THE MITCHELL GIFT
Photo by Gary Lawson
L ETTER « from » MIKE
As the school year begins, OSU’s football and soccer teams prepare to take center stage, and once again, they need your spirit. In order for our teams to compete at the highest level, they need you to come out and support them at every home game.
As you are a POSSE member, you are most likely a season ticket holder for football. Please encourage your friends to buy season tickets and help us make this fall a special one in Stillwater.
Tickets in the new west end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium are just $35 per game. Call 1-877-ALL-4OSU or log on to okstate.com for information or to make a purchase.
This issue of POSSE begins the 2nd year of our magazine, which was recently voted the best sports publication in Oklahoma. I want to thank John Clerico and other donors who made POSSE possible.
Thanks also to all the coaches and student-athletes who give us something to read about.
Remember, ride for the brand.
POSSE DIRECTOR
Jason Penry
EVENT COORDINATOR
Brandon Armstrong
DONOR RELATIONS
Ellen Ayres
PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR
Clay Billman
ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
Stephanie Boese
CLUB SEAT COORDINATOR
Matt Grantham
PREMIUM SERVICES
Karyl Henry
PROJECT MANAGER
Shawn Taylor
PROGRAMS COORDINATOR
Mindy Walthall
DIRECTOR of MARKETING
Kyle Wray
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Cory Cheney
ART DIRECTOR|DESIGNER
Kim Butcher
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Phil Shockley
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Gary Lawson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Clay Billman, Matt Elliott, Wade McWhorter
ADVERTISING: 405.744.7301
EDITORIAL: 405.744.7192
OSU POSSE 102 ATHLETICS CENTER
STILLWATER, OK 74078-5070
P: 405.744.7301 / 877.2B.POSSE
F: 405.744.9084
WWW.OKSTATEPOSSE.COM
POSSE@OKSTATE.EDU
The Oklahoma State University Athletic Department would like to thank John Clerico for his vision and dedication to our athletic programs. His generosity has made POSSE magazine possible.
Cover photo by Phil Shockley
DEPARTMENTS PLAYBOOK the
Like many of you, I am very excited for summer to be over and to finally get our Cowboy and Cowgirl teams back on the field. This promises to be an exciting year for our athletic programs and I can’t wait to see what our student-athletes accomplish, both on and off the field.
Part of my job in our Compliance Office is to make sure all of our coaches, studentathletes and boosters understand the different NCAA rules that apply to them. While I get the opportunity to meet with the coaches and student-athletes on a regular basis, it can be a bit more difficult to reach all of our boosters who are spread out across the globe. In an effort to reach you, our boosters, each of you should be receiving an NCAA Booster Guide Book in the mail that will go into detail concerning NCAA rules and what activities you need to avoid in order to stay on the “right side” of the law. Since I know you will be on pins and needles until the Guide Books arrive, I thought I would supply you with a sneak preview…
1. What is an extra-benefit and why do I need to know this term?
a. An extra benefit is anything provided to a student-athlete or a student-athlete’s family and friends by an institutional staff member or a booster that is not available to the general student body or general public under the same terms. Providing anything considered an extra-benefit to one of our student-athletes or their family/ friends jeopardizes their eligibility to compete for OSU. The following are some common examples of extra benefits:
i. Cash, loans, or co-signing a loan on behalf of a student-athlete
ii. Free or reduced services
(e.g. free oil change, laundry, car detailing)
iii. Providing free lodging or rental property at a reduced rate
iv. Free or reduced cost meals and drinks
v. Providing tickets to concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities
vi. Any other gifts or presents, even for special occasions (e.g. Birthday, Christmas, etc.)
2. What are the general rules surrounding boosters and recruiting?
a. Boosters should not be involved in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. A prospective student-athlete is anyone who has started classes for the ninth grade. The best rule of thumb is to refer any questions about OSU athletics to our staff and do not attempt to influence a prospect’s decision to attend OSU. Remember that only members of the coaching staff may be actively involved in the recruiting process.
When you do receive your Guide Book in the mail I would encourage you to take a few minutes to review the information and be sure to call our office (405-744-7862) should you have any questions.
Thanks again for all of your support!!
Ben Dyson Assistant AD for Compliance
Photo by Phil Shockley
Bridgecreek’s primary focus is the client. We specialize in providing innovative, resourceful and bold investment solutions.
Our creative and highly effective portfolio construction utilizes a balanced, diversified approach to minimize overall portfolio risk.
Confidently embark on your journey to worldclass performance, customized service and premium account management today.
Bridgecreek is ready.
— MARK TWAIN
by: CRAIG CLEMONS
Ticket holders and POSSE members are critically important to the success of OSU Athletics. Their support through annual contributions to OSU varsity athletics, seat donations and season tickets represent 65 percent of our approximate $40 million annual operating budget.
they can recapture associated monies and ensure a fan will be sitting in their seat for home field or home court advantage.
Tickets bought and sold through TeamExchange are guaranteed to be valid for entry, something no other secondary market provider can offer.
Each year, your administrative team explores tools, trends, best practices and new services at conference and national level. We then develop offerings and new programs based on budget, technological advances, return on investment and improvements in customer satisfaction.
With the start of the 2008-09 athletic season, Oklahoma State is partnering with Ticketmaster to provide loyal Cowboy and Cowgirl fans an opportunity to sell their tickets to other fans using Ticketmaster's TeamExchange program.
If ticket holders have scheduling confl icts and cannot attend a home contest,
Sellers may set the value of the tickets to any price over the face value of the ticket, which allows buyers to access the best seats possible at whatever price they are willing to pay. The seller then receives the monetary credit for their sale with the OSU ticket office; money can be used to purchase tickets for other sporting events, or applied toward next year's season tickets.
More information about this service is included in the 2008-09 season ticket packages. Call the ticket office at 877-255-4678 or log on to www.okstate.com and click “Tickets.”
As a POSSE member, you are truly a difference maker. Thank you for your loyal support.
The future is BRIGHT ORANGE.
Photo by Phil Shockley
Photo by Gary Lawson
the donors
» words by: CORY CHENEY
.J
ORANGEFAMILY HOLLOMAN
You know a family is hardcore Orange when the father, an OU grad, can be convinced to switch his allegiance.
The Hollomans are that kind of family.
“My dad actually graduated from another state school,” says Erin Holloman. “My mom converted him.”
Lynn Holloman, the family’s matriarch, graduated from OSU in 1966 with a political science degree, which she used to gain admission to the other state university’s law school. She met Jim on the first day of class and probably started working on him right away.
They remember attending a Bedlam wrestling match together while they were dating.
“I thought she and I were both going to wrestle that night over the outcome,” says Jim. “She had an interesting habit of grabbing hold of my arm and twisting.”
Lynn and Jim both have memories of OSU basketball from before that, however.
“As a boy, I remember watching Moe Iba hit a shot from half court to beat the Sooners. Or maybe it was Nebraska. It was a heck of a game,” says Jim.
Lynn remembers the 1964 championship game when Gene Johnson, now a close family friend, played for the Pokes. “Those are my days. I remember them carrying Coach Iba off the floor.”
The Hollomans have four children, Amy, Erin and twins Matt and Andrew. Three of them are die-hard OSU fans. The fourth roots for the crimson. Amy and Erin, are OSU grads. Matt didn’t graduate from OSU, but he’s loyal to the Pokes.
“After years of being a fence rider, Jim finally saw the light, but we’ve not been able to convince Andrew,” says Lynn.
“After 20 years, I gave in,” says Jim.
“He sent two daughters to OSU,” says Lynn. “He attended all the dad’s days.”
Amy, who’s surname is now Adams, graduated in 1992 with a degree in accounting. Interestingly, her husband’s great grandfather, Arthur Adams, was in the first graduating class of Oklahoma A&M.
Erin graduated in 1996 with her physiology degree and then attended OU medical school.
“I always tease my Sooner friends that the only way I survived those four years is because John Blake was their football coach,” she says. Erin ended up in Stillwater for her undergrad partly because of family tradition, and partly because she was the recipient of the Henry P. Iba Presidents’ Distinguished Scholarship for her athletic and academic achievements. OSU golf coach Mike McGraw was her first golf instructor in the junior golf program in Edmond.
She’s an oculoplastic surgeon with an office in Oklahoma City, and a satellite clinic in Stillwater.
Matt, a dentist in Edmond, opted to attend a small college so he could play football, but remained a “big” OSU fan. He attended an OSU football camp once, and had Elbert Craig as a tackling partner. “He destroyed me,” says Matt.
Matt’s partner in his dental practice is former OSU wrestler Charles Hetrick. OSU fandom is a family affair, except for Andrew, of course.
“We have Bedlam every day in our family,” says Lynn. “Matt and Andrew continuously battle.”
“There’s no physical violence,” says Jim. The OSU half of the family will even admit to daily visits to okstate.com and a few message boards to get the latest information on OSU sports. There’s even a story about one of the daughters checking the boards from her phone in the middle of a round of golf while on vacation with the whole family (we’re not at liberty to say which daughter it was, and she’d deny it anyway). “We were in the middle of hiring a new basketball coach!”
“Recruit Roundups are our favorites,” Lynn says. “And we know all about the recruits before they ever sign.”
The Hollomans have followed the Cowboys and Cowgirls all over the country. Bowl games. NCAA tournament appearances. Baseball Regionals and College World Series. They make all the home football games every year, and try to hit two of the away games. They all went to Seattle to watch the Cowboys take on Washington State, and for the Final Four back in '95. They remember watching Barry Sanders play. They’ve had season tickets to football and men’s basketball for more than 20 years.
“It’s just part of us,” says Erin. “There’s no other way of saying it.”
Their favorite part of the year is just before the season starts.
“We’re pretty much the ultimate optimists,” says Erin. “We have a chance to win every game. During football season, by Thursday or Friday, I’m whipped into kind of a frenzy. But that’s part of the fun of it.”
rLLike many OSU fans, they’re excited about the stadium construction and improvements to the athletic facilities on campus.
“It’s amazing,” says Lynn. “It just makes you very proud. You got tired of hearing about Rustoleum Stadium. I tell the people I work with every day that I’m proud to be a Cowboy and I am thankful for Mr. Pickens and all the other faithful donors.”
“I think the football stadium is going to be something special,” says Erin.
“When I was in school, I never really thought we had bad facilities, I just liked going to the games. But now, with everything that’s going on there, I can’t imagine how much it’s going to change.”
The Hollomans, as a family, have contributed to the Leave a Legacy campaign.
“I particularly like the endowment fund,” says Jim. “As we add to it over the years, it’ll become more valuable for more students. I like the fact that it’s going to be maintained. It has such a wonderful investment policy. That was an encouragement for me, to know how our money would be utilized.”
It was actually Jim, the former OU sympathizer, who came up with the idea.
“I’d been involved with endowed scholarship funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation,” he says. “Once the OSU program started, I wanted to get involved with it.”
“When he came up with this idea, to donate and support the athletic department in this way, I fi nally decided he’s not a Sooner anymore,” says Erin.
