Sherri Coale interview with Hale KREF

[Sooner81]

It is so nice to have all of the positive posters who look for the possibilities in the OU program.

I have been told by a few friends that if I got on here on the girls side you were one who would defend Sherri to the very end. I guess this confirms that.

IF and I say IF you will look at reality, you will or would see that Sherri has let up the last 5 or 6 years and no longer is doing what it takes to win or even compete for the Big-12 title much less the national title. It’s not hard to see unless you just don’t want to and I guess that’s what you and a few others desire. Seems like most of the posters here realize what is very evident and are OK with actually saying it. Bottom line is this program is not even average right now and that is Sad to me and many who saw her for years have it competing at the highest levels - not now.

 

[euphguy]

Negativity has become confused with realism.

Similarly, positivity has been confused with progress, which obviously hasn't happened in recent years. It's naive to be positive when you see a decline in performance/results, not improvement.

This was definitely a down year for the Big 12. A tie for 4th means very little in the conference, especially given our overall record.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Sherri did not get into her limited talent situation overnight and she is not going to get on par with Texas and Baylor in a year or two. She has made progress in the talent she is bring to Norman the last two years and that is a big positive despite losing the 2 transfers. She still needs more front line talent particularly at the #5. She just needs to continue to upgrade her recruiting in her areas of need.

I feel if she does her job as she should she can be very competitive with the whorns and bears come the 2020 season maybe 2019. Not necessarily on par but competitive. I see both Baylor and Texas consistently having more talent for the foreseeable future. IMHO we need to win 30-35% of the time against Baylor and 35-45% against Texas would be a successful program for the Sooners. Unfortunately our problems with the bears goes back for 8 seasons but the losing trend against the whorns only being recent and needs to be turned around ASAP. For certain we must maintain control of Bedlam going forward.

 

[sybarite]

I have been told by a few friends that if I got on here on the girls side you were one who would defend Sherri to the very end. I guess this confirms that.

I can imagine that they did say that, and it wasn't meant as a compliment. But, I tend to be flattered that they feel that way.

I don't think I am the major Sherri supporter by any means. I do tend to support her, probably for quite different concerns. I doubt that Sherri and I would be friends. I tend not to have many evangelical friends. But, it seems like a positive in her case. But, I support Sherri for that reason that some think that they embellish with their negativity. They think it is realism, whereas I think it is the complete lack thereof.

We've had some ineffective years recruiting recently, a part of which is due to luck with injuries (how many players have we had retire with injury?), a couple of choices that led to transfers, and some lack of success with some highly-rated players who may well have been overrated.

Still, the thought that this program is mediocre is absurd. We tend to finish second or third in the Big Twelve. We have the fifth or sixth longest streak of NCAA appearances, which means that about 334 other teams have either missed at least one tournament in the last eighteen years or haven't ever been to one.. We aren't in the top ten right now. But, we do OK, even when not hitting on all cylinders.

Our recruiting seems to be picking up rather dramatically. A third good year would put us at a level of Baylor or Texas. With a little talent, we can make the sweet sixteen, which is about where Texas gets, and Baylor....they may start wondering why they aren't performing at the level they anticipated. Probably could have used a guard and Mompremier tonight.

But, some people think OU should attract a Courtney Paris every year. We've had one. The men's team has never had the #1 recruit, especially one from California. Look around. You like Oklahoma. If you were a 17-year old minority living in Atlanta, why would you think your future was in Oklahoma? This isn't football where you go for a couple of years and end up in the pros or going back home. They want to have a future. Is it in Oklahoma? How many remained in Oklahoma?

Austin is attractive and has a future. There is a lot of growth industry. What is in OKC?

I'm impressed that Sherri has been able to get people to come to Norman. She's done pretty well, and OU wasn't the brightest star in the galaxy for women's basketball. Who do you think could build a program that would attract good athletes? Are you sure?

I think Sherri will retire soon. Unless we get very lucky, I think our program may become toast.

 

[atlantasooner]

syb,
I think there's middle ground between everything is great, and everything sucks.

If you are unwilling to listen to a Sherri interview with actual content. Fine, don't comment on it.

I do think there's room to believe things have "bottomed" out that the sheer mass infusion of talent can only make things better next year.
OU's hasn't had freshman like Shaina/Ana for awhile.
The key is to keep the talent acquisition improvements coming. This spring/summer is critical.
Fill the gaps. improve the roster for 2018-2019.
Make huge strides in signing a third class in a row with difference makers.

 

[sybarite]

syb,
I think there's middle ground between everything is great, and everything sucks.

If you are unwilling to listen to a Sherri interview with actual content. Fine, don't comment on it.

