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NEWS
GALLOGLY SHEDS LIGHT ON FINANCIAL GOALS
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SPORTS
ASSOCIATE SOFTBALL COACH TO JOIN DUCKS
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2
NEWS
• July 11-17, 2018
Gallogly reveals vision for OU OU President discusses plans to increase efficancy NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
The first question OU’s presidential search committee asked James Gallogly was a simple one: Why do you want to be OU president? Gallogly’s answer was just as simple: “Well, I don’t.” Gallogly was in the process of accepting a position at a major private company when he was nominated by multiple unknown members of the OU community for the presidency before the February search interviews began. However, when he was called by the committee for an interview, he wanted to give his two cents about how the university should be run. He said he soon found himself thinking of OU day and night, prompting him to seek the position. Five months later, Gallogly sits in Evans Hall as the 14th OU president — and he’s managing a much different university than he expected to when he was selected on March 26. “I got more and more information, and so my views today are different than my views of how the university operated from day one as an outsider. I have a very different view 90 days in,” Gallogly told The Daily on Tuesday, 10 days after succeeding David Boren. “So I’ve learned a lot in that period of time and, and it became clear to me that we needed to make some leadership changes.” Upon arrival, Gallogly, w h o ha s a re su m e a s a
corporate executive and considers himself a financial expert, said he was concerned when he began looking into the financial status of the university, and he also considered what he found unacceptable. “When you get a budget book that’s interesting and has millions of little lines and little numbers and you’re saying, ‘OK, explain this to me again,’” Gallogly said. “I would consider myself a financial expert, and it has taken me months of intense review to figure out where we were. I think it’s a bit unfair to say the regents should have a handle on that with the information that they’ve been presented.” Gallogly said the university had an operating loss of $31.2 million from June 2016 to June 2017 and that the budget most recently approved by the regents — which Gallogly says he has already begun fixing — has a $15 million deficit that could grow larger if some groups on campus come in over budget. “When you start looking at that, subtracting that from our cash position — we can’t keep doing that. It’s very, very simple math ... it was obvious that something had to be done,” Gallogly said. Despite Gallogly’s concerns regarding the university’s financial debt, some experts in the field have said this level of debt is not unusual for a university in a state like Oklahoma. In addition to presenting the budget at the June 19 regents meeting, Gallogly told the regents his first step toward increasing efficiency — a massive executive restructuring plan that led to the removal of several longtime OU officials, including three
vice presidents, and demotion several others. Gallogly said he’d be searching for “the best and the brightest” to replace those who were removed from the university, something he said wasn’t always the case in Boren’s administration. “One of the things David (Boren) did regularly was hire people sometimes with not much experience in that position,” Gallogly said. “And frankly, that showed in a number of instances, and that’s why those people aren’t with us today. Not in every instance.” Gallogly said when he was first appointed as president-designate, he attended one of Boren’s staff meetings and was surprised by the number of individuals in the room. He was also surprised to learn Boren himself rarely attended, and he said he did not attend another of Boren’s staff meetings before the transition, saying he found it “useless.” “Too many people, no real substance,” Gallogly said of the meetings. “And so I didn’t bother going to another one of those. The group that I have now is a smaller group, and we will have regular staff meetings and regular agendas, and I’ll be listening to people and continuing to learn.” Gallogly has attributed some of OU’s financial woes to an increase in projects, such as the Residential Colleges, a project conceived by the previous administration that Gallogly says has lost money so far. T h o u g h p ro j e c t s l i k e Residential Colleges, as well as budgetary matters, must be approved by the Board of Regents, Gallogly said
he doesn’t think the seven-member board that OU’s president reports to were given accurate information on what they were approving. Gallogly said he believed this was unintentional but still damaging and pointed to the Residential Colleges as an example. “The financials that were presented indicated these were good deals. The information presented to the regents said so. I have the benefit of seeing some of the numbers, but I think the premises were flawed,” Gallogly said. “For instance, the occupancy of the Residential Colleges. There are assumptions made — would they be full or not full? How much rent can be charged? Some of the assumptions turned out to be inaccurate.” Gallogly said he plans to work closely with the regents and that he sees their role as a system of “checks and balances” at OU. “Hopefully, we develop a good, solid trusting