The Holloman women are thankful for their OSU educations, and Erin believes hers prepared her for medical school just as well as any Ivy League school would have.
She’s also part of the OSU Medical Cowboys, a group of physicians, dentists and medical professionals who attended OSU and want to promote OSU as a quality pre-health professional university. The group plans to raise scholarship money for OSU alumni to attend graduate school.
“Matt and I are at the start of our careers,” says Erin, “and are just now getting to where we can give back. Our parents have always been good examples for showing
us how to give to our schools and community. Our family loves Cowboy and Cowgirl sports, so it’s natural for us to give to the university through an athletic scholarship.”
“We are excited to see them win and succeed in games, but more than that, we love hearing the personal success stories of players like Dantrell Savage and Ivan McFarlin. I read somewhere that Dantrell was the fi rst in his family to graduate from college. And Ivan had trouble qualifying, but at OSU worked so hard he graduated with a degree. I think it is important for us to hear these great stories about student athletes who have strong character. It makes us so proud to be Cowboys. Hopefully, their education will allow them to go forward and do great things.”
It’s worth noting that during the interview, which included the entire family all at once, they heckled Andrew out of the room.
Photo by Gary Lawson
From left to right: Amy Adams, Jim Holloman, Erin Holloman, Matt Holloman, Lynn Holloman
where are they now?
_J
»Kevin Wentworth
Hometown » Oklahoma City
Sport » Football, 1979-80. (Voted 3rd Team All-Century center by The Oklahoman).
Degree » BS in Business Management, 1981
Family » wife Shelly (1982 OSU alum); daughters Lauren and Krista (both OSU grads).
Current Job » “Co-owner of Fine Arts Engraving, a specialty printing company in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. We produce high-end graphic pieces for clients nationwide, from New York City restaurant menus to annual report covers to professional football and bowl tickets. We even helped OSU create its award-winning football media guide cover last year.”
Life after OSU » “I worked for 2-1/2 years for a petroleum marketing company before moving back to OKC and joining
Fine Arts Engraving, a family business. I raised two beautiful girls who both attended OSU and both bleed orange.”
Hobbies/Interests » “Golfi ng, boating, working in the yard.”
Best OSU memory » “Probably my best memory is graduating in 1981 and getting to walk across the stage with my brother, Curt. It was defi nitely one of my proudest moments. In sports it had to be the fi rst time I walked onto Lewis Field before the kickoff of my fi rst game. To see so many fans just going nuts was unbelievable! We truly have some of the best fans in all of college football.”
Thoughts on playing for Coach Jimmy Johnson » “The most interesting thing about Coach Johnson was his hair never moved, and if it did you had better be ready because someone was going to get it. He was a great motivator and recruiter. I transferred from NEO Jr. College and was his very fi rst signee. I had only met him once, and he had me sold on OSU. The man could defi nitely coach, but it sure didn’t hurt to have a staff like he put together.”
Best game as a Cowboy? » “It had to be at Colorado in 1979. I played against a nose-guard who was preseason All-American. We scored 21 points in the last 16 minutes to win 21 - 20. I received a Stetson hat (Coach Johnson gave those instead of game balls) for my play in that game.”
Do you keep in touch with former teammates? » “All the time. Some of us in Oklahoma City get together for lunch. Kerry Graham has really been instrumental in getting us together on a regular basis. At home games I know where a lot of my old buddies seats are, and I always make a point to go visit with them.”
How closely do you follow the current team? » “I am a season ticket holder and have been almost every year sense I graduated. I can’t imagine
anything I would rather do on a Saturday then go to Stillwater and spend the day with my family and friends. We tailgate before the games, and if it’s a day game we stay late afterwards. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Thoughts on current state of OSU Athletics » “What has happened over the last few years is nothing short of amazing. OSU Athletics is on the verge of becoming one of the nation’s powerhouses. We have the facilities and staff to get us there, now we need to fi ll the stadium. Our players need to play in front of full stadiums every game. There is nothing like the feeling an athlete gets when the crowd is behind them. We can win conference titles and BCS games if we keep heading the way we are going.”
Why is it important to be a part of the O-Club and POSSE? » “For me, it is important because of everything I got from being an OSU Cowboy. During my time as a student-athlete here I had so many wonderful experiences that I cherish everyday. It’s important to give back in whatever way I can.”
Anything else to add? » “My senior year we only won three games and had probably the worst facilities in the conference. To see how far we have come and how far we can go is a testament to the Cowboy spirit. If everyone continues to support this program there is no telling what the future holds. I will always wear my orange with pride and will always be thankful for my time at OSU. And last but not least, BEAT OU.”
Bob Tway
Bob Tway was supposed to attend the University of Georgia. Though born in Oklahoma, when it came time to pick a college, he lived in Marietta, Georgia. Then he played a tournament, the Insurance Youth Classic, where he was paired with Grier Jones. Tway won the tournament and Jones called OSU golf coach Mike Holder and told him he might want to check out Tway. Holder took Jones’ advice.
As a Poke, Tway helped bring OSU two national championships — 1978 and 1980 — contributing to OSU’s reputation as a national power in golf.
Tway turned pro in 1981 and has spent 24 years on the PGA Tour, playing in 664 events and earning more than $15 million. In 2008 alone, he’s placed eighth at the Buick Open, eleventh at the AT&T Classic and twelfth at the John Deere Classic. He’s one of nine Pokes currently on the PGA Tour.
“I love playing golf,” says Tway. “I really enjoy it, and to be able to do what you like and making a living, that’s what it’s all about.”
“I love playing golf... I really enjoy it, and to be able to do what you like and making a living, that’s what it’s all about.”
Tway’s son, Kevin, is a sophomore at OSU on a reloaded Pokes team. This past summer, Tway caddied for Kevin at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Tway, as one might imagine, is proud his son decided to attend OSU.
“It’s obviously great for me,” says Tway. “But it’s great for him, too. I think that was his dream since he was a little kid. He could’ve gone anywhere he wanted, but he’s always been a fan of OSU.
&
“I’m happy he’s not too far away so I can see him often.”
» What’s your favorite OSU sports memory?
Winning two NCAA Championships in golf. If I have to go away from my sport, it’s when we beat OU in Norman in 2001. We’ve always gone to the OU football games every year and the year we won was pretty incredible.
» What athlete, living or dead, do you wish you could see play?
Bobby Jones. He had a different grand slam. I’ve read all his books, but I’ve only seen fi lm. I’ve seen Hogan and Nicklaus. But I never got to see Bobby Jones. Those guys are the best, so it would’ve been nice to see him, too.
» What’s something that gets you riled up? I get excited about all of OSU Athletics, and I’m excited
about what’s happening there. I’m pretty fi red up about what Holder has begun. When all that is completed, it’s going to be pretty incredible. I’m excited about what we’ll be able to do athletically. I’ve always been excited about OSU sports, but it’s going to get better and better.
» What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Winning the PGA Championship. The proudest I’ve ever felt for someone else is when Kevin won the U.S. Junior Championship. Being able to watch that … the nervousness and excitement I felt was something I’d never experienced before, even when I was competing. I remember walking with Coach Holder and him laughing at me. I said, “Coach, I can barely breathe.”
» What are three things you would have to have with you if you were stranded on an island?
I’d love to have my golf clubs. Obviously, I’d like to have my family. If you can’t, I’d like to have plenty of food so I can eat.
» Whom do you admire (and why)?
Coach Holder. Having him as a golf coach, and then since then and as a friend has been special. I’ve learned many things from him. He never really asks people to do things he isn’t willing to do, which is obviously great in a coach, but as a person, too. He’s probably had the most influence on me as a person.
» You have one wish. What is it?
For everyone in my family to have continued good health.
» What’s your favorite type of music and where do you listen to it?
I’m kind of a soft rock guy. I like rock from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and a little bit from now. I have my radio going when I’m practicing. I usually put it on 96.9 in Oklahoma City. A lot of times I listen to the Sports Animal when I’m driving the car. I only have about 100 songs on my iPod.
» Who had the biggest effect on how you turned out the way you did?
Coach Holder.
» How big an OSU fan are you?
I’d say I’m very big. I attend as many games as I can. I’d love for us to get to where we compete at the highest level in everything and I think we can. I’m a huge fan. I pretty much only have three things that are important to me: my family, golf and OSU.
T he Heart Center at Stillwater Medical Center is honored to introduce our full team of highly trained cardiologists, each ready to help you maintain optimal heart health Utilizing the latest heart-disease prevention and treatment methods, they perform critical cardiac procedures close to home.
Devoted to advanced CLOSE TO HOME.
As a board-cer tified inte rventional cardiologist, Dr Kumar leads T he Heart Center, joined by Dr. Hagan, Dr. Lim and Dr Vanzant. Each brings extensive education and decades of experience to Stillwater and surrounding residents.
Our experienced staff of fer s the best in cardiovascular care, performing heart tests, prevention screening, stent placement, angioplasty, and other outpatient heart procedures. Our goal is to detect, diagnose and treat minor cardiac issues, while also preventing the progression of major heart-health problems.
Call today and make your appointment to meet our team of dedicated heart physicians at T he Heart Center at Stillwater Medical Center. You can also visit us at smcheart.com for more information
the donors
Gary Lawson
“The athletic programs are an important part of alumni connection with our university and we want to further that bond.”
— Malone Mitchell
The gift from Malone and Amy Mitchell — $57.2 million, to be split equally between OSU athletics and academics — isn’t just another gift, it’s a remarkable gift.
It’s a financial contribution that will profoundly affect the lives of OSU students and student athletes for years to come.
Consider this: if the contributions from Boone Pickens were taken off the ledger, the Mitchell gift would be the largest ever given to OSU athletics.
The Mitchells credit Pickens for inspiring them to give to the university.
“Boone Pickens was a critical role model for me as a student, inspiring me to pursue an aggressive business career,” says Malone. He graduated from OSU in 1983 with a degree in agriculture. Amy graduated the same year from OSU’s College of Human Environmental Sciences.
“That career has blessed us financially. As we got to know Boone personally and his vision for winning at life and his heartfelt desire to improve the university, his examples clarified for us that it was not enough to just wish for a better Oklahoma State – we had to act!”
By this point, there should be a name for what T. Boone Pickens has directly caused to happen at Oklahoma State University.
Call it, “The Pickens Effect.”
Think of it as dropping a really large rock into a body of water and watching
not ripples but white-capped waves radiate across the surface.
OSU alumni and supporters have not just been impressed by Pickens’ philanthropy; they’ve been inspired to give on their own, and often in impressive fashion, such as the Mitchell gift.
What the gift means to Cowboy sports fans is that construction on new facilities in the athletic village, such as the Sherman Smith Training Center, will begin that much quicker.
“Our plan is to combine it with our investment at BP Capital,” says Mike Holder, vice president for OSU athletics. “This will accelerate the construction schedule.”
Holder has a philosophy of responsible spending in regard to the athletic department’s funds. The next phase of new construction will not be initiated until there’s enough money in the BP Capital fund to pay for it, assuring the department will not incur debt in the expansion. Furthermore, Holder believes in securing endowments to pay for the operation and upkeep of new facilities prior to their construction. After all, what good is a new building if you can’t afford to keep the lights on?
