Time for Lon to step down

[coolm]

I think Lon's a swell guy and he knows a lot about the game ... but he's not making enough of a positive difference for this team and program to continue as its' coach.

I watched/attended games under Bliss, Tubbs, Sampson, Capel, and now Lon and this is the worst mess of confusion and effortlessness I can remember. And this has become a 3-year trend.

It's especially disconcerting at a time when OU has had to announce layoffs due to financial constraints while we gave Riley a huge raise, made our new DC the highest paid assistant around, and Lon is making a rather large salary as a D1 HC. I know the athletic department is a self-sustaining entity but the appearance is horrid and, frankly, I'd rather pay less if this is what we're going to see and send some money to the school to endow some professor's chairs. OU would get more out of that than this mess on the court.

Get a newbie that can put 24/7 effort into things even if it means fewer wins. We need new energy and a new culture. This ain't cutting it.

 

[NickZepp]

It was worse under Capel but not much worse. This team lacks guards. Lacks size. Lacks effort.

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[rickjames]

Let’s be honest. Most schools would let a coach go after multiple seasons like these. Hot starts. Terrible finishes. I miss Kelvin and his teams efforts.

 

[mict085]

I like Lon and think he’s a great human being. That said, it’s time for him to step down. This is awful.

I would also say, Lon was the right hire at the time and accomplished what we hired him to do. Unfortunately, he should’ve retired after the final four. It’s been all downhill since then.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

It was worse under Capel but not much worse. This team lacks guards. Lacks size. Lacks effort.

Let’s be honest. Most schools would let a coach go after multiple seasons like these. Hot starts. Terrible finishes. I miss Kelvin and his teams efforts.

Agree with both of these. And yes, It is time for Lon to step down.

Lon did very well cleaning up the dumpster that Capel left behind. But now is the time to move on. I wish Lon well, but the program needs a complete overhaul.

 

[AdaSooner]

I was a Lon Kruger fan from the time he arrived at OU through his first five years. I supported him through two disappointing seasons when I expected so much more after our final four run. I watched as he made the mistake of replacing Henson and Hill with assistants who would do well to get a job at a mid-major. As a result, our recruiting and our player development has suffered the past two years.

The 2019 class we’ve got coming in appears to be a huge improvement. But that doesn’t change the fact that this coaching staff does a poor job of developing and motivating players. All you have to do is ask yourself if the players on our roster the past three years have improved at a rate that leads you to be absolutely certain the new recruits we’ve got coming in will be in good hands? I can’t do that with any degree of confidence.

As much as I would like to see a complete change in our coaching staff after this season (with the possible exception of Crutchfield). I’m going to sign on for one more season. If Lon and his staff fail to demonstrate an ability to motivate, teach and coach our players next season, I want them gone!!!

 

[ousooners1baby]

I know you all are waiting for my post. The encouragement from Reid Gettys didnt get my excited and neither did another subpar effort from our Sooners. Good night Lon. Thank you.

 

[steverocks35]

You can go all the way back to Lattin. I thought he was an outlier. A guy that didn't develop one scintilla while the guys around him were improving by leaps and bounds. But those guys, namely Hield and Cousins, were self-motivators. Kruger had to ban them from the gym at times. Now we know that those guys were the exception and Lattin was the rule.

 

[coolm]

You can go all the way back to Lattin. I thought he was an outlier. A guy that didn't develop one scintilla while the guys around him were improving by leaps and bounds. But those guys, namely Hield and Cousins, were self-motivators. Kruger had to ban them from the gym at times. Now we know that those guys were the exception and Lattin was the rule.

exactly! you hit the nail right on the head. CJ even tried and he hit a brick wall after putting in the effort over the summer.

I really think this is a coaching letdown overall.

Lon's head is on the golfcourse at a time when we need all our coaches burning midnight oil trying to help this undertalented group compete in a very tough league.

Beard's team is always prepared and they barely have any scoring talent themselves. He's just doing a MUCH better job coaching than Lon.

 

[sooner8]

Seems like Lon is just collecting a paycheck as of late,Lon & staff sure haven't been preparing this team for these blowouts.Yes some of the blame goes to these players who act like at times they could give a rats a$$,but the ultimate blame rests on the head coach & staff.Go Sooners!!

 

[Hollisp]

Seems like Lon is just collecting a paycheck as of late,Lon & staff sure haven't been preparing this team for these blowouts.Yes some of the blame goes to these players who act like at times they could give a rats a$$,but the ultimate blame rests on the head coach & staff.Go Sooners!!

Yes, Lon needs to go but he’s not collecting a paycheck and going through the motions. That’s just not who he is. He def needs to go. But “collecting paychecks” or “head in the golf course” is just not right.

 

[usedtobe1]

They need to fire Sherri Coale before they fire Lon. The women’s program has been terrible for years.... since the Paris twins left.

 

[SKSooner]

They went to the Final Four after the Paris twins left.

 

[Sooner81]

They need to fire Sherri Coale before they fire Lon. The women’s program has been terrible for years.... since the Paris twins left.

This!!

 

[OULad]

They both should be fired at the end of the season.

 

[kansasooner]

Two words: Kelvin. Sampson.

 

[OUGenius]

I’d love it Kelvin would come back. I wonder if that’s even a remote possibility?

 

[rickjames]

I’d love it Kelvin would come back. I wonder if that’s even a remote possibility?

I just can’t imagine Joe C doing that although I’d be thrilled if it happened. He seems like the kind of guy that would be too loyal to Lon.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Let’s be honest. Most schools would let a coach go after multiple seasons like these. Hot starts. Terrible finishes. I miss Kelvin and his teams efforts.

If you think "most" schools would fire a coach after never missing the tournament in consecutive years, you clearly don't follow college basketball closely. If that were the standard, 90 percent of schools would be firing a coach every two or three years.

 

[inoref]

Kelvin is not coming back