relationship. I’m a big believer in complete transparency,” Gallogly said. “If we find something that didn’t turn out well, we should be very open and straightforward with them. I’ve worked with boards throughout my career. I’ve been a board member of major companies. I’ve seen it from both sides.” Finally, Gallogly shared what he would like to see as financial success for the university — one in which debt goes down, compensation for faculty goes up and tuition remains as cost-effective as possible. In addition, Gallo gly hopes to improve the graduate student experience by doubling the research output of the university, which he hopes to accomplish by allowing faculty members to focus more on research than teaching, should they please. “The primary mission we’re trying to make sure of is education stays affordable, and we also are going to start taking care of the salaries of
our faculty,” Gallogly said. “So those are the key things we’ve been working on. Again, I’ve been meeting with a lot of those faculty. I’m very, very impressed with the people I’ve been meeting.” Gallogly said his next efforts in increasing efficiency would be talking to groups such as Housing and Food and also OU Landscaping in the near future. Gallogly said he wanted to emphasize that a university’s success is not measured in terms of finances. “I fully recognize the university’s not a financial institution. We’re about educating, and in my mind, if we’re successful, first and foremost, I think our education process will get better and better and better,” Gallogly said. “Then as our faculty get better and better and better, research improves along the way and becomes world-class.” Nick Hazelrigg
hazelriggn@gmail.com
ARCHIEBALD BROWNE/THE DAILY
President James Gallogly speaks with reporter in his office July 10.
NEWS
July 11-17, 2018 •
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OU invests with city of Norman
OU Foundation offers loan to help fund senior center JANA ALLEN
@janaabananaax
T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Oklahoma Foundation has offered a loan to the city of Norman to pay for their senior center as a form of investment amid concerns from some members of the OU community. Foundation CEO Guy Patton said the loan is “an arms length transaction at market based rates, fully collateralized” and is a way to accelerate the building of the senior center rather than the city of Norman having to wait for future possibilities of money.
Patton said the loan is a form of investment similar to other investments the foundation makes in order to maximize the return on donor money when it’s ready to be used. Patton said the foundation has $1.8 billion in investable assets, and it can only make this loan because it will benefit the university — the foundation’s single goal. “There are cash flows to support the construction of the senior center, but they’re just out a ways,” Patton said. “And so a way to accelerate that ... we would finance that senior center in order to facilitate this transaction getting through. And if the transaction gets through, we profit from the land and the sale of that land, and ultimately,
that benefits the University of Oklahoma.” Patton said donors leave it up to the foundation to decide what to invest in, and with larger endowments, they invest longte r m i n t h i ng s t hat a re more of a risk but have a higher return. Patton said the investment the foundation makes with donor money has to be considered a good investment or else the foundation would not make it. “Even if we could rationalize that the profits that we will gain from the development are worth making a bad loan to fund a senior center, which we don’t view it that way, we couldn’t do that — wouldn’t do it, either,” Patton said. “So that loan has to be a market
credible loan that is consistent with the other kinds of investments that we would make.” Fred Gipson, former OU attorney and current democratic candidate running for Oklahoma congressional district 4 who has filed a lawsuit against the foundation, said even if the loan has been approved as credible, he is unsure that the foundation should be in the lending business. “It’s one thing to make an investment. It’s another thing to start loaning money,” Gipson said. “I just question whether or not that’s in the best interest of the foundation to start loaning money like a bank.” The foundation made a similar loan before in 2006, in which the foundation
loaned money to the city of Norman when the tax increment financing district was first proposed for the University North Park in order to “accelerate the investment in the infrastructure which accelerates the development,” Patton said. The loan was paid back, and the foundation was taken out of the equation when the district was able to borrow money, he said. Patton sees the loan for Norman’s senior center as a way for the foundation to do a good service to the community while still benefiting the university. “We’re investors in this project. We’re tr ying to maximize the return while also doing good things for the community,” Patton said. “And so that’s one of
GUY PATTON
the things that excites us about this project is the opportunity for it to be a win for the city, a win for the university and a win for the foundation, which ultimately b enefits the university.” Jana Allen
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
