AnniePokely
03-18-2008, 07:59 AM
Ryan Steele - NewsPress
It took just a few words to leave hundreds of Oklahoma State fans in silence.
“Coach (Jim) Littell has been offered another job,” Cowgirl head coach Kurt Budke announced to the stunned sea of orange on the club level of Boone Pickens Stadium on Monday night.
His next words elicited a heartwarming response.
“...And he’s decided to stay,” the third-year boss added.
Fans cheered. Players cried. Fellow coaches embraced.
Littell, who has been OSU’s associate head coach for the past three seasons, will remain a member of the program’s staff. Littell declined to comment about which school made an offer, but he admitted a head coaching position was on the table.
“I’m glad to be here and hopefully it’ll be for a long time,” he said. “We made a decision based on what was best for our family, and we love it at Oklahoma State. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s only going to get better.”
Junior Taylor Hardeman added, “(Littell) is like a father to me. If he would’ve left, I don’t know what I would have done because he’s a big part of the player I’ve become. I almost broke down because I can’t imagine looking over on the sidelines and him not being there.”
Littell has played an integral part in a program that went 0-16 in Big 12 play just two years ago. With his help, the Cowgirls underwent a major transformation last season which included a 20-11 finish and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1996.
In addition, O-State (25-7) advanced to the Big 12 Tournament’s championship contest last weekend for the first time in school history, and it was announced Monday that the school will be making its second straight trip to the NCAA tourney.
Budke said with Littell staying on the staff, OSU’s future will only get brighter.
“He’s the best associate head coach in America and (O-State athletic director) Mike Holder recognized that and stepped up and helped us keep him,” Budke said.
Senior Maria Cordero added, “He’s very valuable to this team. He’ll yell at me and get in my face, but I still love him at the end of the day because he’s always the one that will tell it like it is. I think a lot of people would’ve been heartbroken if he left.”
Before coming to Stillwater, Littell was the head coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan., from 1991-2005. He led the club to nine Jayhawk West Conference titles and a NJCAA national championship in ’02.
He earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor nine times, was named the WBCA National Coach of the Year in ’01 and was selected as the region’s top coach on four occasions (’99, ’02, ’04 and ’05).
“I wasn’t going to leave (Seward County) for somebody that I didn’t believe in,” Littell said. “I came (to OSU) because I believed in Coach Budke and I knew he was someone that could turn any program around in the country. He’s somebody that’s treated me like gold.”
For Littell, becoming a Division-I head coach isn’t a matter of if, but when.
“At this point in time, it’s not that important to me,” he said. “I’m pleased right now and I’m not going to worry about the future. If something happens later on, we’ll take a look at it then. Right now, we’re going to take care of the task at hand.”
The third-seeded and 13th-ranked Cowgirls face No. 14 seed East Tennessee State in the opening round of the NCAA tourney on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
It took just a few words to leave hundreds of Oklahoma State fans in silence.
“Coach (Jim) Littell has been offered another job,” Cowgirl head coach Kurt Budke announced to the stunned sea of orange on the club level of Boone Pickens Stadium on Monday night.
His next words elicited a heartwarming response.
“...And he’s decided to stay,” the third-year boss added.
Fans cheered. Players cried. Fellow coaches embraced.
Littell, who has been OSU’s associate head coach for the past three seasons, will remain a member of the program’s staff. Littell declined to comment about which school made an offer, but he admitted a head coaching position was on the table.
“I’m glad to be here and hopefully it’ll be for a long time,” he said. “We made a decision based on what was best for our family, and we love it at Oklahoma State. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s only going to get better.”
Junior Taylor Hardeman added, “(Littell) is like a father to me. If he would’ve left, I don’t know what I would have done because he’s a big part of the player I’ve become. I almost broke down because I can’t imagine looking over on the sidelines and him not being there.”
Littell has played an integral part in a program that went 0-16 in Big 12 play just two years ago. With his help, the Cowgirls underwent a major transformation last season which included a 20-11 finish and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1996.
In addition, O-State (25-7) advanced to the Big 12 Tournament’s championship contest last weekend for the first time in school history, and it was announced Monday that the school will be making its second straight trip to the NCAA tourney.
Budke said with Littell staying on the staff, OSU’s future will only get brighter.
“He’s the best associate head coach in America and (O-State athletic director) Mike Holder recognized that and stepped up and helped us keep him,” Budke said.
Senior Maria Cordero added, “He’s very valuable to this team. He’ll yell at me and get in my face, but I still love him at the end of the day because he’s always the one that will tell it like it is. I think a lot of people would’ve been heartbroken if he left.”
Before coming to Stillwater, Littell was the head coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan., from 1991-2005. He led the club to nine Jayhawk West Conference titles and a NJCAA national championship in ’02.
He earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor nine times, was named the WBCA National Coach of the Year in ’01 and was selected as the region’s top coach on four occasions (’99, ’02, ’04 and ’05).
“I wasn’t going to leave (Seward County) for somebody that I didn’t believe in,” Littell said. “I came (to OSU) because I believed in Coach Budke and I knew he was someone that could turn any program around in the country. He’s somebody that’s treated me like gold.”
For Littell, becoming a Division-I head coach isn’t a matter of if, but when.
“At this point in time, it’s not that important to me,” he said. “I’m pleased right now and I’m not going to worry about the future. If something happens later on, we’ll take a look at it then. Right now, we’re going to take care of the task at hand.”
The third-seeded and 13th-ranked Cowgirls face No. 14 seed East Tennessee State in the opening round of the NCAA tourney on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.