Sampson agrees to deal with the University of Houston

The Houston Cougars have found their next head coach and they didn’t have to look far.

Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson has agreed to return to college hoops as the Cougars’ coach, according to CBSSports.com.

Sampson had worked in the NBA with the Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks over the past six years.

Sampson, 58, was fired from Indiana in 2008 after an NCAA investigation into improper and excessive contact with recruits regarding phone calls and text messages.

The violations were repeat offenses from when he was head coach at Oklahoma. This led to a five-year show-cause on Sampson, one of the harshest in NCAA history against a D-I college basketball coach.
The NCAA no longer puts such restrictions on text messages with recruits.

Sampson compiled a 496-271 career record at Indiana, Oklahoma, Washington State and Montana Tech. However, he received a five-year show-cause order in 2008, which meant that if a team wanted to hire him, it would need to impose sanctions on Sampson or “show cause” that Sampson properly served his punishment. The show-cause recently expired, so Sampson will be able to coach without any sanctions levied upon him.

Say what you want about Sampson but he will have the Cougars playing at a different level than in years past. Call him a cheater or a dirtbag but Sampson has the potential to make Houston a nationally relevant program once again.

Oklahoma's Blake Bell to switch from quarterback to tight end

According to Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops, former starting quarterback Blake Bell, also known as the “Belldozer”, will be switching positions. Bell will close out his career in Norman playing the tight end position during his senior season.

"Even though he could graduate and go somewhere, he wants to finish out and try tight end," coach Stoops said. "I think it's a great fit. Blake has the size, the athleticism, the speed to do that, and he's exhibited his toughness through the years."

As a junior, Bell led the Sooners with 1,648 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes (five interceptions). He completed 60.1 percent of this throws and averaged 7.07 yards per attempt. He started eight games. Bell had some solid moments but was very inconsistent and he struggled in losses to Texas (46.2 percent, 0 TDs, 2 INTs) and Baylor (42.9 percent, 1 TD, 2 INTs).

Oklahoma finished the season strong with four straight wins including upsets at Kansas State and Oklahoma State, as well as a big bowl win over Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Bell attempted just 16 passes during their four-game winning streak, but in a relief role, he did lead the Sooners on the game-winning drive in Stillwater. Trailing 24-20, Bell connected with senior wide out Jalen Saunders from seven yards out for the game-winning score with 19 seconds remaining in the contest.

Despite his late-game heroics in the Bedlam rivalry, Stoops went back to Trevor Knight in the Sugar Bowl. The redshirt freshman responded with a career game, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns against the Crimson Tide, establishing himself as OU’s starting quarterback heading into the 2014 season.

It’s unclear if the Sooners will use Bell in short-yardage situations, which is where he flourished as a freshman and a sophomore. With a physical running style reminiscent of Tim Tebow, Bell scored 13 rushing touchdowns in 2011 and 11 more in 2012.

The move will give Bell a better chance to help the Sooners on the field in 2014, but it also leaves Oklahoma thin at the quarterback position behind Knight. Junior Kendall Thompson, the son of former OU star quarterback Charles Thompson, has decided to transfer.

That leaves redshirt freshman Cody Thomas and incoming true freshman Justice Hansen as Knight’s backups. Oklahoma has added Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year quarterback Bake Mayfield, who has transferred from Texas Tech, but he won’t be eligible to play until 2015.

Barry Switzer criticizes Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M Heisman winning quarterback Johnny Manziel has been under fire for his on field antics against Rice on Saturday.  His smack talk against Rice defenders and money flashing gestures stole the show in college football last week.

Former Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer became the latest to put in his two cents about Manziel's actions.

In an interview on ESPN radio Switzer voiced his displeasure with Manziel.

“I’m certainly disappointed in his actions,” Switzer said. “For him to act so arrogant,€“ I wanted to jerk his face mask and I wanted to grab him,” Switzer went on to say. “Of course you get fired for that now; in the old days you could get away with that. It’s the world we live in. It’s a misplaced value system. When I see this happen I wonder where the core value system comes from, if he has a core value system. This young man needs a damn hell of a lot of development.” 

That's a mouthful coming from Switzer. The man who used to brag about putting up "half a hundred" on inferior opponents before halftime. Toward the end of his reign at Oklahoma you couldn't help but think of Switzer anytime you heard the words "renegade program". Switzer or his players weren't exactly known for their sportsmanship.

I won't lie, I was a fan of it. But it was a moment of the pot calling the kettle black that's all.

Hopefully for Johnny Football, he'll let his play do the talking for the rest of the season.

OU's Lewis Knocks Nebraska

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten, there were some that figured they would be the new bully on the block. Wisconsin took care of that notion with a 48-17 beatdown Saturday night.

Nebraska helped start the exodus of schools in the Big 12 along with Colorado and there is no love lost between some of their old rivals.

Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis had some not so kind words directed at the Cornhuskers after the Wisconsin meltdown.

The strange part about it is that you couldn't find Lewis' Twitter account. I wonder if any Huskers will have any words for the Sooners if they drop a game.  

