Musick to Arkansas.

[Old Titan]

Losing respect for Kelsi Musick as she poaches ORU’s best returning players.

Coach, do you really think Arkansas hired you in the hopes you would bring your runner-up Summit League starters with you?  You think that's what the Hogs aspire to?

Very short-sighted, and frankly smacks of desperation:  over 350 D1 schools out there, with hundreds and hundreds of ladies in the transfer portal, and stealing your former low-major players is the best you can manage?

Disappointing, to say the least…lazy, to be exact.

[Bogus Smith]

....and now there is a dismantling of the recruiting classes that has been established.  Is this the result of meddling to make ORU's efforts by the coaching staff only due to the head coach? Do the recruits not really like the coaches that are left behind by the "change in coach" (as there was only one coach that changed in this transition)?  The staff was really looking forward to Mya coming to ORU as her family made assurances that they liked ORU and the coaching staff that was remaining.

 

[eagle88]

If anyone is interested in seeing a replay of this year’s  ORU women’s basketball games go to Kelsi Musik’s Razorbacks games next year!! Either Kelsi didn’t get the memo that she is competing in the Southeast Conference or else she has the utmost respect for Summit League players! We may be watching the Titanic next year at Arkansas!

[Bogus Smith]

The Summit League women's basketball has a higher level of respect than the men's basketball program.  SDSU and USD have helped to elevate this persona. 

However, the Summit League is NOT the Southeast Conference.  There was a reason Kelsi's team last season was able to beat Missouri and Arkansas.  Depending on who we pick up in the portal, its possible that we could beat Arkansas again next season; however, I don't know that we are going to get any games with Arkansas WBB in the near future as Kelsi can't afford for ORU to beat her until she has an established team fit for her style.

I wish them well, but I also wish that she would want to preserve her work already done, too.

[TrueBlue82]

Am I correct that Kelsi moved to Arkansas but didn't take any of the assistant coaches with her?  That is very uncommon.  I would think that she would want some continuity from those who know how to teach her specific system and style of play.  I understand the reasons for Cophie and Wayne Anderson to stay at ORU, but I wonder if there were other offers that were declined, or if none were extended...

[MrsSmith]

All the coaches wanted to stay with Coach Anderson.  We are very blessed to keep Bill Annan and Hayden Priddy.

[theeagleman5]

Maybe Coach Musick wants to take the Prayer Tower with her also..... 

[Bogus Smith]

2 hours ago, MrsSmith said:

All the coaches wanted to stay with Coach Anderson.  We are very blessed to keep Bill Annan and Hayden Priddy.

I think more than anything that all the coaches wanted to stay in Tulsa - at least for a little longer than three years.  Wayne is from this area (graduated from McClain HS) and Bill and Marcia Amman have grandchildren in Tulsa.  Hayden Priddy had just purchased a house in town and was still getting settled and not ready to leave.

It's not my place to say whether offers were extended to any of the coaches or not, but regardless it looks very bad when NO ONE follows the coach in a promotion.  It makes sense why Cophie didn't (of course), and it would have looked even worse if she didn't follow Kelsi if she hadn't gotten the ORU HC position.  I think the relationship with Kelsi and Cophie will always be strong, but I am sure that Cophie is relieved to be able to call her own shots after sixteen years as an assistant.

I think that we will see great things from this coaching staff and we are blessed to have Coach Annan and Coach Priddy still in our midst. 

[TrueBlue82]

8 hours ago, Bogus Smith said:

It's not my place to say whether offers were extended to any of the coaches or not, but regardless it looks very bad when NO ONE follows the coach in a promotion.

I totally agree, Bogus. And, here’s an example of a similar situation from my home in Idaho. 
 

