Football Coach is the least of our problems

[TUFan1981]

Football is in good shape compared to basketball. Konkol cannot return next year. Before I get lit up for that, at least I care!

Can anybody here honestly tell me you think we’re well coached? I’ve got news for you, we’re as poorly coached team as there is in America.

Tulsa athletics are in really bad shape right now and Justin Moore has his work cut out for him. He started nicely by getting rid of Kevin Wilson and now he has to continue the firing spree by cutting loose the albatross that is Eric Konkol.

I’m tired of being around my OSU and OU friends that basically feel sorry for us. There used to be a time when you didn’t kick around TU basketball, we did the kicking.

Do the right thing Justin…get rid of Konkol and hire a coach with fire. To think we could’ve had Steve Lutz over Konkol makes me sick…Lutz has to be laughing now. Sad times.

 

['Cane-man]

You won't get lit up my me. I can't remember when TU athletics were as poor as now. Dickson is a great guy who would have made a terrific event planner. He had no clue about hiring coaches. Ask Tulane. He hired Konkol, who reminds me more of a Lutheran Youth Minister than a basketball coach. He hired Wilson, who must have reminded him of Bob Toledo. All the good will and the good tailgate atmosphere is losing its luster. TU fans are like any other, we want to win.

And glad Moore fired Wilson, but for goodness sakes say something. Say you're on the muthaf***er and you're sending "The Wolf." Something. Anything.

 

[TUFan1981]

I’m just frustrated man. I actually like Justin Moore and have some faith that he can get the right coaches in place to right Rick Dickson’s wrongs.

Rick really did a number on this athletic program on his way to retirement. For as bad a hire as Wilson was, Konkol may have been worse. Think back to 2020…we had Philip Montgomery and Frank Haith and thought we had it bad. Compared to what we have now, those guys were Lombardi and Naismith!

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I’m just frustrated man. I actually like Justin Moore and have some faith that he can get the right coaches in place to right Rick Dickson’s wrongs.

Rick really did a number on this athletic program on his way to retirement. For as bad a hire as Wilson was, Konkol may have been worse. Think back to 2020…we had Philip Montgomery and Frank Haith and thought we had it bad. Compared to what we have now, those guys were Lombardi and Naismith!

Bulls..t. I'm tired of comparing Wilson to Burns, and Konkol to Phillips. Burns and Phillips were much worse. It's just you are in the middle of it. You can't escape your poor memories growing old, and imagining the present is so much worse than it's ever been. The best it's ever been always gets sweeter with age, and the bad always seems like it's the worst its ever been in present tense.

 

[ctt8410]

The 2 worst TU teams in the KenPom era (1997-present) are both under Konkol. Konkol’s best team so far (last season) ranks 26th of 29.

 

[AvsRick]

I was around when Burns and Phillips were head coaches and it is just as bad now.

 

[TU_BLA]

Bulls..t. I'm tired of comparing Wilson to Burns, and Konkol to Phillips. Burns and Phillips were much worse.

This is a true statement. Wilson's era was bad but at least we were getting competent players through recruiting...at least it appeared that way. Konkol can develop players...the problem is coaches today don't have any time to develop players, especially at a place like TU where the second a player shows any promise they portal out for big NIL $ (see Haggerty(. I think Konkol has some good players on the team this year but the one place he doesn't exposes us to a ton of problems.

Wilson was just a disaster. He was a name people knew and had a coordinator pedigree that made you think he had a chance to succeed here. Without being the cur of a coach he was at Indiana he couldn't really coach the team the way he knew how to. And while his recruiting of skill position players was really good, TU severely lacked talent and depth in the trenches and everyone knows football games are won and lost on the offensive and defensive line.

That said while Wilson and Konkol have their shortcomings, they are/were much better than Burns and Phillips. Burns talked a good game he just couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag (as a HC). Phillips had no business being a D1 HC

 

[dougheffking]

This is a true statement. Wilson's era was bad but at least we were getting competent players through recruiting...at least it appeared that way. Konkol can develop players...the problem is coaches today don't have any time to develop players, especially at a place like TU where the second a player shows any promise they portal out for big NIL $ (see Haggerty(. I think Konkol has some good players on the team this year but the one place he doesn't exposes us to a ton of problems.

