T H E O ’ C O L LY
o c o l ly . c o m N o v e m b e r 1 7, 2 0 1 6
‘A CELEBRATION OF LIFE’ Five years later, Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna, and Olin and Paula Branstetter are not forgotten
PHOTO COURTESY OF OKLAHOMA STATE ATHLETICS
FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ‘REMEMBER THE FOUR’ CRASH
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‘the Orange Jacket’: Blazer a symbol for Ford’s admiration after his time at OSU ended. The walls are blue and bare. Frames rest against them ST. LOUIS — Travis Ford waiting to be hung. stared into his nearly empty Ford’s fire remains. He locker in Gallagher-Iba worries it comes to light Arena. All that was left was too often. Budke always did the orange blazer. such a good job of remainHe packed most of what ing calm. He was what Ford he collected during the past eight years. Some items were strives to be. “I always wanted to do tossed aside. Other pieces would go with him, wherever better,” Ford said. “I can lose his next step was. They were my cool way too much and memories to carry forward as show my emotions too much at times. I can’t tell you how his tenure as the Oklahoma State men’s basketball coach many times, as a coach, after came to a somewhat expected he passed, that I would think, ‘Man, I want to be like him.’” but painful end. Ford is still searching for Ford knew he should the right phrases. Half a deleave the bright, almost neon cade before, he left so much orange blazer hanging inside, unsaid. but he couldn’t leave the “Words can’t express how memories, too. much I thought of him as a In Oklahoma, in Stillperson,” Ford said. “I think water, in the arena where about him, I think about Kurt Budke once tramped alongside the benches of Ed- him a lot. I don’t think he probably knew how much I die Sutton Court in his own admired him.” orange blazer, Ford left a jacket that came to symbolize The genuine giant the appreciation of a friend Kurt Budke had no trouble he never said goodbye to. Instead, he said goodbye to proving he belonged in Stillwater. the jacket. “As long as you’re genuine, Five years ago Thursyou’re in,” Larry Reece day, Budke, then the OSU women’s basketball coach, as said. “And Kurt Budke was genuine.” well as assistant coach MiReece is the public address randa Serna and donors Olin announcer for OSU’s football and Paula Branstetter, died in a plane crash in Perryville, and men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as Arkansas. a senior associate athletic For the second time in a director for development. He decade, OSU was left to ask a question that too often goes watched Budke weave his way into a community he has unanswered: “Why?” spent more than two decades Five years later, Ford has no answer. He sits in his new in. In 2008, Budke’s third seaoffice inside Chaifetz Arena son, as the Cowgirls braced at Saint Louis University, where he was hired 12 days to face No. 6 Oklahoma in
Ford listened to improve as a coach. “I would actually check myself at times and say, ‘Man, that’s not how he would do it. … He’d be disappointed in me right now. I’m losing my mind over here,’” Ford said. “I wish I could do it like he did it.”
BY nathan ru iz Edi to r-in -chie f
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016
‘This just can’t be’
For Travis and Heather Ford, the phone call came at 4 a.m. Nov. 18, 2011. Angela Iven, the Fords’ neighbor and wife of OSU team physician Val Gene Iven, got a call from her husband, who was in Iowa with OSU’s football team, telling her about the plane crash. After a 2001 plane crash killed 10 members of the Cowboy basketball family, Iven, even in her weary state, devin l. wilber/O’COLLY was stunned. “I was asleep and just in Travis Ford, Oklahoma State’s former men’s basketball coach, wore an orange blazer for disbelief,” she said. “This each Bedlam home game after Kurt Budke’s death. Budke helped Ford adjust to life at OSU. just couldn’t happen again to most. front of the biggest women’s replaced Sean Sutton as the OSU.” When it came to his team, basketball crowd in Gallagh- OSU men’s coach. In the She called her neighbors, same way OSU welcomed Budke was in command of er-Iba Arena history, Budke figuring they might know Budke, Budke extended a any situation. His players premiered a bright orange something given Ford’s posirespected him because he blazer. That night, OSU upset hand to Ford. tion. Instead, she was the one Their careers took similar respected them. He knew the Sooners 82-63. who delivered the news of how to approach them and “That orange jacket kind of arcs to OSU. They both bethe four deaths. connect with them. Despite summarizes how he became gan at small schools, Budke “We thought there was at Kansas City Community a resounding energy, he a Cowboy and an OSU persome confusion,” Ford said. College and Ford at Campremained calm. son from the get-go,” Reece “‘Somebody’s got something bellsville University. Even He and Ford had daily con- wrong. This just can’t be.’” said. “I think people