Former SID Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'm thrilled that Rob is still here. But, as with Scott Sutton, I just hope Rob is thrilled to still be here... You were saying... http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OSU/article.aspx?subjectid=93&articleid=20120611_93_0_STILLW771142 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 For crying out loud: I can't believe it's deja vu all over again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former SID Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Just a guess here but I wouldn't be surprised if Rob simply tired of being a head coach. I say that because I have a very good friend who is a pitching coach at an SEC school and he has told me time and time again that he loves being a pitching coach and has no desire to ever be a head coach. Maybe Rob had his fill of being the guy in charge and just wanted to get back to his roots, literally and figuratively. I'm sure a $25-50K bump in salary won't hurt, either. Plus, never underestimate the lure of an alma mater. Bad day for ORU, great day for Rob Walton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 HORRIBLE day for ORU. Worst coaching news since, well: since Sunny pulled the same crap going to OU as an assistant! Look, I get it, and CB is right: less pressure, more money, focusing on teaching pitchers instead of recruiting hitters, it's his alma mater, he can still see his older son play football at TU, while his younger son now gets to play on a bigger stage in the Big XII, and all that. But, it STILL sucks to lose a decorated head coach with years of success to an assistant coach's position at a state rival... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'm thrilled that Rob is still here. But, as with Scott Sutton, I just hope Rob is thrilled to still be here... Guess you got your answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bballmangc Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 HORRIBLE day for ORU. Worst coaching news since, well: since Sunny pulled the same crap going to OU as an assistant! Look, I get it, and CB is right: less pressure, more money, focusing on teaching pitchers instead of recruiting hitters, it's his alma mater, he can still see his older son play football at TU, while his younger son now gets to play on a bigger stage in the Big XII, and all that. But, it STILL sucks to lose a decorated head coach with years of success to an assistant coach's position at a state rival... Did OSU tell him it would be very tough to get the head coach without being an assistant at a large school first. Very strange, but then again Sunny did the exact same thing and is now the head coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Yeah, but Sunny fell ass-backward into the OU head coaching position: Larry Cochell got fired for uttering a racial slur to an ESPN announcer off camera, then Wichita State's Gene Stephenson did a 24-hour about-face on the job after being named to replace Cochell. Joe Castiglione was so embarrassed by that fiasco he named Sunny the coach as a knee-jerk reaction. And, reportedly, kicks himself for making that choice ever since. Rob must be looking at this as a win-win deal: if they're successful, he has a less stressful, better paying job while setting himself up for a head coaching job elsewhere if he wants it. Or, if Holliday proves too green to handle the job, Rob is likely the de facto No. 1 candidate to replace him. I think what Holliday did in hiring Rob is brilliant, IF he lets Rob do his thing - much like Larry Cochell did with former Dodger reliever Jim Brewer. It's what Danny Manning should have done at TU, and didn't: hire people smarter and more experienced than you, let them do their job with minimal interference, then sit back and take all the credit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Can see why Rob Walton would make the move - more money and he is at his alma mater. I assume that an arrangement was made as to working arrangements - like Walton being totally in charge of anything to do with pitching. I would assume it might be hard for Walton to adjust to not being the head guy. We will miss his steady hand (and head) at the helm, but he has to do what is best for his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 . And, reportedly, kicks himself for making that choice ever since. Imagine that?!? I usually don't root against people, but I must admit that when Sunny fails/doesn't meet expectations, I do derive a little bit of satisfaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Yeah, but Sunny fell ass-backward into the OU head coaching position: Larry Cochell got fired for uttering a racial slur to an ESPN announcer off camera, then Wichita State's Gene Stephenson did a 24-hour about-face on the job after being named to replace Cochell. Joe Castiglione was so embarrassed by that fiasco he named Sunny the coach as a knee-jerk reaction. And, reportedly, kicks himself for making that choice ever since. Rob must be looking at this as a win-win deal: if they're successful, he has a less stressful, better paying job while setting himself up for a head coaching job elsewhere if he wants it. Or, if Holliday proves too green to handle the job, Rob is likely the de facto No. 1 candidate to replace him. I think what Holliday did in hiring Rob is brilliant, IF he lets Rob do his thing - much like Larry Cochell did with former Dodger reliever Jim Brewer. It's what Danny Manning should have done at TU, and didn't: hire people smarter and more experienced than you, let them do their job with minimal interference, then sit back and take all the credit. Well said, OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Wow....never saw this one coming.....guess Coach Walton was looking for something else.....TheEagleman is sad to see him go....but sometimes change is good.....is someone on the ORU staff next in line?.