“This gift will have a significant impact on the future of OSU athletics. We are proud to have Malone and Amy Mitchell as distinguished alumni and are grateful for their generosity,” says Craig Clemons, associate athletic director for
» photos by:
From left to right: Malone Mitchell, Amy Mitchell, Robbie Holder, Mike Holder
external affairs. “Their gift will touch many areas including sport programming, recruiting, upgraded facilities and the lives of our student-athletes.”
Only half of the Mitchell gift was for athletics, however. The other half goes to the Spears School of Business and will create a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship program. The transformational gift was made through the donation of one million shares of SandRidge Energy [NYSE: SD] stock and is the largest nationwide donation ever to a university entrepreneurship program.
SandRidge Energy was previously Riata Energy. The Malones founded Riata in 1984 with a $500 loan, and Malone served in many roles including chairman, president and chief executive officer.
During this time, the Mitchells grew Riata Energy into one of the largest privately held energy companies and the largest privately held land driller in the U.S., with significant midstream and tertiary oil production operations. In December 2006 Malone retired from SandRidge to start new companies.
With $22 million designated for chairs within the business school, the academic gift will have an impact of $94.6 million once fully matched dollar-for-dollar by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as well as Pickens’ $100 million chair match commitment. This places the gift’s total cumulative academic and athletic impact at $123.2 million.
“This incredible expression of generosity by Amy and Malone Mitchell will have an enormous impact on OSU academics and athletics,” says OSU President Burns Hargis. “The entrepreneurship program we
will create with this gift supports our vision of a new land-grant university that cultivates greater creativity and collaboration among students and faculty.”
The commitment to the Spears School of Business will build a world-class entrepreneurship program at OSU over the next fi ve years, and will also create the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship.
Specifically, the gift will create a center for entrepreneurship and innovation, allow academic collaboration to build a campus-wide entrepreneurship program, and foster greater partnerships
with academic units and state entities in supporting entrepreneurship activities within the state.
“Our vision for Oklahoma State University is to be the premier institution in the area for classroom or extension instruction for students wishing to learn how to create, fi nance and manage their own business,” says Malone. “The athletic programs are an important part of alumni connection with our university and we want to further that bond.”
Portions of this article were contributed by the OSU Foundation.
From left to right: Burns Hargis, Amy Mitchell, Malone Mitchell
EXTRA! EXTRA!
02. Malone & Amy Mitchell
03. Sherman & Eloise Smith
04. Karsten Manufacturing
05. Walt & Peggy Helmerich III
06. John Clerico
07. Ed & Jana Evans
08. W & W Steel Co
09. Ross & Billie McKnight
10. Robert A. Funk
11. AJ & Susan Jacques
12. ONEOK, Inc
13. Joe & Connie Mitchell
14. Mike & Robbie Holder 42,376 Men’s Golf
15. Gary & Jerri Sparks
16. Harold & Joyce Courson
22. Home National Bank Men’s Golf
18. Joullian & Co
19. Patrick & Patricia Cobb Wrestling
20. Richard & Barbara Bogert
21. Stillwater National Bank
22. Jim & Mary Barnes
23. Vickie & Tucker Link Foundation
24. Dennis & Cindy Reilley
25. OSU President's Offi ce
26. OG&E
27. Chuck & Kim Watson
28. Flintco, Inc
29. Chad Clay
30. SemGroup, LP
31. United Supermarket
32. Lew & Suzanne Meibergen 23,539
33. Andy Johnson
34. Phillip & Shannon Smith
35. Jon & Suzanne Wiese
36. Anonymous
37. Sandra Lee
38. David Bradshaw
39. Sparks Financial
40. Bob & Kay Norris
41. Sally Sparks
42. Jameson Family LLC Spirit Squad
43. Garland & Penny Cupp
44. Berkeley Manor Enterprises
45. Les Dunavant
46. OSU Foundation
47. KNABCO Corp
48. Greg & Rhonda Casillas
49. David LeNorman
50. John & Gail Shaw
51. Richard & Joan Welborn
52. Jay & Connie Wiese
53. Jerry & Lynda Baker
54. Ed & Mary Malzahn
55. Thomas & Barbara Naugle
56. K.D. & Leitner Greiner
57. Anonymous
58. Kent & Margo Dunbar
59. Scott & Kim Verplank Men's Golf
60. Mark & Lisa Snell 13,532
61. Bryant J. Coffman
62. Larry Bump
63. Harvey & Donna Yost
64. Russ & Julie Teubner
65. Johnson's of Kingfi sher
66. Austin & Betsy Kenyon
67. James D. Carreker Football
68. Brent & Mary Jane Wooten Men’s Track
69. Jim & Vicki Click, Jr. Football
70. Chandler USA, Inc
71. Russ Harrison & Natalie Shirley
72. Chesapeake Energy
73. Norman & Suzanne Myers
74. Bill & Claudean Harrison
75. Jay & Fayenelle Helm
76. Jack & Joyce Stuteville
77. Bank of Oklahoma
78. Dennis & Bonnie Smith Spirit Squad
79. John & Jerry Marshall Men’s Golf
80. Lambert Construction
81 Bob & Tammie Tway Men’s Golf
82. John & Sue Taylor
83. A-Cross Ranch
84. Ike & Mary Beth Glass
85. Titleist & FootJoy Worldwide
86. Brad & Margie Schultz
87. American Fidelity
88. The Siegenthaler Family
89. Greg & Kay Massey
90. Bill & Laurie Dobbs Baseball
91. Darton & Jamie Zink
92. Emricks Van & Storage
93. E.K. Gaylord
94. John & Patti Brett
95. David & Marellie Littlefi eld
96. Larry & Shirley Albin
97. Ed & Kathy Raschen
98. The Oklahoman
99. Tom & Patricia Maloney
100. Griff & Mindy Jones
101. AEI Corporation
102. Ron & Marilyn McAfee
103. Bruce Smith
104. Mark & Susan Morrow
105. Tom & Cheryl Hamilton
106. John & Terri Smith
107. Donald Coplin
108. Bob & Mary Haiges
109. Spirit Bank
110. Midfi rst Bank
111. Southwest Filter Co
112. Bancfi rst
113. Drummond Investments
114. Pixley Lumber Co
115. Judith Mace
116. Phillip & Susan Ryan
117. Max & Lynn Elsberry
118. Bill & Karen Anderson
119. F & M Bank & Trust
120. Southern Cross Alliance, LLC
121. Ed & Marilyn Keller
122. Justin & Karla Hoose
123. Lonnie Jay & Sally Lamprich
124. Melvin Jones
125. Z-Equipment, LLC
126. Wentz Oil Company, LLC Football
127. Kirk & Jan Jewell
128. Harriett Phillips
129. Randy & Patti Thurman 6,861
130. Roy & Norma Townsdin
131. Jack Bowker Ford
132. Jack Allen, Jr.
133. Fred & Kellie Harlan
134. Jerry & Rae Winchester Football
135. Steve & Judy Thurman
136. Sem Materials
137. Steve Tuttle
138. Edd Bellatti
139. Henry Wells
140. Robert Fletcher Family
141. Connie & Stephen Tatum
142. Walter & Alma Duncan
143. AT&T
144. Robert C. & Martha Buford
145. Bryan & Becky Brady
146. John & Delone Hessel
147. Don & Mary McCall
148. Wittwer Construction Co
149. Stan & Shannon Clark
150. Barry & Roxanne Pollard 6,104
Former athlete or coach
•OSU Athletics Priority Point System
The Priority Point System provides a fair, consistent and transparent method of providing benefits to donors in exchange for their financial investments in OSU Athletics.
Donors gain points three ways:
• Contributions: All current and lifetime contributions (cash or stock) are worth 3 points per $100 donated. Planned (deferred) gifts in the new Leave a Legacy Endowment Campaign will receive 1 point per $100.
• Commitment: Donors will earn one point each year for each season ticket purchase and one point for each year of POSSE donations.
• Connection with the University: Donors (or their spouses) who are OSU Alumni receive a one-time 10 point bonus, as do OSU faculty/staff and letterwinners. Points never diminish and will carry over to subsequent years. Donors retain all previously earned Priority Points in their giving history.
For questions about the POSSE Priority Point System, e-mail posse@okstate.edu or call us at 405-744-7301.
Photo by Gary Lawson
by Phil
Photo
Shockley
Every Seat
is the Best Seat with The Oklahoman
OSwoosh
The Swoosh.
You see it on every jersey of nearly every athlete at OSU. There are lots of reasons for that, but a few stand out.
CONTINUED
Photography by Phil Shockley
”We’re
not stretching a polo to its limits standing on the sidelines. Footwear, game uniforms, that’s what needs to hold up. Of those major companies, Nike has the best product. It’s about what’s best for
our athletes.”
First, the student-athletes want it, which in turn allows the coaches to use it as a recruiting tool.
“The power of the Swoosh when we’re recruiting is second to none right now,” says Wes Edwards, equipment coordinator for the Athletic Department. “For a number of reasons, partly Nike’s marketing, kids want the Swoosh. It’s a powerful thing.
“It started back with Michael Jordan. And then Bo Jackson. And now most of your premier athletes at the professional level are wearing the Swoosh. Football and basketball drive it at both the professional and college levels. That’s what everyone sees.”
Nike, the number one shoe and athletic apparel distributor in the world, commands 20 percent of the athletic shoe market in the States and raked in revenue in excess of $16 billion in 2007.
Nike isn’t just Nike. It’s also Cole Haan, Hurley International, Converse and Umbro. It’s Nike Golf and Nike Pro and a whole array of other sub-brands.
Nike is a monster. And for good reason – they make good stuff.
“We felt at the time we did the contract that Nike has the best footwear of all the other companies,” says Edwards. “There are some other companies starting to get into football cleats, for example, but Nike’s football cleat is second to none.”
OSU signed a new five-year deal with Nike that began during the 2007/08 season. Not that the athletic department hadn’t been working with the shoe giant previously, but the new contract includes more of OSU’s sports. It’s a bigger deal than before.
We’re going to be a bit cagey about the actual numbers. Personally, I don’t have the security clearance for that kind of information. But I was made to understand that it’s a lot and enough. There’s a bottom line economic benefit to the Nike contract: it’s money that doesn’t come out of the operating budget.
Anything that person needs, apparel-wise, from head to toe, hats to shoes and everything in between is from Nike.”
“What our contract value is, we’d most likely be spending that anyway,” says Edwards. “Instead of ordering what we need and the athletic department paying for it, in a sense, Nike is giving it to us and saving that money in our budget.
“What’s in it for Nike is that anytime we’re on TV or our guys are doing interviews, the Swoosh is there,” says Edwards. “I don’t want to say it’s free advertising because of the money they give us, but that’s what the real swap is. We expose the Swoosh on television and in person, and in turn, they give us the equipment.”
