Is this Lon's last stop?

[MI Sooner]

He's 61. He's doing a great job and been in demand before. I don't think we'd have to worry about him leaving for anything but a top 10 job, but is there a chance a top 10 job comes calling? If we make the Sweet 16 this year and a deeper run next year, does a program like Indiana come calling if they can Crean?

Kruger's relatively old, but coaches less fit than him have coached into their 70s. He's also a bit of a hired gun, and I wouldn't count on him turning down more money.

It's a good problem to have (even hypothetically). Honestly, I thought we were such a mess two years ago that a best case scenario had Kruger turning things around in 5-7 years, not 3-4.

 

[WTSooner]

I would think so.

And I think he may remain the HC here longer than some folks thought he might.

 

[garyeb2]

I would think so.

And I think he may remain the HC here longer than some folks thought he might.

Yep.

 

[Big Old Booger]

He's 61. He's doing a great job and been in demand before. I don't think we'd have to worry about him leaving for anything but a top 10 job, but is there a chance a top 10 job comes calling? If we make the Sweet 16 this year and a deeper run next year, does a program like Indiana come calling if they can Crean?

Kruger's relatively old, but coaches less fit than him have coached into their 70s. He's also a bit of a hired gun, and I wouldn't count on him turning down more money.

It's a good problem to have (even hypothetically). Honestly, I thought we were such a mess two years ago that a best case scenario had Kruger turning things around in 5-7 years, not 3-4.

I think the chances are higher that Henson is the head coach at KSU in 5 years than Lon leaves OU.

 

[jerry]

I would think so.

And I think he may remain the HC here longer than some folks thought he might.

Yeah I agree. Seems to be a young 63.

 

[dahldennsull]

I would think so.

And I think he may remain the HC here longer than some folks thought he might.

I've heard this other places too. The administration and Kruger both are very happy (why wouldn't they be) with how things have gone, and not to expect his 7 year contract to dry up and that be the end of it.

 

[robinT]

I heard Andrew Gilman say yesterday on the Franchise that if Scott Brooks is relieved of his coaching duties with the Thunder after this season that Lon will be first on the list as a replacement.

Wonder how much truth there is to this??

 

[steverocks35]

I heard Andrew Gilman say yesterday on the Franchise that if Scott Brooks is relieved of his coaching duties with the Thunder after this season that Lon will be first on the list as a replacement.

Wonder how much truth there is to this??

Really? Scott Brooks is on the hotseat?

 

[TheGimper]

I heard Andrew Gilman say yesterday on the Franchise that if Scott Brooks is relieved of his coaching duties with the Thunder after this season that Lon will be first on the list as a replacement.

Wonder how much truth there is to this??

This might be the boldest lie to ever be spoken on Oklahoma sports radio.

 

[Soonerman]

Can't find quotes anywhere so I may have made it up, but I thought I remember reading a quote from Lon, potentially from his first presser at the unveiling, that he and his wife agreed that this would be their last stop.

If he did say that, then that might be a good indication. Although if a top job became available either somewhere else in the D1 ranks or in the NBA and he was offered, I wouldn't fault him for taking it despite what he said.

 

[perryj74]

I think the NBA thing is a non-issue with Lon. He tried it, it didn't go well, and he returned to be successful in the college ranks. You can tell by the way he talks about it that it wasn't something he enjoyed doing and you don't make a move like that late in your career to do something you don't enjoy doing.

 

[DenverSooner]

If his wife likes Norman, I think there is an excellent chance he retires in Norman. Money is likely not an issue for his family. I am not saying more money wouldn't be a lure. Rather, I am simply saying he is probably fairly set financially.

Over his career his family has moved for him many times. That is a lot to ask and I suspect he is very grateful for all of their support. Perhaps he is so grateful that he might turn down an opportunity simply to make them happy.

I also think he has a chance to make a strong run at OU. He has substantially upgraded the team. He has a young team. He is currently recruiting some high level kids.

I have no personal knowledge but my hope is his family, his opportunity at OU, and his likely lack of financial pressure will all lead him to retire at OU.

 

[SoonersnHawks]

This will be Lon's last stop. Could see him possibly leaving for a blue blood if they come calling, but with our football revenue we can easily match most schools offers if they come calling.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

If his wife likes Norman, I think there is an excellent chance he retires in Norman. Money is likely not an issue for his family. I am not saying more money wouldn't be a lure. Rather, I am simply saying he is probably fairly set financially.