Court nomination spurs hopes, concerns
Oklahoma officials differ in opinions of Trump’s nominee
BRETT KAVANAUGH
EVELYN SCAFE @evelynscafe
Oklahoma officials have differing opinions on the qualifications of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. On July 9, Brett Kavanaugh, who previously was assistant to the president in the Bush administration and White House staff secretary, was nominated by Trump to replace Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in the Supreme Court. Attorney General Mike Hunter and Sen. James Lankford applaud Trump’s decision, but Democratic National Committee Chair
Tom Perez has doubts about the President’s choice. Soon after the nomination, Attorney General Mike Hunter released a statement giving his support of the president’s nomination choice. Hunter praised Kavanaugh for being “an impartial and fair judge, who rules based on the law, not politics or emotion,” Hunter said in the statement. “Judge Kavanaugh is a staunch defender of religious liberties and has a proven track record of preserving the separation of powers, threatened by overreaching federal regulatory agencies,” Hunter said in
the statement. Sen. James Lankford expressed similar thoughts on Kavanaugh in a statement released by his office, saying he “is an impressive and qualified nominee to be considered for the Supreme Court.” “In the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to meeting Judge Kavanaugh and evaluating his judicial philosophy,” Lankford said in the statement. Perez, on the other hand, released a statement warning against pursuing Kavanaugh’s nomination. “Judge Kavanaugh should not be allowed anywhere near our nation’s
highest bench,” Perez said in a statement. Perez believes that Kavanaugh was chosen by Trump to overturn Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act, he said in the statement. “A vote for Kavanaugh would be a vote to rip health care from American families and deny women their constitutional right to make their own health care decisions,” Perez said in the statement. “He’s suggested a future president could refuse to enforce the Affordable Care Act, even if it was upheld by the Supreme Court, and he dissented from a ruling that
upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit.” Perez concluded that Kavanaugh’s nomination is a threat to many minority groups. “If confirmed, Kavanaugh would threaten women’s rights, workers’ rights, civil rights and voting rights for generations to come,” Perez said in the statement. “Immigrants, LGBTQ Americans, people of color and people with disabilities would be pushed further to the margins.” Evelyn Scafe
evelyn.scafe-1@ou.edu
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• July 11-17, 2018
NEWS
July 11-17, 2018 •
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Jumpman, Jumpman, Jumpman
OU uniforms move to Jordan brand with big changes KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau
Oklahoma unveiled its new Jordan Brand uniforms Monday morning. The Daily spoke to Justin Peabody — known as SoonerTracker on Twitter — about the new changes and updates to the Sooners’ uniforms with the switch from Nike to Jordan Brand. Peabody has been closely following all of Oklahoma’s uniforms in ever y sport since 2014. He followed the Sooners’ move to Jordan Brand months before it became official, including a post four days before the announcement outlining with observations and notes his reasons why it was coming. Here’s an edited transcription of the changes and updates to the uniforms: The D aily: What was the biggest changes to the uniforms? Justin Peabody: “I think the biggest change is the font. That’s the one that I think is consistent across all of the uniforms — both the alternates and the traditional. It’s something that hasn’t been touched in a good while. I think the last time that they had any kind of font
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change was probably the mid-90s. So for 20 to 25 years now, it’s been exactly the same. So I think that’s something that’s probably going to make the most difference.” D: Has anything changed with the helmet? JP: “It’s the helmet logo — I t h i n k i t ’s t h e r i g ht move. But OU’s had that skinny decal on their helmet since the early ‘80s, so that’s a long time for something to stay consistent across all kinds of different uniforms. The fact that they’ve updated that to now be the official logo, I think that’s a pretty big deal ... It’s all new OU logos on the side — new bumpers. They’re still using three dimensional bumpers on the front and back of the helmet, so it’s got raised lettering versus just being a flat decal.” D: What was the most subtle change made to any part of the uniform? J P : “The Big 12 patch — i t ’s a l i t t l e thing. It’s almost not even part of the uniform, but typically the Big 12 logo on t h e
chest has been outlined, so it’s on the red jersey and it’s a white outline with the red Big 12 patch and they’ve switched that. So now, it essentially looks
like there’s no outline. It’s interesting because I don’t think that the Big 12 patch is supposed to look like that — I think it’s supposed to have the outline, but probably half the teams in the Big 12 have been doing it that way ever since they started wearing Big 12 patches. So whether or not it’s supposed to be that way, it is getting used that way, but that’s definitely a little change that they put out there.
