An Alternate Universe

[sybarite]

Sherri Coale has never been the coach at OU.

The Texas program, once the national power, went on the decline with the declining years of Conradt. Tech followed suit as there was no replacement for Marsha Sharp that could keep Tech in the top ten. Ceil disappeared and left Colorado on life support.

Only Bill Fennelly is alive and kicking as a good coach in the Big Twelve, and he doesn't have enough competition to be able to attract top prospects to Iowa State. Who wants to play in a conference with no teams.

Oklahoma, of course, is still a team that does about what women's teams have always done under such circumstances. There is a coach, and OU does make the NCAA tournament about once every five or ten years. OU is never a threat.

Since the Big Twelve has no really good programs, Kim Mulkey doesn't take a Baylor job. She would rather be in a major conference for women's basketball, and she holds out for an LSU, or Florida, or Kentucky job, maybe even looking at the ACC. In women's basketball, there have been no replacements for the greats who had built the conference, and the Big Twelve is to women's basketball what the Big East was to softball. Occasionally, a team might make it to a regional final.

How likely is such a scenario? Tech has hired a successful coach from a D-1 power to help them rebuild. It didn't work. Texas hired a Final Four quality coach. But, it didn't work. Colorado went to another conference, but they aren't even in contention in that conference, even for first division.

Some people have expressed excitement over how well Texas is doing under their new coach. But, she is older than Sherri, and they are tied for last in the conference. Wonder what the Texas boards are saying?

What would have made OU fare any better than this?

 

[mystery32]

Sherri Coale has never been the coach at OU.

The Texas program, once the national power, went on the decline with the declining years of Conradt. Tech followed suit as there was no replacement for Marsha Sharp that could keep Tech in the top ten. Ceil disappeared and left Colorado on life support.

Only Bill Fennelly is alive and kicking as a good coach in the Big Twelve, and he doesn't have enough competition to be able to attract top prospects to Iowa State. Who wants to play in a conference with no teams.

Oklahoma, of course, is still a team that does about what women's teams have always done under such circumstances. There is a coach, and OU does make the NCAA tournament about once every five or ten years. OU is never a threat.

Since the Big Twelve has no really good programs, Kim Mulkey doesn't take a Baylor job. She would rather be in a major conference for women's basketball, and she holds out for an LSU, or Florida, or Kentucky job, maybe even looking at the ACC. In women's basketball, there have been no replacements for the greats who had built the conference, and the Big Twelve is to women's basketball what the Big East was to softball. Occasionally, a team might make it to a regional final.

How likely is such a scenario? Tech has hired a successful coach from a D-1 power to help them rebuild. It didn't work. Texas hired a Final Four quality coach. But, it didn't work. Colorado went to another conference, but they aren't even in contention in that conference, even for first division.

Some people have expressed excitement over how well Texas is doing under their new coach. But, she is older than Sherri, and they are tied for last in the conference. Wonder what the Texas boards are saying?

What would have made OU fare any better than this?

I like your points about replacing greats but at the same time all great things take time. Your not just gonna go to Final 4's your 2nd 3rd year of coaching(even tho Jeff Walz of Lousiville did it back in 2010).

I don't see OU getting rid of Sherri Coale, an I say that because the state of Oklahoma look at her as a "Positive Role Model for young women", in other words she is treated like Royality by us Sooner fans and obviously over paid according to some.

And who started the Rumor about the Texas coach being older?
It's funny because Aston and Coach Coale are the same Age! Lol

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Aston

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherri_Coale


Even if she were older why would that even matter? This is Baskeball not
"guess their age to see who's a better coach" . All great things take time it's obvious aston has the recruiting edge over coach Coale we will just have to see how the teams play out these couple years. And Texas has obviously been bitten
By the injury bug this year. The same bug that bit us last year so lets not
contradict our selves.

 

[sybarite]

I started the rumor that Aston was older. Your own links suggest that she is six months (give a day or two) older than Sherri. I made the reference when someone suggested that she was an up and coming coach. For someone older than Sherri, it is unlikely that she will ever accomplish what Sherri has done, like sixteen straight NCAA appearances. She would be what, about 67?

Why is it that she is given so much leeway due to injuries? People seemed to want Sherri to win despite losing Britney Brown, Chelsi, Erin, Whitney, Maddie, and how many others to injuries? How much have injuries affected OU?

You know that even with injuries, I don't remember Sherri being last in the conference. Remind me.

 

[YCN]

I started the rumor that Aston was older. Your own links suggest that she is six months (give a day or two) older than Sherri. I made the reference when someone suggested that she was an up and coming coach. For someone older than Sherri, it is unlikely that she will ever accomplish what Sherri has done, like sixteen straight NCAA appearances. She would be what, about 67?

Why is it that she is given so much leeway due to injuries? People seemed to want Sherri to win despite losing Britney Brown, Chelsi, Erin, Whitney, Maddie, and how many others to injuries? How much have injuries affected OU?

