All I can say is WOW!

[Big Old Booger]

I didn't think we had a chance at Kruger, but I wanted him 5 years ago when we hired Capel. Once we heard about Buzz and how it was his job yada, yada, yada, I really warmed up to him, but was concerned with the increase in losses each year he was HC at Marquette.

I was bummed when it was evident he wasn't coming but then I started focusing on Kruger first, and Stallings second. Both solid coaches who could clean up the current mess and get us back to where we were with Kelvin, if not a little better.

Then Kruger turned us down, and it was looking like Sendek, Weber or Robinson and things really went south as far as I was concerned. I remember reading Tramel's chat transcript from Thursday and he said in the chat he believed Kruger was still a candidate and I thought to myself "fat chance".

A few hours later it was reported he was close to signing the contract and the next 4-5 hours were really slow. The old report by the tv station in Vegas that Lon wasn't going anywhere was a dagger, but then that was refuted and now here we are.

I'm as happy as I've been in years with the OU basketball situation. I'm actually trying to figure out how I can get season tickets with the drive from KC. I can't make every game, but I want to monetarily support the program.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

I didn't think we had a chance at Kruger, but I wanted him 5 years ago when we hired Capel. Once we heard about Buzz and how it was his job yada, yada, yada, I really warmed up to him, but was concerned with the increase in losses each year he was HC at Marquette.

I was bummed when it was evident he wasn't coming but then I started focusing on Kruger first, and Stallings second. Both solid coaches who could clean up the current mess and get us back to where we were with Kelvin, if not a little better.

Then Kruger turned us down, and it was looking like Sendek, Weber or Robinson and things really went south as far as I was concerned. I remember reading Tramel's chat transcript from Thursday and he said in the chat he believed Kruger was still a candidate and I thought to myself "fat chance".

A few hours later it was reported he was close to signing the contract and the next 4-5 hours were really slow. The old report by the tv station in Vegas that Lon wasn't going anywhere was a dagger, but then that was refuted and now here we are.

I'm as happy as I've been in years with the OU basketball situation. I'm actually trying to figure out how I can get season tickets with the drive from KC. I can't make every game, but I want to monetarily support the program.

As I stated above, everyone had an idea of who the really wanted...and honestly I never really even thought about Lon Kruger b/c I just didn't see us as having a chance given the various schools he had turned down over the last couple of years and supposedly loving LV. That we got this guy still blows my mind, I'd take his staff in its totality, but I also have this quiet hope that Evans gets brought into the program somehow. Either way, I'm pleased with Joe Castiglione, and I think that quite a few people should maybe give it up to him as well here.

 

[IndySooner]

What do I think of this hire? I am talking to my wife about getting season tickets again. I had given all of that budget to the baseball program the last couple of years. Now I'm asking for a bigger budget! HA!

I think he's the perfect coach for our situation and he'll do things the right way. I loved Kelvin Sampson until we found out he went down the wrong road (I still love him, just am disappointed at how things ended up). To me, Kruger is a similar kind of hire. Not flashy, but VERY solid.

 

[daqman]

Joe bet black AND red with this hire.
There is very little chance of losing.
Anyone else available was a bigger risk.
BCG was next safest but then you worry about his personal life.
Buzz and Pastner were below that.
Any other names I heard were just rolling the dice.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

Joe bet black AND red with this hire.
There is very little chance of losing.
Anyone else available was a bigger risk.
BCG was next safest but then you worry about his personal life.
Buzz and Pastner were below that.
Any other names I heard were just rolling the dice.

This is where I think people should be ecstatic, two weeks ago, people wanted BCG becuase he came in and "created" aTm basketball after a good stint prior to that at UTEP, but the farthest he ever made it in the tournament is the Sweet Sixteen BUT he was perceived as a "solid" choice. He has been the the NCAA Tournament a grand total of three time...seriously, THREE.

