OUInsider - Owen Field

I would concur definitely. If Bob would buy into the recruiting effort of Saban and Mack he would never lose a game.

I think it is impossible to compare. This is just my opinion, but:

Bud's TV shows displayed a desire that all Oklahoma understand what OU was doing on the field. Bud was a great communicator that sold Oklahoma on OU. My family would not miss his TV show as he drew up plays on a chalk board, or with his small table board. (Interesting the newspaper would provide a frame-by-frame display of an OU offensive play in the paper. They did not worry about osu crying then.)

Bud was also a great innovator in a different time. He was able to take young men, from a completely different upbringing, who had different values from today's young men and mold them into football machines. Bud took a risk that texas would not of bringing Prentiss on the team and making it work, regardless of what some players may have thought. I don't know if everything Bud did would work today or not.

Barry is bigger than life. imho, he has never been given the credit for being the offensive coach he was and some of that is because he always deferred to the athletes. He exposed DKR's race-based liabilities. But he was coach when the bowl restrictions opened up, and showed OU to be a major player. It was clear that his coaches and players believed that they did not have to be the best to win. They just had to believe in OU. Barry sold OU football and OU magic. Ironically, he may have been more accepted today, than he was then.

Bob Stoops is not near the public communicator as either Bud or Barry. He also appears to come from a perspective of character and historic body of work, speaking more loud than smooth talkering. Bob evokes a lot of respect and character. But, I don't know much players today want to be respected, in as much as they want to be recognized. Bob appears to have more trouble selling OU football than either Bud or Barry. I am saying that as someone who likes Bob a lot. And, I am not willing to sell out for a Saban, Mack, or JJ.

I believe that all three are/were the best for their respective times.

I do not believe Barry is any dirtier than the immortal Bear Bryant. You make it sound like Barry won because he cheated more than other coaches. Any of you remember reading or remember it happening that when Tatum left for Maryland, he took the recruiting slush fund with him of (I believe over $100,000)?
Do you remember Bud getting in trouble because he got busted with a large slush fund? It was the way that recruiting was accomplished in those days by all the best schools.
I knew a Priest who was a HS football star in Corpus Christi in the 50s and we were talking one day and I asked him why he played at LSU instead of one of the Texas schools. He replyed "They paid me more money!"
I said, "Father!!!" he said, "Well, hell Bill, I wasn't always a Priest!" I heard stories like when they won the Sugar Bowl that Earl Long and other boosters were walking through the locker room, each putting $100.00 bills in their shoes. He roomed with Billy Cannon or was it Y A Tittle (spell?). I'm not sure Y A played at LSU. Im losing my brain cells at a swift pace.
I don't know for sure whether Barry cheated or not and probably none of us do. He was definitely smarter than most of the other coaches. All my friends from East Texas are convinced that Barry cheated his way recruiting Billy Sims, George Cumby, et al. But hiding Billy in a motel while coach was signing Kenny King. It wasn't an NCAA violation then… it was just sneaky. Barry could succeed with black recruits because he grew up with them.
It sickens me but a lot of my horn friends are still braggin' that their UT 1970 Natuonal Championship team was the last all white team to win a MNC!!!
That alone should tell you why Barry was such a respected recruiter by black players in Texas.
I hope I haven't offended anyone but every story is the truth.
I hope this makes sense. I'm in bed with the flu and a high temp so forgive me if this post is somewhat loopy.

Barry was not dirtier than a lot of coaches, including Bryant. But Mr. Dodds was not after all of those other coaches. Dodds turned in teams that he felt were out cheating texas. It took the pressure off texas in several ways. Bryant was not an issue with Mr. Dodds.

I don't think he did any more than some others but what I really was speaking about was the national image of him cheating not what I thought. Any way you slice it there was the Kerry Jackson scandal and the spying incident and the probation of 1988. Barry had a poor reputation because of that and the shootings and rapes.

Let me make this perfectly clear. If I was going on a guys trip I would go with Barry over Bob and Bob over Bud. Barry is as engaging as they come and frankly few can match him anywhere in personality.

You're right SoonerPeace!
And the way Barry is thought of nationally really pisses me off!

Barry for me :)

Are you serious? Notre Dame...??

Another oldtimer that is voting for Bud, with Barry a close second.

Bob a "very distant third?" Wow...really?

Notre Dame has: Dan Devine 52-16, Lou Holtz 100-32-2, Ara Parseghian 95-17-4, Frank Leahy 87-11-9 (he also invented the T Formation and had a 39 game winning streak 4 NCs) AND KNUTE ROCKNE 105-12-5

Gotta go with Bob. The scholarship reduction has leveled the playing field across the board, which impacts his success rate far more than his two predecessors. Look at any of the storied programs in this day and age, they are all affected by the scholarship limitations, Florida, Alabama (even though they have it rolling right now)... All have had down years. If your talent evaluation is off even on a handful of recruits, it greatly impacts your depth. Is not like the old days when you could sign a ton of kids, if not for anything else to keep your rival competitors from getting them. As somebody alluded to earlier, college football is just a different animal these days in terms of the exposure, media, etc. On the surface of things, it just seems that Bob has had almost as much success as the others while working within the confines of more restricted system.