Wilson was just a disaster. He was a name people knew and had a coordinator pedigree that made you think he had a chance to succeed here. Without being the cur of a coach he was at Indiana he couldn't really coach the team the way he knew how to. And while his recruiting of skill position players was really good, TU severely lacked talent and depth in the trenches and everyone knows football games are won and lost on the offensive and defensive line.

That said while Wilson and Konkol have their shortcomings, they are/were much better than Burns and Phillips. Burns talked a good game he just couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag (as a HC). Phillips had no business being a D1 HC

I disagree that Konkol can develop players. Who has gotten better under his tenure?

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I disagree that Konkol can develop players. Who has gotten better under his tenure?

Archie, Barnes, and Garcia. I'm not all up on Konkol as a great coach, but I'm tired of seeing people trashed as the worst, because the athletic program is bad right now. Back off and realize what you are letting affect your opinions.

 

[I.I.]

I disagree that Konkol can develop players. Who has gotten better under his tenure?

Haggerty -came from a remote bench player at TCU to National Freshman of the Year under Konkol.

 

[lawpoke87]

Phillips took over a very good core of well coached players who were used to winning. Contrast that to Konkol’s situation. Konkol gets a failing grade here in year three but he’s still an upgrade from Phillips imo

 

[chito_and_leon]

Phillips took over a very good core of well coached players who were used to winning. Contrast that to Konkol’s situation. Konkol gets a failing grade here in year three but he’s still an upgrade from Phillips imo

Wilson was definitely better than Burns but I don't think Konkol is better than Phillips based on where Phillips ended up (agreeing with you that his first 2 years were fools gold). Maybe a little but if you ranked them in tiers, they'd be in the same tier. Konkol was a strange hire from the start. I expected him to be average in the AAC but did not expect what we've seen so far.

 

[TULSARISING]

Football is in good shape compared to basketball. Konkol cannot return next year. Before I get lit up for that, at least I care!

Can anybody here honestly tell me you think we’re well coached? I’ve got news for you, we’re as poorly coached team as there is in America.

Tulsa athletics are in really bad shape right now and Justin Moore has his work cut out for him. He started nicely by getting rid of Kevin Wilson and now he has to continue the firing spree by cutting loose the albatross that is Eric Konkol.

I’m tired of being around my OSU and OU friends that basically feel sorry for us. There used to be a time when you didn’t kick around TU basketball, we did the kicking.

Do the right thing Justin…get rid of Konkol and hire a coach with fire. To think we could’ve had Steve Lutz over Konkol makes me sick…Lutz has to be laughing now. Sad times.

No getting lit up from me , just about everyone besides us fans , think we should be in the FCS with football
Side note - does it really matter what coach was worse between Wilson and Burns ? Both were horrific and made TU a laughing stock , let’s just hope Moore can get us a coach that can make history repeat itself and make TU a winning program again

 

['Cane-man]

Doesn't matter who was worse, Phillips or Konkol. I was a student during the Jim King years. Believe me, they all sucked. Not much joy in Mudville in these tenures.

Same with Wilson vs. Burns.

 

[dlsnid]

Kings team were probably the worst I watched them lose plenty

 

[drboobay]

We are all simply waiting around for lightning to strike.

 

[TUFan1981]

Haggerty -came from a remote bench player at TCU to National Freshman of the Year under Konkol.

Yeah, and he went 16-15 with him. Get the heck outta here. Kobe Williams and Keaston Willis are 2 examples of guys who flourished under coaches not named Konkol and were mid to terrible under Konkol. You guys just don’t realize how bad he is.

 

[TulsaFan2000]

The easiest indicator for me is that he never made the tournament while at La Tech. I think no matter who you hire that box has to get checked. Great coaches can when wherever and find a way in the tourney.

