Will Kansas look more like Texas or Old Dominion this season?

[crewu]

I think Kansas is onto something bringing in Charley Sullivan.

But is he enough?

Either way I think Kansas will make headlines in 2018-19 - I just don't know whether they will be good or horrific. The program will either pull a Texas like move or look like Old Dominion.

I'm putting my money on them passing Oklahoma and being close enough to Texas to get an NCAA bid in the spring.

[Prettyinfiveseat]

I’m guessing they will improve but will take some time. Not close to Texas yet but no comparison to ODU only one close to ODU in the Big 12 now is West Virginia.

[fullmetal]

There are a lot of factors working against Kansas. Unless KU pulls in a stealth recruiting class with at least four strong rowers over 6'0", I'm not seeing the jump this year. Also, I'd be interesting in whether Charley makes any suggestions to Cook-Callen about the culture situation. Getting enough athletes on the same page after a fractious season might be tough.

At best, I'm thinking KU surpasses KSU but not Tennessee/Oklahoma, and that's assuming Alabama doesn't leap ahead of KSU (coaching change at Bama might interrupt their momentum).

[rowing]

That recipe is ripe for conflict and egomania. I expect KU will creep a bit closer to Creighton by May.

[ergislife]

Yeah this situation is going to take longer than a year to fix... I’m sure there are still some unhappy campers

[okayrower]

Old Dominion is no longer in the conference, and I don't understand the obsession with ODU. Kansas may very well be improved for next next year, but I'd expect Alabama and Oklahoma to be better, as well. Texas also looks to be getting faster every year, so this is all good news for the Big 12. Maybe there's an NCAA at-large selection in the future for the conference.

[Yuk Yuk]

No disrespect to Charley Sullivan (I don’t even really know him) but what has he done that leads anyone to believe he is going to help turn Kansas into a Texas? Sure he has been a part of a successful men’s club at UMich, but his only experience in women’s DI rowing at EMich did not result in a successful program. Sure he may help bring some stability to what sounds like a very unstable situation at Kansas, but I don’t think it is going to turn Kansas into a rowing powerhouse.

As for Oklahoma, why would that be any better than it has been. Same head coach, with no real visible improvements in the past few years. I expect more of the same.

Alabama? That will be interesting to watch. Glenn did some good things at Gonzaga. Can he take a struggling program, with seemingly good support at Alabama and make them an NCAA at large selection? Time will tell.

[rowing]

I predict a separation before the end of the year. That is a bad fit for Charley and a bad fit for Kansas. I can't even begin to imagine how such a bastard child was conceived in the first place. Charley needs a left coast slot with almost ready for prime time athletes. Kansas needs someone to manage and develop the 2nd/3rd tier recruits and the lanky walk ons until some amount of success can lure bigger ticket rowers to Lawrence. Beating KSU is not going to be seen as progress to anyone's reasonable interpretation.

Oklahoma is working hard, but Texas has simply stolen all of the air in the room and no one notices. However, if you don't think they are laser focused on catching the Longhorns, you're insane.

Alabama will be a good show, but they are not struggling in the purest sense of that word. They are stuck. They need a reset and a reality check. Glenn is fully capable of delivering both.

[fullmetal]

That's a fairly pessimistic take on things...and yet I somehow feel all of it will come to pass. My optimistic takes on the Big 12 have generally been wrong year after year.

OU might be focused on beating Texas...but they really ought to be focused on building two eights as well. Their 2V8 got beat by Tennessee and KSU last year as well, and while they had the fastest non-Texas V4, that bad 2V8 result isn't going to impress any NCAA selector. Neither is losing to a lightweight eight at San Diego (looking at you too, Tennessee).

[bloomp]

Kansas pretty far behind at head of the Oklahoma. Then again, surprising to see Tulsa, UCF and SMU ahead of OU and Bama. Even if it is a head race... not a good look if you want to be closing the gap on Texas.

[rowing]

Not a happy time at the KU boathouse according to sources. Could see a coaching change before Thanksgiving.

[Norm]

Let's see...a rigid, detail-oriented HC who has never known real coaching success and a brilliant, willful, club-sport culture assistant. What could possibly go wrong? This is either a bizarre mismatch made in heaven or an incongruity making hell for all involved. KU is a tough program without department willpower, environment or past success to indicate things will change to the extent some here think it will. Too many flags are blowing the wrong way in a cold prairie wind. Best bet is they can do better than Catloff, but being an influential program? Even Oklahoma hasn't been able to do that. Online bookies are giving it 12-1 against with a side bet for fireworks in the conference room.

[Prettyinfiveseat]

After looking at ODU’s impressive results at the prestigious occoquan challenge they may improving and Kansas is looking more like ODU. Wonder if the assistant that left ODU and went to KU is feeling like she made a laderal move with the coaches behaviors ?

[sul]

Let's see...a rigid, detail-oriented HC who has never known real coaching success and a brilliant, willful, club-sport culture assistant. What could possibly go wrong? This is either a bizarre mismatch made in heaven or an incongruity making hell for all involved. KU is a tough program without department willpower, environment or past success to indicate things will change to the extent some here think it will. Too many flags are blowing the wrong way in a cold prairie wind. Best bet is they can do better than Catloff, but being an influential program? Even Oklahoma hasn't been able to do that. Online bookies are giving it 12-1 against with a side bet for fireworks in the conference room.

channeling your inner Grantland Rice? :^) (too many flags are blowing the wrong way in a cold prairie wind)

awesome!
:^)

[fullmetal]

Norm's exercising his eloquence I think we called it here when we raised eyebrows earlier at the news of the ongoing KU coaching situation.

As far as results go...who knows, maybe some programs are splitting their eights, maybe some are stacking their eights. Whatever works for them.