It’s a win-win situation. The cost of running a major ad campaign on the big TV networks is probably larger than footing the bill for an athletic department’s equipment needs. Word of mouth has traditionally been more powerful than advertising.
Edwards has binders full of product pictures (they’re not quite finished enough to be called catalogs) and listings from Nike, and he orders for each sport based on the coaches’ requests. These orders go in sometimes nine months to a year in advance. The designs for the football uniforms for 2009 were approved in June.
“I’m already thinking about 2009 and the 2008 stuff isn’t even in the door yet,” says Edwards. It’s worth noting the 2009 football uniforms look exactly like the 2008 versions, so don’t get excited.
“We love what we have and we think it’s a look that’s only Oklahoma State,” says Edwards. “I don’t see any change in the football uniform for a while. I don’t see the need.”
Edwards can order pretty much anything Nike makes, and he has a certain dollar amount from which to pull from.
“We have a finite amount of money we can use for the athletic department,” says Edwards, “whether it’s football, men’s basketball, women’s
basketball, soccer or any other sport. We divide the money up for each sport based on the number of athletes, need and other factors.
“I sit down with Jason Lewis, Coach Holder and Amy Weeks and we determine what’s fair for each sport. This is after we’ve conferred with the coaches to find out what their needs are. Football gets most of that money. Not half, but football receives more than any other sport because they have 115 athletes.
For example, each football player receives: practice jerseys, practice pants, t-shirts for the weight room, girdles, gameday undershirts, headbands, wrist bands, game jerseys and game pants and those skinny bicep bands. Nike also provides the visors for the helmets, if the players wear them.
“Nike’s not into football helmets yet,” says Edwards.
And then there’s the footwear.
“One athlete might go just through one practice cleat and one game cleat all year long. Just two pairs of shoes. Other guys might go through four or five practice cleats and two or three game shoes,” says Edwards. “And then we also have shoes for the weight room and travel shoes.”
Football coaches also get their share of swag, including sideline gear – polos, pants and shoes, heavy and light jackets, rain gear, hats, even sunglasses.
“Anything that person needs, apparel-wise, from head to toe, hats to shoes and everything in between is from Nike,” says Edwards.
That said, not everything OSU’s coaches and players wear and use is a Nike product. Some teams had contracts with outside vendors, and coaches were allowed to keep what they were comfortable using. For instance, the baseball team didn’t have to use a Nike bat, instead sticking with Louisville.
“We don’t want to come in and take something away from the athletes that
they’re comfortable with and that they perform well with,” says Edwards. “I think we’d all agree baseball did pretty well with the Louisville bats.
“If there’s a product out there Nike doesn’t make, we’re not bound to them. For instance, Nike doesn’t make riding gear, so Coach Sanchez doesn’t have to change his uniforms to Nike polos.”
Still, he could. Nike customizes many of its products to Edwards and the OSU coaching staffs’ requests. When teams get new uniforms, they’re created with input from coaches and players.
When Nike makes new products, OSU is in line to have access to it before schools without a Nike deal and way ahead of the general public. Nike will even provide custom-made shoes and equipment for student-athletes if needed.
“As equipment manager, a polo is a polo,” says Edwards. “We’re not stretching a polo to its limits standing on the sidelines. Footwear, game uniforms, that’s what needs to hold up. Of those major companies, Nike has the best product. It’s about what’s best for our athletes.”
2008
Photography by Phil Shockley
... when I feel like there’s some guy I got a chance of maybe running over, then I’ll try and do it. “
“
Ill ' I
Record-settingQB spentthe summer gettingbetter.Considernotice served to Big 12 opponents.
Zac Robinson didn't need a whole season to break OSU records for total offense and single-game passing yards. He did it in ten games, taking over three contests into last year for former Cowboy quarterback Bobby Reid.
The 6-foot-3-inchjunior from Littleton, Colo., torched opposing defenses with two fourth quarter comeback wins, 2,824 passing yards, 847 yards rushing, 32 touchdowns, and an MVP performance at the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. Naturally, coaches believe this fall looks bright after Robinson spent the offseason leading the offense.
"I think his overall command of the offense has significantly improved," says Gunter Brewer, quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. "He has become a full-fledged leader."
After spring football, www.rivals.com picked Robinson as the 16th best quarterback in the nation, part of a Big 12 Conference loaded with talent at that position, including OU's Sam Bradford and Missouri's Chase Daniel. But Robinson, in a sit-down interview at Gallagher-Iba Arena, says he's focusing on perfecting plays, deciphering opposing defenses, leading the offense and getting stronger.
He's doing that by attending all the voluntary workouts with his team. The offense lost three starters last year, including All Big-12 receiver Adarius Bowman and dependable running back Dantrell Savage. Taking Bowman's place is sophomore Dez Bryant, who caught 43 passes for 622 yards last year and leads a young group of wide receivers Robinson calls his most talented yet.
"We've got some young receivers and running backs who still aren't sure on a . - few plays," he says. "And I know what
every single guy is doing, no matter if you're offensive line, receiver or running back. So I just try to help them out and tell them, 'Hey, you need to run this route. You've got to block this guy.'"
Otherwise, Robinson's cast features many oflast year's stalwarts. Brandon Pettigrew, one of the top tight ends in the nation, should continue the dominant play that made him a first-team Big 12 all-conference player last year. And the offensive line is largely unchanged, anchored by 300-poundjunior tackle Russell Okung who, during the Insight Bowl, held tackle-less NCAA sack leader Greg Middleton.
Although his offensive line will work to keep pressure off him, Robinson plans on continuing his bruising style. A quick, hard runner, he relishes the physical side of the game and is nimble enough to elude tacklers in the backfield.
"It's kind of fun being a ball carrier I try to not lower my shoulder too much, but when I feel like there's some guy I got a chance of maybe running over, then I'll try and do it."
Brewer says Robinson has been working with OSU strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass to add mass to his shoulders. Added muscle will lessen the game's toll on his body, he says.
But all work and no play makes Zac a dull boy. Summer's easier schedule gives him the chance to relax with friends. Some days he'll take his seven to eight handicap golf game to courses around Stillwater (not Karsten Creek - he says it's too expensive) with his roommate, punter Matt Fodge and backup QB Alex Cate.
Two days before his interview with POSSE, he was in Las Vegas, Nev., with Fodge and his family. When asked what they did, Robinson's face reddened, and he looked at the floor with a laugh, adding "we just hung out at the hotel, walked around The Strip. Went to the pool. Went to the Blue Man Group show ... "
That bit of boyish charisma is part of what Brewer means when he calls his
protege "a pleasure to coach." Robinson reminds him of former Marshall University and Miami Dolphins' quarterback Chad Pennington, whom Brewer coached as the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Marshall. Both are good natured, intelligent, hard-working and beloved by their fans and teammates, he says.
"He's the type of young man you'd want your son to be or the type of young man you'd want your daughter to date," says Brewer of Robinson. "So everything you see outwardly is the same thing inwardly. We're happy to be a part of that." [+]
2D07»
01181011118100
In 2007, Zac Robinson had one of the best years ever for an OSU quarterback -and he didn't start until three games into the season.
One of his milestones is the most productive game in OSU history, when he amassed 486 total yards Nov. 3 in a 38-35 loss to Texas. He passed for 430 yards in that gamealso a record. His 3,671 yards in total offense for the season was also a record, surpassing Josh Fields' record 2002 season by almost 600 yards.
Robinson finished 2007 ranked 12th nationally in passing efficiency and 27th in total offense.
Iportinga silvercrewcut, Joe Wicklinelooks and soundslikea bootcampdrillsergeant, barkingordersat histroopsduringtwo-a-day practices.
"FORCE THE ISSUE! IT'S ALL ABOUT VIOLENCE, MEN! BE VIOLENT AND DETERMINED!"
The Oklahoma State offensive line coach's gruff voice and rapid-fire delivery is an effective motivator.
"ALPHA, ALPHA! DRIVE-DRIVE-DRIVEDRIVE-DRIVE! STAY DOWN! ZULU, ZULU! GET YOUR ASS DOWN! GOOD-GOOD-GOOD-GOODGOOD!"
A former college lineman himself, Wickline's enthusiasm for the game is evident, even while enduring sweltering heat on the practice field. He sprints between drills, racing his players from station to station.
"DON'T BE LAST, MEN! DON'T BE LAST!"
In the pre-season, "Coach Wick" told his players a parable about a group of cowboys who found themselves with a wagon, but no horses -and no desire to help get it moving. Now he uses that tale as a rallying cry.
"IF EVERYBODY'S GONNA RIDE ... " Wickline shouts. "WHO'S GONNA PULL?" his players answer in unison. His effectiveness as a teacher is shown in the unit's willingness to buy into his techniques.
"He's a perfectionist," says Andrew Lewis, a junior [+]
Cowboy offensive
linemen Brady Bond, Steve Denning, David Washington, Andrew Lewis and Russell Okung.
"He does a good job of getting his point across about what he wants to do on the field, but at the same time keeping things in perspective," says junior tackle Andrew Mitchell.
If the coach's over-the-top persona is reminiscent of professional wrestling, maybe it's for good reason. Wickline says he spent some time in the "squared circle" back in the 1980s, grappling alongside the likes of Dusty Rhodes,Jerry Lawler and the Funk brothers, as well as former OSU wrestlersjack andjerry Brisco.
“I think it’s important to loosen up a little bit because it’s such a business and the demand to be perfect is so constant. It almost will drain you if you’re not careful.”
"I wrestled in high school and wrestled in college some," he says. "A lot of people in the Tampa area knew of me from playing football, and when it was over with I got into wrestling with some of the (professional) guys and worked out with them for a little while. They got me involved as an official, and then in a tag-team and a 13-man Battle Royal It was fun. I always wanted to do it when I was younger."
"We're not sure if he's lying or not," says senior guard Steve Denning. "He told all of us he'd show us the video."
"I tell the guys a lot of things just to keep their attention," Wickline admits. "Half of it's true and half ofit's just made-up."
The game has evolved since the Florida native manned the trenches for the Gators from 1977-80, but Wickline says it's still football.
"It's still gap blocking, it's still lead blocking, drop-back passing, play-action," he says. "It gets back to the same things: one-on-one matchups, base, techniques, fundamentals, who plays harder, if it's more important to this person than it is to that person ... It goes back to football."
Now in his fourth year on Mike Gundy's staff, Wickline believes this is the deepest and most talented Cowboy line he's fielded.
"The first and foremost issue we have at the beginning of each year is to put a solid five on the field, and I think we have that. The next thing is, in regards to depth, you have to have three at each position at any one time. You have to have three guys who could play either tackle. You have to have three guards and three centers. And each of those guys, in my mind, have to be capable of starting, because we're an ankle away from him finishing the year for us.
"In our terminology, we think we have three tackles, we think we have three guards and we think we have three capable centers. We're getting closer to truly being two-deep. What game that'll be, what week that'll be, that's all to be determined. But the people are in place to make that happen with more snaps and more maturity."
"The past few years we went with five starters the whole game, but we never really had the chance to sub because we didn't have the depth," Lewis says.