You know that even with injuries, I don't remember Sherri being last in the conference. Remind me.

Actually, it's 15 straight NCAA tourney appearances, although ESPN consistently publicizes that it's 14 straight. 2000 through 2014 is 15 straight and darned good by my math, and I'm pretty good at basic math.

 

[mgood1]

You know that even with injuries, I don't remember Sherri being last in the conference. Remind me.

You have to go pretty far back to find it.
1997, Sherri's first season, the first year of the Big 12:

 1. Kansas          14-2
 2. Texas           12-4
*2. Colorado        12-4
 4. Texas Tech      11-5
 5. Kansas State     9-7
 5. Iowa State       9-7
 7. Nebraska         8-8
 8. Oklahoma State   7-9
 8. Baylor           7-9
10. Missouri         3-13
10. Texas A&M        3-13
12. Oklahoma         1-15

*Indicates Big 12 Tournament Champion.

 

[YCN]

You have to go pretty far back to find it.
1997, Sherri's first season, the first year of the Big 12:

 1. Kansas          14-2
 2. Texas           12-4
*2. Colorado        12-4
 4. Texas Tech      11-5
 5. Kansas State     9-7
 5. Iowa State       9-7
 7. Nebraska         8-8
 8. Oklahoma State   7-9
 8. Baylor           7-9
10. Missouri         3-13
10. Texas A&M        3-13
12. Oklahoma         1-15

*Indicates Big 12 Tournament Champion.

That year OU won their first conference game, and didn't win another game. Sherri relied primarily on her conference contemporaries to get over the trama, most notably Martha at Tech.

I hear she's had better days since then...

 

[sybarite]

I'm rather curious.

If we had never had Sherri Coale, how many people think we would have ever made the Final Four?

If we were to lose Sherri Coale, what would you project for the program's future?

 

[Oliver Hardy]

I don't think we'd would ever have come close to a Final Four unless Geno or Muffin had come here.

Sherri is the reason we are where we have been and where we are at.

I'm not familiar enough with other programs outside the Big 12 to answer the last question.

I would like to think, however, that OU now has enough prestige, money and conference power that we could find a replacement.

After all, we found Stoops, Gasso, Sherri and Kruger.

 

[sybarite]

Football tradition attracted Stoops. A program that had seen success under Tubbs and Sampson attracted Kruger. Gasso---we got lucky. Coale found us when we didn't even want us.

 

[Sooners4Life0101]

Well done here.

 

[Vinny78]

I'm rather curious.

If we had never had Sherri Coale, how many people think we would have ever made the Final Four?

If we were to lose Sherri Coale, what would you project for the program's future?

SYB, well you don't seem to get it but I'll repeat it. We all like Sherri AND admit that she done some really awesome things, IN THE PAST. I am in an industry that if you make President's Club (top 5%) that's great. But the next year if you suck they come at you. You HAVE to perform every year because we are well compensated. Sherry has done things in the PAST but how many years do you let her do below average, for her compensation level, before the "what she did years ago or how she revived this program, etc" doesn't work anymore.

I am saying after 5 years (5million bucks) it is ENOUGH already. Time to put up or move on. And with that kind of head hunting money there will be plenty of people who WILL do it and most likely do it BETTER.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

The men's basketball program was under probation and derelict when we went after Kruger. He liked the money, the Big 12 and a chance to turn around a dead program. We did have to beg him repeatedly before he said yes.

Gasso. We did get lucky. Stoops came because of the position, the money and the reputation, I agree.

My point is just that. We are Oklahoma. People still want to come here. Whether it's for the money or the prestige and possibility of rebuilding a program AT OKLAHOMA.

We'd find a good coach again. They grow on trees and someone is always ripe for the picking.

 

[SoonerNorm]

The men's basketball program was under probation and derelict when we went after Kruger. He liked the money, the Big 12 and a chance to turn around a dead program. We did have to beg him repeatedly before he said yes.

Gasso. We did get lucky. Stoops came because of the position, the money and the reputation, I agree.

My point is just that. We are Oklahoma. People still want to come here. Whether it's for the money or the prestige and possibility of rebuilding a program AT OKLAHOMA.

We'd find a good coach again. They grow on trees and someone is always ripe for the picking.

Langston has a coach who would probably LOVE to come to OU.

 

[Oblivion]

Langston has a coach who would probably LOVE to come to OU.

Are we at that state of defacto to have a coach fired??? I don't think we are at that point!

 

[SoonerNorm]

Are we at that state of defacto to have a coach fired??? I don't think we are at that point!

No No No...just pointing out that when Sherri decides to retire, there will always be coaches around to take her place. If Langston can find one, I'm sure OU won't have any trouble.

 

[badger]

In an alternate universe, I would be wearing orange and complaining that they always show the Gooners on TV, but not my preseason top 25 Lady Pokettes

Also I would be "gopher" because I grew up in Minnesota