 

[TUFan1981]

This is a true statement. Wilson's era was bad but at least we were getting competent players through recruiting...at least it appeared that way. Konkol can develop players...the problem is coaches today don't have any time to develop players, especially at a place like TU where the second a player shows any promise they portal out for big NIL $ (see Haggerty(. I think Konkol has some good players on the team this year but the one place he doesn't exposes us to a ton of problems.

Wilson was just a disaster. He was a name people knew and had a coordinator pedigree that made you think he had a chance to succeed here. Without being the cur of a coach he was at Indiana he couldn't really coach the team the way he knew how to. And while his recruiting of skill position players was really good, TU severely lacked talent and depth in the trenches and everyone knows football games are won and lost on the offensive and defensive line.

That said while Wilson and Konkol have their shortcomings, they are/were much better than Burns and Phillips. Burns talked a good game he just couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag (as a HC). Phillips had no business being a D1 HC

This is not a good take imo. McDermott is doing just fine at Creighton, Dutcher at SDSU, Kelvin at Houston and MANY others. You either know how to win or you don’t. You can’t blame the lack of success on the current climate of the sport. Winners win and get to the tourney and do damage when they get there.

 

[chito_and_leon]

This is not a good take imo. McDermott is doing just fine at Creighton, Dutcher at SDSU, Kelvin at Houston and MANY others. You either know how to win or you don’t. You can’t blame the lack of success on the current climate of the sport. Winners win and get to the tourney and do damage when they get there.

It seems that if NIL was the main driver, you'd expect a very strong correlation between available funds/donations and success but this year has had a bunch of teams that I suspect don't have huge NIL budgets thriving with richer schools not (talking FB now, too early for BB). If anything, there seems to be more ability for outsiders to break in. I mean, Indiana, illinois, Boise St., Army, Iowa St., UNLV are all in the top 25. I haven't done the research but I bet they're not top of the pile in terms of NIL budgets. So why are as many or more smaller NIL budget schools thriving? Or is that my imagination?

 

[astonmartin708]

It seems that if NIL was the main driver, you'd expect a very strong correlation between available funds/donations and success but this year has had a bunch of teams that I suspect don't have huge NIL budgets thriving with richer schools not (talking FB now, too early for BB). If anything, there seems to be more ability for outsiders to break in. I mean, Indiana, illinois, Boise St., Army, Iowa St., UNLV are all in the top 25. I haven't done the research but I bet they're not top of the pile in terms of NIL budgets. So why are as many or more smaller NIL budget schools thriving? Or is that my imagination?

It’s a lot easier to find diamonds when the pool of recruits is so large, and you need fewer of them to turn your team around than you do in football.

 

[chito_and_leon]

It’s a lot easier to find diamonds when the pool of recruits is so large, and you need fewer of them to turn your team around than you do in football.

So if people are doing it in FB, then it should be even easier in BB?

 

[GOB10]

The issue with this team is not the talent level we certainly have talented players. There is one very serious problem with this team they are EXTREMLY SOFT!!! We are bunch PUSS*#S no toughness whatsoever!! Yes I said it and that is a direct reflection on the coaching staff!!

 

[dougheffking]

The issue with this team is not the talent level we certainly have talented players. There is one very serious problem with this team they are EXTREMLY SOFT!!! We are bunch PUSS*#S no toughness whatsoever!! Yes I said it and that is a direct reflection on the coaching staff!!

Agreed. We are softer than baby shi%

 

[Lumpuckeroo]

This is not a good take imo. McDermott is doing just fine at Creighton, Dutcher at SDSU, Kelvin at Houston and MANY others. You either know how to win or you don’t. You can’t blame the lack of success on the current climate of the sport. Winners win and get to the tourney and do damage when they get there.

There are no current Tulsa players on this team that would have played any meaningful minutes for
Nolan Richardson between 81 & 85 . Nolan played only 8 players unless it was a blow-out and there
was little drop off in talent . Nolan , Tubby and Self knew how to win and who to recruit .

