John Blake enters OU coaching search from beyond the grave
Search committee calls spectral candidacy “unconventional but available”; boosters insist recruiting contacts remain excellent.
NORMAN — Oklahoma’s permanently unofficial coaching search took another turn Friday after a fax machine that had been unplugged since the late 1990s produced a single page reading JOHN BLAKE — AVAILABLE.
The late former Sooners coach has reportedly entered contention through what boosters are calling the most aggressive use of the alumni network in program history.
“We said we would leave no stone unturned,” one search committee member said. “The donors interpreted that very broadly.”
The recruiting contacts remain strong
An apparition in a crimson coaching polo allegedly appeared during a closed meeting, smiled at the proposed recruiting budget and asked why everyone was making this so complicated.
A booster argued that Blake’s ability to bring talent to Norman should outweigh the logistical concerns. Another asked whether the contract needed a mortality clause. The room decided to revisit compensation later.
Barry Switzer described the candidacy as worth considering, adding that he had already received a much clearer answer from the fax machine than from several living agents.
Remote work has expanded
The committee is exploring an arrangement involving spectral recruiting visits, film sessions conducted through a flickering projector and a headset that occasionally picks up a radio broadcast from 1997.
One administrator noted that the candidate could apparently appear wherever he pleased. A donor immediately asked whether that counted toward the travel budget.
Brent Venables declined to comment on the search, then instructed staff to remove all unattended fax machines from the facility.
At press time, the apparition had requested a list of available defensive linemen. The committee described this as the most productive first interview it had conducted in years.
