“Happy trails to you, Until we meet again; Happy trails to you, Keep smiling until then; Happy trails to you, ‘Til we meet again.”

Roy Rogers, sometime in the ’50s

Floyd turns down Tigers for final time
Clemson turning its attention to Dayton’s Purnell, Rice’s Wilson

April 4, 2003

“…Clemson is trying to again pursue Dayton coach Oliver Purnell, who is believed to be athletics director’s Terry Don Phillips’ main focus now, a source said. Negotiating with Purnell, who led the Flyers to a 24-6 record and a No. 4 NCAA Tournament seed, is a delicate matter.

Purnell would probably have to negotiate a buyout to accept an offer from Clemson or Georgia, where he is also in consideration. His contract does not allow him to speak directly with Clemson without the risk of forfeiting a significant amount of money.

…Last week, Phillips said he has had discussions with Purnell’s agent. According to sources, Purnell is two years away from having his annuity mature to $1.7 or $1.8 million after it began at $1 million.”

Anderson, SC Independent Mail, Friday April 4th

Purnell ready to take reins at Clemson

“Dayton coach Oliver Purnell has accepted the head coaching job at Clemson and will be introduced on Saturday, ESPN learned Friday night. No other details are available. Purnell, who led the Flyers (25-6) to the Atlantic 10 championship and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, would replace Larry Shyatt, who resigned March 17. Shyatt’s Tigers were 15-13 overall this season. Clemson was shocked when it wasn’t invited to the NIT after finishing 5-11 in the ACC, with a key non-conference win over Cincinnati. Shyatt had two seasons left on his contract.”

ESPN.com, Friday April 4th

Purnell reportedly leaving Dayton

“University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Oliver Purnell’s name has surfaced as a candidate for the Clemson coaching position. ESPN reported this morning that Purnell could be named the Clemson head coach today.

Purnell guided the Flyers to their first Atlantic 10 Championship this year. UD lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Tulsa.

Purnell’s name has been linked to other coaching jobs, including Georgia. Neither University of Dayton officials nor Purnell could be reached for comment. Purnell is in Louisiana watching the Final Four.”

Dayton Daily News, Saturday April 5th

And so it goes…from ‘Clemson Turning Its Attention to Dayton’s Purnell’ to ‘Purnell Ready to Take Reins at Clemson’ in less than 24 hours. After 9 years of rebuilding what was once a dead-on-its-ass Dayton Flyer program, Oliver Purnell moves southward to take on the challenge that is the ACC’s Clemson Tigers. Good for him; potentially good for the program and for us Flyer Fans, too.

Let’s face it…Ted Kissell is in a much more enviable position now vs. back when UD had to replace “The Terminator” AKA Jim O’Brien. Ted has Ron Jirsa, a guy with major college head coaching experience right down the hall. Kissell has suddenly unemployed former head coaches like Steve Lavin and Matt Doherty to consider. And there are any number of hotshot assistant coaches at big schools/head coaches at smaller institutions who will be on the horn seeking an interview. Throw in a few surprises and all of a sudden this could be a good thing!

One name to file away for future reference: MSU Assistant Coach Brian Gregory.

Boys and girls, in case you hadn’t noticed, college basketball is a business. Oliver Purnell is a businessman and one with a great resume. Coach P has been successful wherever he has been. He has held his current post for 9 years. I’ve been in advertising sales for 30+ years and the longest I ever worked at one place was the 10 ½ years I spent at CNN. Hell, when Mrs. Swampy and I were first married, I worked for 3 different radio stations in one year! OP has been an outstanding coach who ran a clean program — a class individual and an absolute credit to the university. For that we should all thank him and wish him well.

I never met Coach Purnell. I only admired his handiwork from 225 miles up I-75 and got to write about it occasionally here on UDPride.com. I appreciate all that he did to restore my pride in being a Flyer.

Now: Let’s go find the best basketball coach in America.

That’s it “From the Swamp.”