loved beyond the court, their fami- versations about basketball. seeing him in that. I’ll never Ford called Keiton Page, forget it. When I picture him, lies matched. Three children: Ford doesn’t remember the the Cowboys’ captain. Page two sons, one daughter. last time they spoke. He only was used to receiving early I see him that way, in that In Budke, Ford saw a man knows it was about the game morning calls from his coach, orange blazer, that bright they love. orange blazer. He was proud and coach he wanted to be. but 4:30 a.m. was too early The 6-foot-4 Budke’s They often attended each to wear it.” for even Ford. dominating physical presence other’s practices. Ford sat in Soon, the orange jacket Ford told Page to round up the players and head to was not something Ford, at awe watching Budke work. and Budke became synonyGallagher-Iba Arena. In 5-9, could imitate. Budke’s The Cowgirls listened to mous. STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 3 The next season, Ford demeanor appealed to him Budke to improve as players. OCOLLY.COM
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speaking with team trainer Jake Manzelmann, Page learned what happened to Budke, Serna and the Branstetters. He prepared himself and notified his teammates of the conversation that was coming. Page said he doesn’t remember Ford’s words once he gathered the team in its locker room, but he remembers the message. “He had told us that we need to do everything in our power to be with our girls’ program and their families and the coaching staff,” Page said. “We just all tried to huddle around each other and be there for each other during that time.” At 9 a.m., several miles east of Gallagher-Iba Arena, Iven visited the Budkes’ home. Friends of the family were there visiting Budke’s wife, Shelley, and their three children, Sara, Alex and Brett. At some point, Ford was among them. He wanted to endlessly support the Budkes and the Cowgirls. He rented the Stillwater bowling alley for the men’s and women’s teams. Come Christmastime, Heather Ford put up trees in the locker rooms. Ford, though, wanted to find a way to honor Budke. He strived to be more like him as a coach, a father and a person. He thought of his favorite memories of Budke. Watching him spend time with his parents when they visited for games. Seeing him hug Shelley after a win. The moments he spent with his children. “If there’s an example of how to enjoy college coaching, he would be it,” Ford said. “He just seemed to have
thought it might be nice to give to Brett and Alex, who is now a graduate assistant for the Cowboys. Reece understands if it ends up with the Budkes, but he wouldn’t mind having it back; he wants to wear it for Bedlam games at Gallagher-Iba Arena. “I’m proud of the way Travis handled it,” Reece said. “I’m proud of the fact that he wore that bright orange blazer in Kurt Budke’s honor.” Reece and Page see similarities between the former OSU coaches. Their recruiting skills. Their basketball intelligence. Their passion courtesy of oklahoma state athletics Miranda Serna, center, and Kurt Budke, second from right, died in a plane crash Nov. 17, for the game and for their 2011. Budke premiered a bright orange blazer in the Cowgirls’ 2008 upset of Oklahoma. players. it together and never seemed blazer. “Their alikes were easy to panicked, never seemed The Cowboys won Bedspot,” Page said. rattled. Great teacher, great lam 72-65. Yet Ford is left with mesmotivator. “It was almost like you sages undelivered. He yearns “There’s so many difwere out playing for anSearching for the words to be better, trying to emulate ferent visions, but it’s that other purpose,” Page said. More often than not, one orange jacket, probably.” Ford continued to bring of Page’s postgame texts was a man he can no longer Words can’t out the blazer for Bedlam from Budke. watch, a friend he can no express how much ‘Playing for another home games. It became The messages provided en- longer see every day. I thought of him purpose’ an opportunity to teach his couragement, reinforcement as a person. I think “That whole thing is just As the Cowboys’ first players about Budke, Serna or congratulations, whatever about him a lot. I hard to explain, it really is,” home Bedlam game after and the Branstetters’ place Budke felt Page needed. don’t think he Budke’s death approached, in OSU history. In Budke and Ford, he had Ford said. “It still messes probably knew an idea came to Ford. In later years, the meswith me. It still just …” two father figures. how much I He decided the best way sage was more palpable. When Page, now the CowFord pauses, a deep breath admired him.” to honor his friend was with Budke’s name was already boys’ assistant director of giving him time to search for the symbol that reflected in the room. player development, walked Travis Ford him most: the orange blazer. Former OSU men’s coach, Budke’s older son, Alex, into the Cowboys’ emptying the right words. “He was such a good guy. Friend of Kurt Budke He needed to find one to