Lon Kruger on the other hand is 58 [as compared to 51 for BCG] and took KSU to the NCAA all four years he was there, getting to the Elite Eight; took a terrible Florida program to post season four out of the six years he was there, two NCAA appearances and a Final Four; took Illinois to the tournament four out of five years; and has had UNLV in the NCAA tournament four out of his seven years there with a Sweet Sixteen in there for good measure.

The ONLY blip that I see on Kruger is that in 21 years as a D-1 head coach, he has had THREE losing seasons. Seriously, THREE losing seasons. And OU is historically a better program than any of the above mentioned [excepting maybe Florida if you value titles over consistency]. So for many who thought that BCG would be a home run, we got a guy that is a whopping seven years older than him, and has been to more NCAA Tournaments and gone further in those Tournaments...not just by a little, but by a bunch.

Seriously, his "resume"?

13 NCAA appearances, 8 Round of 32 appearances, 3 Sweet Sixteens, 2 Elite Eights and 1 Final Four...who else on our radar was even close to that? And in many of these instances, he was taking on reclamation projects just like OU. Sorry to rant, I'm just fired up about this guy being at OU. Sounds like we are getting a coach in his prime with about 10 years left in the tank.

 

[Romulus]

This is where I think people should be ecstatic, two weeks ago, people wanted BCG becuase he came in and "created" aTm basketball after a good stint prior to that at UTEP, but the farthest he ever made it in the tournament is the Sweet Sixteen BUT he was perceived as a "solid" choice. He has been the the NCAA Tournament a grand total of three time...seriously, THREE.

Lon Kruger on the other hand is 58 [as compared to 51 for BCG] and took KSU to the NCAA all four years he was there, getting to the Elite Eight; took a terrible Florida program to post season four out of the six years he was there, two NCAA appearances and a Final Four; took Illinois to the tournament four out of five years; and has had UNLV in the NCAA tournament four out of his seven years there with a Sweet Sixteen in there for good measure.

The ONLY blip that I see on Kruger is that in 21 years as a D-1 head coach, he has had THREE losing seasons. Seriously, THREE losing seasons. And OU is historically a better program than any of the above mentioned [excepting maybe Florida if you value titles over consistency]. So for many who thought that BCG would be a home run, we got a guy that is a whopping seven years older than him, and has been to more NCAA Tournaments and gone further in those Tournaments...not just by a little, but by a bunch.

Seriously, his "resume"?

13 NCAA appearances, 8 Round of 32 appearances, 3 Sweet Sixteens, 2 Elite Eights and 1 Final Four...who else on our radar was even close to that? And in many of these instances, he was taking on reclamation projects just like OU. Sorry to rant, I'm just fired up about this guy being at OU. Sounds like we are getting a coach in his prime with about 10 years left in the tank.

BCG has been to the tournament four times out of 7 years. If you hold the first years at UTEP and A&M against then it's not worth arguing. He took over one of the worst programs in D1 at UTEP and took them to the tournament in his second year. His first year at A&M he went 21-10. They went to the tournament his second year there for the first time in 19 years. His final year at Kentucky they went 22-14 and was his worst year coaching.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

BCG has been to the tournament four times out of 7 years. If you hold the first years at UTEP and A&M against then it's not worth arguing. He took over one of the worst programs in D1 at UTEP and took them to the tournament in his second year. His first year at A&M he went 21-10. They went to the tournament his second year there for the first time in 19 years. His final year at Kentucky they went 22-14 and was his worst year coaching.

My only point is that Kruger has done it just as well if not better for longer; BCG is a "solid" coach, but the reality is that Kruger has done way more and it is not even close. Guess what, they'll get to go at it for at least the next five years, we'll see how it shakes out.

 

[Big Old Booger]

My only point is that Kruger has done it just as well if not better for longer; BCG is a "solid" coach, but the reality is that Kruger has done way more and it is not even close. Guess what, they'll get to go at it for at least the next five years, we'll see how it shakes out.

BCG was never even considered so those who are upset we didn't get BCG need to move on.