JimBob
01-26-2008, 10:12 AM
Transition game
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
1/26/2008
Sutton, Turgeon handle growing pains differently
SATURDAY'S COACHING matchup between Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton and Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon features many similarities between the former point guards.
But there is one huge difference between the two right now when it comes to handling head-coaching stress. Sutton is acting like the veteran and Turgeon the newcomer, even though their roles are actually reversed.
This is Sutton's second season in charge. Turgeon's in his first season at A&M but his 10th as a head coach, with previous stops at Wichita State and Jacksonville State.
As players, both learned how to cope with the immense pressure of running Big Eight teams. They learned from coaches who are legendary not because of victories, but also as taskmasters.
Larry Brown, who was Kansas' coach when Turgeon was a Jayhawk, is notorious for being tough on his point guards. And yet Turgeon thrived under Brown from 1984-87.
You don't survive playing for Brown if you can't handle criticism. If you're thin-skinned coming in, your hide will be alligator-tough if you can last four seasons.
That's why it was surprising to listen earlier this week as Turgeon experienced a rookie-like meltdown when faced with some tough questions during a press conference.
Turgeon was a media darling when his transition in replacing Billy Gillispie seemed seamless as the Aggies got off to a 15-1 start and were ranked in the Top 10.
But when A&M suffered consecutive blowout losses last week on the road at Texas Tech and Kansas State, Turgeon quickly found out that he wasn't coaching in the Missouri Valley Conference any longer.
Critical heat was applied by those A&M fans accustomed to winning under Gillispie. And Turgeon fielded pointed questions from media members who wanted to know why the Aggies were struggling in conference play when they returned several veterans from a club that went 13-3 in the Big 12 last season.
So, with Turgeon facing his first adversity at A&M, you would think he'd respond with the toughness he learned from Brown. If so, you would be wrong.
"I know no matter what I do, Gillispie is getting the credit if we win," Turgeon said. "If we lose, it's my fault. I'm in a no-flipping-win situation this year, and that puts me in a bad mood."
Turgeon's childish rant came the day before the Aggies lost their third consecutive Big 12 game. There is still no word out of College Station about how bad Turgeon's mood became after A&M's five-overtime loss Wednesday night at home to Baylor.
"I've got no chance this year," said a whining Turgeon before the Baylor contest. "If we win, it's because of Gillispie. If we lose, it's because of Mark Turgeon. So I can't win."
If Turgeon wants to see what a real no-win situation looks like, he should take a long, hard look at the coach on the other bench at Gallagher-Iba Arena today when OSU (10-8, 1-3) hosts the Aggies (15-4, 1-3) at 1 p.m.
Turgeon was a KU assistant when Sean Sutton played two seasons in the Big Eight at OSU from 1990-92. Sutton ran the point for OSU and his father, Eddie Sutton.
Turgeon thinks replacing Gillispie is difficult? Perhaps he should try taking over for the coach who rebuilt OSU's hoops program into a national powerhouse and then dumped a huge mess in his son's lap when he departed.
Those big sneakers Eddie Sutton left behind were also enormously troubled sneakers. And Sean Sutton has gone about trying to fill them by displaying the class and character of a veteran coach.
Yes, part of the reason he got the OSU job was because of his famous and highly successful father.
But while Eddie Sutton is out in San Francisco attempting to become just the fifth coach to win 800 games, his son remains in Stillwater dealing with a myriad of issues the elder Sutton left behind.
After winning 22 games as a rookie head coach, Sean Sutton hit a speed bump in his second season. And while a lot of OSU's problems have nothing to do with him, he's still the main target of criticism from disgruntled fans.
Up to this point, the 39-year-old Sean Sutton has dealt with an incredibly stressful situation with much more maturity than the 42-year-old Turgeon has handled replacing Gillispie.
Sean Sutton could point an accusing finger at a lot of factors and several people if he wanted to flip out like Turgeon.
But while his father and OSU's administration deserve a share of the blame, Sean Sutton has remained silent on those topics.
Instead, while the stress mounts and the criticism increases with each loss, he's attempted to remain upbeat and positive about this Cowboys' team and the program's future.
Perhaps the petulant Turgeon will quickly grow into his new job. But thus far this season, it's Sean Sutton who is coaching with the maturity and tough-minded leadership you'd expect from a former point guard.