"There aren't a lot of teams in the Big 12 or around die country that have a reliable two-deep or a guy behind them that's going to push them all year long to get better," Mitchell adds. "You have to look at that as an advantage. It's a luxury not a lot of teams have, to know week in and week out you're competing not only against the guy who's behind you or ahead of you, but who's going to help you on Saturdays, as well."
The players say Coach Wick claims a videotape exists of"The Rock of the Bay" in action, but suspect their mentor may be embellishing his past.
When it comes to fielding a starting five, Wickline says he isn't concerned with particular physiques.
"I don't care about bodies - if he's got a tackle body, a guard body, a center body - I'm getting the best five players we can trust as a staff who can get the job at hand
done for the next play and then the next play we'll put the next five on the field.
"After that, you try to focus on a little bit taller of a body with a little more range on the outside, with all the pass protection schemes that we do. Maybe a little bit shorter guy on the interior for the leverage, the base and the girth you need to handle some of the things on the inside. Obviously, the center is kind of in his own category. Can he snap the ball? Can he make all the right blocking scheme checks? He's a little different cat. They're all different - outside, inside and the center - so with the second team, you go back to getting the prototypical guys and let the chips fall where they may."
Although the Cowboys front line averages 6'4" and 290 lbs., it takes more than mere size or strength to succeed in the trenches, Wickline adds. Today's recruits have to possess a number of qualities.
"There are the obvious variables of height, weight and speed - the physical aspect," he says. "The second one is knowledge, understanding of the game. Is he a savvy player? The third thing, to me, is finding guys who really love the game.
"Nowadays the NCAA limits you to the number of contacts with a prospect and visits to the institution, and the decision making process of making a commitment has moved up, so getting to know the player is more difficult. Our camps become more important, the connection with the high school coach becomes more important, but do you really get to know them? Mistakes can be made if you don't know what that gentlemen stands for. Can he play hurt? It's raining, it's hot, his ankle hurts, they changed the defense or something isn't quite right Can you find the
guy who it doesn't really matter to - he just keeps on going?"
Coach Wickline says that attitude is catching on in Stillwater.
"Through recruiting, through Coach Gundy, through our coaching staff and as a team, that philosophy is beginning to take root. The more you bring guys in to be a part of that, and the more they join in and say this is the way it is, the younger players learn how we do things. Not everybody's going to have the same motor or the same desire on every snap, but if you get a collection of people that it's important to, then it will feed upon itself. Either you get on and you press the gas pedal down, or you find a way not to be a part of it."
According to the players, the Cowboys' o-line is a tight-knit unit.
"They're my brothers," Washington says. "I love all of 'em."
"We're pretty close," Lewis says. "We hang out whenever we're not doing football."
That type of bond is critical to a team's success, Wickline says.
"The position itself demands continuity and esprit de corps. It demands it. There's no way around it. There's no way a guy can do his own thing - the communication aspect of it demands that they're one. A lot of what we do is through osmosis. They have seen it so many times, then can almost look at each other and
look at the defense and not have to say a word to know exactly what's going on."
Being able to make quick decisions at the line of scrimmage is critical, he says.
"The time span for the decision-making process in our no-huddle offense is splitsecond. The window of time to process the decision after the check has been made has gotten to the point now where it's almost ridiculous. It's not like they can take a break and look at each other and make those certain calls - it has to be done right now. That's why to me it's the most difficult position on the field to play.
"Without a doubt, I'm convinced we're the smartest players on the football field," Wickline adds. "We let other people think that they are, but when it gets right down to it we're the smartest guys out there." [+]
Clay Billman
Cowboy safety Andre Sexton must be crazy.
How else can you explain his desire to throw his 6-foot one-inch, 210-pound physique into the dreaded “box?”
That’s the space between the hash marks on a football field, within about fi ve yards of the line of scrimmage. It’s where lumbering 300-pound offensive linemen brutalize defenses while the offense’s bruising fullbacks and tight-ends clear a path for shifty running backs.
And that’s where Sexton will start this year — at the “star position,” a safety/ linebacker hybrid — taking over for Donovan Woods, a free agent signee of the Pittsburgh Steelers who led the Cowboys last year in tackles with 82.
Not only will Sexton have to shed blocks from linemen, but he must also have the fleet feet to cover wide receivers who run blazing times in the 40.
“It’s a combination of having the strength and the smarts to stay out there and being able to play one on one,” says Sexton, a veteran junior who relishes delivering the blows that make that area of the field so dangerous. “That’s where all the action is.”
Sexton, who fi nished last season with 69 tackles, will play alongside junior Orie Lemon, who has moved to middle linebacker, and weak side linebacker Patrick Lavine. Taking his place at strong safety is Ricky Price, who rounds out an experienced and quick secondary with upperclassmen Quinton Moore at free safety and Terrance Anderson and Perrish Cox as cornerbacks.
Junior D-Back Steps into a Vital Role on the Cowboy D
defense did not enjoy the same degree of success.
That led to a series of improvements that made a defensive struggle out of the Orange and White spring scrimmage, when the Orange team topped White, 9-7, on a safety by backup linebacker Seb Clements. During that game, Sexton laid a hit on Dez Bryant on the opening kickoff return and forced a fumble.
Defensive Coordinator Tim Beckman has gelled the defense, tailoring his schemes to fit his players. Defensive tackle Tonga Tea Jr. has slimmed down, and, joined by junior college transfer Swanson Miller up front, should help control the line of scrimmage. Also, fans should see improvement from last year at the defensive end position with Ugo Chinasa.
“Finally, it’s all come together and I think it’s time for our defense to show it and really start putting it on people,” says Sexton. “Everybody’s bought into how we work in this system.”
The moves come after a 2007 season in which the Cowboys fi nished 7-6 and beat Indiana in the Insight Bowl. The OSU offense put up gaudy numbers that ranked it among the best in the country, but the
Although the defense’s spring play earned praise from the media, Sexton says, “I don’t think they really respect us yet. It can get you down or it can motivate you. I just try to focus on what we need to do to get better.”
That may be evident in a preseason poll of 51 journalists who cover the Big 12. Forty-nine of them picked OU to win the Big 12 South. OSU was picked to fi nish fourth, between Texas Tech at third and Texas A&M at fi fth.
“That’s how you want it. It’s hard to be chosen to be fi rst. Then it also doesn’t feel good to be put in the back.”
The 21 year-old sports management
scrimmaging against the team’s spread offense. That has been a great study to help the defense read and react to its explosive plays. Also, the defense has been watching game fi lm of opposing teams each week during the summer. They didn’t do that last year, he says. It should give them a leg up by the time the season begins.
Sexton came to OSU in 2005 from Cypress Falls, Texas, where he was a one-man wrecking crew, making 126 tackles his senior year in high school, nabbing three interceptions, recovering seven fumbles, blocking three punts and two field goals. He redshirted his freshman year in Stillwater due to a preseason injury, but came on strong in 2006, starting in each game at safety, leading the defense in tackles and forced fumbles.
He was a fi rst-team freshman
All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America that year. Sexton intercepted the fi rst pass thrown in Boone Pickens Stadium last season, returning it 14 yards for a touchdown in a 42-6 trouncing of Florida Atlantic. He fi nished the season strong, too, leading the team in tackles during the Insight Bowl.
Before the 2008 season started, he spent time in Texas, taking in some home cooking and spending some rare time with his friends and family, including his two younger sisters, Gabrielle and Chante. “My sisters joke about when I come home that that’s when we get to eat the good food.”
Defender Andre Sexton brings down an OU runningback during the 2007 Bedlam battle.
Hideout
INTERNATIONAL TOURS
Your OSU TRAVEL Headquarters
Cowboy Football versus Colorado
Saturday November 15th - Boulder, CO
Cowboy Basketball at the Old Spice Classic
November 27-30th - Orlando, FL
Cowgirl Basketball at UNLV Lady Rebel
Christmas Classic
December 18-21st - Las Vegas, NV
(,O'IIBFDDTBA
Thanks to all of our 2007-2008 Orange Rewards participants. Your devotion to Cowboy and Cowgirl Athletics helped make the first year of the program an enormous success.
During the first year of Orange Rewards, more than 900 OSU fans participated, and they earned free, exclusive OSU gear just for showing up and supporting OSU student-athletes.
We would also like to thank sponsors: Stillwater National Bank and P/K Equipment/John Deere.
All you have to do to make the second year another success is to keep showing up and earning more OSU gear.
From Left to Right: Soccer coach Colin Carmichael, Thomas Graves, Larry Soderstrom, Larry Dustin, Louise Soderstrom and Softball coach Rich Wieligman.
SHOW YOUR COLORS
No matter where you are — at home, the office, the park, the grocery store — support the Cowboys and Cowgirls by wearing your OSU Authentic gear and show your colors. AND REMEMBER, ALL COWBOYS WEAR ORANGE. Aug. 29, 2008 – the 4th Annual College Colors Day
» EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT BRIEFINGS — Oklahoma City
• Thomas Friedman, Author of The World is Flat and Foreign Affairs Columnist of The New York Times | Wednesday, September 10, 2008
• George Will, Author and Newspaper Columnist, The Washington Post | Thursday, December 4, 2008
• Susan Packard, Cofounder and President of Brand Outreach, HGTV | Tuesday, March 24, 2009
» TULSA BUSINESS FORUMS
• Thomas Friedman, Author of The World is Flat and Foreign Affairs Columnist of The New York Times | Thursday, September 11, 2008
• Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes, Inc. | Friday, January 16, 2009
• Susan Packard, Cofounder and President of Brand Outreach, HGTV | Wednesday, March 25, 2009
To register or for more information, contact the OSU Center for Executive and Professional Development by e-mail at cepd@okstate.edu or call 866.678.3933 or visit us online at cepd.okstate.edu.
THE WILD WEST
This fall, get ready to experience the excitement of The Wild West – the rowdiest section in all the stadium. It features 16,000 more seats, 130 new suites and some of the best views in the stadium.
In the Wild West, you have an unobstructed view of the entire field. You’re close to the rowdy student section and rubbing elbows with the Cowboy Marching Band. And the prices are right with season tickets starting at just $35 per game.
Arrive Early. Wear Orange. Make Some Noise.
Photo by Phil Shockley
Precedent Precedent
Precedent
For over four decades, Club Car has delivered specialty transportation solutions that set the standard in innovation, quality and performance. So it's no surprise that Karsten Creek is a loyal Club Car customer. Through our dedication to customer satisfaction, Club Car has developed the most extensive product line in the industry to meet a wide range of demands. So no matter what your needs, visit us today, and we'll help you find the Club Car vehicle that's right for you.
For over four decades, Club Car has delivered specialty transportation solutions that set the standard in innovation, quality and performance. So it’s no surprise that Karsten Creek is a loyal Club Car customer. Through our dedication to customer satisfaction, Club Car has developed the most extensive product line in the industry to meet a wide range of demands. So no matter what your needs, visit us today, and we’ll help you find the Club Car vehicle that’s right for you.
