BREAKING BRAD
Plenty of blame to go around for OSU losing a coach it loved
I n OSU’s Heritage Hall, amid the NCAA championship trophies and the Final Four banners and Henry Iba’s revered chair, Brad Underwood talked about the basketball job for which he seemed perfect.
“I’ve been here one year,” Underwood said. “I don’t know who wants me. But I know I’m the basketball coach at Oklahoma State. I’m going to be here until they put me in the ground or something else happens.”
Exactly two weeks later, something else happened. Underwood became the coach at Illinois, and OSU basketball is left staggered and wounded.
What happened? How did the Cowboys go from a “dream come true” coach – athletic director Mike Holder’s words – to virtual despair, knowing that a fit like Underwood, third generation from the House of Iba, will be impossible to find? How did Underwood go from talking emotionally about coaching in Gallagher-Iba Arena to suddenly wearing a slighter shade of orange?
There is blame on both sides. Holder bungled the contract upgrade with Underwood. But Underwood, too, wasn’t the man we thought he was. Holder, an excellent AD in many areas, like vision and goals, can fall short in the people category. Underwood, who signed on for the Big 12’s lowest basketball salary and spoke of the all right things in his 362 days on the job, ended up liking cold hard cash as much as the next coach.
“I thought I had a good enough relationship with him that we were going to work it out and ultimately he would be the basketball coach here for a long time,” Holder said Saturday night. “I was surprised. Perhaps I didn’t have as good a relationship with him as I thought.”
You know the general parameters. Underwood was paid $1 million this season (he made $300,000 last season at Stephen F. Austin), and his five-year contract called for incremental raises of $100,000 annually. After a season in which the Cowboys made a spirited run in the Big 12 and revived fan interest that had gone dormant for several years, Underwood obviously was due a reworked contract.
Here’s what happened. Underwood and Holder had preliminary discussions a few weeks ago, but an OSU source said
that Underwood discovered that both Illinois and Missouri were interested in talking, giving him more negotiating leverage.
Last Monday, the day after the Cowboys were assigned to Indianapolis for a first-round NCAA Tournament game against Michigan, Holder and Underwood met. The OSU source said Holder offered $2.2 million per year and would get Underwood to $3 million after five seasons. The Big 12 average is $2.9 million for a head coach. But Underwood said he wanted $2.9 million now and would prefer $3 million.
Travis Ford, fired a year ago after eight seasons as OSU’s coach, was making $2.4 million a year, the residual of a 10-year contract he signed after his first season, in which the Cowboys made the NCAA Tournament and beat Tennessee in a firstround game.
Underwood’s case: Holder had established the value of an OSU basketball coach, with the contract he gave Ford.
Holder’s case: OSU’s basketball finances have taken a major hit since 2009.
They agreed to meet again Thursday in Indianapolis, and Holder said he had every intention of hammering out an agreement.
“Being the kind of person I am, I don’t like loose ends,” Holder said. “I wanted to get a deal done. When you’re happy with your coach and want to retain him, time is of the essence.”
But Underwood didn’t show for the Thursday meeting in Indianapolis. Holder chalked it up to a coach just getting ready for the NCAA Tournament. Now, he wonders.
Holder said he’s not angry with Underwood. Disappointed, yes. But not angry.
“I have nothing but good things to say about him,” Holder said. “More important than the basketball is the way he bought into the Stillwater community, re-engaged the fan base. Kind of a dream come true in that aspect. In that matter, that was a lot more valuable than what happened on the court. He checked all the boxes.
“No. I’m not angry. Just more disappointed. I understand, he’s 53 years old and he’s got a family to think about. I thought we shared the dream that he would finish his career at Oklahoma State. If I had anything to do with that not coming to fruition, I feel terrible about it. Guess I’m more angry with myself.”
Can’t blame him. Holder knows that hiring a coach who might be the right fit is much more difficult than retaining a coach who is absolutely the right fit.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.