“I’M NOT SIXTY”

A few years ago, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy made national news when he publicly confronted a newspaper columnist about an article she had written.  He suggested that she should have come after him.

"I'm a man.  I'm forty."  Gundy's tirade became part of talk radio lore.  A sign with that quote was held up on the east side of Cajun Field when OSU came to town.

Tuesday night at Hofheinz Pavilion, age again was a topic of conversation.

After Houston's 78-65 win over Louisiana, the benches lined up to shake hands.  As first year coach James Dickey walked over to shake hands with the Louisiana coaching staff, Coach Dickey looked my way.  He glared.  He shook hands with one of the Cajuns assistants, then looked my way again.

"I'M NOT SIXTY," he growled at me.

To say the least, I was taken aback.  I looked at two others sitting next to me on press row.  They looked surprised as well.  "What's that about," I was asked.

I had no clue.

Following Coach Bob Marlin's post game radio interview, I signed off the air and started to pack equipment.  I looked down at the other end of press row.  Coach Dickey was doing his postgame radio show.  I asked Jeff Conrad, former UL Sports Information Director who now handles the same duties at Houston if he knew anything.  He looked as surprised as I was.

I saw Coach Dickey get up from press row.  I followed and caught up wtih him in the tunnel.

"Coach DIckey."

He turned, saw me and turned away, walking.

"Coach, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No."

"Coach, I'd really like to know what that comment was about."

He turned to me.

"Do you have a radio show back home?"

"I do."

"Then you know what it's about."  He turned and started to walk away again.

"Coach, I have no idea what this is about."

"You said on your show 'we don't need to hire no sixty year old coach.'

And, that ended the conversation.

I walked back to press row, got my equipment and headed home.

During the drive, I replayed the scene and thought back to the UL coaching search.

And, finally, I remembered.

I did receive a call on "Bird's Eye View" when UL was looking for a coach.  Lots of names were brought up by the listening audience.  Some more than once.  And, a caller did bring up James Dickey's name.

Now, to be sure, I never used the term "we."  And, to be sure, I would never interject that someone was or was not going to be MY choice.  And the reason for that should be clear.  Whoever the choice was going to be, I was going to have to work with him.  In fact, the only choice that I publicly questioned was Tim Floyd. 

But I did remember saying something to the effect that I didn't think the University was going to hire a  sixty year old coach...or someone pushing sixty....or something like that.

Now, I believe there were other reasons why James Dickey was not going to be a serious candidate.  He had not been a head coach in nine years.  His program at Texas Tech was hit with academic sanctions, although he was not specifically named and no personal sanctions came upon him.  And, at the time of the coaching search, he had been out of coaching completely for two years, unless you give him credit for the two years as a volunteer assistant high school coach.

And, for the record, Dickey was not granted an interview for the UL job.

But age was, in fact, the only thing I mentioned.

And, it was part of the scenario as to why I did not believe that Dickey was ever a candidate for the job.  That was my opinion.

Imagine that.  A radio talk show host with an opinion.

For the record, Dickey is 56 years old.  Not sixty.  And, some would say, not pushing sixty. 

If you don't believe me, ask him.  He'll tell you.

Emphatically.