walked onto the OSU coaches’ locker room and Great guy. It’s still hard.” wear first. men’s basketball team at saw a symbol of both hangIn the early 2000s, Bob Ford’s suggestion in 2012. ing in Ford’s locker, he felt jacket, Reece was supportive Nathan Ruiz is a Sherrer, then the president of of the idea. Brett Budke joined the team compelled. sports media/sports manthe Tom James Company and With trash bags scattered Ford kept the jacket hidden as a manager in 2014. agement senior from Reno, an OSU alumnus, presented “Man, that presence,” around the room and other until minutes before tipoff. several OSU administrators Ford said. “I didn’t do a good lockers not quite emptied out, Nevada. He can be reached When he revealed it to the at editorinchief@ocolly. with bright orange blazers. enough job telling them how Page took it. team, the Cowboys’ elders, com. Reece was among those who like Page, understood its much it meant that they were The orange blazer sits in received a blazer. a part of it.” significance. Newcomers his closet. F o l l o w n at h a n : were told about Budke’s When Ford approached Phil Forte, a fifth-year sePage and Reece have @ n at h a n s r u i z intertwined history with the discussed the jacket. Page has Reece about borrowing his nior guard for the Cowboys,
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016
watched Ford don the blazer for four years. The meaning never dulled. “That’s something that’s bigger than basketball,” Forte said. “That kind of stuff meant a lot to him, and he, I think, made us realize how much more important that stuff is. Like, this is a game. Basketball’s just a game, and stuff like that is so much more important.” Ford figures he won’t do much, if anything, regarding the Four this year in his new position at Saint Louis, but that doesn’t mean he won’t remember. Only a phone call away, he keeps Shelley and the Budke children on his mind, especially as the anniversary approaches. “They’re always a part of my life, and I’m here for them in any way possible” Ford said. “I want them to know I’m thinking about them.”
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the b roadcasters
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voices of cowgirl basketball remember fallen friends BY j ordan bis h op
the court, but both of them remember the most morbid The white maple wood of time coming Nov. 18, 2011, the morning after. Eddie Sutton Court will be Kendrick wanted to go on illuminated Thursday night, a fishing trip in Eufaula that the bright tungsten lights of morning. What he thought Gallagher-Iba Arena shining was an alarm woke him, off it. For the Oklahoma but it turned out to be Bill State women’s basketball Annan, then the Cowgirls’ team, it will be another day director of player developof work, another game. ment. It took a few calls Before they can tip off, from Annan for Kendrick to players from either team, along with everyone else in realize something was up. An airplane on a recruitthe arena, will be asked to ing trip in Arkansas with look up toward the AmeriCowgirl coaches Kurt can flag. Most will think Budke and Miranda Serna, nothing of it — another naalong with Paula Branstetter tional anthem — but at least and her husband, Olin, the two men will be looking at pilot, crashed on the way to the banner next to the flag. Little Rock, Arkansas. No A banner with the names of one survived. four people ingrained in the Shocked, Kendrick texted darkest day of the program Gum, who had just gotten they love but now can only off the phone with Annan bring to life through remihimself. niscence and conversation. “I remember Casey texted Kevin Gum and Casey me not 20 minutes after Kendrick will see the bancoach Annan had called, ner and think of a morning and the exact words were, where the court was dark, ‘What the hell just hapthe lights out and the arena pened?’” Gum said. silent aside from the creakKendrick and Gum heading of the wood and the ed over to Shelley Budke’s pounding of heavy hearts. house to meet with AnThat morning was five nan, director of operations years ago. Amber Carter and thenassistant coach Jim Littell. ‘What the hell just The Budkes had received happened?’ word only a few hours earGum and Kendrick have lier and were in the back of been together on the radio covering Cowgirl basketball the house. Realizing there wasn’t much they could do, for more than 20 years, or the coaching staff and the about half as long as the radio crew knew they had to program has been around, go tell the team who hadn’t Gum as the play-by-play announcer and Kendrick as heard yet. “Part of the reason I dethe color commentator. cided to go to Gallagher-Iba They have seen the prowas because we didn’t feel gram evolve from the lowest like we were serving much lows to the highest highs on des i gn editor
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016
Courtesy of Oklahoma State Athletics
Casey Kendrick (left) and Kevin Gum have been on the radio for the Cowgirl basketball team for more than 20 years.
