It's Time For Oklahoma Basketball to Chart a New Path

COLUMN

Porter Moser was a great hire when Joe Castiglione brought him to Norman in April 2021. Sports is a results-based industry, yes, but life is about more than just the destination.

Moser's hire signified a new direction for Oklahoma Sooner basketball. The program that had settled into neutral on a plateau of underwhelming success under Lon Kruger needed a jolt of adrenaline. Moser, with his energy, passion and a proven track record in March, represented exactly that.

But the well-intentioned journey of life often collides with the cruel sword of the almighty bottom line: Are you winning games?

For Moser, that question has been met with an unhealthy mix of apathy and disappointment. That is why, for the sake of both parties, this marriage needs to end.

Oklahoma Sooners, Porter Moser — Oklahoma coach Porter Moser celebrates after beating Oklahoma State. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

At 11-8 (1-5 SEC), the Sooners are technically able to salvage their season. A five-game losing streak in conference is bad, but by no means a death knell. Oklahoma's effort against Alabama last week was admirable — especially in the wake of the abomination against Florida. But a squandered 11-point halftime lead was a Moser-OU special that Sooner hoops enthusiasts have come to know far too often, and it was followed by another disappointing road loss against a conference bottom-feeder.

Oklahoma fans are weary of Moser's teams missing on development, failing at retaining what talented players come through the program and fumbling momentum whenever success happens to peek through.

That is why it needs to end. Again, Moser and Oklahoma can bounce back quickly with more marquee games on the schedule in the upcoming weeks. But Sooner basketball doesn't need to be salvaged; it needs to be saved.

More Oklahoma Basketball

Oklahoma Falls to No. 18 Alabama in Final Minute as Sooners’ Slide Continues
No. 13 Oklahoma's Growth Will Have to be on Display to Take Down No. 6 LSU
Why Jennie Baranczyk is Full of 'Gratitude' for Oklahoma Fans Ahead of LSU Clash

The question "Can Oklahoma basketball even be saved?" has morphed into a trendy insult lobbed at a program with five Final Fours, 10 NBA lottery picks, and five National Players of the Year. Of course it can — Oklahoma just needs a sharp pivot in the NIL era.

Where Moser's résumé sold him as a patient program-builder — that's what drew Castiglione to the longtime Loyola Chicago coach — the next Sooners head man must deliver an instant winning formula.

Sure, every coach claims one. But OU hoops demands results over rhetoric: skip the buzzwords like "culture" and "cultivate," the press conference box‑checking superlatives like "developer" and "blue‑collar," and instead prioritize proven victories.

Oklahoma Sooners Joe Castiglione — Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione | Sooners On SI

An unknown variable in this problem: Oklahoma would likely hire a new basketball coach with a new athletic director. While there is warranted frustration with Moser's tenure, there is a minor amount of venom within the criticism. People like Moser and can identify that he is a good coach — just not at Oklahoma. There are also frustrations with the administration's attitude towards men's basketball.

What part will this new athletic director play in the event that Moser and OU part ways? Will Castiglione still be on in some capacity prior to a new athletic director's start date? These questions could make the projection of potentially hiring the Sooners' next head coach somewhat murky.

So who are the potential candidates? Popular names are circulating — some with Oklahoma ties, others promising mid-major risers like Moser was in 2021. Can OU lure a marquee name? Probably not, but whoever steps up must bring a clear, proven blueprint for mastering the wild currents of NIL and the transfer portal.

The next OU coach needs to simply put an entertaining product on the court consistently — fans will not care if they are home-grown upperclassmen or transfer portal merchants as long as they win. Winning will bring people back to the arena.

Any uncertainty Castiglione or the new AD may have about the hiring process only deepens when considering Oklahoma’s recent coaching history, which offers little in the way of a clear pattern. Including Moser, the previous three Oklahoma basketball coaches had three very different ideas of how to run a program.

Jeff Capel was fortunate that his predecessor recruited and signed Taylor Griffin, which begat his brother Blake Griffin, to kickstart his tenure. Capel also prioritized gathering talent with little regard to the rules. His hot start — helped along by Griffin and other Kelvin Sampson-recruited players — was undone by his final two years.

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma Sooner — Oklahoma Sooners forward Blake Griffin prepares to dunk the ball in the Sooners 84-71 victory against the Syracuse Orange in the semifinals of the south region of the 2009 NCAA basketball tournament at the FedEx Forum. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Kruger, a proven collegiate coach, more than helped clean the mess left by Capel. He developed Buddy Hield into a superstar, reaching the Final Four in 2016. In addition, his teams earned NCAA Tournament bids in eight of his 10 seasons. But outside of Hield's junior and senior seasons, Kruger-led OU teams only saw the second round of the tournament twice (2019-20 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The cascade of events from Capel's disgrace to Kruger's low ceiling of success put Moser in a position of obligation to build back Oklahoma's basketball enthusiasm from the ground up. Moser's infectious passion led to great student attendance and occasional large crowds at the Lloyd Noble Center. It was a just cause by Moser, but it shines a light on the true problem plaguing the Oklahoma basketball program.

As an olive branch — Moser is going to be successful wherever he lands next. He is a great basketball mind and a proven winner, but it appears the task for the Oklahoma basketball coach in 2021 called for a bigger undertaking than originally anticipated. Moser's failure is not a reflection upon him, but more an indication that Oklahoma basketball needs a savior.

It's just not Moser.