I don't think OU has to hire a big name coach. I think OU needs to hire a good coach. As was previously stated, Billy Tubbs was not well known. He came from Lamar. How many people know where Lamar is (what State) and what conference they play in?
Sampson was also not well known. He came from Washington State. He had made the tourney but was simply running a respectable but average Pac Ten team.
With a good hire and one great palyer or a couple of good players and OU will be back to winning. It is not impossible by any stretch of the imagination.
However, once OU starts winning again we need to do a better job supporting the program. The LNC needs to again become one of the toughest venues in college basketball like it was during the Tubbs era. (It is a fact that the LNC was considered as tough as they got in the late mid to late 80s.)
This will require the students to support the program but I think it also requires financial support from the alumni. We need to donate money and make it free or very cheap for students to go to the games. We need 10,000 alumni to donate $100 a year to endow the studnet section. We should sell concession cheap to students (adults can pay regular prices). We need a crazy student section that doesn't want to miss the fun of a home basketball game. If we get that, the alumni will enjoy the games too. Attendence will increase because the environment will be great.