Mark Cody steps down as coach at Oklahoma

[jon_osu 26]

OU is THE university in the state for everything other than wrestling.  It is a beautiful campus that is better than OSU in almost every non-wrestling way.

 

 

BS

[boconnell 1,416]

OU is THE university in the state for everything other than wrestling.  It is a beautiful campus that is better than OSU in almost every non-wrestling way.

 

 

BS

I love OSU wrestling.  I love OSU.  I love visiting Eskimo Joes.  I drove up for the Minnesota dual this year and loved it.  I root first for OSU and far prefer them to OU.  I truly didn't mean that as a knock.  I said it to illustrate that OU has tons of recruiting advantages that show up in all other sports, and yet in wrestling they accomplish next to nothing.  

 

This is not an Iowa/ISU situation, because in non-wrestling ways OU is considered the premier school/athletic program in the state.  This is a situation where the OU wrestling program has just been run into the ground to the degree that kids in the state don't want to go there.

[whyme25 54]

Can you say, Mark Branch!!!

[smcfee 76]

 

OU is THE university in the state for everything other than wrestling.  It is a beautiful campus that is better than OSU in almost every non-wrestling way.  

 

 

I guess if you don't count academics, that might have a better chance of being true.

[rlw028 106]

Should have stayed at American.  He had a really good thing going there. 

 

From what I understand, Cody has a very strict no alcohol/partying policy. This policy is enforced year round, no exceptions.

 

My theory (no facts), has always been that it's easier to attract those types of kids to American vs OU. There is a lot to do in D.C. for kids who want to avoid the party scene and focus on academics/athletics. Whereas, it would be hard pressed not to throw a few back at an OU tailgate. Possibly, recruiting kids there was just too hard.

 

Just my theory...could be way off.

[boconnell 1,416]

I guess if you don't count academics, that might have a better chance of being true.

I guess you could call Tulsa academically superior, but among the public schools it's definitely OU first.  Of the Division 1 wrestling schools within 500 miles of Norman, none I can think of are likely to draw kids away based on academics.  

 

And again, I don't know how I ended up defending OU.  I don't like them, I just think they have a million recruiting advantages that Cody wasted, while every other sport on campus is able to take advantage of those advantages.  That is on Cody no matter what the reason.

[AZCO 7]

Can you say, Mark Branch!!!

 

I think this would be the ultimate hire. He's done an awesome job at WY, is one of the best ever out of Oklahoma, and one of the best HC in the country (IMO). I bet he'd likely bring Teyon Ware back with him too.

 

I wonder if 1. OU wil go after him, and 2. if he'd take it being an OSU alum.

[KingofBing 12]

I guess you could call Tulsa academically superior, but among the public schools it's definitely OU first.  Of the Division 1 wrestling schools within 500 miles of Norman, none I can think of are likely to draw kids away based on academics.  

 

And again, I don't know how I ended up defending OU.  I don't like them, I just think they have a million recruiting advantages that Cody wasted, while every other sport on campus is able to take advantage of those advantages.  That is on Cody no matter what the reason.

 

A million recruiting advantages?  Not even close when you're in John Smith country.  The wrestling budget at OU (outside of scholarships) is in the $300 K range.

I'm pretty sure Missouri's is one million...and God only knows how much $$ John Smith has to work with.

 

Based partly on that, I don't think OU's AD nor their administration is much behind the wrestling program.

[boconnell 1,416]

A million recruiting advantages?  Not even close when you're in John Smith country.  The wrestling budget at OU (outside of scholarships) is in the $300 K range.

I'm pretty sure Missouri's is one million...and God only knows how much $$ John Smith has to work with.

 

Based partly on that, I don't think OU's AD nor their administration is much behind the wrestling program.

Do you think Cody did a good job recruiting at OU?

[Pinnum 792]

A million recruiting advantages?  Not even close when you're in John Smith country.  The wrestling budget at OU (outside of scholarships) is in the $300 K range.

I'm pretty sure Missouri's is one million...and God only knows how much $$ John Smith has to work with.

 

Based partly on that, I don't think OU's AD nor their administration is much behind the wrestling program.

Oklahoma was 6th in total spending on men's wrestling for 2014-15 (one spot behind Oklahoma State).

 

Operating budgets for wrestling (excludes coach's salaries and scholarships):

 

University of Missouri-Columbia $381,580

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus $368,900

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus $400,431

 

Edit: I should note, these operating budgets would cover all of what the low budget D1 teams spend on their whole program when they are all in (with coaches salaries and scholarships).

Edited August 12, 2016 by Pinnum

[wrestlingnerd 2,579]

Do you think Cody did a good job recruiting at OU?

This is a rhetorical question because the answer is so obvious.

