Was Lon perfect for this job or what?

[MercedeSooner]

I don't think even the biggest optimist could have predicted the way Kruger has turned our program around.

 

[KBaden145]

I don't think even the biggest optimist could have predicted the way Kruger has turned our program around.

I didn't expect this much, this soon...


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[artvandelay]

He is industrial smooth. Yes he was perfect and I felt that at the time. I will admit I didn't expect us to get this good already.

 

[zeptrey]

I guess what has really impressed me most this year is the half time adjustments. Games like the Washington State, Harvard, ORU, and NOVA you can look at the box scores and notice the adjustments made by looking at the stats. Watching those games you can tell how well these guys are coached up.

 

[sperry]

I also was in the camp that didn't think Lon would take us to these heights. I expected him to get the program turned around to respectability, but I was thinking more along the lines of 4 seed and sweet 16 contender, not 1 or 2 seed and legitimate national championship contender. Quite pleased to be wrong.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I do some volunteer work for a non-profit organization in Shawnee. We were having an auction (in conjunction with a banquet) to raise money. I sent an email to some of the OU coaches to see if they wished to donate anything for the auction and/or attend. The only coach who responded was Lon. He donated and autographed some items for us. I went to the basketball office and met him. He could not have been more gracious. He apologized for not being able to attend but said he would be out of town recruiting. First class guy as well as a great coach!

 

[SoonerinNC]

Kruger is what coaches should be. Their job is to teach and encourage. Of course the x's and o's and recruiting is important.

But Kruger is constantly teaching and encouraging. Too many coaches want to emulate the Vince Lombardi style. Particularly rec ball coaches. All they copy from a guy like Lombardi is the yelling. What they don't understand is that Lombardi did a superb job of teaching and encouraging. Following a Sunday game he taught with very tough love Monday thru Wednesday and then spent Thursday through Saturday encouraging. By Sunday he had them thinking they were the best team in the world and they were at that time. You can get a good picture of that in Jerry Kramer's book "Instant Replay". Lombardi was the ultimate psychologist and the players didn't have a clue what he was doing.

Back to Kruger. During his career he has largely avoided the one and done guy. Probably a lot of bad stuff there. But he goes out and looks for the long athletic guy who can shoot the ball a bit and run the court and he does a great job of developing them. Good at evaluating talent and apparently work ethic.

Not as sure about his x's and o'x. Think his defensive schemes are better than his offensive schemes. His teams defenses are strong from the technical side compared to the toughness of the Sampsons defenses. Sampsons teams ate up the soft teams on defense including a number of Woys Kansas teams.

 

[Darwin]

I became a Jeff Capel fan for awhile but I remember my initial reaction was Joe is taking a big risk here. Nothing risky about Joe's hire of Lon. Joe had a lot to make up for and nothing risky would have been #1 on the list of criteria. The safest good coach out there or the best safe coach whatever.

So Lon and his staff did what they do well, work hard, evaluate, dig deep for the right sleepers or transfers, teach, coach and do it like a full time job. They built the program inclusive of history, alumni and fans. My guess is Lon isn't chasing his next job but making his last job the best example of what he's about.

This is the program we should all want even if some seasons the results don't measure up, just stay the course.

 

[soonervegas]

Lon has done everything except win the big one.....sure would like to see him do it in Norman. Get his and OU's goose egg off the board.

Love having him at OU

 

[furge]

Lon is a bona fide program-builder. Left KSU, Florida, Illinois, and UNLV better than when he got there. Joe C. surely had that rep in mind when he looked at how to bail the program out of the spiral that Capel got us into. I was higher on the Lon hire than a few of my friends, and I'm proud to say I called it. Lon will have us set up for years when he finally retires. Til then, all we do is improve. Lon is perfect for this job, this program, and our team as he's built it. We're getting spoiled again.

 

[ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms]

I told everybody that Kruger was a helluva coach. Not many believed me. He wins not matter where he's at


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