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When they showed Barry Switzer on the sideline, I thought he was looking pretty old

Posted on 12/20/25 at 1:31 am
Posted by Ag Zwin
Member since Mar 2016
25352 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 1:31 am
Had no idea he’s actually 88 now. Makes sense when I think about it, but this is still the mental image I have of the man.

Love him or hate him, he was a force for about 15 years.

Posted by TigerReich
Member since Dec 2024
776 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 5:03 am to
Cool shirt
Posted by samson73103
Krypton
Member since Nov 2008
9060 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 5:16 am to
quote:

he was a force for about 15 years.

Yeah he was. Switzer was considered to be a top tier coach for a long time and had the record to back it up.
Posted by Gorilla Ball
Az
Member since Feb 2006
12853 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 5:56 am to
I used to love watching those Oklahoma vs Nebraska games
And it seems like they were always playing for the Orange Bowl berth
Posted by Pauldingtiger
Alabama
Member since Jan 2019
953 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 6:10 am to
But Choklahoma Stoops was right beside him and he brought that stink with him!
Posted by GatorOnAnIsland
Florida
Member since Jan 2019
9373 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 6:16 am to
He was a great coach…

Switzer already had faced controversy when former Sooner linebacker Brian Bosworth wrote a book, which came out last August, saying players used cocaine and fired guns at the dormitory. Bosworth, who left the team after the 1986 season, also referred to NCAA violations and said the Oklahoma football program bordered on anarchy.

At the time, Switzer called Bosworth’s claims sensationalism.

The state’s largest newspapers called for Switzer’s resignation after five of his players were charged with felonies earlier this year.

One player was charged with wounding another player in a dormitory shooting incident. Three players were charged with first-degree rape in an alleged dormitory assault on an Oklahoma City woman. And quarterback Charles Thompson was charged in federal court with cocaine possession.

Posted by T1gerNate
Member since Feb 2020
2329 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 6:42 am to
quote:

players used cocaine and fired guns at the dormitory


I’m sorry I thought this was America
Posted by Trumansfangs
Town & Country
Member since Sep 2018
7901 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 6:47 am to
Wasn't he born on third base and went through life thinking he hit a triple ?
Posted by West Seattle Dude
West Sesttle
Member since Aug 2023
464 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 6:48 am to
I read Charles Thompson’s book. As a kid, he would race for money that was put up by the local gangsters. He never lost a race.
Posted by bamabonners
Alabama
Member since Nov 2015
4957 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 7:25 am to
He was the last to win a Superbowl with the cowboys....

That's how I remember him.
Posted by MizzouTrue
Member since Jun 2016
4914 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 7:38 am to
He loved to drink

Of course he looks old
Posted by Globetrotter747
Member since Sep 2017
5319 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 8:58 am to
quote:

Had no idea he’s actually 88 now

I don’t know how old you are, but Switzer became the OU HC in 1973. That’s 52 years ago. Most of the prominent coaches of the 1970s are long dead. In fact, he is the only coach who won a natty in the ‘70s who’s still alive.

In other words, It shouldn’t be a surprise he’s old as shite. And while I didn’t see him last night, Switzer has aged well through the years and always seems sharp and energetic.
quote:

Love him or hate him, he was a force for about 15 years.

He was a great recruiter whose upbringing helped him jive with black athletes in the early days of integration. He also deserves a lot of credit for OU implementing the wishbone even before he was the HC.

That said, inheriting a peaking Oklahoma program in 1973 at just 36 years old and the Dallas Cowboys in 1994 after sitting on the couch for five years were two pretty damn good situations to walk into.
quote:

I used to love watching those Oklahoma vs Nebraska games And it seems like they were always playing for the Orange Bowl berth

They did because the rest of the Big 8 sucked. Switzer’s famous catchphrase “Hang half a hundred on ‘em” came from beating the shite out of overmatched teams by video game scores, which Nebraska continued to do in the ‘90s minus some competition from Colorado under McCartney.

However, both OU and Nebraska always struggled against Miami and FSU teams that recruited elite players on D to beat them. Switzer was 33-3 from 1985-1987 with all three losses to Miami. Nebraska had a seven game (very nearly eight game) bowl losing streak from 1987-1993 mostly against Miami and FSU.

1995 Nebraska advocates just don’t appreciate how much easier the path to greatness became when OU hit the skids post-Switzer and not having to face a bowl opponent with a physical defense built with an emphasis on defending run-oriented option offenses.
Posted by Gifman
Member since Jan 2021
17482 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 9:00 am to
That picture is peak middle aged male.
Posted by canyon
MM23
Member since Dec 2003
21500 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 9:01 am to
Damn man he’s 88!
I thought shite he’s upright. That’s a good day for Barry.
Posted by Oklahomey
Bucksnort, TN
Member since Mar 2013
5884 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 9:07 am to
He still drinks but it’s only red wine. He is mentally sharp and maintains a relatively healthy lifestyle. He has a nice house on campus.
Posted by Ag Zwin
Member since Mar 2016
25352 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 10:25 am to
quote:

Wasn't he born on third base and went through life thinking he hit a triple ?

Well, he was actually born into a pretty hard-arse life. The story of the night his mom committed suicide is rough, and that was just part of what he dealt with.

That being said, I do understand your point. Still, he had a big role in building the thing he inherited, and he coached it through a level his predecessor didn’t.

A decade later, he lost a future #1 draft pick and HOF QB to a broken leg, then put in a true freshman, completely changed the offense, and went on to win the natty. I don’t care who you are, that’s impressive.
Posted by MizzouTrue
Member since Jun 2016
4914 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 10:33 am to
Switzer could make it to 100 and I wouldn’t be shocked

He sounds good in his interviews
Posted by TigerBait1971
PTC GA
Member since Oct 2014
16090 posts
Posted on 12/20/25 at 10:36 am to
Stoops still looks like a kid with that baby face.
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