OU mailbag: What happened with Thad Turnipseed?

Every Monday, SoonerScoop.com and On3’s George Stoia will be answering your questions in his weekly OU mailbag. This week, Stoia takes a look at what happened with Thad Turnipseed, facilities updates, and who is impressing in summer workouts.

Below are Stoia’s answers for Monday, July 3.

Any details you can share about Turnipseed leaving and what effects that could have on the program?

I got a lot of questions about the Turnipseed situation. I’ll try to answer all of them in the answer below.

From my understanding, which is very similar to Carey’s report last week, he did not mesh well with several members of the coaching staff and the athletic department. There was also a sense that he wasn’t exactly doing a whole lot, or at least not enough to validate his contract. While he had the same title as his predecessors — Matt McMillen and Clarke Stroud — his day-to-day duties were not the same and much less, despite having a substantial contract. That combination, and his realization it was time to move on and do his own thing, led to this decision. 

Do I think there was more behind the scenes that we don’t know yet? Probably. We will have to ask Venables at Big 12 media days and I’m intrigued to see what he says. 

Now, as for what effects it will have on the program, I think minimal in the short term. Just because Turnipseed is gone doesn’t mean OU is just going to stop pursuing the new football facility. They are close to releasing those renderings and Turnipseed had a hand in that. And at the end of the day, that was why he was brought to Norman. That’s going to get done and it will be one of the best football facilities in the country. 

As for long-term implications, I’m not sure what it means. I’m not going to spin it. It’s an odd look. Bringing this guy in, who has supposedly helped programs like Alabama and Clemson, and then him not making it to the end of his two-year contract — it’s just weird. Now, I think we all know Alabama and Clemson were built on much more than Turnipseed’s vision for facilities there. But I know some of you are wondering, is OU committed to what it will take to be successful in the SEC and beyond? I think that’s a valid question. 

And I would say they are. I believe there are people in those football offices that have a vision for what it will look like and how they’re going to do it. Turnipseed was a part of that, but his vision wasn’t always the same, or sometimes recently, it wasn’t even there. It just made sense for all parties to move on. 

What the hell is going on behind closed doors with the Football program, Joe Castiglione, and the administration? No matter how anyone tries to spin it, it is not a good look. Lincoln Riley was not informed about the SEC move and Turnipseed and the other staff not seeing eye to eye on things, what the hell?

I think everyone has this big conspiracy theory that there is turmoil in the program and the athletic department behind closed doors. I don’t buy that. Riley leaving changed everything. It was a hard reset for everyone. It’s going to take time to re-tool the program.

And Riley wasn’t informed about the SEC move because no one was informed about it. And it’s not the athletic department’s fault that he didn’t want to compete in the conference. I’m sure they thought he would be open to it. (USC also didn’t tell him it’s moving to the Big Ten.) 

And yeah, Turnipseed didn’t see eye-to-eye with everyone. But I also know Castiglione well enough that if Venables was adamant for Turnipseed to stay, he would still be on staff. Clearly, that wasn’t the case even for the guy who brought him to Norman. So if you believe in Venables, then you have to trust this was the right move. 

I know everyone wants to hit the panic button in July, and that’s fine and normal. But let’s just wait and see what happens this season. Winning cures all. And I will be right there with you hitting the panic button if this team doesn’t win nine games. But until then, let’s hit pause on the conspiracy theories. 

Assuming it isn’t leaked, when will the public see the rendering of the new facility?

If I had to guess, I’d bet sometime before the season. Or at the Sept. 12-13 Board of Regents meeting. They are usually released first at regents meetings and then are approved. 

Any idea of the financials for the program and how much a difference increased ticket prices for a game like ‘Bama at OU means? I am just wondering if tickets are say $25 more, so that game brings in an extra $2 million (80,000 tickets), does that translate into any actual effects? Facilities, NIL, salaries, etc.

That’s a great question. And I’m not sure we will have an answer until we see how much the revenue actually increases. I know a lot of the money is fed back into the program, so I assume it goes toward facilities, NIL, and salaries, as you said. But a good chunk is also put into the university. I would guess a lot of the extra ticket revenue will go toward renovations at the stadium, whether that’s for a new press box or just adding amenities to the stadium. It could help speed up that process. 

How badly do OU fans need July to fast forward so we can get to fall camp? The unrest this year is unlike any year I can remember back to the lead-up to 2015. 

Bad. Really bad. We all need it. Big 12 Media Days are in less than two weeks and that should help scratch an itch. And I think we will get some much-needed answers from Venables about some of the things that have happened this offseason. 

What is the rationale for not permitting people to tailgate on campus?

The university has always been worried about the destruction it might cause to certain areas of campus. In some places, I understand that worry. In others, I don’t. This was largely a David Boren issue and it just never changed under new leadership. I think Joe Harroz will change some of the policies. How much? That’s TBD. 

What is the narrative on BV if we win 11 next year vs if we win 9?