I do think there's room to believe things have "bottomed" out that the sheer mass infusion of talent can only make things better next year.
OU's hasn't had freshman like Shaina/Ana for awhile.
The key is to keep the talent acquisition improvements coming. This spring/summer is critical.
Fill the gaps. improve the roster for 2018-2019.
Make huge strides in signing a third class in a row with difference makers.

1. What makes you think I didn't listen to the interview.
2. OK is a middle ground.

 

[Sooner81]

I can imagine that they did say that, and it wasn't meant as a compliment. But, I tend to be flattered that they feel that way.

I don't think I am the major Sherri supporter by any means. I do tend to support her, probably for quite different concerns. I doubt that Sherri and I would be friends. I tend not to have many evangelical friends. But, it seems like a positive in her case. But, I support Sherri for that reason that some think that they embellish with their negativity. They think it is realism, whereas I think it is the complete lack thereof.

We've had some ineffective years recruiting recently, a part of which is due to luck with injuries (how many players have we had retire with injury?), a couple of choices that led to transfers, and some lack of success with some highly-rated players who may well have been overrated.

Still, the thought that this program is mediocre is absurd. We tend to finish second or third in the Big Twelve. We have the fifth or sixth longest streak of NCAA appearances, which means that about 334 other teams have either missed at least one tournament in the last eighteen years or haven't ever been to one.. We aren't in the top ten right now. But, we do OK, even when not hitting on all cylinders.

Our recruiting seems to be picking up rather dramatically. A third good year would put us at a level of Baylor or Texas. With a little talent, we can make the sweet sixteen, which is about where Texas gets, and Baylor....they may start wondering why they aren't performing at the level they anticipated. Probably could have used a guard and Mompremier tonight.

But, some people think OU should attract a Courtney Paris every year. We've had one. The men's team has never had the #1 recruit, especially one from California. Look around. You like Oklahoma. If you were a 17-year old minority living in Atlanta, why would you think your future was in Oklahoma? This isn't football where you go for a couple of years and end up in the pros or going back home. They want to have a future. Is it in Oklahoma? How many remained in Oklahoma?

Austin is attractive and has a future. There is a lot of growth industry. What is in OKC?

I'm impressed that Sherri has been able to get people to come to Norman. She's done pretty well, and OU wasn't the brightest star in the galaxy for women's basketball. Who do you think could build a program that would attract good athletes? Are you sure?

I think Sherri will retire soon. Unless we get very lucky, I think our program may become toast.

Some of our recruiting problems can be attributed to what you stated above BUT you don’t seem to want to mention that Some of the reason for poor talent is that Sherri and her staff just didn’t do the job and sign the players, for crediblitity you need to be able to see that part as well and I don’t see that above. I think she had one other Paris twin and Amanda and I’m sure I could find a few more if I took the time so you can’t say with credibility that Courtney has been her only good big.

The long streak is skewed and there is NO way we should have gotten in this year- we were 2 games over .500 for the year/- that’s just UGLY. We proved it in our first game in the tourney. And most of us don’t want to JUST get in the tourney we want a program that has a chance to make it to the final four and win in the tourney.

Your statement that a 3rd good year would put us at Baylor or Texas’s level is ABSURD as you say. That’s just crazy talk and most on here probably just rolled their eyes when they read that statement, again you lose credibility when you type things like that.

As far as recruits wanting to come to Oklahoma, if your an African American recruit you would Much rather come to Norman than Waco, TX. Don’t know if you’ve been there but if she can recruit these great kids to Waco Sherri has NO excuse using Norman as a problem. Have you been to Storrs, Conn or Louisville or Starkville, Miss and I could go on and on. Location is NOT the problem it is laziness of this staff for about 6 straight years.

Just my thoughts and your post pretty much confirms what I was told. To have some credibility as a even thinker you HAVE to mention an discuss the problems that Scream out and yet you don’t.

 

[sybarite]

Sorry, but there was one: Courtney. The rest came because of Courtney.

Before Courtney came, we had our best team, making it to the finals. It had no big name recruits.

They come to Waco for two reasons: 1) Kim recruits to a "the world is against us" mentality, and 2) Waco is almost a suburb of DFW which provides the minority experience. Where is the social life for minorities in Norman?

A third good year WILL be enough, or did you not notice that both Baylor and Texas, while dominant in the Big Twelve, fell rather easily away from their home base.

I could care less about credibility among the ...............

 

[Oliver Hardy]

This discussion seems to overlook Stacy Dales, arguably one of the top 10 players ever. A Canadian. You cannot get more different from Oklahoma than Canada.

We weren’t devoid of talent when Courtney came either. We just finally got the piece we needed. And then we run off arguably the best assistant on the floor after a tiff/fight/difference of opinion over recruiting — the assistant who was partially, at least (if not more) the reason she came her.

And Courtney was great, but she never improved significantly after she got here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SoonerSpock]

Sorry, but there was one: Courtney. The rest came because of Courtney.