Photography by Phil Shockley
COWGIRL SOCCER RAISING the Bar
After consecutive finishes in the upper tier of the Big 12 Conference and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Oklahoma State Soccer program is ready to take the next step.
Ranked 23rd nationally at the start of the season, Head Coach Colin Carmichael says the 2008 Cowgirls have the talent and depth to compete for a conference championship and go deeper into the post-season.
“As far as goals are concerned, a natural progression would be to compete for a regular-season Big 12 Championship, which we’ve never won, and try to get into the Sweet 16,” he says. “I wouldn’t say they are our only goals, because I think you can have a successful season without that, but those are two things we would look at to jump to the next level – especially the Sweet 16 – just getting out of that second round of the NCAA Tournament. I think our kids realize that’s the next big step for us.
“Over the last two years we’ve done enough to deserve our ranking as a Top 20 program,” he adds. “I think if we back that up this year and maybe break into the Sweet 16, people will look at us and say we
are a legitimate Top 20 team every year.”
In 2006, the Cowgirls finished with a school-record 17 wins before falling to Clemson on penalty kicks in the NCAA Tournament round of 32.
“The Clemson loss is one that kind of sticks with you,” Carmichael says. “We certainly had the better of the play, and Yolanda (Odenyo) actually hit the crossbar in overtime on a great shot. We were inches away from hosting the Sweet 16. We were that close.”
Last year, OSU posted another strong showing (including a landmark road victory over No. 9 Notre Dame), but ran into top-ranked UCLA to end the season with a 14-6-3 record.
Carmichael, who’s been at OSU since the program’s inception in 1996, says this year’s squad is the most talented team to wear the orange and black.
“On paper it’s the best group we’ve had. I think we return 12 of our top 15 kids from last year and brought in eight
SOCCER
newcomers. I think all of them have a chance to play immediately. It’s the most talented and certainly the deepest group we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
In the Big 12, Texas A&M has clearly been the premier program. A perennial Top 10 team and the defending league champs, the Aggies are the team OSU needs to beat to reach the next level.
“A&M has been the flagship of the conference, and every year you’re going to have to go through A&M to win the championship,” Carmichael says. “This year we could be as close as we’ve ever been to bridging that talent gap. I think in years past, we’ve had five to seven kids who were as good as what A&M had. The difference was, they had 17 or 18. When we played them last year, for 60 minutes we were the better team and were beating them 1-0. But late in the game they were by far the better team, and a lot of that has to do with fresh legs. They made some changes late in the second half and we couldn’t. Sure enough, late in the game we faded a little bit due to fatigue.
“So this year, our hope is that our depth is equal to theirs, and maybe that gives us the edge. I’d like to think we’ll be equal with them this year and have a good chance to beat them.”
A lack of depth can take its toll over the course of a season, he adds.
“As the season wears on that’s a big factor, because if you can’t sub in the earlier games your kids get run down by the end of the season. If we can pull players like Yolanda off for 15 minutes here and 20 minutes there and not miss a beat, then obviously late in the year they’re not as banged up and they’re a little bit fresher.”
Odenyo, a senior from Uppsala, Sweden, is the team’s difference-maker.
A first team All-American on the field, as well as an Academic All-American, Carmichael says she’s a rare talent.
“To me, Yolanda’s the best player in the conference, but I’m biased,” he says.
“There’s only a handful of kids who are special, and she’s one of them.”
Carmichael says Odenyo makes the players around her better.
“Having Yolanda is huge. Not only her performance, but she just inspires confidence in the rest of her team. She leads by example on and off the field. She’s just an invaluable part of our team. When Yolanda came here, we didn’t have the supporting cast around her that we do now.”
The team’s experience – and success – against top-tier competition over the past two years should serve them well this season, he says.
“When we used to play against the top teams I think we were trying to survive and maybe pull an upset. Now we go into those games really believing we have a chance to win. That’s half the battle. Now our kids don’t get fazed by a name, like Notre Dame, UCLA or Texas A&M. Going on the road and playing a lot of good games you just get a lot more confidence.”
The 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish, which snapped Notre Dame’s 43-game home winning streak, helped put OSU Soccer on the national map.
“It got us a whole lot of national recognition. I think a lot of people in Big 12 already knew Oklahoma State was pretty good, but going to Notre Dame and winning opened a lot of people’s eyes that we were a legitimate Top 20 team.” [+]
Carmichael says OSU offered to host a return match.
“When you realize what you can do, you start setting greater goals... We know we can play with anybody so championships are what we’re going for.”
— Yolanda Odenyo
“They’ll schedule you at their place,” he says, “but it’s real tough to get them to come here. It would be very difficult to get a team like Notre Dame or North Carolina or UCLA to come here. They’re always willing to play you at their place, but they’re usually not too excited to come to Stillwater.”
OSU will host USC in 2009, however, a match that was scheduled before the Lady Trojans won the 2007 National Title.
“That basically happened through meeting their assistant coach at a coaching clinic, hanging out over lunch one day and saying we should play home-and-home,” Carmichael explains. “This was before they were national champions, of course, so it kind of worked out nice. Our team getting better is helping us with scheduling, because it improves a team’s
RPI if you have a good season.”
The Cowgirls’ recent improvement has also helped the top in-state recruits stay closer to home, as OSU tapped into Oklahoma’s growing talent pool.
“First, we brought in international kids, and they helped us to build the program to where it was better recognized in the United States. Now when we recruit, we have a better chance to get the top players, so we don’t need to go overseas to find those players,” Carmichael says.
“In the last couple years, for whatever reason, the state of Oklahoma has had very good classes come out. From the Hurricane ’89 select team we got Siera Strawser (Bixby), Allyson Leggett (Jenks), Katie Richardson (Broken Arrow), Mary Pat Hardin (North Little Rock, Ark.) and Sarah Brown (Jenks) – and they were a team that went to the Regional Finals two years in a row. From the Edmond ’90 team, we’ve just brought
in Melinda Mercado (Sapulpa), Kyndall Treadwell (Cleveland), Colleen Dougherty (OKC Bishop McGuinness) and Alison Farrell (Edmond North). That team has been to the national Final Four twice. For whatever reason in those age groups there’s been a lot of talent in Oklahoma, and we’ve been able to pull some of them in. Those two club teams have done a really good job of developing kids, and we’re just hoping to reap the rewards.”
In the past, Carmichael says, top local recruits would set their sights on premier out-of-state programs.
“In years past they’ve looked at us, but if an A&M or a Duke or a UNC or a Notre Dame came calling, it was going to be real hard for us to keep them in state. Now they see a Top 20 program at OSU and they don’t have to go out of state to achieve what they want to do. Those kids want to compete nationally and to be able to do that here is appealing to them. Our success has definitely helped to keep the kids home.”
The team’s success has also created a loyal following of fans, Carmichael says.
“We have a very loyal fan base that comes to every game, rain or shine. Last year we averaged close to 1000 per game, which is the most in our history. It makes a huge difference. When we come out and see several thousand people there wearing orange, it definitely gives our kids a little extra buzz for the game.”
Carmichael says many first-time spectators are surprised by the physicality of women’s soccer.
“A lot of people think soccer’s non-contact. Come watch a game. Or even better, come watch a practice. It’s full contact and these kids put their body on the line every day. Probably the hardest working member of our staff is Todd (Gerlt), our athletic trainer. It’s a very physical sport. There’s a lot more contact than people might think.”
Clay Billman
SENIORITY RULES
Colin Carmichael knows all about the highs and lows of Oklahoma State Cowgirl soccer.
Now the program’s head coach, Carmichael has been on the coaching staff in all 13 seasons of OSU soccer’s existence. So it’s no small praise when he calls the Cowgirls’ 2008 senior class the best in school history.
“It’s arguably the most successful group of seniors to go through the program,” Carmichael says. “They’ve meant a whole lot to the program and
have helped us build on the success of previous years. They’ve raised the expectation level every year. When they came in, our goal was just to get to the NCAA Tournament. Now it’s to advance to the Sweet 16, and anything less would be considered a bit of a letdown.
“That’s a reflection on how well they’ve done in their four years here.”
OSU’s ’08 senior class includes four true seniors – Yolanda Odenyo, Erin Stigler, Jamie Markaverich and Jessica Jarrell. A fifth player, Leah Hope, is a junior eligibility-wise but
[+]
will graduate in the spring and will not return to the team in 2009.
The success of this group of Cowgirls can be highlighted in a number of ways, both on and off the field.
In the last three seasons, the group has led OSU to a 41-15-9 record, a winning percentage of .700. Among their biggest accomplishments are the first back-to-back trips to the NCAA Soccer Championship in school history. The Cowgirls advanced to the second round of the tourney each of the last two seasons.
Accomplishments like these “have definitely raised the bar for this program and definitely gives us a lot of positive momentum for the future,” says Carmichael.
As Cowgirl soccer continues to build on its success, the current senior class takes great pride in what it's helped achieve, and is hungry for even more in their final collegiate seasons.
“The expectations we have on ourselves, that the coaches have on us, that even the fans have on us, are greater now because we’ve shown
what we can do,” Odenyo says. “We have a greater group of quality players every year. When I first got here, maybe we had seven. Then we had nine, then 11 and 15.
Adds Stigler, “We’re getting to be a deeper group, which enables us to compete with anybody. We want to be the most respected team on campus. We want to have other athletes and people in the general public look at us and say ‘That’s a quality team and a quality group of girls.’”
There are plenty of reasons for Cowgirl soccer to reach that role model status. Along with the on-field success, each of OSU’s seniors has been an Academic All-Big 12 performer and helped the team earn the NSCAA Team Academic Award each of the last six seasons. Odenyo also became the program’s first Academic All-American in 2006.
And of course, like any great team, the Cowgirls are not content.
“I remember the first year I was here, it was a big deal just to get to the Big 12 Tournament,” Markaverich
says. “Now, we expect that, and we’ve got much higher goals. We’ve got a lot more confidence, and now we believe we can win games in the NCAA Tournament every year.
“We try to be role models to the younger girls, and we let them know the winning expectations this program has now.”
Those winning expectations have also carried over to OSU’s fan base, which last year supported the Cowgirls in record numbers as 10,222 fans attended games at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.
Winning for their growing legions of fans only fuels the motivation for the Cowgirls.
“Compared to my freshman year, even though we had a lot of fans at some games, now I feel like the fans are a lot more involved,” Odenyo says. “People know us. Now I walk around campus, and people know me – that did not happen three or four years ago. It’s not just people randomly coming to watch us now. People are actually fans and follow us.
“You look around and realize that someone is watching you. It’s not just about you. You realize that, ‘I put on this jersey, and I’m not just representing myself but Oklahoma State University, and on Monday mornings someone is gonna hold me accountable.’”
With that being said, giving fans of Cowgirl soccer reason to stand up and cheer in 2008 is certainly a focus of the ’08 senior class.
And the group is setting lofty goals in order to do just that.
“When you realize what you can do, you start setting greater goals,” Odenyo says. “We know we can play with anybody so championships are what we’re going for.”