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 With all the success of ORU baseball through the years, there has to be a successfull small school or JUCO coach that played at ORU....hire him. While I thought is Folmer would be a good replacement, my fear is that he would just leave with Walton when he eventually lands a big job. They need to find a coach that likes ORU. This one does not sting as bad as Sunny, but it's disappointing. I hope Coach Walton will at least encourage OSU to start playing ORU again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Now that TheEagleman has thought more about it....gotta agree with what Alum said above.....it is disappointing that Walton leaves ORU for an ASSISTANT job but I do understand the draw to coach his alma mater and more money.....there HAS to be a qualified ORU grad out there somewhere who would love to coach his alma mater.....hard to believe after all these years that we have not had an ORU grad coach our Men's Basketball team or baseball team....not even sure we've had an ORU grad coach our women's roundball team either....what's the deal with that?...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 No need to hire an ORU grad. Simply hire the best candidate. I find it hard to believe that Josh Holliday is a better head coaching candidate than Rob Walton and also find it hard to believe that for Rob to get a big time job he would have to first be a pitching coach at a currently middle-of-the-pack Big 12 school. I also find it hard to believe that after calling all the shots for the last 9 years that Rob would be happy taking orders from a greenhorn. This is a head-scratcher and it makes me wonder if Rob didn't want to tarnish his reputation by going to the Southland and potentially failing to make the NCAA tournament for a few years due to it being a more competitive league. I am shocked and really disappointed in a way that I would not have been if he had been named the head coach. If I was Josh Holliday, I would certainly be looking over my shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Great post, Jason. Your head scratching syndrome seems to be shared with people nation wide. Obviously Coach Walton needs to do what's best for him and his family (I don't blame him for that), this just really signifies a terrible trend for our program. We're A LOT better than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former SID Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 This move by Rob was about money, and I'm not just talking about the increase in salary he's likely to receive. Rob is a connection to the old guard, the old money in the OSU program. And for that matter so is Josh Holliday. Rob is a solid and respected link to the 80s and guys like Pete Incaviglia, Robin Ventura, John Farrell, Mickey Tettleton and others who apparently haven't been overly generous toward OSU since Tom Holliday left.OSU for years has had a sub-standard facility and funding (at least by Big 12 standards) and the Boone Pickens money set aside for baseball tanked along with the economy. Rob can help get some of that money back. But don't ever understimate the pull of OSU in general for Rob. When Sunny left for OU it felt all along like he was going to Norman to help the old man (Cochell) out the door. Rob is heading to Stillwater to help revive a program for which he once starred. So what if it's as the pitching coach? OSU alums are some of the most fiercely loyal people I've ever been around and most I know would take a cut in pay and/or stature to go back and help the University. As for ORU... the Golden Eagles will be fine. It's a really good program with great tradition and excellent facilities now in a higher profile conference than it has been in the recent past. Whether it's Ryan Folmar, Ryan Neill or someone else, ORU baseball will survive and succeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 So is the hiriing of Holliday's kid as head coach a case of extending an olive branch to Holliday and the others? Why not hire a proven coach in the first place? Very encouraging words, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Couple of things: I don't think for a minute Rob is shirking away from head coaching in the Southland. I think he just wants to focus on what he knows best: pitching. And, to do it for the same (or probably more) money. Serving as a pitching coach is a great gig, if you're left to your own devices. None of the pressure the head coach endures, all of the fun of instruction. As long as your guys are ready to take the ball when called upon, you're doing your job. During his time coaching/teaching some of the best pitchers in the country at ORU in the 70's and 80's, former Dodger great Jim Brewer said he would NEVER want to be a college head coach, having to worry about all the off-the-field stuff like budget concerns, guys going to class, guys getting into trouble, etc. Hiring Josh Holliday gives OSU access to big brother Matt's wallet, along with the bank accounts of a couple dozen former MLB Cowboys who had drifted away from the program since Tom Holliday (Josh's dad) was fired in 2003. They may not be able to pay millions (yet) for a new facility, but they have tens (hundreds?) of thousands to devote to payroll. And you know that eventually they will build a baseball stadium to rival any in the country. Do not underestimate the allure of Rob's son Donovan now performing on the larger stage of Big XII baseball - may have played a significant role around the ol' dinner table in making the decision to move. Finally, Mike Carter was quoted in the Tulsa World today as saying he's been swamped with e-mails, texts, letters, etc. from applicants interested in the head coaching job at ORU. We should have a large pool of capable candidates to choose from. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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