http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/o ... 242f6.htmlThere are the coaching changes you see coming months away. Travis Ford’s for instance. Local writers walked around Chesapeake Energy Arena at the NCAA regional in Oklahoma City last March thinking “when,” not “if.”
And then there moments when you’re sitting at your computer writing a column about Scott Drew, you read something you can’t believe you’re seeing – in this case, a tweeted picture of Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood as Illinois’ new coach, standing next to Illinois’ athletic director, the both of them smiling and wearing orange pullovers with Illinois’ “block I” logo on it.
Some coaching changes happen out of thin air, and it’s hard to even think straight, let alone wrap your mind around why it happened.
Here’s a quick attempt to try, at least, to lend perspective to Underwood’s departure for the Illini...
This had to be about money
Several weeks ago I was killing time with a Big 12 athletic official. I told him Underwood was making $1 million this season. He literally could not believe it.
Travis Ford made three times that for going 3-15 in the Big 12 Conference and coming up short in the NCAA Tournament with Marcus Smart. Bill Self makes four times that at Kansas.
Underwood didn’t have a Power 5 pedigree after being hired away from Stephen F. Austin. He certainly didn’t have Self’s track record.
But a Power 5 coach making $1 million for a basketball program with OSU’s richness? Gulp.
As far as Illinois... Here’s a line from a Chicago Tribune story in the aftermath of Illinois’ recent firing John Groce: “One source familiar with the Illinois board of trustees discussions said Whitman could have as much as $25 million to spend.”
ESPN's Jeff Goodman, who broke the story, reported Underwood would receive in excess of $3 million annually in Champaign.
Underwood was getting a raise had he stayed in Stillwater. But it doesn’t take a Wall Street ace to figure out the finances weren’t going to be sweet enough for his liking.
This is a kick in the gut for the Cowboys
Forget the money and Chicago basketball talent – more on that in a bit – and consider some images...
Underwood’s heartfelt, impassioned thank you speech to his players in the locker room following Friday’s NCAA loss to Michigan...
Underwood’s firing pistols with his hand at the end of another speech to a gathering at OSU’s Selection Sunday watch party before the team left for Indianapolis...
Underwood’s praising his players for having the fortitude to bounce off the floor from an 0-6 big 12 Conference start, and praising fans for making Gallagher-Iba Arena matter again...
Underwood’s identifying himself as “an OSU guy” who seemed fully appreciative of the likes of Henry Iba when he was introduced as Ford’s successor 362 days ago.
Here is a proud program that was due to live up to its standards, and due to feel good about itself again. Underwood helped deliver those goods in one season universally considered a success.
Poof. He’s gone.
How will players react? Will Jawun Evans be impacted? How do administrators feel? What should fans make of a move that, to them, feels like a cold slap in the face? Are they gonna be so willing to buy tickets next season?
This is a reminder that it’s all about your perspective
The last time I can remember thinking about Illinois basketball, Bruce Weber was winning with Bill Self’s players. That was, what, 13 years ago? The last time the Illini had a season with a single-digit loss total was 2005-06.
So while this isn’t Underwood bolting OSU for Illinois State, it doesn’t make much surface sense. But look beneath.
Oklahoma and Texas high school players have been awfully kind to OSU, but wouldn’t you rather recruit basketball talent from Chicago to Bloomington?
And, back to square one, wouldn’t you rather work for an administration that values your what you feel is your worth?
I had never heard of Josh Whitman before an hour ago. Now I know him as a shrewd athletic director who identified one heck of a coach, and paid him enough money for him to do for Illinois what he did for OSU.
Guerin Emig