Wade McWhorter
PASSION FOR THE GAME
Anative of Scotland, Colin Carmichael grew up with a passion for the sport of soccer. As a coach, he hasn’t lost that fire.
“I like to think I’m passionate,” he says. “I’m not somebody who’s going to sit back and allow things to happen. I get after the girls in practice, and I’ve been known to get after officials from time to time. I definitely have a passion for the game, which I hope would show in how our kids play.”
Carmichael says he prefers to play an attacking style of soccer.
“I like for our kids to play a very high-tempo, high-pressure game because I think that goes along with my passion for the game. Other coaches prefer a more laid back, slow style … to me that’s boring. We don’t like to do that, we like to get up in your face and play hard. I think that comes from my love of playing and coaching. I’d rather our girls lose trying to win than to sit back and play for ties.”
Sometimes the coach’s passion has been known to get under the officials’ skin, and he’s collected a few red cards (ejections) to show for it.
“It’s been a while though,” he laughs. “Maybe I’m maturing or wising up a bit. I do have a pretty good relationship with most of the officials in the Big 12. I think they understand that I’m a passionate person and I speak my mind. At the same time, when the officials do a great job I’ll be the first one out on the field congratulating them. I think when all is said and done after the game, everything’s kind of left on the field and you move on. I hope there’s a mutual respect there. I certainly respect what they do. It’s not an easy job. I wouldn’t want to do it.”
Becoming a first-time father last year has helped put things in perspective, Carmichael says.
“I love my job, I’m passionate about my career, but at the same
time, when you’ve got a family at home, it really prioritizes what’s important. I think having a family just gives you that leveler, you know. I used to go home, and if we had a tough loss I’d take it home with me. Now you’ve got to go home and be able to leave it at the office and mellow out a little bit. So I think it helps.”
Coincidentally, both he and Assistant Coach Tony Economopoulos became dads on the same day in the same hospital. Dominic Economopoulos and Maggie Carmichael were born on Sept. 10, 2007.
“Tony and I were texting from the delivery rooms next to each other, ‘What’s going on over there?’ … Then we’d go out in the hallway, ‘Any movement?’ ‘Nah. You?’ It was unbelievable. It’s all a blur now.”
Soccer has always been a family affair for Carmichael.
“I’m from a town called Airdrie, right outside of Glasgow, but when I was 12, my dad moved to Houston with the oil industry,” he says. “We moved in ’82, and it was supposed to be just a one or two year deal, but my dad loved it and it ended up being six years. So I went through high school there and then went back to the UK for a year to play soccer. I thought I was going to be a professional soccer player. It didn’t quite pan out that way, and I ended up coming back and getting a scholarship to the University of South Alabama.”
After his collegiate career, Carmichael helped coach the women’s team at his alma mater before joining Karen Hancock to start the OSU program from scratch. Those days were a struggle to be competitive, he recalls.
“The first few years Karen and I were just fighting to keep our heads above water, just trying to get any player who was decent to come here and try to win a few games. We had a couple really down years, but in 2000 we had a very good recruiting class. And from there we’ve been able to build. It’s been a process, but certainly I’d say the last two years we’ve maintained a level of stability, and that’s the key. If you want to reach that next level, you’ve got to be consistently at the top. I think that’s the sign of a successful program.”
Carmichael says he hasn’t been back to Scotland in several years, but has managed to convert his family into diehard Cowgirl fans.
“My dad used to think women couldn’t play sports, but he’s now become this massive OSU soccer fan, and so they come here every fall.”
When they visit, Carmichael’s family is quick to point out that his Scottish brogue has become a southern drawl.
“I guess my accent is kind of a blend between Scotland, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma. They say it doesn’t sound Scottish anymore. Occasionally ‘y’all’ will slip out, and I’ll just get blistered for it.” [+]
Clay Billman
“A lot of people think soccer’s non-contact. Come watch a game. Or even better, come watch
a practice. It’s full contact and these kids put their body on the
line every day.
—Colin Carmichael
JAMIE 5
MARKAVERICH Midfielder
“Jamie was a part-time starter for two years and then last year, she really blossomed into a very good player,” Carmichael says. “She’s worked very, very hard in practice and in the weight room.
“This spring, she was one of our best players, and I expect her senior year to be her best year so far.”
YOLANDA 99
ODENYO Midfielder
“Yo is just invaluable - not only her individual stats, but her leadership and the confidence she brings to the rest of the team,” Carmichael says of Odenyo. “She’s made a huge impact on our program on-and-off the field. She’s our focal point, and we’re hoping she has a great senior year.”
ERIN 00
STIGLER Goalkeeper
“You can’t say enough good things about Erin Stigler,” Carmichael says. “From walk-on, fourth-string goalkeeper to setting shutout records, she’s been great. She’s playing with a lot of confidence, and our team realizes they’ve got a good goalkeeper behind them. That gives everyone else more confidence.”
JESSICA 13
JARRELL Defender
“(Jarrell) sometimes flies under the radar, doesn’t get any accolades, but year-in and year-out she’s one of our best defenders,” Carmichael says. “She’s been brilliant for us. She might not get the recognition, but from a coaching standpoint, she’s one of the first names you put down on the starting 11.”
LEAH 20 HOPE Forward
“Leah is a kid that knows how to score goals, and she’s scored some important ones for us,” Carmichael says. “The one that sticks out is down at Texas A&M on national TV.
“She works very hard and a lot of times gives us a spark off the bench, and she’s always a threat to score goals when she’s playing.”
Leave the electrical work to the pros.
$115 Million
The Story Behind the Big Number & Why It’s Important
It’s no secret Mike Holder pushes people to achieve more.
That’s what coaches do.
A little more than a year ago, he decided to push the athletic department’s development team. They had just finished the successful “Next Level” capital improvement campaign and were discussing what the next program should be.
“We had a tremendously successful Next Level campaign,” says Larry Reece, executive director of major gifts and voice of the Cowboys. “Coach Holder asked, ‘Guys, what should we do next?’
“That’s when we looked at endowments. It was, frankly, embarrassing. I like it when OSU is number one, not when we’re dead last. In endowments, we were dead last. We had $2.1 million in scholarship endowments we could count. In comparison, number one in the conference, at the time, was Texas A&M with $60 million.
“We were way behind.”
The team dug in and did due diligence. They discovered that most schools were just making up a number they thought they could achieve, just pulling something out of thin air.
“A lot of them were saying $150,000 endows a full scholarship,” says Reece. “If you crunch the numbers,
it doesn’t even come close. It’s a little scary, but $500,000 is what it takes to endow a scholarship.”
For one year, full scholarship for one athlete costs between $18,000-$20,000.
“When you have 229 of those, you have a big number,” Reece says. “We didn’t candy coat or make up some small number we thought we could get a lot of people to do.
“Coach Holder doesn’t do anything halfway. He said, ‘What’s it going to take to do them all. Larry, that’s your goal.’”
That goal: $115 million.
In just a year, the team has raised scholarship endowments from $2.1 million to $25 million in present day and deferred gifts.
“That’s crazy,” says Reece. “There’s been a change in the mindset. Cowboy fans and supporters have really decided to step it up in unprecedented levels. It’s been pretty rewarding to see us go from dead last to basically a tie for third with Texas.
“The scholarship campaign has been really rewarding because people get it,” he says. “They like the fact they are helping our student-athletes. That’s what we’re all about. That’s why we’re all here. We want their experience to be the best it can be.
“It’s been amazing. I don’t believe any of us have been turned down yet.”
There’s another obvious benefit to endowing all 229 scholarships. Each year, approximately $4.5 million comes out of the athletic department’s operating budget to pay for these scholarships. When the scholarships are endowed, that money goes back into the pool.
OSU’s athletic budget at $40 million per year is a third that of Texas ($120 million), and half that of OU ($75-80 million).
“We’re trying to compete with these people,” says Reece. “Not only did we have small endowments, but 10 percent of the $40 million athletic budget goes to campus to pay for our athletic scholarships every year. That is a major hit.
“We’ve always been the little athletic department that could,” says Reece. “We’ve always had a smaller budget. We were able to compete in golf and wrestling and basketball, but football has always just had a brief period of success here and there. It’s never been consistent.”
The reality is that OSU didn’t have the resources, or the budget, to compete on a consistent basis.
So how do you grow the budget? The obvious answer is to sell more tickets.
“We all know that if we win more ballgames, we’re going to have more people attending,” says Reece. “We need to battle for a Big 12 Championship and sneak into a BCS game. That will change things. The good news is we have 16,000 more seats in the west end zone so we have the ability to sell more tickets.”
Another answer is to grow the POSSE.
“We’ve gone from 6,000 to 8,050 POSSE members in a year,” he says. “We’ve been at 6,000 since I’ve been here. Texas A&M has more than 23,000 in their booster club. We need to reach for those kinds of numbers, but we need to get to 10,000 fi rst.”
Reece says there was a need to be more forward thinking, to abandon the mindset, for instance, that ticket prices can be raised once the teams start winning.
“We couldn’t wait for that to happen,” he says. “It probably never would have happened. We just kept it fl at because we weren’t very good and just wanted to keep people coming. And we owe about 25,000 fans who came no matter what a debt of gratitude. We appreciate those folks, even though they may not think we appreciate them because they’re feeling the pain of the increases now.
“We’re still in the middle of the pack,” says Reece in regard to ticket prices.
Numbers based on an informal survey as of 2006.
Texas A&M
Kansas
Texas
Baylor
Oklahoma
Missouri
Kansas State
Colorado
Texas Tech
Iowa State
Oklahoma State
$60,000,000
$29,000,000
$25,000,000
$23,000,000
$20,000,000
$18,000,000
$10,000,000
$62,000,000
$3,700,000
$2,690,832
$2,162,891
It was a tough choice to make, and unpopular one, but necessary. Already in his short term as AD, Holder has shown the ability to make the right choice, even if it’s a difficult one.
“We’re fortunate we have an athletic director who’s one of us,” says Reece. “Mike Holder is a Cowboy. He’s been here as a player, as a tremendously successful coach, and now he’s our AD.
“I think a lot of times ADs around the country go to a school and think they’re going to be there a relatively short period of time, three to fi ve years. They’re thinking, ‘What can I do right now to bolster my résumé, make things look good for my next job.’ Mike Holder’s not going anywhere, so he’s trying to fi gure out, ‘How do I secure the future of the school we all love?’”
It’s a question many Cowboy fans are asking. Fortunately, Reece and the rest of the team have an answer: endow a scholarship.
“An endowment is always going to be there,” he says. “It’s about securing our future.”
Numbers based on an informal survey as of 2007.
Texas A&M
Kansas
Texas
Oklahoma State
Baylor
$65,000,000
$29,000,000
$25,000,000
$25,000,000
$24,500,000
Oklahoma $24,000,000
Missouri
Kansas State
Colorado
Texas Tech
$22,500,000
$21,000,000
$15,000,000
$6,900,000
Iowa State $6,200,000
“There’s been a change in the mindset. Cowboy fans and supporters have really decided to step it up in unprecedented levels. It’s been pretty rewarding to see us go from dead last to basically a tie for third with Texas."
