SWOSU Coaching Candidates

[jimbo slice]

we are apparently talking about two different rooms. we were on a game day visit a month ago.

[OPSUALUM77&81]

It's so tough to recruit and win at the small Oklahoma schools located in small town USA. I look at our situation here a NWOSU and wonder. The current coach inherited a 3-9 team and with his first full 5 year recruiting cycle sans covid led them to a 2-9 season. He started with alot of young talent left by the previous regime and the ecitement of newly gained D2 certification but once they cycled through the bottom has really dropped out. You can only do so much when the odds are against you. Perhaps dropping back to the NAIA would be the way to go for both schools.

On one of my travels a couple of years ago I was talking to a college coach about small college football in Oklahoma. I was sharing my disappointment in how NWOSU, SNU and SWOSU were faring in football as D2 members. I commented that I thought NWOSU and SNU were better off in NAIA. I further commented that I was disappointed in SWOSU as I thought they were a better program than what they are showing. Coach's response about SWOSU was "They don't belong in D2!". In my mind I still can't believe that SWOSU doesn't belong in D2, but maybe so. He certainly knows a lot more about football in Oklahoma than I do.

There are a lot of schools that would be better off in NAIA. Western New Mexico is one of many schools I can think of. OPSU's move back to NAIA was hard to accept at first, but has been the best move for us.

Most of the small Oklahoma schools lack the resources to compete in D2.

[Mulerider]

Any updates on names? I am actually surprised SAU made an announcement that fast. However, I think that was because the coach has family that goes to LA Tech. Very easy drive from Ruston to Magnolia.

[jimbo slice]

On one of my travels a couple of years ago I was talking to a college coach about small college football in Oklahoma. I was sharing my disappointment in how NWOSU, SNU and SWOSU were faring in football as D2 members. I commented that I thought NWOSU and SNU were better off in NAIA. I further commented that I was disappointed in SWOSU as I thought they were a better program than what they are showing. Coach's response about SWOSU was "They don't belong in D2!". In my mind I still can't believe that SWOSU doesn't belong in D2, but maybe so. He certainly knows a lot more about football in Oklahoma than I do.

There are a lot of schools that would be better off in NAIA. Western New Mexico is one of many schools I can think of. OPSU's move back to NAIA was hard to accept at first, but has been the best move for us.

Most of the small Oklahoma schools lack the resources to compete in D2.

they need to do a much better job of hitting oklahoma high schools. a bunch of oklahoma kids are going else where.

[OPSUALUM77&81]

The Oklahoma schools are losing the arms race in facilities and probably scholarships. It makes it hard to recruit. I do agree with your statement. Looking at the schools rosters, there aren't as many Oklahoma residents listed. Are the schools just not recruiting Oklahoma kids? Having local kids on the roster helps fill seats.

[jimbo slice]

The Oklahoma schools are losing the arms race in facilities and probably scholarships. It makes it hard to recruit. I do agree with your statement. Looking at the schools rosters, there aren't as many Oklahoma residents listed. Are the schools just not recruiting Oklahoma kids? Having local kids on the roster helps fill seats.

most of the schools here in oklahoma have newer coaches....they want to get a jump on things and win right away. they go STRAIGHT to the juco ranks to try and fill immediate needs and sometimes dont backfill with kids who will be players just not yet. oklahoma has one JUCO so the schools have to grab out of state talent at other JUCOS.

so when/if the miss on that juco kid, its 2x as bad. now not only did you screw up the choice with juco kid but you also lost a chance to coach the incoming freshman because you didn't have a scholly to offer. BUT what if you miss on the juco kid AND you could still offer an incoming freshman and you miss on him too? 2 schollies being eaten up by busts.

i think thats what NSU has been doing for several years and UCO did a few times in the last few years.

there are also rumors that.....the full allotment of schollies have not been used in the past with Central?

