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TU makes wrong kind of Selection Sunday news
Published: 3/11/2012 3:20 PM
Last Modified: 3/11/2012 3:20 PM

Tulsa and men's basketball coach Doug Wojcik finally made news on Selection Sunday.

It just wasn't the kind of news Golden Hurricane fans had hoped.

Perhaps it's fitting that a coach who never led his team to an NCAA Tournament lost his job because of it on the same day this year's field is announced.

If you believe conference realignment was the No. 1 reason Tulsa accelerated its hiring of a new athletic director, then the school's men's basketball program was reason 1A.

School officials understood a lameduck president and an interim athletic director couldn't make a change in the men's basketball program if one was needed.

So in comes Ross Parmley as full-time AD.

And it didn't take him long to decide a change was needed in the men's basketball program.

I only had a handful of dealings with Doug Wojcik since coming to Tulsa in June. Half of them were negative. I'm told that's par for the course. And perhaps its a significant reason why you see very few people rallying to his defense despite him being the winningest coach in school history with a perfect graduation rate.

I corresponded with a local TV anchor on Twitter this week. He felt unrealistic fan expectations played a role in Wojcik's downfall, saying that even one NCAA Tournament appearance wouldn't have been enough for most Hurricane fans.

In general, he's correct. Fans almost always overestimate the value of their school. But we'll never know if one bid would have been enough to save Wojcik. After seven years, Tulsa fans are still waiting for his first.

Now it's time to turn to the future.

Tulsa basketball is at a crossroads. Interest is dwindling, and the Golden Hurricane's once proud basketball tradition is in danger of being a mere footnote in the history books.

Parmley, less than six months into his first college athletic director job, faces a career make-or-break decision.

Parmley may or may not have much to say about the selection of Tulsa's next men's basketball coach, but the new coach and his level of success will likely stick with Parmley for the rest of his career.

Obviously, parting ways with Wojcik wasn't an easy decision. But the choices only become harder if Tulsa is to start making the right kind of news on Selection Sunday.

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Tulsabills (11 months ago)

Great analysis Mr. Peters. Glad to see a media person acknowledge Wojcik's attitude. Local TV guy Bobby Lewis has shown he is clueless about TU basketball in general & Wojcik in particular. You have been here only 6 months & have a much better take.

I don't think TU fans are unrealistic. A majority of us did not like Woj's personality, his low opinion of TU's potential & his style of coaching. The lack of NCAAs was just the justification for removal. BTW, Wojcik didn't just fail to reach the tourney, Wojcik never even got TU on the bubble. He just couldn't win a big game.

TU's attendance WILL go up next year & Wojcik will be an asst. on a Big 10 or ACC staff, where he belongs.

19224 (11 months ago)

I love this kind of commentary. Not Really.

Doug Wojchik was the winningest coach simply because he was not hired like all of his predecessors save John Phillips. He came to TU as Tom Izzo's #1 assistant, "he'll be great".

I like sports writer's pronouncements like:
1) "unrealistic fan expectations...In general, he's correct Fans almost always overestimate the value of their school..." and

2) "...Parmley, less than six months into his first college athletic director job, faces a career make-or-break decision. ...".

Really? Really? "Unrealistic" and "make or break" based upon what!!??? Gee I don't know, whim or the rumbling in the gut of one's lunch?

Wojchik was hired on Judy McLeod's watch. Interesting that Bubba was content to let things ride to this point.

Tulsabills (11 months ago)

19224, Actually Judy wanted to hire Pooh & Upham overruled her & hired Wojcik. I think Bubba made a huge mistake in 2009 by giving Wojcik a 6 yr. extension even though Woj had not been to the NCAAs in his first 4 years.

Bubba should've fired Wojcik last year. Glad Upham corrected the error he made 7 years ago. I give Parmley credit for making a quick decision. Don't think you'll see Parmley let a coach go 7 years without a bid.

BTW, I do agree the only reason Wojcik was here that long because he tried multiple times (& failed multiple times ) to get hired away.

Wojcik was the wrong guy for the job from the beginning.

19224 (11 months ago)

"Upham overruled her" Yes. The president has the final say. Just like the president will point his finger at someone and say "Take care of this" and I suspect that is what happened here.

tufan (11 months ago)

Bubba EXTENDED Wojoke's contract!! It is my understanding that the last coaching search came down to Wojoke & Pooh Williamson and the AD(McLeod) was over ruled by the President (Robert Lawless). It was not long after, McLeod went to work in the offices of C-USA. Wonder why.

19224 (11 months ago)

Bob Lawless was long gone when Doug Wojcik was hired. His successorm Steadman Upham, became TU president in June, 2004. Doug Wojcik was hired in March, 2005. Judy McLeod left in August, 2005.

wk (11 months ago)

Wojoke - I like it.

19224 (11 months ago)

His name might be attached to it, but Parmley won't make the final decision, just as Cunningham, McLeod, and the others before him.

mgpeters (11 months ago)

Yeah, there is usually quite a bit in play in a hire like this. Eric Bailey reported today that Tulsa has already been in contact with a search firm. Ross Parmley may not make the final decision, but his name will be attached to it.

mgpeters (11 months ago)

19224, I agree. But because Parmley was hired in great measure to deal with the basketball program, whatever happens will be his legacy. That's why I referred to it as a make-or-break decision for him. The success of the new coach will definitely shade fans' view of Parmley.

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Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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