D: What did they do with the alternates that are different? JP: “The alternates definitely got the biggest changes. When those were unveiled in 2014, Nike was using a uniform template called the speed machine, and now, they’re using what’s called the vapor untouchable. The difference is the vapor untouchable
the material that wasn’t mesh. It was particularly noticeable on the cream one, so when the players would get sweaty, those mesh panels would look really dark and almost like a different color. So I think now that they’ve updated them to this cleaner template, the uniforms are going to look a lot more consistent. The cream color is going to be more uniform when they take the field. I think that’ll be a really big improvement that we won’t really get to see until they hit the field. In addition to that, the old template had these kind of — I call them armpit spikes. There’s this little area of mesh kind of by the armpits and on the cream jerseys, those were red. I always thought it was kind of clunky — it was a little strange. Those are gone now, so again, it’s a much cleaner look, a little more simplified.” D: Did anything change with the pants? JP : “O n the alternate pants before the speed machine template, there was a mesh panel in the middle of the side of the pants.
has a lot less seams — a lot less mesh paneling. It’s a lot cleaner look. One of the ways I think this will be most interesting is on the cream jersey, the mesh paneling on the speed machine template, whenever it got wet, when the players would get sweaty, it would change colors. So it would end up looking darker than
of the side of the leg. It will more closely look like OU’s normal pants, but just with the cream and with the wood grain details. In addition to that, there used to be an OU logo on the right hip and it used to be above the pant stripes since it didn’t go the full length, and it kind of stopped — the OU logo was above that, and they’ve now moved that to the front right hip. It’s opposite of the Jumpman logo on the front of the pants.” D: With the Jordan Brand, why is this such a big deal? JP: “From a brand perspective, Jordan is more selective. They’re more elite — everybody has Nike, but only four schools are wearing Jordan Brand, and Jordan Brand’s pretty intentional about trying to align themselves with elite programs. There was a teaser video on the microsite OU posted this morning where the president of Jordan Brand was talking about, ‘(Michael Jordan’s) kind of the standard for greatness, and we want to align ourselves with programs that strive for that same level of greatness,’ and they think OU is one of those programs. So from an image standpoint, I think it’s a huge deal.” Kegan Reneau
keganreneau@ou.edu
The new vapor untouchable pants don’t have that. S o before, the pants’ stripe was only in that panel, and now it goes the full length
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CLASSIFIEDS
• July 11-17, 2018
we’re hiring
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Previous Solution
Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
58 French fry source 63 Didn’t sleep well 66 Ballet twirler 67 A Christian designer? 68 Well-known 69 Language in “scatter seed� 70 Is calculating? 71 Blocks DOWN 1 Emotionally injured 2 Seriously confused 3 Govt. workers 4 Slowmoving boats 5 Velocity 6 Noah’s Ham, for one 7 Corps. kin 8 Shrub with flower clusters 9 Harrah’s birthplace 10 Cheerful and energetic 11 Belted hunter 12 Not edited 13 Chunk reducers 18 Boxing legend 19 Couple in Puebla 23 Start of a drumbeat 24 Repository for rye
26 Olympus ___ (Mars feature) 27 Pentathlon weapon 28 At no time, if you’re 350 29 Pakistan language 31 Sheet of matted wool 33 Shade maker 34 Try out 36 Nevertheless, cut 37 Estimating phrase 38 Certain tide 39 Place for bats 40 First garden 42 One-on-one fight 46 Like parquet floors
48 Davis of old Hollywood 49 “My Cherie ___� 50 Endures 51 Take place next 52 In ___ time 54 Pick (with “for�) 55 Subjects in writing? 57 Way-old Icelandic work 59 Jog relative 60 Required poker chip 61 Abound 62 Things to bet 64 OK signal 65 They make the rounds
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Edited by Timothy Parker July 11, 2018
ACROSS 1 Sword parts 6 Injury line 10 Make a “poor me� face 14 Exhaust, as stock 15 Seep 16 Coastal avian hunter 17 Meatless entree 20 Drapery adornment 21 Sharp warning 22 Somber song 25 Electronic instrument, cut 26 Grub lister 30 Dhow operator, typically 32 Short musical production 35 “Now!� 41 Sewing necessities 43 Medical fluids 44 PC option for the forgetful 45 Become winded 47 Not closed 48 Did a farm chore 53 Material on legs 56 Temple name, sometimes
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TRADITIONAL COUPLES By Timothy E. Parker