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
1/26/2008
Sutton, Turgeon handle growing pains differently
SATURDAY'S COACHING matchup between Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton and Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon features many similarities between the former point guards.
But there is one huge difference between the two right now when it comes to handling head-coaching stress. Sutton is acting like the veteran and Turgeon the newcomer, even though their roles are actually reversed.
This is Sutton's second season in charge. Turgeon's in his first season at A&M but his 10th as a head coach, with previous stops at Wichita State and Jacksonville State.
As players, both learned how to cope with the immense pressure of running Big Eight teams. They learned from coaches who are legendary not because of victories, but also as taskmasters.
Larry Brown, who was Kansas' coach when Turgeon was a Jayhawk, is notorious for being tough on his point guards. And yet Turgeon thrived under Brown from 1984-87.
You don't survive playing for Brown if you can't handle criticism. If you're thin-skinned coming in, your hide will be alligator-tough if you can last four seasons.
That's why it was surprising to listen earlier this week as Turgeon experienced a rookie-like meltdown when faced with some tough questions during a press conference.
Turgeon was a media darling when his transition in replacing Billy Gillispie seemed seamless as the Aggies got off to a 15-1 start and were ranked in the Top 10.
But when A&M suffered consecutive blowout losses last week on the road at Texas Tech and Kansas State, Turgeon quickly found out that he wasn't coaching in the Missouri Valley Conference any longer.
Critical heat was applied by those A&M fans accustomed to winning under Gillispie. And Turgeon fielded pointed questions from media members who wanted to know why the Aggies were struggling in conference play when they returned several veterans from a club that went 13-3 in the Big 12 last season.
So, with Turgeon facing his first adversity at A&M, you would think he'd respond with the toughness he learned from Brown. If so, you would be wrong.
"I know no matter what I do, Gillispie is getting the credit if we win," Turgeon said. "If we lose, it's my fault. I'm in a no-flipping-win situation this year, and that puts me in a bad mood."
Turgeon's childish rant came the day before the Aggies lost their third consecutive Big 12 game. There is still no word out of College Station about how bad Turgeon's mood became after A&M's five-overtime loss Wednesday night at home to Baylor.
"I've got no chance this year," said a whining Turgeon before the Baylor contest. "If we win, it's because of Gillispie. If we lose, it's because of Mark Turgeon. So I can't win."
If Turgeon wants to see what a real no-win situation looks like, he should take a long, hard look at the coach on the other bench at Gallagher-Iba Arena today when OSU (10-8, 1-3) hosts the Aggies (15-4, 1-3) at 1 p.m.
Turgeon was a KU assistant when Sean Sutton played two seasons in the Big Eight at OSU from 1990-92. Sutton ran the point for OSU and his father, Eddie Sutton.
Turgeon thinks replacing Gillispie is difficult? Perhaps he should try taking over for the coach who rebuilt OSU's hoops program into a national powerhouse and then dumped a huge mess in his son's lap when he departed.
Those big sneakers Eddie Sutton left behind were also enormously troubled sneakers. And Sean Sutton has gone about trying to fill them by displaying the class and character of a veteran coach.
Yes, part of the reason he got the OSU job was because of his famous and highly successful father.
But while Eddie Sutton is out in San Francisco attempting to become just the fifth coach to win 800 games, his son remains in Stillwater dealing with a myriad of issues the elder Sutton left behind.
After winning 22 games as a rookie head coach, Sean Sutton hit a speed bump in his second season. And while a lot of OSU's problems have nothing to do with him, he's still the main target of criticism from disgruntled fans.
Up to this point, the 39-year-old Sean Sutton has dealt with an incredibly stressful situation with much more maturity than the 42-year-old Turgeon has handled replacing Gillispie.
Sean Sutton could point an accusing finger at a lot of factors and several people if he wanted to flip out like Turgeon.
But while his father and OSU's administration deserve a share of the blame, Sean Sutton has remained silent on those topics.
Instead, while the stress mounts and the criticism increases with each loss, he's attempted to remain upbeat and positive about this Cowboys' team and the program's future.
Perhaps the petulant Turgeon will quickly grow into his new job. But thus far this season, it's Sean Sutton who is coaching with the maturity and tough-minded leadership you'd expect from a former point guard.