Spring Football: Where Does It Stand and When Will We Know?
STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy had plans to get away with his wife Kristen and two younger sons and they were already airborne when a department staff meeting was called on Friday, March 13.
Associate head coach and new offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn represented football. Athletic director and OSU Vice-President Mike Holder and deputy athletic director Chad Weiberg had both been in Kansas City and were running the meeting, informing staff on where college athletics was and how Oklahoma State had been impacted in all the decisions of the previous 48 hours. Staff members we spoke to told Pokes Report that the meeting was as good as you could possibly expect with a situation where so many aspects were changing by the minute.
Two possibilities were thrown out for coaches, administrators, and support staff to anticipate. There were still meetings that day to experience. The Big 12 administration and athletic directors were soon going to be on a teleconference. The Oklahoma State staff was told to anticipate several scenarios including the cancellation of all spring sports competition. That is eventually what happened.
The other possible scenario the athletic department leaders were told to consider a possibility was the Oklahoma State University campus being closed for the rest of the spring semester and students finishing the semester in a remote learning mode (online classes and exams). That decision would be made across campus at Whitehurst Hall by the University leadership. To make things clear right now, the University is open, dorms are open, food service is up. This is spring break and the next two weeks after will be remote learning and online. Later this week (March 18-21) OSU will need to make a decision that is more long term and announce it.
Kasey Dunn working the Jugs machine at the first spring football practice on Monday, March 9.
Robert Allen - Pokes Report publisher
I can tell you that Kasey Dunn in that meeting Friday pushed for answers on spring football and made sure that Mike Holder and other leaders present knew how important that Gundy and the staff felt it was to get in the other 12 practices remaining of spring football. At that time, the SEC schools were still under the guise that they could make up their own mind whether to hold spring football practices or not. That changed later in the afternoon when the SEC shut down spring football through the April 15 moratorium on NCAA recruiting activities. That date has also been used by other entities as a deadline for decisions.
Now you can safely presume that spring games or spring practice finales in front of fans will almost certainly not take place. The practices could be a different story.
We all know that Oklahoma State has a loaded team, maybe the best team that Gundy and his staff have had in his time as head coach. The Cowboys have Chuba Hubbard, one of the best running backs in college football, Tylan Wallace, one of the best wide receivers in college football, and a talented supporting cast with a more experienced and talented quarterback Spencer Sanders and a young freshman, Shane Illingworth, that in one week showed off a big arm and excellent football instincts. The defense is more experienced and likely more talented than it has been in many seasons.
The coaching staff doesn't want to give up any advantages or opportunities.
The problem and this is not just for Oklahoma State, but all major college campuses. The students have spread out and bringing them all back, even bringing back a select few could expose the group. Another contention is the group is exposed being scattered and spread out.
The gain of spring football for Oklahoma State is simple and similar to every other program. You get time to learn, there is the working together of coaches and players, coaches and coaches, and players and players. There is no substitute for repetitions.
"I've never been around a program that gets more plays run in practice than here at Oklahoma State," said a veteran coach on the staff. "We run more plays in a team period than anywhere I've been."
Cowboys in full pads on Thursday during team drills.
I responded with, "so you run the plays and then handle the corrections in meetings."
"That the way it should be," answered the veteran coach. "You only have so much time on the field with the players, so you need to use it for action. Those corrections can be handled even better in the meeting room, where you can look at it again and again."
Oklahoma State did shift to full pads early on Thursday when it became apparent to Gundy and the staff that what they had before spring break may be all they get for spring football.
We'll likely know later this week an answer on the future of spring football. I guarantee Gundy and other coaches across the country will take finishing spring football in June when the players are in for summer classes. They all are, and that might compromise some strength training and conditioning, but there is no substitute for repetitions.
My feeling is, as long as it is all even and fair. Then I'm okay, but then I'm not a coach.
By the way there was plenty to see and some younger players making some statements in the first couple of practices, so we'll likely get into those some as we go with this strange absence of college and all sports we're experiencing.
