Patience Will Be Key

Well, here it is. It's finally happened. After a week of waiting. After tweets from players. After a somewhat awkward statement from their athletic director...

Mike Holder, via statement: "I like Travis Ford and his family. He worked very hard at his job. Unfortunately, we have to move on." #okstate

— John Helsley (@jjhelsley) March 18, 2016

Oklahoma State University has made public its decision on the Travis Ford issue.

It came as a surprise to few. The proof was in the pudding, or the numbers.

One tournament win in eight years. Zero conference titles. One finish in the top three of the Big 12.

The next couple of weeks will be as important as any for OSU's athletic director, Mike Holder. After a much maligned 10 year contract and subsequent buyout owed Travis Ford, the pressure will be on Holder to hit on this hire.

The outcome of this decision determines whether Mike Holder is considered "the GOAT" or becomes merely a scapegoat.

Holder has accomplished a lot during his tenure. From Boone Pickens Stadium and the most successful years of the football program to the upswing in the baseball program, OSU athletics is definitely in a better place than where he found it.

But the previous bread winner the men's basketball program has settled to its lowest state in 30 years on Holder's watch. His biggest coaching hire turned out to be a failure at worst and less than average at best.

Either way you look at it, the ship has to be righted or Mike Holder's legacy will be stained. The outcome of this decision determines whether Mike Holder is considered "the GOAT" or becomes merely a scapegoat.

We have all seen the #BringDougHome campaign pick up steam. Gottlieb is a flashy hire for sure and would bring some immediate excitement and fan support. But there are a lot of other candidates that are definitely worth investigating as well. Brad Underwood. Chris Beard. Buzz Williams. Other names will likely surface in the coming days or weeks.

Just don't expect the process to be quick. If you're an OSU fan you shouldn't want it to be quick or rash or reactionary. Let things play out. Some of these candidates are kind of busy right now.

Let's face it. Whether or not you're on the #BringDougHome train, you don't want your school's athletic director making a decision based solely on a Twitter campaign. Or for that matter, hiring the next mid-major coach to win an upset game in March just because he's a hot name. Time needs to be taken. Homework done.

Mike Holder - "...We'd like for this to be a speedy process but who knows how long it's going to take?"

Here's the full article with Mike Holder's statement from Jordan Bishop of The O'Colly,

Whether or not you have faith in Mike Holder, the only option now is to let him do his job and either prove you right or wrong.

As reported by the Tulsa World, Mike Holder has formed a committee to find the next head basketball coach at Oklahoma State. The group includes Holder, university president Burns Hargis and regents Joe Hall and Calvin Anthony.

It's also important that whoever is hired is given time to succeed. Again, whether it's Doug Gottlieb or Buzz Williams, it's hard to win games in the Big 12, especially on the road. Just ask Travis Ford.

Any candidate will need time to turn things around. Patience on the part of the administration, as well as the fan base, will be key.

We don't like waiting. We want our guy hired, yesterday. We want OSU to win the Big 12 next year and cruise to the Final Four. We don't want to be patient. But we have to be.

We have finally witnessed step one of a long journey. Hopefully, it ends with Oklahoma State returning to its place as a powerhouse in college basketball.

So sit back and watch. It's okay to be excited. Just remember to keep an open mind.