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Softball

TUcandoit

I.T.S. Senior
Gold Member
Sep 17, 2011
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Our team is off to a very disappointing start. I know there was quite a bit of turnover but we had been recruiting pretty well. Not sure if this is just a young team trying to find an identity...or if it's a new coach finally playing with her players instead of the old coach. I hope she is up for the challenge.
 
Didn't the best player transfer out leaving a hole in the circle and a power gap at the plate? On top of that, there are only 2 seniors and no juniors. This season is going to be a struggle. And if TU isn't going to take it seriously and give the program the resources it needs to compete (and the reason why the last 2 head coaches left), someone higher up needs to be canned. If you are simply fielding a program so you can stay FBS, just don't. It's embarrassing. Maybe we all need to email Rick and Brad about this as well. TU was a perennial top 25 program under the previous 2 coaches...one that pushed OU to the literal brink in a regional, and one that was on equal footing with OSU and Arkansas in terms of quality.
 
Softball is my second favorite sport behind only baseball. We lost our baseball program and I have been one of the biggest supporters of the softball program here. I am not a big money guy so can't donate like others but I try to make all the games and root them on. I hate seeing such a great program slowly being neglected and left to die.
 
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Softball is my second favorite sport behind only baseball. We lost our baseball program and I have been one of the biggest supporters of the softball program here. I am not a big money guy so can't donate like others but I try to make all the games and root them on. I hate seeing such a great program slowly being neglected and left to die.
Unfortunately, I think they took the easy way out when they hired Strimple. It's time to step outside and find the next Bargfeldt and invest in the facilities and recruiting budgets
 
Unfortunately, I think they took the easy way out when they hired Strimple. It's time to step outside and find the next Bargfeldt and invest in the facilities and recruiting budgets
We have a beautiful field but we need better bullpens and dugouts. I have no clue what the locker rooms are like but the concessions could use a pick me up as well including individual seating. These could take the playing field to the next level. They are right next to an amazing Athletic building with beautiful tennis courts. We can easily make this a point of recruitment. However, they wont dump the money into it. I guarantee.
 
We have a beautiful field but we need better bullpens and dugouts. I have no clue what the locker rooms are like but the concessions could use a pick me up as well including individual seating. These could take the playing field to the next level. They are right next to an amazing Athletic building with beautiful tennis courts. We can easily make this a point of recruitment. However, they wont dump the money into it. I guarantee.
This is why the last coach left to be an ASSISTANT at OSU. I think we need to be careful to not lump Carson and Dickson in with Clancy/Levit/Gragg. I am hoping Carson and Dickson are trying to put together some funding and support for all of the programs to move the entire athletic dept. in a positive direction but I'm sure the bridges Clancy/Levit/Gragg burned in the community will take some time to rebuild...Rome wasn't built in a day but Nero did burn it down rather quickly.
 
This is why the last coach left to be an ASSISTANT at OSU. I think we need to be careful to not lump Carson and Dickson in with Clancy/Levit/Gragg. I am hoping Carson and Dickson are trying to put together some funding and support for all of the programs to move the entire athletic dept. in a positive direction but I'm sure the bridges Clancy/Levit/Gragg burned in the community will take some time to rebuild...Rome wasn't built in a day but Nero did burn it down rather quickly.
yeah, you could make these same points about almost every TU sport (and we have on this board!). During Clancy's lame duck period and ensuing reign of terror, athletics were not a priority. The powers who be would have happily pushed athletics into a river if they could have. It'll take time to see what the future will look like.
 
I know you guys are putting a lot of trust into Carson and Dickson but what have they shown that gives you such confidence? I am not as much of an insider on what is going behind the scenes. I just know they know the fans are incredibly happy with the 2 big coaches and they still do nothing. My trust in them is waning fast. They don't seem like the kind that is willing to act. They are very much wait and see.
 
I know you guys are putting a lot of trust into Carson and Dickson but what have they shown that gives you such confidence? I am not as much of an insider on what is going behind the scenes. I just know they know the fans are incredibly happy with the 2 big coaches and they still do nothing. My trust in them is waning fast. They don't seem like the kind that is willing to act. They are very much wait and see.
Carson has been on the job less than a year. Maybe officially, 8 months. Any university president worth their salt is taking a minimum of a year to evaluate everything at the university before proposing any huge changes. My guess is Dickson's hands were tied under Levit. Carson is probably asking Dickson to do a full on eval of athletics, what needs to be done, and a 1, 3, 5, and 10 year plan. It's what every CEO should be doing when they first take over. And they can't make decisions with long term impacts based on impulses.
 