If OU wins 11 games next year, the narrative around Venables will be that not only does he have the program heading in the right direction, but he could turn into a national title contender. OU wins 11 games and it could make the College Football Playoff. 

If OU wins nine games, I think thought would be, OK, that’s a small step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot to improve on and a lot of question marks heading into 2024. It depends on how they lose those games. Were they blown out again against Texas? Did they have key injuries? Was Dillon Gabriel bad? There are a lot of factors that can determine how you feel about it. They could go 9-3 and play in the Big 12 title game. 

Where are we at with Savion Byrd’s weight? Has anyone seen him or know if he’s at least looking like he did against FSU?

I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t. I’ve not seen him out at the camps. My guess is that he will get to 300 pounds, though. Because if he doesn’t, I’m not sure he’s playing.

Do you think Brent could have a similar projection in coaching style to Jim Harbaugh? It took him a long time to get things going and many had left him for dead at Michigan.

In terms of taking a while, yes, I think it could be like Harbaugh. I do think though Venables might be quicker because OU is recruiting a little better than Michigan — the Wolverines were 18th in On3’s team rankings in 2023. And they do have similar philosophies in coaching — hard-nosed, defensive teams. That usually takes more time to see long-term success instead of a high-powered offense that eventually runs out of juice. So yeah, I think that’s a fair comparison. And I do think Venables will have a lot of time to figure it out, similar to Harbaugh. 

Are we offering DL more NIL money than we are OL? Why are we striking out in so many OL? It seems ever since Lincoln left Bill Bedenbaugh has struggled to pull in the bodies necessary to have championship-level depth.

Yes. I’d bet most major programs are offering DL more NIL than almost every position other than quarterback. I’m not really sure why OU is missing on OL this year. I think it’s a lot of what Josh said on the podcast this week — a little unlucky at times and this year’s class just isn’t as talented, so there aren’t as many guys to choose from. I still trust Bedenbaugh, though. He always finds a way.

If/when you’re given the reigns to your own pod, what weekly segments would you have?

Great question. I think there is a space for a Q&A podcast with a weekly guest – player, coach, admin, opponent reporter, etc. So I would like to have a rapid-fire portion (sort of like the mailbag) at the end of each interview. I also want a fan questions segment where I answer questions from the mailbag or ask the guest questions from fans. I also think anything gambling related would be a fun segment. Or just me and Eddie talking about our social lives. That could be a pod by itself. There’s still a lot to figure out there, but those are my general ideas.

Who has impressed at summer workouts? Got any notes, updates, Intel regarding the team this offseason?

What I’ll tell you is something I’ve said forever — everyone looks good in the offseason. With that said, some of the names I’ve heard are Lewis Carter, Jaquaize Pettaway, and Jacobe Johnson have all been impressive as young newcomers. And Dasan McCullough’s name has come up a lot, too. Jonah Laulu has also had a good offseason. I wonder if he can become more of a factor this season with the move inside. 

Fill in the blank. This season’s biggest issue will be _________.

A lack of offensive playmaking.

I might end up looking totally stupid on this, but right now, this is my biggest concern. I just don’t know who will step up and fill that Marvin Mims and Eric Gray void. Maybe Jalil Farooq becomes the guy. And Gavin Sawchuk emerges. But until I see it from them or anyone else, I just think there will be times the offense struggles. 

How much of a difference do you think we will see in a positive way with Emmett Jones as the WR coach? Is there a reason for the doom and gloom forecast for OU WRs? Or do we have the talent in place with Emmett Jones to have solid WR play this year?

I don’t think it’s as much “doom and gloom” as it is uncertainty. There are just a lot of guys that haven’t proven it on the field. I do think having Emmett Jones should help with some of the fundamental issues from last year – bad route running, dropped balls, etc. And he is recruiting at a high level, so the talent will increase eventually. But as for this season, he’s going to need a couple of guys to exceed expectations, whether that’s someone from the portal or one of the freshmen. 

Rapid fire

Is it time for Joe C. to find his replacement as A.D.?

No. Next question.

On a scale of mayonnaise (lowest) to smoked brisket (highest), how excited are you to have Andy Staples join the On3 national team?

Imagine the best brisket you ever had. That’s how excited I am. He is the best in college football. 

Which away game are you excited about the most?

This year, it’s BYU. In 2024, it’s LSU. And as for future schedules, the trip to Michigan in 2026 will be awesome. 

Over/Under 100 pina colada’s in Jamaica?

As an individual, I think I had over 20 pina coladas or Miami Vices in six days. As a group of four, we were very close to 100. 

Favorite story you’ve ever written?

This story on former OU safety Ricky Dixon.

Story/subject you wished you would have written but it just didn’t happen?

I had this idea in college to write about all the names on all the benches on campus and the story behind each one. I started it in 2020 and then the pandemic hit and I never finished. 

Dogs or cats?

Dogs.

How’s Summer of George going?

Just got back from Jamaica. The vibes are immaculate.