My mind was blown tonight, as I read that Rice coach Todd Graham accepted an offer to become head coach at conference rival Tulsa, where he was formerly defensive coordinator. Coach Graham took Rice to its first bowl in 45 years, and raised $7 million for improvements to the stadium and football program. This is a weird move, as the two schools are in the same conference, and Tulsa shares some of the same characteristics as Rice: private school, small enrollment and alumni base, decaying stadium, and competing with other programs and teams in its own city.
Unless the money is outrageous at TU, this is a strange move, and a lateral move. It would be like leaving Texas Tech for the job at Missouri. He has ties in both Texas and Oklahoma, having coached at high schools in both states, and having played at East Central University in Ada.
Any coach that can take Rice to a bowl game ought to be able to hold out for a job in a BCS conference. I hope TU came forward with a vault full of money on this one.
Rice has a $4 billion dollar endowment. They could use just a small portion of that to very easily become the Stanford of the Southwest if they so chose: a top-flight academic university with a top-flight athletic program. Athletics can do so much for a university, in the way of exposure, fund-raising, and enrollment applications.
This doesn't look good for the Feisty Nightbirds. However, they have an opportunity to hire the Major. Major Applewhite is a candidate for the head coaching job, after serving as the Owls' offensive coordinator this year. If this happens, ABC/ESPN needs to pick up a Rice game so Brent Musburger can call the game, and fans around America can once again play part of the Brent Musburger drinking game.
2 comments:
The Musburger drinking game was pretty funny, btw.
I don't know if this is a lateral move for this guy or not, but is there something on OK that's pulling him there? Does he have family there or something. OK does have the lowest cost of living possible, I think. K just think that sometimes people don't think about other factors when it comes to higher profile jobs. It's all about money and moving up.
It's all about the Benjamins. TU offered him $1.1 million/year over 8 years, and a donor has offered to fund the rebuilding of the stadium. He was going to get $600K from Rice with his newly negotiated extension. There's not that much difference in housing prices between Houston and Tulsa, and Oklahoma has a state income tax.
It would be a bit easier to be successful at Tulsa, as Rice is so far down the food chain in Houston. Rice is doing well to get 15,000 for a home game. Plus, it's a little easier to get athletes into school at Tulsa. He'll also be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. But, TU will always be the #3 or #4 team in Tulsa, behind OU, OSU, and Arkansas.
Ultimately, though, it's a lateral move. He hacked off a lot of people in Houston, for good reason. He did a good job of selling the Rice program, and let a lot of people down.
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