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- An excursion or shopping trip will lead to some interesting ideas and purchases. Share your intentions with someone who can help you with your plans.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Don’t let someone from your past cost you financially or emotionally. Personal changes need to be considered carefully. Don’t lose sight of what’s practical and what’s fantasy. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- A change in your personal life or to your lifestyle will be beneficial. If you make suggestions, you’ll get help saving money. Share your feelings with someone special.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Don’t feel the need to rush into something. Take the time to assess your situation and determine what it will take to get things done to your specifica- ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Don’t take no for an answer. Your tions and within your budget. persistence will pay off. Past lessons VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Be the and losses will help you make a better choice now. Plan a victory one to make the first move. Set celebration. your sights on what you want to achieve, and strive to do the best TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Physiyou can. Personal changes look cal and personal improvements promising. should be considered carefully, or you may omit an important comLIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Share ponent that will disrupt your plans. your concerns with someone who Don’t underestimate someone can help or support you when the trying to compete with you. chips are down. Having a plan in mind will help your cause. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Anger Emotions will drive you to finish something that has been going will be a waste of time. You may not agree with what someone else on for too long. Speak up and put an end to whatever is standing is doing, but using force or harsh words will not make matters better. between you and what you want. Try reason and feasible solutions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -Your swagger will attract attention. Try not to overshadow someone you care about, or you may disrupt the relationship. Think before you act to avoid a dispute. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Don’t let your emotions get in the way of accomplishing something you want to pursue. A change at home will end up being more beneficial than anticipated.
SPORTS
July 11-17, 2018 •
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Commit creates new wave for OU Future Sooner has big shoes to fill
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Junior tight end Mark Andrews celebrates his touchdown during the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2. 2019 tight end commit Austin Stogner hopes to follow in his footsteps.
KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau
FRISCO, Texas — A wave has its start somewhere. With Theo Wease Jr. and Arjei Henderson backing out of their commitments on back-to-back days in April 2017, Oklahoma’s wave of recruiting diminished for the 2019 class. After coming off a top-10 recruiting class in 2018, the Sooners’ wave crashed, but a new one formed with Austin Stogner. On June 26, 2017, Stogner became Oklahoma’s second first commitment for what’s become known as “New Wave 19”. He was the official start of a recruiting class that has since flirted with the top spot in college football and has become a mainstay in the top five of recruiting team rankings — something he will always have.
“Yeah, for sure,” Stogner, a tight end in the mold of Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews, told The Daily before Nike’s The Opening about the pride of being first. “You got to take pride in it — it’s your school. It’s going to be a good class so we’ll get some good recruits and hopefully finish out strong.” Stogner comes from a football background. His dad played college football at Baylor, but his potential was not realized until his sophomore year. Before his freshman season at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, Stogner grew seven inches to 6 feet 6 inches. His frame was slender, but the height was there. He began workouts every morning his freshman year at 5:30, a work ethic that developed him into the college prospect people around him saw
before he stepped foot into high school. Stogner picked up his first offer from the University of Texas-San Antonio during his sophomore season. The offer validated the player he was becoming, but new offers lagged over the next four months. A performance at a regional recruiting camp in Houston during February 2017, however, bolstered new attention. He received offers from Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Houston and TCU following the camp. Nebraska came soon after, and after a trip to Norman, the Sooners did, too. After all was said and done following his camp performance the spring of his sophomore year, Stogner received more offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Michigan and Notre Dame. He had a disdain for the
recruiting process, choosing to take all of his visits in a two-month period before coming to a decision — something a lot of recruits ranked as highly as him, a top-150 prospect on Rivals and a four-star, tend to draw out. Stogner and his family visited up to 17 schools from late March to June of last year. He saw the blue bloods of college football and listened to their best pitch, but after the visit to OU on March 29, 2017 — before his tour of the best college football programs in the country and when he received the offer from Oklahoma — Stogner told his dad on the way home he knew where he would be playing college football. “ Yo u k n ow w hat ? We went to about 14 places just because it was getting kind of rocket fire offers
