Is Capel blackballed by AAU coaches?

[seniorsooner]

OU had no choice but to distance themselves from OT as soon as humanly possible. What should they have done, bunkered down in support of him and taken the entire program down the toilet with him? I honestly could not possibly care any less if there are AAU coaches out there that were offended by how that was handled. As far as I'm concerned the man got exactly what he deserved. There's a reason he's selling insurance somewhere right now.

 

[okcsooner83]

I agree with the original post, rumors about AAU coaches not liking Capel are what I have heard. It is hurting in OU's recruiting, look at who OU ended up signing last year plus OU's off the court issues with other coaches telling recruits OU is going to get in trouble with the ncaa.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't understand why a college basketball coach would do anything to get a bad reputation with any high school or AAU coaches. What good can come from it.

Assuming NCAA rules allow it, I would always pay for lunch/dinner and pick up the beers every time we met. If the rules did not allow that, I would figure something else out but I would take care of the coaches, even the ones I didn't like. I would ask their opinions about players. I might even show them film on guys from other states and ask their opinions. I probably wouldn't care what most of them thought but making someone feel good about themself usually comes back in a posiitive way.

 

[stoops4pres]

And if the issue is really that Capel knew what was going on then threw the assistant under the bus... then it's still pretty much the same thing: AAU coaches upset they won't be getting whatever deal others were getting before.

Exactly. This could turn out to be a good thing for Capel: The chances of corruption within the program would be strongly minimized since there wouldn't be as many sleazy AAU coaches running around.

 

[stoops4pres]

Good coaches insist on those things. Tiny and TMG were not the first two guys in the history of college basketball or even OU basketball that didn't think they needed to work hard. Capel is at least 50% responsible for their attitude issues because he did not break them.

I agree that Capel should be partly responsible, but not because he didn't "break" those attitude issues... Hardly any coaches, if at all, could have broken the malcontent of the players on the roster last season.

Instead, I think Capel is partly responsible simply because he took the players with bad attitudes in the first place.

 

[DenverSooner]

Exactly. This could turn out to be a good thing for Capel: The chances of corruption within the program would be strongly minimized since there wouldn't be as many sleazy AAU coaches running around.

You have to suck up to the AAU coaches. Not doing it is just being hard headed. You don't have to actually like or respect them, you just need them to think you like and respect them.

 

[stoops4pres]

You have to suck up to the AAU coaches. Not doing it is just being hard headed. You don't have to actually like or respect them, you just need them to think you like and respect them.

That depends on the coach, and particularly if that coach is clean or not (definitely not a guarantee in AAU).

 

[DenverSooner]

I am not suggesting breaking the rules. I am simply suggesting being friendly. You can tell a person I can't give you money or break that rule but still get them to like you or at least not dislike you. Simply ask their opinion of players and tell them nice things like "your a great coach", "your players are great offensive players", "your teas are fun to watch", "you are really good at evaluating players", etc.

I deal with people I don't like all the time. It just doesn't do me any good to tell them my honest opinion. I don't lie to them, I simply make an effort to get along with them because I don't need them as an enemy.

 

[Section31]

I am not suggesting breaking the rules. I am simply suggesting being friendly. You can tell a person I can't give you money or break that rule but still get them to like you or at least not dislike you. Simply ask their opinion of players and tell them nice things like "your a great coach", "your players are great offensive players", "your teas are fun to watch", "you are really good at evaluating players", etc.

I deal with people I don't like all the time. It just doesn't do me any good to tell them my honest opinion. I don't lie to them, I simply make an effort to get along with them because I don't need them as an enemy.

Herein lies the rub...who determines what "being friendly" is? The AAU coach does. Maybe, and I don't think this is a reach, "being friendly" is breaking NCAA rules for MANY AAU coaches.

I'd say a good percentage of AAU coaches do very little to improve a players game...they just get them seen. With that said, most want to know what's in it for them.

 

[DenverSooner]

Herein lies the rub...who determines what "being friendly" is? The AAU coach does. Maybe, and I don't think this is a reach, "being friendly" is breaking NCAA rules for MANY AAU coaches.

I'd say a good percentage of AAU coaches do very little to improve a players game...they just get them seen. With that said, most want to know what's in it for them.

But they also know the rules. Most people will respect a person with morals. They may not like that those morals prevent them from getting money but they will respect the person. This isn't rocket science. It is basic pyschology and I bet the best recruiters are quite good at it. The best recruiters might also be quite good a breaking the rules without getting caught.

 

[stoops4pres]

I am not suggesting breaking the rules. I am simply suggesting being friendly. You can tell a person I can't give you money or break that rule but still get them to like you or at least not dislike you. Simply ask their opinion of players and tell them nice things like "your a great coach", "your players are great offensive players", "your teas are fun to watch", "you are really good at evaluating players", etc.

I deal with people I don't like all the time. It just doesn't do me any good to tell them my honest opinion. I don't lie to them, I simply make an effort to get along with them because I don't need them as an enemy.

I agree. And perhaps Capel isn't being unfriendly to them, either.

 

[Section31]

But they also know the rules. Most people will respect a person with morals. They may not like that those morals prevent them from getting money but they will respect the person. This isn't rocket science. It is basic pyschology and I bet the best recruiters are quite good at it. The best recruiters might also be quite good a breaking the rules without getting caught.

I'm pretty sure you just described VERY FEW AAU coaches. Sure, they know the rules, but its been proven time and time again in all sports that very few of them care about these rules.

 

[ousooners1baby]

Since we are talking about the lack of team attitude in regards to these former players, would they have been better defensively with Sampson as their coach? Would we have won more games? Would they still be here?

This is assuming the players and Sampson were both here.

 

[Section31]

Since we are talking about the lack of team attitude in regards to these former players, would they have been better defensively with Sampson as their coach? Would we have won more games? Would they still be here?

This is assuming the players and Sampson were both here.

It's really hard to say, because KS had a pretty decent record of players leaving...of course, not at the levels we've seen under Capel, but it's happening more often all across the nation now.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Since we are talking about the lack of team attitude in regards to these former players, would they have been better defensively with Sampson as their coach? Would we have won more games? Would they still be here?

This is assuming the players and Sampson were both here.

They would have shaped up or shipped out. Had they shaped up, we would have won more games. Kelvin did a great job of getting the best out of his players, but they might have been beyond his abilities. Of the 3, Tiny might have been the only salvagable one.

 

[coolm]

I agree with Denver and after doing my own job for many years I know beyond a doubt that you can disagree with how someone does things but still maintain a friendly relationship with them.

 

[ADCS]

Is there anything wrong with thinking that the whole AAU structure should be dismantled? What benefit does it serve anyone, other than the people getting paid?

 

[Section31]

I agree with Denver and after doing my own job for many years I know beyond a doubt that you can disagree with how someone does things but still maintain a friendly relationship with them.

I agree, but there's no evidence to support that he's not being friendly to them.

It's all about who you believe. I tend to lean more towards a guy who gets paid well to do a job than some "hanger-on"/"handler"...

 

[MsProudSooner]

Is there anything wrong with thinking that the whole AAU structure should be dismantled? What benefit does it serve anyone, other than the people getting paid?

+1 (Even though it probably makes me an official 'old fogey'.)

 

[SoonerDan74012]

Since we are talking about the lack of team attitude in regards to these former players, would they have been better defensively with Sampson as their coach? Would we have won more games? Would they still be here?

This is assuming the players and Sampson were both here.

TMG, Tiny, and WW would have all quit after the first practice.