— Larry Reece
Building Oklahoma and Coast to Coast Since 1945
W&W Steel was founded in Oklahoma in 1945 and is now one of the largest steel fabricating companies in the United States. We provide complete turnkey design, fabrication and erection services covering a wide range of domestic and international construction projects.
Headquartered in Oklahoma City, W&W Steel and its subsidiary AFCO Steel, have 1000 dedicated employees serving our clients from 10 locations. We are extremely proud of our people and their contribution to the growth and success of our companies, and we are also very proud to be a supporter of Oklahoma State University Athletics.
Corporate Offices: 1730 West Reno • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106 • 405-235-3621 Lubbock, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix, Arizona; Laguna Hills, California; Chicago, Illinois; Little Rock, Arkansas; Van Buren, Arkansas, Greeley, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada
Honda Motors Assembly Plant Greensburg, Indiana
OSU Boone Pickens Stadium Expansion I,II,III Stillwater, OK
Fontainebleau Resorts Casino, Convention Center and Parking Garage Las Vegas, NV
New Dallas Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX
Photo by Phil Shockley
THE WISDOM OF
WEIS
Photo by Phil Shockley
"I honestly believe we’re going to be back on the podium again in the top four. Just what number, I don’t know. Things fall right, we could win it all. So that would be nice to go out with a national championship. That’s what we’re looking for – what we’ve always looked for."
As a four-decade career comes to a close, Richard Weis plans to go out with a bang this November. Entering his 26th and final year as men's track and field coach at OSU, Weis says the cross country team could be national champions this season.
This season, which ends at the NCAA Championships before Thanksgiving, will be a capstone on a career that took Weis, a father of five and the son of a chemical engineer, from his home in White Plains, N.Y., to physical education studies at Kings College, part time jobs as a garbage man, personal coach and teacher. He came to OSU as a cross country coach in 1983 from the University of Missouri, where in four years Weis coached 26 All-Americans and a two-time Big Eight champion.
At OSU, Weis’ list of accolades stretches into next week: 53 All-Americans coached, two Olympians, one world-record holder, four national champions and five runners-up, and the list goes on. He turned the Cowgirl cross country team into a Big Eight powerhouse with a conference championship in 1986. He became track coach in 1989 and his teams qualified for nine consecutive NCAA tournaments and landed six district titles. Weis has also been named the district’s coach of the year six times. Dave Smith took the reigns of the men’s cross country team in 2006 and will take over entirely once Weis retires.
Here are some excerpts from a recent POSSE conversation with Weis, his New York accent-laced comments spanning everything from coaching to family, and his plans to travel, golf and fish his way through retirement.
MATT ELLIOTT » This is going to be your last year at Oklahoma State. Does it feel any different at all?
RICHARD WEIS » No, it’s just coming to an end after 44 years, a long time coaching.
M.E. » Are you planning on staying in Oklahoma?
WEIS » Oh yeah. We’re staying here (in Stillwater). All our kids are here or close. I have one daughter north of Dallas. My son (Joe) works at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. And I’ve got another boy (Ray) who's a wrestling coach down at Jenks. And my other daughter is going back to school getting her master’s degree.
M.E. » What was it that drew you to OSU, apart from the job?
WEIS » It was a good move for me. I was out in Missouri, coaching the women and it was just a better deal to come down here. Of course, my son Ray was interested in wrestling. And this was the best place to come for wrestling, never knowing that he was going to get on the team. He walked on as a freshman and made it to the nationals.
M.E. » Did you ever think you’d end up this far away from New York?
WEIS » No. For a long period of time, I was the only high school coach around getting interviews at universities but I never got a job. I interviewed for Syracuse, West Point, a whole bunch of other schools and never got a job, so I’d kind of given up. Then, I got the job at Missouri. I never even went there for the interview. I interviewed on the phone and I got the job as the women’s coach. In 1979, they interviewed me on Tuesday and Thursday on the phone, and I was hired on Friday.
M.E. » How big of an adjustment was that for you, to leave New York and go to the rural Midwest?
WEIS » When I went to Missouri, it was kind of culture shock. But coming down here was fine. I had been to Stillwater a number of times. I’d met a number of people down here, so I had a good idea what was going on. And my kids had been here with me, too, on trips. They all wanted to come.
M.E. » What was the first big lesson you learned about coaching athletes and trying to get them to improve?
WEIS » Listen to them. When I first started coaching my brother, he was going into his senior year in high school. And he was a 4:54miler. He wanted to get better. We had this course we would run and I just developed a thing for him. I told him, “Run out a minute. Come back a minute. You’ll get two minutes’ rest. Then out a minute and back a minute and two minutes’ rest.” We did it the first day and everything was fine. The second day, he said it was tough. The third day he says, “Aw, I’m dragging. I can’t do this three days in a row. It’s killing me.” So, I said, “OK, take a day off and just run easy” … Then from there we just kind of picked it up and found out that two days hard and one day easy was a lot better ... He ran in three races during the summer, and the last race he ran a 4:28 for the mile. He ran his last lap in 59 seconds … He ended up getting a scholarship to the University of Houston.
M.E. » How’d you pay the bills after college?
WEIS » I got married in '66 and then I started school in ’68. I graduated in three-and-a-half-years and I was working 47 hours a week. I had like five jobs. I taught in a Catholic school half a day a week. Whenever the job came and I was open, I worked it. I worked garbage in the summer and over Christmas, and sometimes on Sundays I drove the garbage truck.
M.E. » Did you and your wife have any kids at the time?
WEIS » Yeah. We had one, Kate, and another, Joe, one on the way. I was superintendent of recreation and parks down at Mount Pleasant. I had about a hundred people working for me, and then around 1974 I got the job at Albertus Magnus High School, in Bardonia, N.Y. I was there four years and we won two state championships had a national record in the two-mile run.
M.E. » You mentioned you were laid off from your next job at a nearby school district. That had to have been a rough
time. How’d you make it through that?
WEIS » I’ve got a good faith in God that he’ll guide me where to go, so I was concerned, but I wasn’t worried. I knew something would work out and would work out for the best. And it was good because where we were living in New York and everything was really, really turning to drugs. It was really getting out of hand in Rockland County, north of New York City. It was turning into a bad situation and I didn’t want my kids subject to it.
M.E. » What are you going to do after you retire?
WEIS » I play golf and fish. I played golf this morning and hopefully this afternoon even though it’s raining. I’ve got a buddy who’s coming and we're going to go fish a couple of farm ponds up in Pawnee. I fish all over the place.
M.E. » How’s the fishing around Stillwater?
WEIS » The best place is right here in town, Boomer. In the last three years at Boomer, I’ve caught two sixes, a seven, and an eight and nine-pound bass. Nobody fishes there.
M.E. » Now that you’ve said that, a bunch of people are going to go and fish there. You’ll lose your spot.
WEIS » Yeah, well they’ve got to get out there and fish. They’ve got to find the spots and all. The last time I was down at Boomer, I caught a 13-pound catfish.
M.E. » What else will you do?
WEIS » I plan on traveling back to Europe a couple of times. My wife really likes England and Scotland. I’d like to spend some time in Wales. One of the kids we had here, Nathaniel Lane, got an MBA here and is a lawyer in Wales. He wants us to come over. He said he’d take some time off and take us all over Wales ... When we go to England, Paul Larkin (an NCAA champ for me in the mile) is the editor of two magazines and so he’s taken us around a couple times.
M.E. » It sounds like you’ve had a wonderful career here.
WEIS » Yeah, well, it’s been very, very, very good. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of good people and had a lot of good times. It was well worth being here, believe me. You don’t know how good it was for the family, being here.
M.E. » What are you going to miss about it?
WEIS » When you do something for 44 years and you’re doing it seven days a week, you kind of miss it. I told Dave if he needs any help I’ll come back and help him. But I don't want to interfere. It’s going to be his program after this is over. When he first came here, he just meshed pretty well … A couple years ago I made him head cross country coach to keep him. Now we’re down to the last. It’s just been me and him for the last six years. It’s just a matter of getting through this season. Last year, we were third at the nationals and we really had a great race. We had four out of five kids run a perfect race and ended up third. I think we’ve got a better team this year. I think we’re going to be in the mix of it again. I honestly believe we’re going to be back on the podium again in the top four. Just what number, I don’t know. Things fall right, we could win it all. So that would be nice to go out with a national championship. That’s what we’re looking for – what we’ve always looked for.
Photo by Phil Shockley
SHOE IS ACTUAL SIZE »
Go ahead. Hold it up to your foot. You know you want to. No one's watching. This is the size-16 cleat of Cowboy defensive end Ugo Chinasa. He's a 6'6", 255-pound sophomore out of Richardson, Texas, and he's ready to use these cleats to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines this fall. Tickets are available.
Photo by Phil Shockley
KYLE WRAY
Many things have changed over the last 20 years in the world of athletic training. Workout gear used to be clunky and gray.
DRINK ORANGE YOUR
Today, dry-fit clothing comes in “breathable” material in every color of the rainbow.
Even the length of shorts is dramatically different. Go back and look at some pictures from the Leonard Hamilton era. The style was short and tight. And by “tight,” I don’t mean “cool.” I mean snug.
Canvas Converse used to be the footwear of choice. Okay, there was the choice between the colors of black and white, but that was it. Now the choices are endless.
(Have you been in a sports store lately?)
Industry giant Nike dominates the landscape. New Balance, Reebok and Asics all build shoes designed to propel you into the next stride. Perhaps one day they will invent shoes so efficient, the shoes can do the running for you.
Even the athletes have changed. They seemingly defy physics by being bigger and
faster than ever. As the Olympic Games in Beijing demonstrated this summer, world records were made to be broken.
One thing that has not changed is the need for replenishing your system with water. The harder you work, the more you need it. Gatorade, POWERAde or good oldfashioned, quality H20 will do the trick. As Bobby Boucher taught all of us, you should never underestimate the need and importance of water during physical exertion.
When I played football, the intelligence of the day suggested water was bad for you. It made you weak. That must have been before they invented dehydration. Football practice was a fluid-starved gauntlet of strenuous activity.
We used to pray for a mirage during two-a-days. A tall cool bottle of Gatorade
was a wild fantasy. It seems all coaches subscribed to Paul “Bear” Bryant’s school of thought when it came to football — no nonsense, no mercy, no water. Salt pillsyes. Water-No. Now that I think about it, what were we supposed to wash those salt pills down with?
Today, our football players are encouraged to hydrate themselves before, during and after practice. The wisdom of the day indicates cramps are prevented by drinking proper fluids many hours prior to physical activity. It makes you wonder what we will know 20 years from now that will make our present-day logic look foolish.
So the next time you are thirsty, it’s ok to crack open a Gatorade. There is lemonlime, grape and a host of other fl avors. Of course, we prefer you drink Orange.
~YOUR ONE STOP COWBOY SHOP" FeatUFing the Largest Selectiom 0fr ©klah0ma State University ~filparel & Merchandise in Qklah0ma.