 

[TUFan1981]

There are no current Tulsa players on this team that would have played any meaningful minutes for
Nolan Richardson between 81 & 85 . Nolan played only 8 players unless it was a blow-out and there
was little drop off in talent . Nolan , Tubby and Self knew how to win and who to recruit .

So true.

 

[TulsaAM]

I look at the product on the floor and I do not see a coherant offense like I do at Layola of Chicago or Western Michigian for instance (teams I've seen in person this year). I see, and have ALWAYS seen under this coach at TU, streetball. You do not win in Tulsa's situation with streetball. Even Nolan's first teams, teams based on intense defense creating offense, had a coherant half court set.

 

[dougheffking]

I look at the product on the floor and I do not see a coherant offense like I do at Layola of Chicago or Western Michigian for instance (teams I've seen in person this year). I see, and have ALWAYS seen under this coach at TU, streetball. You do not win in Tulsa's situation with streetball. Even Nolan's first teams, teams based on intense defense creating offense, had a coherant half court set.

Our offense is just atrocious

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I look at the product on the floor and I do not see a coherant offense like I do at Layola of Chicago or Western Michigian for instance (teams I've seen in person this year). I see, and have ALWAYS seen under this coach at TU, streetball. You do not win in Tulsa's situation with streetball. Even Nolan's first teams, teams based on intense defense creating offense, had a coherant half court set.

My problem with that is I saw the same problem with Haith's offense.

 

[I.I.]

My problem with that is I saw the same problem with Haith's offense.

And Wojcik. Actually the best sets may have been from JD Barnett who everyone disliked but was maybe the best X and O coach we have had. Self and Nolan got better each year and having better players makes sets run better too. JD spent hours showing players how to set their man up before going around a screen. You don't see those perfect screens much anymore. He signed Dawkins and Collier too and handed them off to Tubby. The selection committee at TU over the past several years apparently do not dissect video of prospective coaches' offensive sets or if they did they would not know what they were seeing. It's all about performing a good interview to them.

 

[Bill Lowery]

And Wojcik. Actually the best sets may have been from JD Barnett who everyone disliked but was maybe the best X and O coach we have had. Self and Nolan got better each year and having better players makes sets run better too. JD spent hours showing players how to set their man up before going around a screen. You don't see those perfect screens much anymore. He signed Dawkins and Collier too and handed them off to Tubby. The selection committee at TU over the past several years apparently do not dissect video of prospective coaches' offensive sets or if they did they would not know what they were seeing. It's all about performing a good interview to them.

I agree with you about Barnett. I was amazed at how precise his offense was. Spacing, timing, etc was emphasized and it showed.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

And Wojcik. Actually the best sets may have been from JD Barnett who everyone disliked but was maybe the best X and O coach we have had. Self and Nolan got better each year and having better players makes sets run better too. JD spent hours showing players how to set their man up before going around a screen. You don't see those perfect screens much anymore. He signed Dawkins and Collier too and handed them off to Tubby. The selection committee at TU over the past several years apparently do not dissect video of prospective coaches' offensive sets or if they did they would not know what they were seeing. It's all about performing a good interview to them.

This outline's our problems concisely. We know Wilson can come off well in an interview. If he didn't then he wouldn't get those players to sign with him, as much of an ahole as he is. He covers well in an interview. Our AD needs to be an expert in evaluating talent in several sports. Apparently, we have not had that in awhile.

 

[cmullinsTU]

We need a change in basketball. Is it as bad under Konkol as Phillips? I don’t know but I don’t care. There’s 0% chance that Konkol can get us even close to the glory days of consistently competing to be in the NCAA tournament.

He has to go, there’s some talent on this years team but the coaching isn’t there. I think he is too nice and too concerned being a player’s coach. There is NO EXCUSE for TU basketball to ever be in the high 200s and 300s in any rankings.

We are getting beat by teams with less than half the resources we have available. And can’t even compete with teams remotely close to us in spend. It is embarrassing. There’s no way to lipstick this pig.