Several years ago, Dan Hawkins was a very successful Head Coach for Boise State football. After a few consecutive strong seasons, he jumped to become the Head Coach at Colorado. Boise State fans were very concerned that the entire staff would be moving with him, and the program would need to start back at square one. Instead, Boise State promoted Offensive Coordinator Chris Petersen to Head Coach, and nearly the entire staff stayed in Boise, despite the opportunity for additional $$$ and prestige in Boulder. In Petersen’s first season as Head Coach, the Broncos went undefeated, earned a Fiesta Bowl bid, and upset Bob Stoops and Oklahoma in one of the most classic games in college football history. In his eight seasons as Head Coach, Petersen compiled an incredible record of 92-12, the best in the country over that period of time. And the program has maintained at a similar level (always a contender for the top Group of Five team) ever since. In hindsight, Boise State fans now understand that the coaching staff stayed because they all knew that while Hawkins was the face of the program, Petersen was the glue. And, while Hawkins had initial minor success at Colorado, his career fizzled soon thereafter.

I’m not close enough to know if the ORU/Arkansas Musick/Anderson situation will follow the same path, but there certainly are some similarities upfront. Only time will tell!

[Bogus Smith]

23 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

I totally agree, Bogus. And, here’s an example of a similar situation from my home in Idaho. 
 

Several years ago, Dan Hawkins was a very successful Head Coach for Boise State football. After a few consecutive strong seasons, he jumped to become the Head Coach at Colorado. Boise State fans were very concerned that the entire staff would be moving with him, and the program would need to start back at square one. Instead, Boise State promoted Offensive Coordinator Chris Petersen to Head Coach, and nearly the entire staff stayed in Boise, despite the opportunity for additional $$$ and prestige in Boulder. In Petersen’s first season as Head Coach, the Broncos went undefeated, earned a Fiesta Bowl bid, and upset Bob Stoops and Oklahoma in one of the most classic games in college football history. In his eight seasons as Head Coach, Petersen compiled an incredible record of 92-12, the best in the country over that period of time. And the program has maintained at a similar level (always a contender for the top Group of Five team) ever since. In hindsight, Boise State fans now understand that the coaching staff stayed because they all knew that while Hawkins was the face of the program, Petersen was the glue. And, while Hawkins had initial minor success at Colorado, his career fizzled soon thereafter.

I’m not close enough to know if the ORU/Arkansas Musick/Anderson situation will follow the same path, but there certainly are some similarities upfront. Only time will tell!

Great example, @TrueBlue82.  I'm not sure if Hawkins attempted to meddle in what he left behind at Boise State, but it never bodes well for those that do that sort of thing.  I'm not implying that this is what is happening with the ORU situation at all - I hope it isn't.  However, it's never a good look when you make such moves.

[MrsSmith]

Cophie will have 2 returning players that got any significant playing time, no starters.  She will have a lot of rebuilding to do.  Thankfully they are wonderful recruiters.

[titansforever]

JALEI OGLESBY IS COMING BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bogus Smith]

On 4/3/2025 at 10:28 AM, Bogus Smith said:

 

Hope Mary the best in the Big 12.  Mom & Dad will at least get to see her play against OSU and TCU during the season.

 

[oruvoice]

I love ORU. I love the people. I love the coaches. I love all the relationships I've built. I love everything about my time at ORU. 

I'm leaving.

[theeagleman5]

Maybe she should run that plan past God again......

[ORU82]

UC is not ORU.  Entirely different culture and Cincy is way different then Idabel, Oklahoma.  Good luck.

[oruvoice]

I await the day that one of these kids actually posts the truth and says, my previous school was small potatoes and I'm going to the new school because they offered more money. I could respect the honesty at least.  

Btw...this is not really about this young lady or even about ORU. It's simply a crotchety old dude that is growing weary of the new face of collegiate athletics, in general. 

[2014Grad]

Meh, the students are an easy target for all this, but they're just working a system that they came into. A bigger question I have, is what exactly is Cincy offering a Summit League Center who averaged 6 minutes and less than 2 boards per game? That's not even shade to Mary, I genuinely wish her the best at Cincy, but the money being thrown around is the bigger problem than students chasing after it (and trying to be nice on their way out) in my opinion.