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Carson has been on the job less than a year. Maybe officially, 8 months. Any university president worth their salt is taking a minimum of a year to evaluate everything at the university before proposing any huge changes. My guess is Dickson's hands were tied under Levit. Carson is probably asking Dickson to do a full on eval of athletics, what needs to be done, and a 1, 3, 5, and 10 year plan. It's what every CEO should be doing when they first take over. And they can't make decisions with long term impacts based on impulses.
Gotcha, for some reason I was thinking this was year 2 pushing closer to year 3 of his reign. I do not know why.
 
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Also, forgive the questions,. I haven't been as active in the last few years as I used to be and trying to get back into it. However, trying to piece everything together by one thread here, one thread there. It gets very confusing lol. I will get it straight soon enough.
 
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Maybe Carson can get Jason Isbell to do a benefit concert at the Softball field..
 
Gotcha, for some reason I was thinking this was year 2 pushing closer to year 3 of his reign. I do not know why.
He started in July. I don't know what Carson will do with athletics, I just think it's too early to pass judgment one way or another and I don't think it's fair to condemn him for the past regime's "approach". And if you assume that the prior regime screwed up other things as badly as athletics, which I think it's safe to assume, then Carson has a very long to-do list. It might take a while. As much as we hate it, TU was kind of a fixer upper when Carson came in. For many of us, athletics is like the kitchen of the house, the center point around which everything revolves and you can't live without. But it's probably more like the game room. It's great to get it fixed up but it's not the #1 priority.....
 
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Maybe Carson can get Jason Isbell to do a benefit concert at the Softball field..
I don't know who Jason Isbell is or the Mountain Goats or whatever the other one is you're going on about but you really got a thing against them! I'm not particularly smart so what do I know, but getting popular shows on campus that bring in the community to get to know and appreciate TU and make TU seem like a welcoming part of the city doesn't seem like a bad idea, I might even say it seems like a good idea, I'm not sure why you're so fired up about it.
 
It's been a long time but I know we used to do concerts at Skelly. There are people who are not big enough for BOK but still bigger than Cains. I think they should take advantage of the area and put on more concerts. I know weather can be a concern and noise pollution but they have done it before. It will pull younger crowds as well depending on who they get.
 
I don't know who Jason Isbell is or the Mountain Goats or whatever the other one is you're going on about but you really got a thing against them! I'm not particularly smart so what do I know, but getting popular shows on campus that bring in the community to get to know and appreciate TU and make TU seem like a welcoming part of the city doesn't seem like a bad idea, I might even say it seems like a good idea, I'm not sure why you're so fired up about it.
Brad Carson said he wasnt going to rest until those bands did a joint show on campus.. seemed to me that the University has greater issues meriting his attention than the booking of music acts, but... i could be wrong.
 
Brad Carson said he wasnt going to rest until those bands did a joint show on campus.. seemed to me that the University has greater issues meriting his attention than the booking of music acts, but... i could be wrong.
Well let me start by saying that I really, really hate country music. I don't know who these guys are but if we're trashing country musicians, sign me up!

I assume Brad was speaking figuratively, not literally, about the not going to rest thing (go to bed, Brad!) and that he can manage more than one thing at once on his to do list. If this is 30 minutes a month of his time, I'd be inclined to defer to his judgment. If it's 5 hours a week, then I'm with you. It is weird that he's focused on these 2 people/bands and not just generally getting good bands. Maybe you're right, it's some weird personal thing for him. IDK. He always struck me as more of a Tosca or La Boheme person than country music but I haven't spoken to him in 35 years.
 
Well let me start by saying that I really, really hate country music. I don't know who these guys are but if we're trashing country musicians, sign me up!