I say all the above as someone who really likes Konkol and was extremely hopeful he’d lead us to where we expect to go. But he’s not it.

 

[TulsaGrad07]

Agreed. We are softer than baby shi%

That's practically a liquid state! Safe to say we stink accordingly.

 

[Tulsafanzz]

We need a change in basketball. Is it as bad under Konkol as Phillips? I don’t know but I don’t care. There’s 0% chance that Konkol can get us even close to the glory days of consistently competing to be in the NCAA tournament.

He has to go, there’s some talent on this years team but the coaching isn’t there. I think he is too nice and too concerned being a player’s coach. There is NO EXCUSE for TU basketball to ever be in the high 200s and 300s in any rankings.

We are getting beat by teams with less than half the resources we have available. And can’t even compete with teams remotely close to us in spend. It is embarrassing. There’s no way to lipstick this pig.

I say all the above as someone who really likes Konkol and was extremely hopeful he’d lead us to where we expect to go. But he’s not it.

I would’ve strongly disagreed with your comments his first 2 seasons, but I am reluctantly starting to agree with you now. I am still holding out hope things change in a big way by March, but I have minimal expectations. That’s too bad because I really like the way he interacts with players and fans.

 

[I.I.]

I would’ve strongly disagreed with your comments his first 2 seasons, but I am reluctantly starting to agree with you now. I am still holding out hope things change in a big way by March, but I have minimal expectations. That’s too bad because I really like the way he interacts with players and fans.

He had to have 3 new starters for this years team who were seasoned veterans. He got one. Odom. And one had to be an All-Conference type big.........failure for money reasons or what I don't know.

 

[seniorgolfer]

Archie, Barnes, and Garcia. I'm not all up on Konkol as a great coach, but I'm tired of seeing people trashed
as the worst, because the athletic program is bad right now. Back off and realize what you are letting affect
your opinions.

Archie? Last season, konkol probably did the worst job of coaching-developing a freshman player who
has obvious potential, that I have ever seen at TU...He took a player that started the season so well,
and through the process of pulling him after every mistake and then admonishing him in what appeared
to be too much anger before Archie even sat down, and would not let him back in the game for way too
long a period., and sometimes, not at all....

Instead of easing up as the season progressed, Konkol, if anything, treated him worse...The net result was
not good....Over time, Archie totally lost his confidence and wasn't near the player he had been when the
season started....

Ever since then, I haven't looked at Konkol with the same positive lens that I did before....What I have
finally admitted to myself is that there aren't many things that Konkol does well...We are consistently a
team that turns it over too much, doesn't defend the post, and has to depend on shooting very well from
3 to be competitive....The team hasn't improved during the season, and has been beaten by some awful
ball clubs....

It has become obvious that Konkol is probably on the employment hot seat...We are not as good as last
season, and it is tough to find many positives to feel good about when looking to the future....

I keep hoping, but with much less in the way of expectations...

 

[TU 1978]

Kings team were probably the worst I watched them lose plenty

The King years were the worst, and he was an alumni hire. It got so bad my girlfriend who was an avid basketball fan got discouraged from attending, although those were the days of attending in the atrocious “Fairgrounds Pavilion”.

 

[Lumpuckeroo]

The King years were the worst, and he was an alumni hire. It got so bad my girlfriend who was an avid basketball fan got discouraged from attending, although those were the days of attending in the atrocious “Fairgrounds Pavilion”.

One of the best games I ever saw at the Fairgrounds was Memphis State with Isaac Hayes after the Movie "Shaft" came out
and TU featuring Willie Biles . Sold out with a lovely smokey haze in the rafters giving you all the second hand smoke you
would ever need .

 

[TU1NNJ]

One of the best games I ever saw at the Fairgrounds was Memphis State with Isaac Hayes after the Movie "Shaft" came out
and TU featuring Willie Biles . Sold out with a lovely smokey haze in the rafters giving you all the second hand smoke you
would ever need .

And dodging pigeons