[jimbo slice]

The Oklahoma schools are losing the arms race in facilities and probably scholarships. It makes it hard to recruit. I do agree with your statement. Looking at the schools rosters, there aren't as many Oklahoma residents listed. Are the schools just not recruiting Oklahoma kids? Having local kids on the roster helps fill seats.

example is oklahoma baptist. coach has been there 10 years. very few IF ANY juco kids. 8 years ago, almost all of them were d1 and juco transfers.

[BulldogLB]

I have always hated the "win now with JUCO guys" approach. If they went JUCO, and still are only going D2, chances are they aren't gonna turn out great for your program. I saw that first hand at SWOSU when that coaching staff came in. Brought in a bunch of transfers, and maybe a handful of them were a good fit for the program. The rest of them were a cancer in the locker room, for lack of a better term. I think JUCO is great, and has it's benefits for a lot of kids, and teams that need an injection at a position group, but you cannot live by the transfer lol. You're better off developing a good culture and getting recruits to stay for 4 years. If I was the head coach at a team here in OK, I would try my absolute best to make up my roster of a lot of Oklahoma kids.
39% of the current SWOSU roster is from OK.

[jimbo slice]

I have always hated the "win now with JUCO guys" approach. If they went JUCO, and still are only going D2, chances are they aren't gonna turn out great for your program. I saw that first hand at SWOSU when that coaching staff came in. Brought in a bunch of transfers, and maybe a handful of them were a good fit for the program. The rest of them were a cancer in the locker room, for lack of a better term. I think JUCO is great, and has it's benefits for a lot of kids, and teams that need an injection at a position group, but you cannot live by the transfer lol. You're better off developing a good culture and getting recruits to stay for 4 years. If I was the head coach at a team here in OK, I would try my absolute best to make up my roster of a lot of Oklahoma kids.
39% of the current SWOSU roster is from OK.

agree 100%

[tubaguy08]

I have always hated the "win now with JUCO guys" approach. If they went JUCO, and still are only going D2, chances are they aren't gonna turn out great for your program. I saw that first hand at SWOSU when that coaching staff came in. Brought in a bunch of transfers, and maybe a handful of them were a good fit for the program. The rest of them were a cancer in the locker room, for lack of a better term. I think JUCO is great, and has it's benefits for a lot of kids, and teams that need an injection at a position group, but you cannot live by the transfer lol. You're better off developing a good culture and getting recruits to stay for 4 years. If I was the head coach at a team here in OK, I would try my absolute best to make up my roster of a lot of Oklahoma kids.
39% of the current SWOSU roster is from OK.

[BulldogLB]

That's one of the big reasons why I have always been a fan of OBU and Harding's success in this league. You guys do things the right way. I wish the OK schools were smart enough to look at the blueprint for success you have put down.

[tubaguy08]

BulldogLB

[OPSUALUM77&81]

Jimbo, you've talked a lot about the Oklahoma schools needing to put more emphasis on recruiting Oklahoma kids. Sir, I agree with you. However, how big of a pool of football talent do the Oklahoma schools have to choose from? Now, I am out in the Oklahoma Panhandle. When I travel it is usually across western Oklahoma on the way to my destination. What I see are small schools with small programs. These small towns are mostly dying. How many of these kids are talented enough to play college football? Coming from small town football, i.e, 8-man Class A and Class 2A, how many of these kids have the talent and/or self-confidence to make the jump up? I see some of these kids playing college ball but not many make a big impact. The rest of Oklahoma is just like it is in western Oklahoma, except for the cities. I hope this makes sense.

[BulldogLB]

BulldogLB

SWOSU has always recruited Texas a lot. Usually there are more Texas kids than Oklahoma kids on the roster. It's usually just the Dallas area. I'm sure you guys mostly go after the Houston area. Maybe Houston is better at football than Dallas lol.

[OBUGrad]

SWOSU has always recruited Texas a lot. Usually there are more Texas kids than Oklahoma kids on the roster. It's usually just the Dallas area. I'm sure you guys mostly go after the Houston area. Maybe Houston is better at football than Dallas lol.

Dallas is much closer than Houston.