50 YEARS AGO, THE KING WAS CROWNED...

[OU Chinaman]

...BARRY SWITZER BECAME THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA!!!

It was the Spring Semester 1973. I was a freshman @ OU, living in Kitchens House in the Old Cross Center southeast part of campus.

So many great teams; so many great players; so many great wins!

And as the fates allowed,...some bitter disappointments too.

You were the HC that actively recruited, played, promoted and developed young black athletes!
What began with Prentice Gaut, you continued and perpetuated it featuring some of the best black football players in America.

Your cocky brashness. That "jesse James" outlaw tone & attitude, resonated with this entire State.

Hard to even believe it was half a century ago.

I dread that day, when the KING leaves OUr time/space world.
It will be one of the saddest passing's in OKLAHOMA history.

Anyway, Congratulations King Barry!!!

Like the Frank Sinatra song,..."YOU DID IT YOUR WAY!"

[waddy's ghost]

Barry IS an oruginal

[Triple Option]

Now I feel old.

[BigIslandSooner]

I've told this story before on this site, years ago, but I will tell it again. Barry came to Banning High in Southern California to recruit Stanley Wilson, he also signed LB John Truitt. I was in the 10th grade and it was our awards night (I ran X country). Barry told Stanley who USC was going hard after as well, that if he went to OU he would be playing for National Championships, if he went to SC, OU would be playing for National Championships.

After Barry left the stage, I followed him to the restroom and as we were washing our hands I asked him a question I already knew the answer to (to this day I wish I had asked him a better question). Who will replace Thomas Lott? Of course I already knew it was JC Watts.

I still have the program from that evening with Barry's autograph on the cover.