Before Courtney came, we had our best team, making it to the finals. It had no big name recruits.

They come to Waco for two reasons: 1) Kim recruits to a "the world is against us" mentality, and 2) Waco is almost a suburb of DFW which provides the minority experience. Where is the social life for minorities in Norman?

A third good year WILL be enough, or did you not notice that both Baylor and Texas, while dominant in the Big Twelve, fell rather easily away from their home base.

I could care less about credibility among the ...............

Sounds exactly like your typical myopic perspective on things. The minority social life in Norman is 25 minutes north in Oklahoma City where approximately 95,000 Afro-Americans reside about a third of the time and distance it takes to get from Waco to the DFW.

But in the eyes of Syb 94 miles away is a suburb while 20 miles away is unreachable. Some are incapable of ever seeing reality. Moreover having never sit in on a Kim recruiting session you know zilch about how she recruits you have only you suspicions and we all know the validity of your perspective in that regard.

 

[SoonerSpock]

This discussion seems to overlook Stacy Dales, arguably one of the top 10 players ever. A Canadian. You cannot get more different from Oklahoma than Canada.

We weren’t devoid of talent when Courtney came either. We just finally got the piece we needed. And then we run off arguably the best assistant on the floor after a tiff/fight/difference of opinion over recruiting — the assistant who was partially, at least (if not more) the reason she came her.

And Courtney was great, but she never improved significantly after she got here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will not dispute the player Stacey Dales was while at OU. But as Syb said was no big name recruit before coming to OU.

 

[sybarite]

Sounds exactly like your typical myopic perspective on things. The minority social life in Norman is 25 minutes north in Oklahoma City where approximately 95,000 Afro-Americans reside about a third of the time and distance it takes to get from Waco to the DFW.

But in the eyes of Syb 94 miles away is a suburb while 20 miles away is unreachable. Some are incapable of ever seeing reality. Moreover having never sit in on a Kim recruiting session you know zilch about how she recruits you have only you suspicions and we all know the validity of your perspective in that regard.

You aren't black, and you have no understanding of that community. You don't unless you are a part of it, which I'm not. But, I do have some links. The best man at my wedding was black. My major professor was black. When I was in graduate school, I didn't really see the racial disparity. But, my black friend sent his younger brother to OU so he would have me to look over him. After about four months at OU, he came to me prior to withdrawing from OU His statement was that "Norman was the whitest city in America." That may or may not have been true. but Norman and OKC had little to offer young blacks. In the Baltimore/DC area, he had been accustomed to a wide social life in a thriving black community. In Norman and OKC, he was part of sparse, uneventful and isolated life.

When I had been an undergraduate at OU, there was not one black person in any one of my classes. Not one. Several years later after the Army, I returned to graduate school. There were more blacks, but I never saw them after hours. They left town. There was nothing in Norman. There was barely anything in OKC. It is white, the whitest. If you are a young black, what are your job opportunities? What is your social life? You, being white, don't see it. I don't either, really. But, they do. Have you ever been the only white at an all-black party or night club? They live that.


And, yes, they have a full social life in DFW.

 

[OUDallas66]

DFW is 100 miles north of Waco, not a suburb.

Some of you, a few, live in an alternative universe.

Students in Waco don't go to DFW or Austin (100 miles south) for social reasons.

It's called better recruiting, not lack of social options.

From someone that went to school from first grade on through Law School with all minorities. Played with and against all minorities through College at the Division One Level.

 

[sybarite]

DFW is 100 miles north of Waco, not a suburb.

Some of you. a few, live in an alternative universe.

Students in Waco don't go to DFW or Austin (100 miles south) for social reasons.

It's called better recruiting, not lack of social options.

From someone that went to school from first grade on through Law School with all minorities. Played with and against all minorities through College at the Division One
Level.

It's 70 miles to DFW, and it is used as a social center.

Edit: let's carry that further. Waco, in itself, is about 22-24% black, somewhat vibrant. OKC is about 14%. Norman is 4% black (four).

 

[Sooner81]

You aren't black, and you have no understanding of that community. You don't unless you are a part of it, which I'm not. But, I do have some links. The best man at my wedding was black. My major professor was black. When I was in graduate school, I didn't really see the racial disparity. But, my black friend sent his younger brother to OU so he would have me to look over him. After about four months at OU, he came to me prior to withdrawing from OU His statement was that "Norman was the whitest city in America." That may or may not have been true. but Norman and OKC had little to offer young blacks. In the Baltimore/DC area, he had been accustomed to a wide social life in a thriving black community. In Norman and OKC, he was part of sparse, uneventful and isolated life.