I assume Brad was speaking figuratively, not literally, about the not going to rest thing (go to bed, Brad!) and that he can manage more than one thing at once on his to do list. If this is 30 minutes a month of his time, I'd be inclined to defer to his judgment. If it's 5 hours a week, then I'm with you. It is weird that he's focused on these 2 people/bands and not just generally getting good bands. Maybe you're right, it's some weird personal thing for him. IDK. He always struck me as more of a Tosca or La Boheme person than country music but I haven't spoken to him in 35 years.
Jason Isbell is not straight country. He falls into the category of Americana. (a mix of country, folk, blues, bluegrass)

Mountain Goats is an indie folk group.

The main element they have in common is folk.
 
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Get this guy and give him the resources he needs.
Next coach
100%.

"He spent 14 seasons as head coach at the University of Tulsa, where he built TU into a nationally-prominent program and one of the premier teams in the AAC."

That's all anyone needs to know. That and the fact he didn't leave TU to go be a head coach at an SEC or Big XII team, he left and went to be an assistant because Levit and Gragg ignored the fact he was doing an above avg. job. I'm not sure he even wanted more money to coach, just more money for his assistants and facilities.
 
It's time to move on from Chrissy Strimple. I know it's just softball but in just 2 years we've gone from a perennial top 25 program to maybe the worst in the AAC. This team can't hit, can't pitch, and is 12-22-1 (how the hell do you have a tie in softball?)

Anyway, maybe we need to Twitter at Carson about investing in the softball program and trying to get Bargfeldt back.
 
Man this team has taken a massive nose dive from what they were. Looks like I will not be following the WCWS this year. Disappointing
 
Yeah, we pretty much suck. Even my 103-year-old grandfather mentioned it. He holds court at his FLA living compound and makes everyone watch OU softball.
 
Well, Coach Bargfeldt adds a Big XII ring to his collection...

Tell me again why we couldnt keep him?
 
Rick’s next task is to get Bargfeldt back.
He wont come back.. his next destination is an SEC school that will pay him what he deserves and give him the facilities and resources to win it all..
 
Until we update our facilities Bargfeldt won't even consider it. I think he will always love TU but after being over looked year after year after year....it has left a sour taste in his mouth. I don't know if we can ever get him back. Which sucks because the fans understand how amazing he is.
 
Until we update our facilities Bargfeldt won't even consider it. I think he will always love TU but after being over looked year after year after year....it has left a sour taste in his mouth. I don't know if we can ever get him back. Which sucks because the fans understand how amazing he is.
DIckson and Carson could get him back with a commitment to facilities, upgrades to his salary and assistant salary pool. Even slight upgrades to those things and TU is playing in the NCAA tournament every year with a chance to go to the WCWS. Bargfeldt was that good and outside of getting screwed and having to go to Norman year after year after year in the regionals, he was still a pitch or two away from going to a super regional a couple of times. Gasso has said in those years the games against Tulsa prepped them for the WCWS.
 
And he's still only an assistant. Clancy, Levit, and Gragg screwed the pooch on this one.
It was telling in the role that Bargfeldt played in getting and keeping that starting pitcher at OSU... just knowing he was coming to the staff convinced her to stay..
 
Yeah, and it's amazing what he did at TU with the lack of commitment from the previous admin and AD to the program. Seriously, he had TU as a perennial top 20 team AND one of those teams none of the seeds wanted in their region because you knew the pitching was going to be ridiculously good. Hell, we had OU on the brink a few years ago in their own regional and they went on to win a national championship that year without really being tested after their games with TU. OU is essentially to college softball what Alabama is to college football right now.

Seriously, we need to email Carson and Dickson and tell them to do whatever possible to get Bargfeldt back as the head man here.
 
He wont come back.. his next destination is an SEC school that will pay him what he deserves and give him the facilities and resources to win it all..
This. The average softball head coach in the SEC makes almost as much as our football defensive coordinator. Where we screwed up was not maintaining a relationship where he can help us find the next him.
 
Oklahoma State’s softball coach just signed a contract extension thru 2027. I would guess the contract is somewhere near $300k-$350k a year.
 
Oklahoma State’s softball coach just signed a contract extension thru 2027. I would guess the contract is somewhere near $300k-$350k a year.
The going rate in the SEC is $400 - $475,000. Its the price of paying an analyst in the football film room twice that without getting sideways with the regulators.
 
Gasso is the gold standard, and it’s a lot of gold for a softball coach. Compensation estimated at just over a million a year.
 
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