   

More Rumblings In The Conference Landscape

Yesterday Texas A&M made a decision to leave the Big 12 by July of 2012, more than likely to the SEC. The Big 12 has been in survival mode since last year when Nebraska and Colorado jumped ship to the Big Ten and Pac-12 respectively. The conference nearly imploded and pledged to stay together for the future.

That was until the people in Aggieland got so upset at their blood rivals in Austin and figured they've had enough. Now there's this, right out of the Austin American Statesman. Kirk Bohls wrote a piece titled 'One more move and Big 12 is over'.


If you read this, they're putting the future of the Big 12 squarely on Oklahoma's back. In the process keeping the blood off of their hands. The folks at Texas would love for Oklahoma to make the first move and bolt for the Pac-12 so that they can blame the conference's demise on someone other than themselves. I'm no insider but I bet if I asked anyone down in College Station who blew up the Big 12 and they'd say Texas. To me Texas and Oklahoma are joined at the hip and they aren't going anywhere without each other. On the other hand the Big 12 still has options as long as Oklahoma and Texas are around.

So far the speculation has linked Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, BYU, Air Force, Louisville,Houston and SMU. The Big 12 would love to have Arkansas come back home and return to their roots but I'm not sure they are feel ing the same way toward the Big 12. Notre Dame has reaffrimed their independence and axes Pittsburgh as a possible mate. Notre Dame's independence makes me want conference armageddon to come sooner than later. I'm not sold on Louisville as a Big 12 member, but they would be credible in basketball but who cares about that sport anyway. All of this is football driven. I've always thought that Houston should've been included in the original Big 12.

There are stories about BYU and Air Force having contact with Big 12 officials and SMU has been politicking to get back into the big time.  

If there's this much backbiting going on as the article stated, they should've parted ways already.

Sooner Nation Has Had A Rough Few Weeks

The Oklahoma Sooners football program has had a rough couple of weeks. First starting linebacker Austin Box died from an apparent overdose. Then the brother of defensive coordinator Brent Venables passed away.Now former Sooner All-American safety, Brandon Everage has died from a reported drowning.

According to Sheriff David Greene of the Milam County Sheriff’s Office, Everage, 30, drowned in the Little River about 80 miles northeast of Austin.



Authorities received a call late Friday about a possible drowning and commenced a widespread [search] into the night. Everage’s friends told police he had been swimming, went under water, but never resurfaced.

Everage’s body was finally found by a dive team about 10:50 a.m. Saturday, and he was immediately pronounced dead. His body has been sent to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Everage was an All-American in 2001 and a member of the Sooners’ 2000 national title team. He played for the Sooners from 1999-2003.


The Sooner family has had a lot ot endure this offseason. Man alive, this has been a tough few weeks for the Sooner family. Condolences and thoughts to all the families and friends that have been impacted the past few weeks.


Let's hope the Sooners will be able to bounce back from the string of tragedy.

Sam Bradford Gets A Statue At Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford is the latest to be immortalized for his collegiate feats. At the Sooner Spectacular gala event Saturday night inside Cox Pavilion at State Fair Park, Bradford's official Heisman Trophy statue - the one that will stand alongside Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White in OU's Heisman Park outside Memorial Stadium - was unveiled.


Bradford seemed to be in awe of the whole ceremony.

"I never thought I'd be standing here giving a speech in front of a statue of myself," Bradford said, with confetti still in his hair. "Pretty cool, though."


He also feels that he's too young t be seeing a statue of himself.

"You know," Bradford said, "I'm pretty young to be walking around looking at a statue of myself."


Bradford won't be the last to be bronzed at Oklahoma.

 

 

Lon Kruger Is Oklahoma Bound Depending On Who You Ask

Various reports are saying that Oklahoma will name UNLV's Lon Kruger as its men's basketball coach. Oklahoma says they will hold off on the announcement until the players at UNLV are informed. Kruger has told CBSSports.com that  he hasn't seen the report.

Say anything to soften the blow. Kruger said he was staying at UNLV as recent as yesterday and now it's looking like he has a change of heart. It's known that coaches will always do that. Say one thing and do another. It's in their DNA. As far as Kruger goes he's becoming another version of Larry Brown. He can't ever get comfortable in one place. He's not a bad guy, just a rolling stone.

This is a good hire for Oklahoma and a big loss for UNLV. He's won everywhere he's been, except the NBA. There's never been a hint of scandal anywhere he's been and he is a class guy. He should have the Sooners back to respectability in a few years.

UNLV might have to turn to a former Rebel to take over (Dave Rice, Reggie Theus). This is going to be a key hire for the program. They've built up some momentum after being irrelevant since the mid 90s. They need someone to keep the ball rolling, not a big name seat filler.   

The Oklahoma Version Of 'Black & Yellow'

Following in the footsteps of many that have copied Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa's hit 'Black and Yellow', Oklahoma Sooners safety Tony Jefferson has his own version. It's called 'Boomer Sooner', something he's been pushing locally.

It's something that won't be playing in my car, but at least he's doing something other than making trouble. Maybe this will be an inspiration for the Sooners and propel them to a national championship.

I don't mean to be ultracritical, but Jefferson's no "Swiperboy".