and he didn’t love the recruiting process. So he kind of wanted just, let’s just go to all these places,” his dad, Brad Stogner, said at The Opening. “We went to Notre Dame and Alabama and Auburn and Georgia, and we kind of went to all of them. But, when we went to Oklahoma and they made that offer and Austin and I both got in the car ... it was just going to be a hard one to turn down.” He remains 100 percent solid to Oklahoma on the verge of his senior season, stating that he is not taking visits to see anyone else. The Sooners talk to him about following in the footsteps of the guys before him. Stogner, who can be flexed out as a wide receiver and be a threat to catch touchdowns in the red zone, spent time with Grant Calcaterra on his official visit during
t h e s p r i ng ga m e w e e kend, but also hung out with Calcaterra and Andrews on his unofficial visits to Norman during the 2017 season. Stogner’s relationship with the OU coaching staff is as strong as its ever been, and the message they send is unique to OU — which is the reason Stogner committed in the first place. “The relationship is not built with, ‘Hey, you come here, you’ll be an AllAmerican,’ like all the other coaches like, ‘I’m the best coach in the country’ — they keep it real with you,” Stogner said. “They’re going to tell you facts. The places I’ve been, that’s the only place that’s done that, and that’s why I went to OU.” Kegan Reneau
keganreneau@ou.edu
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SPORTS
• July 11-17, 2018
Sooner star appears on NFL list Draft analyst puts Marquise Brown as No. 1 wide receiver KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau
Hollywood is always looking for its newest star. The offseason for college football is in full swing, and one preseason watch list has Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown sitting at the top. On July 4, NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL. com posted his “top 10 wide receivers to watch” list ahead of the 2018 season, and Brown was listed as No. 1. “Brown has played only one season at Oklahoma since transferring from
junior college (College of the pronounced with another big Canyons), but what a season season in 2018,” Zierlein wrote. it was: 57 catches for 1,095 The grill-wearing wide reyards and seven touchdowns,” ceiver known as “Hollywood Zierlein wrote. “The junior is Brown” burst onto the scene an electric talfollowing “The junior is an ent with plenty Oklahoma’s of long speed electric talent with game against and rare openin 2017. plenty of long speed Texas field elusiveOf the 1,095 ness after the and rare open-field r e c e i v i n g catch. Brown’s elusiveness after the yards for the thin (listed at 2017 season, catch.” 160 pounds), 792 came in so he obviousthe final eight LANCE ZIERLEIN, ly needs to add games, includNFL MEDIA DRAFT ANALYST more muscle ing an eight and overall bulk to his frame by catch, 114 yard and one touchthe time NFL teams are ready down outing against Georgia to consider drafting him.” in the Rose Bowl. “As one scout recently noted, “Hollywood surfs a tsunami of swag,” and that swagKegan Reneau ger should only become more keganreneau@ou.edu
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Junior wide receiver Marquise Brown runs the ball in for a touchdown during the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2. Brown has been listed as the top receiver to watch in 2018 by NFL. com
OU softball pitching coach to fly with Ducks Melyssa Lombardi accepts head coach position at Oregon KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau
SHANE BYLER/THE DAILY
Former associate coach Melyssa Lombardi exits the field with a few OU players May 22. Lombardi has officially been announced as Oregon’s next softball head coach.
It’s summer, but the Ducks flew south to get their new head coach. Monday morning, Oklahoma pitching and associate head coach Melyssa Lombardi was announced as the next head coach at Oregon. She will replace longtime Ducks’ head coach Mike White, who left the Pacific Northwest to become the head coach at Texas. “I am excited for the opportunity to become the head coach at the University of Oregon,” Lombardi said in a
release. “This would not at all be possible if Coach (Patty) Gasso didn’t take a chance on me 21 years ago. I am forever grateful to Coach Gasso and what she has done for me and my family. Over the years, she has constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone to achieve greatness. The entire Gasso family has been an absolute blessing, and I will miss them all.” “The University of Oklahoma is first-class from top to bottom. I would also like to thank President David Boren, Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and Senior Associate Athletic Director Kenny Mossman and the entire Sooner Family for their constant support over the years. I have been blessed and look forward to this new journey in my coaching career.”
Lombardi has been a part of head coach Patty Gasso’s staff since her playing career ended in 1996. The 21-year assistant has helped lead Oklahoma to 12 Women’s College World Series appearances and four national championships (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017). During her tenure, she has coached and developed Paige Parker, Paige Lowary, Keilani Ricketts and Michelle Gascoigne, among other pitchers. Junior pitchers Mariah Lopez, Parker Conrad and Melanie Olmos will return to Oklahoma for next season but will be under the leadership of a new pitching coach. Kegan Reneau
keganreneau@ou.edu