Daily Bullets (March 21)

Bedlam baseball tonight, 6:30 p.m. at Allie P. Beat the Sooners. 

Holder’s Learning Curve

Strip away situational emotions and this seems to be what Holder has to learn to balance.

Maybe Holder has a tougher fight on his hands than he did a year ago when he replaced Travis Ford with Underwood. This time potential candidates might be leery of a university that just lost a coach after one year, a guy who made himself for money but took a comparable job, not an undeniably better one, to do so.

It can happen, though. One industry source believes enough in Holder to tell me Monday: “Don’t be surprised if he pulls a rabbit out of his hat.”

More important than who Holder hires is what happens next. That’s what has to change in Stillwater.

Holder must manage his money and his coaches (with) equal skill. This is no either/or for an athletic director at a Power 5 school.

You can’t handle Ford OK personally, but give him an irresponsible contract. You can’t negotiate with Underwood using what you believe to be reasonable financial terms, but treat him irresponsibly. [TulsaWorld]

And that’s just it: an AD needs to be personable enough that a coach will sit down to negotiate but firm enough that you don’t sell the athletic department up the river with long-term deals. Underwood left Holder in an all-time pickle but assuming he’s still around, this is a another mistake he should learn from and be better for.

Blind Side Hole

If or when Cochran signs, here’s what he’s up against:

Though there are plenty of bodies in the bid to replace Salako, experience is minimal. A potential home run of a solution looms as Aaron Cochran, is available as a graduate transfer from Cal. Cochran, 6-8 and 350 pounds, considered the NFL after starting 16 games over three seasons. He visited Oklahoma State in early March.

Prediction: If the Cowboys land Cochran, it’s likely a done deal that he fills the spot. Regardless, he’s out of the mix this spring. Watch for Richards, a Jamaican-born Canadian product, to rise above the other contenders in practice. And unless Cochran enters the picture this summer, Richards gets the nod in August. [ESPN]

Gundy mentioned this guy in his presser but I’m probably not going to sleep until I know an upper classman has no. 2’s back.

OSU and NCAA Notes

LSU hired Shaka Smart’s VCU replacement….Jenni’s hearing a couple of Underwood’s recruits are gone (#sources)….Baker’s safe for now as Bob says he’ll wait til everything blows over let the legal process play out…. Big Dance seeds redone after the first weekend (Michigan climbed)…. We should totally call this guy to play defensive back….Frank Mason made finalist for the basketball Heisman

Cowboy Duo Tabbed Big 12’s Best https://t.co/x50Ko2bqgv
https://t.co/x50Ko2bqgv

— Oklahoma State (@OSUAthletics) March 20, 2017

Benge keeps hitting and the Freshman Heasley came in for a win and a save.

Underrated story line to watch next year: Dillard unplugged.

Happy bday to my goon @DDillard24! Now that I'm done playing you need to find someone else to keep you out of trouble

— Phil Forte (@PhilForte13) March 21, 2017

What You Missed on PFB

• The predicament Mike Holder and Oklahoma State are in
• Hoiberg made the blueprint to bring Doug home
• Cowboys on a hot streak going into Bedlam baseball tonight
• Four examples of coaches starting out at a big time jobs
• Double podcasts! Carson and Kyle talk Underwood leaving and have a chat with Gottlieb
• Underwood introduced at Illinois but old habits die hard
• Underwood’s contract details revealed and it’s more tame than you’d think
• Spring football preview continues with the kicking position

Other Stuff I’m Reading

How and why to become a lifelong learner…. And now the Bulls now the Thunder fleeced them…. Reevaluating the 2016 NBA draft class

Keep going if you’re at the bottom:

The emotional journey of creating anything great often goes through the dark swap of despair. pic.twitter.com/VAXBW1S0Sm

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) March 20, 2017