Maybe this is what we are as a program?

[Eielson]

Lon is doing what he's always done, yet people act surprised. This is the program we have while Lon is in charge. When Lon leaves, we could get better...or we could get worse. It all depends on who we bring in.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Don't forget that he had just had his best recruiting year by far when he was run off. We lost three of his four recruits as I remember, two of whom ended up in a Final Four as I remember. Might have been nice to have them here.

Ah yes, nothing like the fictional "he was run off" story. Yep, he was "run off" by choice to a much better job.

 

[Big Old Booger]

NO

Not so fast...he wasn't any better as a soph/jr/sr than his freshman year so he never really got any better which means he peaked (his frosh year).

 

[Big Old Booger]

Ah yes, nothing like the fictional "he was run off" story. Yep, he was "run off" by choice to a much better job.

I think it's fair to say both sides were ready for a change. Not sure OU would have fired him but he could tell he wore out his welcome. Like coolm said in another thread, coaches have a shelf life at one school. Kelvin was great when he was here but both sides thought they needed a change.

Having said that, I loved Kelvin and wish he had stayed but that loss to UWGB after the way his last season ended down the stretch was brutal.

 

[MrAnderson]

I'd give my left nut to have Kelvin back

 

[Stikboy]

I think it's also fair to say when Tubbs came to the Big 8, it was not a great basketball conference. At the same time ISU hired Orr, and then KU fired Owens and hired Brown. With those 3 and Stewart at Mizzou and Hartman at KSU, it became a good conference. Tubbs capitalized on some of that (ISU building, Brown building KU back, etc.) with getting Wayman. Once Sutton started at OSU, the Tubbs OU program began to slide into mediocrity.



Kelvin came along during the end of the Gibbs era along with the Schnelly and Blake era's. He carried the athletic department and fans went to basketball games in higher numbers with little to root for in the fall. I think you are right, we probably never will see anything as good as that era of OU basketball again. College basketball as a whole is not as good as it was in the 80's and 90's, IMO.

So true, remember those days well. We could always rely on a very good basketball team to carry us through during those football struggles..

 

[Hollisp]

F Im sad reading all this.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Er, ah; did the part about "You could be justifiably critical of Lon's recruiting," fly right over your head?

No it's just a nonsensical argument that you cannot be held accountable for your talent bc of your recruiting..

 

[scrybe]

No it's just a nonsensical argument that you cannot be held accountable for your talent bc of your recruiting..

Not sure if your reading comprehension is lacking or you're just being a contrarian. Either way, it is what it is. It's all good, bro.

 

[sybarite]

Ah yes, nothing like the fictional "he was run off" story. Yep, he was "run off" by choice to a much better job.

Excuse me. As my memory serves, although a complete story never seemed to come out, we had the following:

1) Kelvin and/or his assistants were accused of doing something by the NCAA that was at that time illegal, although hardly in the category of bribing or paying players. Too many telephone contacts?

2) Meanwhile, when the investigation of announced, it was revealed that the staff at OU had been aware of the investigation and had been cooperating with the NCAA. Did they alert Kelvin? Did he continue to make calls while being investigated.

3) At the time, Kelvin seemed pretty happy.. He had just had his father for a celebration. He had just recruited by far his best class, on paper, the first class that actually had some potential superstars,, like Scotty.

It would appear that someone didn't exactly have his back, and he decided to move on given an opportunity. If he had been advised and protected, would he have left?

Now, tell me where this is inaccurate?

 

[coolm]

I agree with your review of what happened with Kelvin except that it's worth mentioning he was an absolute jerk about it all to the ncaa and committed violations even during remedial measures.

I am a big Kelvin fan as a coach but in the long run it was his personality that got him shown the door. He could have made it out of that situation and stayed in Norman but his ego got in the way. He figured that out after the Indiana fiasco and learned a little humility while helping in the NBA. Thats the only reason he was able to ingratiate himself again and get back into the college ranks at a school as reputable as even Houston.

 

[sybarite]

I would like to know for certain:

1) Did OU know and not make him aware?

2) Did he commit the violations at Indiana, or was it an assistant?

Frankly, I could care less about the NCAA. Given what they had tolerated, too many phone calls (especially if texts or emails were OK) is something you drop unless you are just being a jerk of an institution.

If he was made aware and did it in their face, that was stupid. Just because they are doing something stupid, you don't mimic stupid with stupid and win.

 

[coolm]

the way I understood it at the time was he knew and did it again anyway because he thought it was ludicrous. but we'd need a better source than my understanding in order to be sure.

 

[sybarite]

the way I understood it at the time was he knew and did it again anyway because he thought it was ludicrous. but we'd need a better source than my understanding in order to be sure.

I guess that we read different papers. I thought he didn't know and felt betrayed by the staff at OU that they hadn't warned him.

 

[coolm]

I guess that we read different papers. I thought he didn't know and felt betrayed by the staff at OU that they hadn't warned him.

I dont read their papers. I was told by others. I dont know what the official story is but I do know he was being a jerk. He was often a jerk.

 

[sybarite]

I dont read their papers. I was told by others. I dont know what the official story is but I do know he was being a jerk. He was often a jerk.

My only contact with him resulted him him getting a free ticket for one of our posters. She was a fan. He was a remarkable gentleman in that situation.

 

[AdaSooner]

What I remember is that Kelvin was unapologetic about breaking rules that defined how many (and when) coaches could call and text recruits.

His rationale was that [paraphrasing here] “some coaches were doing that and worse.” I think we all knew he was right but couldn’t prove it. He also said (my words not his) that he was simply “outworking other coaches,” likely referring to those he knew were breaking the rules.

As we all know, a few months later there were changes in the rules Kelvin broke, making what he did perfectly okay. As I recall, that was after he broke the rules again at Indiana.

One has to wonder if he had shown a little more humility for breaking the rules at OU, and kept his nose clean st IU, would the NCAA have come down as hard on him? Sadly, what he did at both stops paled in comparison to what other coaches did and are still doing.

 

[coolm]

My only contact with him resulted him him getting a free ticket for one of our posters. She was a fan. He was a remarkable gentleman in that situation.

And he was always very courteous to me. I was having a practice with my little team at that gym on Indian Hills road years ago and he came in, sat next to me, and commented on this little guard we had from Spencer. The few times I have spoken to him he's always been cordial. But others say different and a couple who did I know well enough to trust they were telling the truth. I personally had no complaints.

 

[inoref]

Kelvin did good deodorant commercials..