purpose there,” Kendrick said. “Shelley hadn’t known for very long herself. She was surrounded by family, and it just felt like we should let them be together and probably head on with the coaching staff.” When the group arrived at the arena, it was about 5:30 a.m., and the players had gathered in the locker room, unsure of what prompted such an early meeting. Gum, Kendrick and the coaching staff said a prayer before walking into the locker room. Littell said he had to compose himself before telling the women the worst news of his life. “Coach Littell just walked out, and he said to the kids that Coach Budke and Coach Serna had gone on a plane trip to Arkansas to visit a couple of recruits and … that the plane didn’t make it,” Gum said. “Those were the words
he used. ‘The plane didn’t make it.’”
The hardest night
Over the years, Gum and Kendrick, along with members of the Oklahoma State family, have remembered that night every November. None of the weeks leading up to the anniversary are easy, especially when calling a game at that time. But no matter how difficult, it will never compare to the first time the two had to call a game without Budke and Serna on the home team bench. OSU canceled the next two games after the crash to allow the community to mourn. Gum said true healing didn’t start until the Cowgirls hit the court again with their first game back, against Coppin State. Gum said no one cared what the outcome of the game was. It seemed trivial because after
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all, it was only a game. Gum almost fell apart at the beginning of the broadcast when he went to fill in his scoresheet he maintained throughout every game. “I remember having to write Jim Littell’s name at the top of that sheet instead of Kurt Budke, and that was the first time that it was kind of tough on me,” Gum said. “I began to think, ‘Why?’ But I just kind of had to push through it.” Although it was a miserable night, Gum and Kendrick still had a job to do. The duo said they made it through, though they both fought to keep from breaking down in tears. “I don’t think I have ever truly shed a tear on air with exception to that ball game,” Kendrick said. “At the end of that game, the players came over, and they all one by one went into the stands and hugged Shelley Budke. To watch that interaction, it was directly behind us, it was a point that I actually lost it. I couldn’t hardly get through the broadcast; it was extremely difficult. I’ve never been emotional on the air before. Kevin and I just navigated that as best we could. There’s not a manual for that.” When the Cowgirls play Thursday night and every Nov. 17 after, Gum and Kendrick will remember the Four. They will remember that dark, early morning and the emotional roller-coaster season afterward that culminated in a WNIT championship
with Shelley Budke cutting down the net. They will remember the resolve and strength Littell had during that year and how he’s handled the past five seasons. But most of all, when looking at that banner next to the flag, they will remember the good times, the ones that truly keep Serna and Budke alive for one more broadcast. “There will be some happy memories because that’s what they would want,” Gum said. “You’ve got to suck it up because Kurt would tell you to suck it up. ... It has to become at some point a celebration of life more than the mourning of passing of friends like that. I really believe if you knew Kurt and Miranda that that’s what they would be telling you from heaven. ‘Let’s make it a celebration,’ so that’s what we will do.” Jordan Bishop is a sports media senior from Elmore City. He can be reached at design.ed@ ocolly.com. Follow jordan: @jordanbishop35
want more info? To get more Remember the Four coverage: A letter from Shelley Budke and a story containing memories about Budke and Serna are on ocolly.com/sports.
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