… until anyone gets here… all we're left to do is wonder. About a lot of possibilities, some farther-fetched than others.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
