Berry Tramel Blog: OU Basketball coach situation

[Big Old Booger]

OU basketball: What we’ve learned today
Posted by berrytramel
on March 29, 2011M at 2:39 pm

Here’s what we’ve learned so far today.

1. BYU’s Dave Rose isn’t interested in the OU job. An OU source said Rose was contacted but turned down a chance to pursue the Sooner job. Rose is a Utah lifer (except for his two years at Houston U. as part of Phi Slama Jama) and a devout Mormon. It wasn’t a great fit.

2. Buzz Williams’ $3.5 million buyout at Marquette is problematic. My sources say Buzz is interested in OU and OU is interested in Buzz, but that $3.5 million buyout remains a stumbling block that the Sooners can’t get past.

3. CBS Sportsline’s Gary Parrish is reporting that Memphis coach Josh Pastner is about to sign a new deal, which would end OU/Pastner speculation

 

[coolm]

Japs bomb pearl harbor!

 

[luckyc1423]

what are the legalities of OU knowing the buyout while buzz was coaching?

If this is public information, why were we ever after buzz if we couldnt pay that buy out? There should have never been any buzz speculation if we were never planning on paying the buyout....

 

[JBaker]

what are the legalities of OU knowing the buyout while buzz was coaching?

If this is public information, why were we ever after buzz if we couldnt pay that buy out? There should have never been any buzz speculation if we were never planning on paying the buyout....

Since Marquette is a private university, Buzz is a private employee, and therefore the details of his contract are private. The only way we would be able to know his buyout is by Buzz or Marquette telling us.

OU is a public university, so all it takes is a freedom of information request to learn the details of Capel's contract.

 

[Big Old Booger]

what are the legalities of OU knowing the buyout while buzz was coaching?

If this is public information, why were we ever after buzz if we couldnt pay that buy out? There should have never been any buzz speculation if we were never planning on paying the buyout....

Just piecing it all together, I would guess somebody from Buzz's side said the buyout was not 3.5 million that is was closer to 1.5 million as reported by Murdock last week.

So, either Buzz or his people didn't know what was in his contract or he purposely lied to OU so we would get involved and force Marquette to redo his contract.

 

[soonernutt]

2. Buzz Williams’ $3.5 million buyout at Marquette is problematic. My sources say Buzz is interested in OU and OU is interested in Buzz, but that $3.5 million buyout remains a stumbling block that the Sooners can’t get past.

This burns me up if true. If Buzz was our first choice, and OU knew he was interested before we fired Capel, then how the F did we NOT know what his buyout would be?

And I thought we were all told the school was ready to throw out the cash to get a good coach. I know a $3.5M buyout is alot, but if it gets a good coach here now, then find the money and get it done!

We screwed the pooch on this one, it seems, by not doing our homework. Hopefully they are still working behind the scenes to figure out a way to pony up the money.

 

[luckyc1423]

Since Marquette is a private university, Buzz is a private employee, and therefore the details of his contract are private. The only way we would be able to know his buyout is by Buzz or Marquette telling us.

OU is a public university, so all it takes is a freedom of information request to learn the details of Capel's contract.

so essentially Joe was wanting because sourcees say buzz wanted to come to ou....but when joe finds out the buyout we are no longer interested....

3.5 mill buyout is crazy good...everybody should have his agent...

 

[Big Old Booger]

so essentially Joe was wanting because sourcees say buzz wanted to come to ou....but when joe finds out the buyout we are no longer interested....

3.5 mill buyout is crazy good...everybody should have his agent...

Not his agent, but whoever is representing the school.

 

[luckyc1423]

Not his agent, but whoever is representing the school.

I dunno, i think the agent could negotiate the buyout clause as well...I mean there is no way marquette would have payed the buyout if they wanted him gone....unless they have alot of cash stored away...so essentially the 3.5 mill buyout was his job security...he would have had a job regardless if he pulled a capel or not

 

[bocabull]

Of course the real story could be, Pastner signing an extension because OU never called, Rose staying at BYU because OU never called, Buzz Williams giving Marquette the opportunity to respond to OU's offer which he is inclined to take.

The real story could be that Buzz is the only person OU has contacted. It's not like we're Missouri where the second people get off a conference call they text everybody they know the "good news" before anything is official.

 

[WTSooner]

2. Buzz Williams’ $3.5 million buyout at Marquette is problematic. My sources say Buzz is interested in OU and OU is interested in Buzz, but that $3.5 million buyout remains a stumbling block that the Sooners can’t get past.

That is absolute horse crap.

Pay the flippin' money Joe, and give OU a fighting chance in the Big 12. All those other, cheaper options? We'll be in the bottom 1/3 of the Big 12 for years to come.

COME ON JOE!!!!!

 

[MercedeSooner]

Based on what was said there was a clause in Buzz's K that dropped the amount of the buyout a good amount at a certain date, which i think was sometime this week.

 

[JBaker]

I believe Buzz does not have an agent.

 

[Escape Goat]

That is absolute horse crap.

Pay the flippin' money Joe, and give OU a fighting chance in the Big 12. All those other, cheaper options? We'll be in the bottom 1/3 of the Big 12 for years to come.

COME ON JOE!!!!!

If this is true.

 

[luckyc1423]

That is absolute horse crap.

Pay the flippin' money Joe, and give OU a fighting chance in the Big 12. All those other, cheaper options? We'll be in the bottom 1/3 of the Big 12 for years to come.

COME ON JOE!!!!!

I would be soooo happy if joe payed it....but I do understand his second guessing whether he wants to pay it, thats alot of money on a coach that hasnt been successfull that long....

 

[coolm]

you guys (Tramel included) put WAYYYYYY too much into this buyout thing.

Marquette can certainly use it to ****block OU from hiring Buzz....but once a school knows that their coach wants to leave them then it doesn't behoove them to force his presence. Therefore they can renegotiate any contractual provision like that to make it work.

A contract isn't some mystical piece of paper. It's just an agreement and you can agree to not follow it to the letter just as easily.

The point is if Buzz actually wanted to leave for OU bad enough then this wouldnt stop it. We were just played for salary building.

 

[boksooner]

I dunno, i think the agent could negotiate the buyout clause as well...I mean there is no way marquette would have payed the buyout if they wanted him gone....unless they have alot of cash stored away...so essentially the 3.5 mill buyout was his job security...he would have had a job regardless if he pulled a capel or not

The buyout is not necessarily the same for both sides. In fact, it usually isn't. There is a buyout the school pays, if they want out of the contract. And a different buyout, if the coach wants out. They are negotiated separately. $3.5m is very high for a buyout clause.

 

[campbest]

I don't think the $3.5mm buyout and whatever we pay Buzz (assuming $2mm) is worth it.

 

[luckyc1423]

The buyout is not necessarily the same for both sides. In fact, it usually isn't. There is a buyout the school pays, if they want out of the contract. And a different buyout, if the coach wants out. They are negotiated separately. $3.5m is very high for a buyout clause.

so, lets say the buyout is much cheaper for him to get fired...

that would mean he got screwed....basically means he cant leave for a better job (assuming noone will pay the buyout) but can get fired at a cheaper rate

he did a terrible job negotiating if that is the case

 

[boksooner]

so, lets say the buyout is much cheaper for him to get fired...

that would mean he got screwed....basically means he cant leave for a better job (assuming noone will pay the buyout) but can get fired at a cheaper rate

he did a terrible job negotiating if that is the case

That is kind of my point.