After scrolling through entirely too much of my feed, one thing is clear about
#GoBeavs fans re: Coach Bray.
A majority consensus of posts trend towards appreciation for Bray, acknowledgement that a decision was warranted at some point based on results, and frustration at state of department.
What are objective measures outside of W-L that we can observe and monitor to demonstrate positive momentum within athletics?
Perhaps some further context to what time might mean or look like...
Fun fact: circa 2012/2013, the OSU athletics department paid an external consultant from a Big 10 school to assess the department structure and operations. I'm not aware of all findings, but do know staffing/org structure operations changes were recommended.
I am wondering if OSU athletics have done anything in the last 12 years since to further assess their efficiency, ability to grow, maintain modernity in an ever evolving collegiate athletics climate against top-tier P5 schools. Perhaps they have?
I also can't help but assess their current circumstances in football and broader within athletics (conference, TV deals, NIL, etc) and wonder if these are symptoms of longer stemming issues within the department and university.
When I was in grad school at Oregon State and getting to work with the football team, I would sometimes sit with the late Jeff Taylor (RIP) at training table, who had been around OSU for years. He would tell stories about how dire things had been at OSU athletics for so many years, and the success of football being the catalyst of everything we had at the time (this was 2013-2015 at the end of the Riley era).
I remember Jeff's message then turning cautionary, which was ironic given what was coming in the following years under the successor to Riley, and what is going on now.
Jeff let us who were "new" to OSU and wanting more success know how fragile it all was, and that we had more work to do institutionally to get to the next level.
That conversation, and the external consulting, were 12 years ago.
Looking at the situation now, and beyond the needed/known infrastructure enhancements (Reser), I genuinely wonder how much the department has enhanced itself to operate as a top-tier institution?
I recognize the unprecedented events of Pac-12 collapse & NIL/transfer portal evolution, but I also see almost all of our former partner-institutions have managed to survive and advance much more quickly than we have thus far.
So in context to Bray, a Beaver alum & legend who maybe wasn't ready to be the HC but chose not to abandon his school in a time of great need- and in context to the outpouring from Beaver fans and now other noted alumni (Cooks, Euhus, and many more)-
What standard do we hold both the athletic department and university leadership to in order to advance football and all athletics towards the place we want to be in?
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk that no one asked for.
GO BEAVS!