[KCMO2 593]

Any chance Henson might throw his hat in the ring?  I don't think things are going as well as expected at WV, and Henson is a midwest boy (although he's coached EVERYWHERE) who wanted the OU job when Spates retired.

[WillieBoy 712]

Could it be that Cody sees BYU trying to get into the Big 12 conference and this is his way of protesting them even being considered? If so, good for him.

[KingK0ng 168]

Why does this guy still have posting privileges?

[de4856 357]

Mark Perry would be great, but I don't know if he would leave Illinois. Also Andrew Howe might be good as well, but I believe he just went to Northwestern. Anyway, maybe Michael Lightner will shine in his opportunity. Hopefully, OU gives him a fair opportunity to prove himself.

[WillieBoy 712]

Why does this guy still have posting privileges?

Your attitude on those you don't like would fit well in Germany, 1939.

If you don't like what I post - eat grits and sit on the toilet.

BYU sucks. They cut wrestling. Their racist and bigoted and hateful belief system is not something the Big 12 should invite.

[paboom 204]

The right coach is someone who can recruit comparably to John Smith (obviously, only a couple of guys can match him so recruiting as well as him is out of the question). Not exactly an essy task, to say the least. The OSU/OU dynamic is not that different from Iowa/Iowa State. Even Cael (is there a better recruiter in college today??), who did quite well at ISU, played second fiddle to the Iowa legacy and the Brands while in Iowa.

 

I believe Cody was qualified to administer the program and had the right mindset, but he just couldn't get the horses to build a program the caliber of the old "golden era" OU teams. It happens when you're a stone's throw away from the most historically successful program in the country run by the country's GOAT wrestler.

 

 

Not true.  The moment Cael moved to State College, his coaching ability more than doubled.

[wrestlingnerd 2,579]

Not true. The moment Cael moved to State College, his coaching ability more than doubled.

You are making my point....

[Pinnum 792]

Your attitude on those you don't like would fit well in Germany, 1939.

If you don't like what I post - eat grits and sit on the toilet.

BYU sucks. They cut wrestling. Their racist and bigoted and hateful belief system is not something the Big 12 should invite.

WillieBoy, we get it. You don't like BYU.

 

No need to turn this thread into a rant about BYU. It has nothing to do with this topic (or really, college wrestling) and just takes the thread off topic.

[pamela 1,334]

Based partly on that, I don't think OU's AD nor their administration is much behind the wrestling program.

 

Thanks, that's what I was wondering.  I don't know where Joe Castiglione stands but I think David Boren only cares about football, developing the football program and making money from football. Wrestling won't help Oklahoma get invited to the SEC, so I'm sure he doesn't care.

[BigApple 84]

Joe Castigilione cares about all sports at OU. He tried to hire Rob Koll who wouldn't work for Jack Spates. His history is that he won't hire an OU grad as a head coach. I got a report that some major football donors held back $2.5 million in donations for football unless Cody was dismissed. A call today told me Mark was blindsided when he went to meet the AD. He had just introduced his new squad two days before. I was told last spring his contract wouldn't be extended.

Michael Lightner has shown he can coach producing Kendric Maple and Cody Brewer as NCAA champs. Don't knowvwho will coach the upper weights. Hopefully they have a successful season which will include OSU, Michigan Missouri and Minnesotabas home duals.

[Tofurky 590]

To go along with Big Apple's comments, could losing Howe and Brewer have had something to do with Cody being given the boot?

 

I have to believe that the list of applicants for this job are going to be pretty impressive.

[BigApple 84]

The list may be long, but not that many who are really qualified. Some big money is behind Andre Metzger who has applied the past two times. He didn't get an interview last time. He started a club at North Texas University two years ago. He has personally raised almost all the funds for that program. I'd like for him to get the chance.

[Pinnum 792]

The list may be long, but not that many who are really qualified. Some big money is behind Andre Metzger who has applied the past two times. He didn't get an interview last time. He started a club at North Texas University two years ago. He has personally raised almost all the funds for that program. I'd like for him to get the chance.

Interesting.

 

https://ncwa.net/teams/UNT This is the North Texas NCWA team.

[boconnell 1,416]

I understand the not hiring OU grads for sports in general, but wrestling is a different sport in that (1) so many of our best coaches at least competed at the highest level, (2) it is a very small and interconnected community in general, and (3) you can actually make a top level college team with mostly Oklahoma HS talent.  

 

So while avoiding the sentimental hometown choice for football/basketball may be great, in wrestling, the hometown choice (or at least home state) might be the only one who has the ability to unlock the Oklahoma HS recruiting scene, and to mobilize the small but vocal fanbase.  If you can't get local Oklahoma HS kids to wrestle and to attend your matches, you will suffer talent wise and have nobody watching.  That is a big key to OSU's uptick the last 2-3 years.  

Edited August 15, 2016 by boconnell