backPhil
12-26-2007, 08:55 AM
This is Berry's submission for your consideration. Poll to follow . . .
Mon December 24, 2007
A big, big loss for Gundy
By Berry Tramel
The Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Mike Gundy has made a million decisions since taking the
reins of Oklahoma State football. Every head coach does.
Gundy's best decision is obvious. Hiring Larry Fedora to run the Cowboy
offense.
How good was that hire? This good. Southern Mississippi took the best part
of OSU football when it drafted the Mad Hatter to be its head coach.
Truth is, optimism for State football would have been higher had some school
lured away Gundy, leaving Fedora to be promoted.
Three years into OSU's Gundy era, the Cowboys struggle to reach the
success level of Les Miles, who went 28-21 despite a 4-7 debut season.
Gundy also started off 4-7 but is 17-19.
Fedora's offense is not to blame. It's not the world's greatest, maybe not
even world class. But the Cowboys have scored and moved the ball at an
elite level.
Meanwhile, Gundy cut loose his first defensive coordinator, Vance Bedford,
and while Tim Beckman certainly is an impressive fellow, his defense has
been no better than Bedford's.
That makes Gundy's hire of Trooper Taylor critical. Taylor comes in as
co-offensive coordinator; no word yet on what that means. Will another
staff member also be named co-coordinator? Will Gundy give in to
temptation and pilot the offense himself?
The former is the better idea. Gundy's offensive credentials don't glitter. He
assisted on bad OSU teams, bad Baylor teams and bad Maryland teams.
Then Gundy was foisted upon Miles, who ran his own offense and was willing
to take on Gundy as a figurehead offensive coordinator.
Gundy became more integral to the OSU offense in Miles' later years, but
Gundy's resume' pales compared to Fedora's.
Fedora assisted on Baylor and Air Force teams that were solid offensively,
then coordinated offenses at Middle Tennessee and Florida. Yes, Ron Zook's
staff at Florida was fired, but in his final season with the Gators, Fedora's
offense averaged 31.4 points in SEC games.
The other day, Gundy said he's grown a lot and "I would just now start to
think about hiring me” as head coach.
Self-deprecation is a nice quality. But in this case, it falls short. Gundy's
decision-making seems to be getting worse, not better. Giving Chris Collins a
scholarship. The rant. Pulling the scholarship offer to Stephenville, Texas,
quarterback Kody Spano, which won't play well in the Friday night lights
crowd south of the Red River.
Gundy became head coach mostly because he had a certain charm and was
Barry Sanders' quarterback.
So far, that hasn't equated into the quality head coaching OSU has come to
expect, going back long before Miles. Bob Simmons took over a train wreck
and restored hope. The early Pat Jones produced OSU's best post-war
teams. Jimmy Johnson was Jimmy Johnson. Jim Stanley coached OSU's only
conference title team.
Now Gundy has lost his best lieutenant.
But the idea that Fedora outshines Gundy is not a total indictment of Gundy.
Hiring someone sharper than yourself should be the goal of every coach.
Gundy's foresight to hire Fedora offers hope that Trooper Taylor is a bullseye,
too. For Gundy's sake, it had better be.
Mon December 24, 2007
A big, big loss for Gundy
By Berry Tramel
The Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Mike Gundy has made a million decisions since taking the
reins of Oklahoma State football. Every head coach does.
Gundy's best decision is obvious. Hiring Larry Fedora to run the Cowboy
offense.
How good was that hire? This good. Southern Mississippi took the best part
of OSU football when it drafted the Mad Hatter to be its head coach.
Truth is, optimism for State football would have been higher had some school
lured away Gundy, leaving Fedora to be promoted.
Three years into OSU's Gundy era, the Cowboys struggle to reach the
success level of Les Miles, who went 28-21 despite a 4-7 debut season.
Gundy also started off 4-7 but is 17-19.
Fedora's offense is not to blame. It's not the world's greatest, maybe not
even world class. But the Cowboys have scored and moved the ball at an
elite level.
Meanwhile, Gundy cut loose his first defensive coordinator, Vance Bedford,
and while Tim Beckman certainly is an impressive fellow, his defense has
been no better than Bedford's.
That makes Gundy's hire of Trooper Taylor critical. Taylor comes in as
co-offensive coordinator; no word yet on what that means. Will another
staff member also be named co-coordinator? Will Gundy give in to
temptation and pilot the offense himself?
The former is the better idea. Gundy's offensive credentials don't glitter. He
assisted on bad OSU teams, bad Baylor teams and bad Maryland teams.
Then Gundy was foisted upon Miles, who ran his own offense and was willing
to take on Gundy as a figurehead offensive coordinator.
Gundy became more integral to the OSU offense in Miles' later years, but
Gundy's resume' pales compared to Fedora's.
Fedora assisted on Baylor and Air Force teams that were solid offensively,
then coordinated offenses at Middle Tennessee and Florida. Yes, Ron Zook's
staff at Florida was fired, but in his final season with the Gators, Fedora's
offense averaged 31.4 points in SEC games.
The other day, Gundy said he's grown a lot and "I would just now start to
think about hiring me” as head coach.
Self-deprecation is a nice quality. But in this case, it falls short. Gundy's
decision-making seems to be getting worse, not better. Giving Chris Collins a
scholarship. The rant. Pulling the scholarship offer to Stephenville, Texas,
quarterback Kody Spano, which won't play well in the Friday night lights
crowd south of the Red River.
Gundy became head coach mostly because he had a certain charm and was
Barry Sanders' quarterback.
So far, that hasn't equated into the quality head coaching OSU has come to
expect, going back long before Miles. Bob Simmons took over a train wreck
and restored hope. The early Pat Jones produced OSU's best post-war
teams. Jimmy Johnson was Jimmy Johnson. Jim Stanley coached OSU's only
conference title team.
Now Gundy has lost his best lieutenant.
But the idea that Fedora outshines Gundy is not a total indictment of Gundy.
Hiring someone sharper than yourself should be the goal of every coach.
Gundy's foresight to hire Fedora offers hope that Trooper Taylor is a bullseye,
too. For Gundy's sake, it had better be.