It's official Budke is gone

[Gooddawg]

According to the Dallas Morning News, they just updated website and said OSU will hold a press conference this afternoon. There is even a quote from Jim Oakes wishing him the best so it appears to be a done deal now.

Initially I was thinking they'd take the cheap way out and hire Long but apparently that is not what is going around. I am surprised. Best candidate is Nell Fortner even though I doubt we could touch her, it would be exciting if she would come back but that is a LONG shot I believe.

[soccer_dawg9]

Monday, March 28, 2005
Reports center around Budke


Associated Press

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State was expected to hire Louisiana Tech coach Kurt Budke as its new women's basketball coach on Monday, Tech's athletic director said.

The Cowgirls planned a news conference Monday afternoon to announce their new coach after a two-week search. Budke interviewed for the job last week and had been considered a front-runner for the position.

"We wish Kurt and his family the best in their new job," Louisiana Tech athletic director Jim Oakes said. "We know he will be very successful at Oklahoma State."

Budke would replace Julie Goodenough, who resigned Mar. 14 after three consecutive 20-loss seasons.

Budke, 44, has coached the Lady Techsters to an 80-16 record and three straight NCAA tournament appearances after replacing longtime coach Leon Barmore in 2002. Budke had been an assistant under Barmore, who built Louisiana Tech into a national powerhouse, for two seasons before that.

Budke would bring the most important credentials Oklahoma State was seeking -- a record of success at the Division I level and a familiarity with women's basketball in the region.

Budke's Lady Techsters were undefeated in the Western Athletic Conference during his first two seasons, and they split the conference title with Rice after a 14-4 league record this season.

Before his time at Louisiana Tech, Budke became one of the premier junior-college coaches at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas.

He won four National Junior College Athletic Association championships and lost in the title game twice in seven seasons at Trinity Valley and is already a member of the NJCAA Hall of Fame. Including two previous seasons at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., Budke had a 273-31 record in nine seasons at the junior college level.

He played college basketball at Barton County (Kan.) Community College and Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. He has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Washburn and a master's degree in science from Wichita State.

The move to Oklahoma State brings Budke closer to home. The Salina, Kan., native is married and has three children: Sara, Alex and Brett.


http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=2023662

[rphdawg]

Tech Head Coach Kurt Budke Takes Oklahoma State Job
Posted Mar 28, 2005 15:02:06

RUSTON - After three years at the helm of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techster basketball program, Kurt Budke accepted the head coaching position at Oklahoma State Monday afternoon in a 3 p.m. press conference in Stillwater.

Budke cited the opportunity to coach in the Big 12 Conference while also moving closer to his hometown of Salina, Kansas, where the majority of his family still lives.

"I can never thank (Dr.) Dan Reneau and Jim Oakes for giving me this chance at what is considered one of the greatest women's basketball programs in the country," Budke said. "It's been the funnest three years of my life.

"I didn't know what it would be like following the legend of Coach (Leon) Barmore, but the fans were very understanding and behind us 100 percent all of the time. Even though we didn't reach a Final Four, I felt like we represented the Lady Techsters very well."

Budke, who was named only the third head coach in the history of the Lady Techster program on Aug. 23, 2002 - one day following the retirement of the legendary Barmore - posted an 80-16 mark during the past three years while leading the Lady Techsters to three straight Western Athletic Conference regular season titles, two WAC Tournament titles and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

"We wish Kurt and his family the best in their new job," said Tech Athletic Director Jim Oakes. "We know he will be very successful at Oklahoma State."

During Budke's first season as the Tech head coach in 2002-03, he led the Techsters to a 31-3 mark and an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament where Tech fell to LSU 69-63 in Palo Alto, Calif. Budke was named the WAC Coach of the Year that season after guiding Tech to a 17-1 mark in league play and capturing both the regular season and tournament titles.

The following year, Budke guided the Lady Techsters to a 29-3 mark and another appearance in the Sweet 16 where Tech fell 63-49 to No. 1 ranked Duke in Norfolk, Va. Once again, Budke was named the WAC Coach of the Year as Tech posted a perfect 18-0 mark in regular season league play and dominated the WAC Tournament.

Budke was faced with his biggest challenge as the Tech head coach this year as he entered the season minus 73 percent of his offense from a year ago. With only one player on the roster who had made more than one career start entering the year, Budke guided the Techsters to a 20-10 mark, a share of the WAC regular season title and the program's 24th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Tech's season came to an end with a 66-61 loss to Temple in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Connecticut, March 20.

Prior to being hired as the associate head coach at Tech in the 2000-01 season, Budke led Trinity Valley Community College to six appearances in seven years in the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship game where his program captured the title in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1999. The Salina, Kansas, native recorded an amazing 226-16 mark during his seven seasons at TVCC.

Following the announcement of Budke's departure from the Louisiana Tech program Monday, Oakes named long-time Techster assistant coach Chris Long as the interim head coach while the search begins for Budke's replacement.

Long, who was hired by Leon Barmore prior to the 1999-2000 season, is one of the top candidates for the position.

"I don't want to set an exact timetable for the process," Oakes said. "Obviously, this is a huge decision and we want to make sure we put the right person in place. The interview process could start as early as this week."


Kurt Budke Year by Year

[mistered]

SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MULKEY THAT 5 YEAR DEAL! WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST US NOW TO TALK HER IN TO COMING HOME !?! MAYBE SHE'LL COME HOME AFTER WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. NO LONGER FOLLOWING A BARMORE LEGACY, BUT INSTEAD A BUDKE ONE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE.

[hookdown]

SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MULKEY THAT 5 YEAR DEAL! WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST US NOW TO TALK HER IN TO COMING HOME !?! MAYBE SHE'LL COME HOME AFTER WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. NO LONGER FOLLOWING A BARMORE LEGACY, BUT INSTEAD A BUDKE ONE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE.

She is gone, likely forever! We have to take a different direction. There are a lot of other quality coaches out there, the admin just has to make a smart decision.

[Bill Pup60]

She is gone, likely forever! We have to take a different direction. There are a lot of other quality coaches out there, the admin just has to make a smart decision.

Yeah, like we did with JBIII !!

[markay714]

Why do you name an interim head coach when its off season for the program? That would have me thinking they must be afraid he'll leave and they want to keep him around in case they want him (or because they want him) for the permanent head coach.

[killerdawg]

It's never really "off season" when you're going for the best talent.

You snooze, you lose!

[champion110]

Going to be hard to recruit when the recruits don't know who will be the coach. This needs to be done quickly BUT RIGHT!