In TU coaching searches, the initial candidates reported to be favorites usually don't get hired, unless it is an obvious choice like Bill Self or Todd Graham.
Nolan Richardson wasn't on the radar, despite being a national champion juco coach. Tubby Smith was a former longtime assistant to the guy TU just fired - J.D. Barnett. Tubby was hired by current A.D. Rick Dickson in his previous stint.
Who figured Frank Haith or Danny Manning as the last two basketball hires for TU?
So names that are being floated out there aren't necessarily the ones that have the best chance. Just a thought.
But back to the last hire for some more thoughts.
Although it surprised nobody, Frank Haith's resignation Saturday after 8 years as Tulsa's head coach is a reminder of the high expectations that are placed on University of Tulsa basketball coaches.
Haith is a good but far-from-perfect basketball coach and an even better man, but the performance of TU the last two seasons had made it obvious a change was coming.
After talking about how he enjoyed his time at TU and about how he was grateful for his opportunity at TU, Haith's telling comment from his TU press release speaks volumes.
"The last two years have been extremely challenging in moving the program forward with the onslaught of COVID," Haith said.
Before Covid changed everything in March of 2020, Haith had TU on a roll, tying for the AAC Conference title, and was named AAC Coach of the Year. The 21-10 Golden Hurricane were denied a chance at playing in the conference tourney and the NCAA Tourney, and at minimum, would have been a high seed in the NIT.
But things just collapsed over the last season-and-a-half for TU basketball. So a guy who went 139-108 in 8 seasons at TU, including 1 of TU's 2 NCAA Tournament bids for the Golden Hurricane over the last 19 years, is out at TU.
After Tulsa's terrific success from 1981-2003, the Tulsa fan base expects a lot. The last 19 years haven't been awful, with 13 winning seasons, but it is not what TU expects. Not after 13 NCAA Tournaments, including 11 NCAA Tournament wins - 2 Sweet 16's and an Elite 8, as well as 2 NIT titles, from 1981-2003.
When coaches who have been successful at TU are forced out, it is a mixed bag. Ken Hayes was a really good coach from 1968-1975, never having a losing record, but got canned. That begat 5 years of mostly bad basketball under heralded TU alum Jim King - all losing seasons - 4 in single digit wins.
Of course, the home run hire of Richardson followed. The next coaches, in succession, had mixed reviews. Barnett was a Jekyll-Hyde personality - a good coach who alienated a lot of people, which is why he got fired.
Tubby was great, and everybody loved him, giving TU its first NCAA victory and two Sweet 16's. Steve Robinson was decent but wasn't a good recruiter and made Barnett seem like Mr. Warmth by comparison.
Self was the hire to judge all hires by. Elite 8. Buzz Peterson was a one-year disaster who couldn't make the NCAA tourney after inheriting an unbelievably talented squad. His players finally stopped listening to him in the NIT, and won that tourney 20 years after Nolan won it in his inaugural year.
John Phillips won NCAA games in each of his first two seasons, but poor recruiting led to a third-year collapse and quick resignation early in his fourth season. Alvin "Pooh" Williamson took over for him, finished 7-15 as an interim coach, and wasn't retained.
That led to the hiring of Doug Wojcik - a poor man's J.D. Barnett. Decent but volatile coach who couldn't get Tulsa to the NCAA tournament with 2 star seniors who played in the NBA.
Manning was a surprisingly good bench coach and returned Tulsa to the NCAA, for the first time in 11 years, but didn't want to be at Tulsa, and his recruiting in his only full year of recruiting at Tulsa stunk.
That led to the hiring of Haith from Mizzou. A high-profile and controversial hire who wasn't cheap to employ.
According to those in the know at TU, the next coach won't break the bank, or anything close to it. It will have to be relatively cheap. Unless some boosters get excited about the prospects of hiring somebody.
A source close to the program confirms that Pooh Williamson and several TU alums are interested in the job. Mike Anderson is still involved.
The mere mention of Williamson as a candidate has caused some TU fans to not be pleased, to put it mildly. They cite bad recruiting decisions nearly 20 years ago as a TU assistant under Phillips, and also cite that he has not been a serious full-time head coaching candidate. Also that he has jumped around a lot, and isn't currently employed as a coach.
To be fair to Pooh, one of Tulsa's greatest point guards of all-time, let's look at him, since the message boards are going crazy talking about him.
Pooh has been at 8 different schools as an assistant in 16 years since leaving TU. As an assistant since leaving TU, his teams have been to 7 NCAA tournaments and have won 6 NCAA Tournament games. He served 7 years in 2 stops under Mark Turgeon, and 6 years in 2 stops under Tubby.
So 13 years total under 2 coaches isn't exactly unstable. Those 2 coaches got better jobs, and he followed. His last job was at OU in 2021, and OU won an NCAA tourney game before losing to No. 1 Gonzaga last year. His head coach retired, and he had a chance to return to Miami and chose not to for family reasons.
Not saying Pooh should be the hire or should not be the hire, but it is good to look at the facts for the 48-year-old who is extremely likeable.
Take emotion out of it. Going to 9 NCAA Tournaments and winning 8 NCAA tourney games the last 20 years as an assistant isn't exactly the worst resume on file. And Tulsa hasn't won an NCAA game since he was an assistant at TU.
And if everyone was judged by decisions made nearly 20 years ago when we were inexperienced, a lot of us wouldn't have jobs today.
Mike Anderson is another big name out there. Tulsa missed the boat on the former standout TU point guard over 20 years ago when he was an assistant at Arkansas under Nolan. He has had a very successful coaching career at UAB, Mizzou, and Arkansas.
Anderson, who remains a candidate, might be too expensive, considering his 2 mil or so salary at St. John's. But the 62-year-old Anderson isn't tearing it up up at St. John's - three winning seasons but only a 50-41 record there, including 17-15 this season.
Anderson might take less to come back to a much better place to live and work. And to his alma mater.
Other high profile names get thrown out there. ORU's Paul Mills was a shot away from the Elite 8 last year. A heck of a coach. And who wouldn't want to get out of that horribly run, one-bid conference where ORU has to get by 4 Dakota teams in the Dakota hosted tourney?
That conference tourney set-up doomed Scott Sutton at ORU after a successful career there. He and his brother Sean Sutton always get their names thrown out there. Scott was previously seriously considered at TU.
Prominent assistants like Baylor's Jerome Tang would make a lot of sense. And of course, the mention of so many people's favorite former TU assistant under Self - Billy Clyde Gillispie, gets certain people delirious.
Smart money may be to bet on none of the above as TU's next coach.
But whoever the new coach is, it is extremely important to make the right hire. With the current attendance at TU, coupled with the program not meeting expectations, it is essential that TU gets this one right.