When I had been an undergraduate at OU, there was not one black person in any one of my classes. Not one. Several years later after the Army, I returned to graduate school. There were more blacks, but I never saw them after hours. They left town. There was nothing in Norman. There was barely anything in OKC. It is white, the whitest. If you are a young black, what are your job opportunities? What is your social life? You, being white, don't see it. I don't either, really. But, they do. Have you ever been the only white at an all-black party or night club? They live that.


And, yes, they have a full social life in DFW.

LOL, you Are as everyone told me. You will NEVER look at the other side. You, in your eyes, are right on absolutely everything and never wrong LOL. What a hoot you are. No more responses to you as you obviously are always correct HAHAHAHA. What a waste of breath. I just drove to Houston from Tulsa not too long ago and in no way is it just 70 miles and an easy drive for “social” reasons lol. I also have a few black peers where I work and their kids are currently AT OU and love it and have tons of black friends there and love the social life. Also work with a former black starting half back for OU and I asked him and he said the social life in Norman for a black person is just fine and not a negative in recruiting.

And Waco is as white as they come and no one is driving 70-100 miles just for some social interaction. LOL

Also, Baylor AND Texas are light years ahead of OU in women’s basketball and even IF Sherri would get her butt working it might be 5 years before she could compete with them. They both were high seeds in the tourney and were in the conversation. While OU was put in the tourney because of Sherri being buddies with some of the cronies and was out as soon as the tip off happened in our game.

I Hope she “retires” as we can spend $800,000 less per year and get someone who can actually go work hard and get some players and start bringing back the crowds and become relevant again. Doesn’t matter how good of a coach you are if you don’t have the players - Barry Switzer said it isn’t the X’s and O’s It’s the Jimmys and Joes LOL - and he was exactly correct.

 

[sybarite]

Examine the demographics and exit the conversation.

 

[SoonerinNC]

As I recall there is not much of a social life for anyone in Norman off campus. Suspect that you still have to go to Oklahoma City for such.

Doesn't seem to hinder Patti or the football coaches.

While I feel that Inoref is pretty extreme in his posts regarding Sherri I sort of agree with him this time. What I heard among the acolades for some was complaints about lack of leadership and maybe effort about the outgoing seniors and some of the returnees. Again suprised to hear that some were not in condition. Seems like I have heard those things before.

I am optimistic about the incoming class. I hope to see some major improvement from Ana and Pellington. I watched enough of Ana's high school and AAU games to know that she has quite a bit more to offer.

I consider conditioning a full responsibility of the coaches. In two years coaching in the military and six years in high school I don't remember any player that would not do the things we did in practice to ensure that they were in condition to play.

Sherri has a tendency to keep the younger players on a short leash and lean on the vets. Also to reward some of the upper class players for being good teammates such as Kellogg in 2016-17. I felt that Gilly got minutes this year that Pellington could have profited from especially in the games against the lesser teams. Penzo has developed to the point where she is contributing but there is much more upside in the younger players. I hope we don't see some of the good incoming freshmen give up minutes to Penzo and Simpson next year.

 

[sybarite]

I heard what Sherri said. I also seemed to hear something else that has been largely ignored. Sherri spoke of a different direction. While giving accolades to Brown, she indicated somewhat of a different future for basketball. It is interesting that a few days later Baylor and Texas were eliminated by teams that: 1) weren't intimidated by Brown, and 2) took Texas' guards apart. Didn't do a bad job on Baylor's guards either.

Sherri built off of a pattern that emphasized guards. I think she wished for a post, and got one in Courtney. Yet, it changed some of her style. If she goes back to a mobile post and a bunch of running guards, I wonder if she won't regain her magic. She took two guards in Villareal and Jackson and swept through a Big Twelve tournament over teams with size prior to getting Courtney.

 

[Sooner81]

Examine the demographics and exit the conversation.

HAHAHAHA yep you are right again LOL. Do you really look at yourself in the mirror. You do give me and many others a good laugh 0 very predictable.

I guess my friends WHO ARE BLACK need to look at the demographics. Since you said you are Not black But you still know it all, maybe you should listen to what I posted since IT CAME FROM SEVERAL BLACK people lol. Or don’t let facts get in your way.

 

[sybarite]

HAHAHAHA yep you are right again LOL. Do you really look at yourself in the mirror. You do give me and many others a good laugh 0 very predictable.

I guess my friends WHO ARE BLACK need to look at the demographics. Since you said you are Not black But you still know it all, maybe you should listen to what I posted since IT CAME FROM SEVERAL BLACK people lol. Or don’t let facts get in your way.

Fifty years of working in the civil rights programs, one of which I co-founded resulting in Congressional and Military Commendations thanks to some diligent press, have taught me that I know very little about being black. But, I do have a lot of experience at listening and talking, searching for solutions. About the only thing of which I am certain is that I know more now than I knew five years ago, and that has been a constant theme. I also know that whites have absolutely no conception of what it is to be black. Everybody has a friend and works with a black guy.