Over his career his family has moved for him many times. That is a lot to ask and I suspect he is very grateful for all of their support. Perhaps he is so grateful that he might turn down an opportunity simply to make them happy.

I also think he has a chance to make a strong run at OU. He has substantially upgraded the team. He has a young team. He is currently recruiting some high level kids.

I have no personal knowledge but my hope is his family, his opportunity at OU, and his likely lack of financial pressure will all lead him to retire at OU.

His family is very important to him. I know his kids are grown but his wife has a big say in what he does. I think they still have the house in Vegas - and they liked it there - but I don't see him going to another school. If he puts in another 5-7 years here I think he'll be satisfied. I never get these guys that coach into their 70's and such.

 

[MI Sooner]

If his wife likes Norman, I think there is an excellent chance he retires in Norman. Money is likely not an issue for his family. I am not saying more money wouldn't be a lure. Rather, I am simply saying he is probably fairly set financially.

Over his career his family has moved for him many times. That is a lot to ask and I suspect he is very grateful for all of their support. Perhaps he is so grateful that he might turn down an opportunity simply to make them happy.

I also think he has a chance to make a strong run at OU. He has substantially upgraded the team. He has a young team. He is currently recruiting some high level kids.

I have no personal knowledge but my hope is his family, his opportunity at OU, and his likely lack of financial pressure will all lead him to retire at OU.

This could be true, but it seems like wishful thinking. A guy who switches jobs every five years, on average, is more likely to leave, in my opinion, that a guy who hasn't.

I still think this is likely his last job, if for no other reason than there are probably only 10 jobs or so the average coach would leave for. OU isn't the 11th best job in the country, but usually openings happen because things aren't going well, and usually coaches are in demand because things are going well. So Kruger might take OU (a top 25 program) to a top 15 level and get offers from a top 10 program in turmoil.

Really, that's one benefit of hiring a guy late in his career. Sure, he won't be here 30 years, but he's less likely to leave for somewhere else, too.

 

[Ham]

61 years old and seemingly healthy. He looks good.

He's got, easily, 7-8 years left if he wants it and maybe a few more.

And he'll do it here.

He's too late into his career to start over again. He didn't even want to leave UNLV, really. But now he's close to home, being paid extremely well, and he can win a national title at OU. What else would he want?

The chances are relatively the same of him winning a title at OU as anywhere else aside from the blue bloods (Kansas, Duke, UNC, Kentucky, UCLA, Indiana) - so why not try to do it here - as opposed to rebooting everything for another 3-4 years of building a program? By age 65, he'll have had 5 solid cracks at winning it all at OU.
If he goes almost anywhere else (aside from the above programs and maybe just a handful others), he'd be fortunate to be where he is right NOW with OU.

 

[robinT]

Really? Scott Brooks is on the hotseat?

Gilman's thoughs were that if the Thunder fails to make the finals this year that Brooks would be on the hotseat and that Lon would be a strong consideration.

 

[Ham]

^I'm sorry but that's ridiculous. Gillman sounds like he's just stirring the pot.

The idea that Scott Brooks would be on the hot seat...whatever.

But the idea that the Thunder would want a failed NBA coach to replace a guy that has led his young team, a team that has ONLY played under him, to progressively better seasons - it's just ridiculous to me.

My impression...and that's all it is...is that Bennett is probably in love with Brooks.

 

[WTSooner]

I could see Brooks being on the hot seat if OKC got knocked out early. There was a LOT of talk about him being replaced over the last couple of years. Of course that is just fans and media, and not Thunder ownership, but still. You have a guy that is probably the 2nd best player in the NBA today, you better be accomplishing all that you should be.

Even die-hard Thunder fans question a lot of the stuff Brooks does during games. Or doesn't do.

 

[SoonerSpock]

I think a factor that will or has become important to Lon is the same factor that Bob Stoops frequently mentions. That is the quality of the men he has to work for on a daily basis makes his job more enjoyable. Joe C. and David B. create the best working environment available to be successful and Lon is soon to benefit from better facilities that will make his job even easier.

With the way many top programs that on down on their luck in recent seasons and have churned coaches like Indiana the working environment might be much less than ideal at those schools. If so that gives the Sooners a big advantage in working environment. Also when it comes to keeping Lon I do not think that Joe C. will allow money to be an issue.

I think a big key to keeping that environment will be Boren's health and therefore his ability to continue to do the job. I think as long as he is healthy he will remain the OU president.