Note: You can find the text of Cale Gundy’s first statement and both of Brent Venables’ statements at the bottom of this column. I’m trying to square Cale Gundy’s resignation statement with Brent Venables’ final statement endorsing his resignation. It’s difficult.
Aug 9, 2022·edited Aug 9, 2022Liked by Clay Horning
If Cale Gundy “sinned” (culture: became guilty/committed an act of guilt; religion: missed the mark, or, caused separation from God or one another), it wasn’t just his carelessness; it was that he removed himself (separated himself out, a kind of care-less gesture in a way) from his “flock,” those whom he was charged to shepherd, by choosing to publicly chastise/make an example of one of his charges, thereby effectively saying that he was not one of them and he could take unilateral action. THAT is pathetically poor coaching and mentoring, and clearly violated the culture of “mutual respect” that Coach Venables has been laboring to establish. But I believe the GREATER sin is the way we condemn, castigate, judge and execute those who commit “sin” without hope for redemption. It’s not unreasonable to expect that Coach Gundy would say that this terrible incident is his worst moment in coaching, perhaps in his life. If so, what does he need? He who has coached nearly a quarter-century and helped elevate this storied football program into highest honors…is he to be judged by his one worst moment? Is there no way to see him as part of this family of “mutual respect,” as one who has strayed and should be carefully brought back into the fold? He chose to fall on his sword by resigning for fear of being a distraction, but this has left us all as we have been for far too long: an irredemptive people gunning for the next sinner, graceless and vindictive. Coach Venables hopes to raise young men up to be exemplars of mutual respect (this makes me ponder on the consequences for the subject player in this sad story). But the treatment of Cale Gundy says to them: once you become an adult, you’re living in a world of one ‘n’ done.
There is way more to the story it will come out only through where does Cale Gundy go from here?
When crazy things happen around coaches that get them fired they always wind up at a different school. Fall semester hasn’t started yet they don’t want any of these kids to leave Oklahoma and follow Kale Gundy.
Kale has the knowledge to be a head coach he probably will go coach with his brother and be an office of coordinator is my guess and it won’t happen until after school starts.
If Cale Gundy “sinned” (culture: became guilty/committed an act of guilt; religion: missed the mark, or, caused separation from God or one another), it wasn’t just his carelessness; it was that he removed himself (separated himself out, a kind of care-less gesture in a way) from his “flock,” those whom he was charged to shepherd, by choosing to publicly chastise/make an example of one of his charges, thereby effectively saying that he was not one of them and he could take unilateral action. THAT is pathetically poor coaching and mentoring, and clearly violated the culture of “mutual respect” that Coach Venables has been laboring to establish. But I believe the GREATER sin is the way we condemn, castigate, judge and execute those who commit “sin” without hope for redemption. It’s not unreasonable to expect that Coach Gundy would say that this terrible incident is his worst moment in coaching, perhaps in his life. If so, what does he need? He who has coached nearly a quarter-century and helped elevate this storied football program into highest honors…is he to be judged by his one worst moment? Is there no way to see him as part of this family of “mutual respect,” as one who has strayed and should be carefully brought back into the fold? He chose to fall on his sword by resigning for fear of being a distraction, but this has left us all as we have been for far too long: an irredemptive people gunning for the next sinner, graceless and vindictive. Coach Venables hopes to raise young men up to be exemplars of mutual respect (this makes me ponder on the consequences for the subject player in this sad story). But the treatment of Cale Gundy says to them: once you become an adult, you’re living in a world of one ‘n’ done.
There is way more to the story it will come out only through where does Cale Gundy go from here?
When crazy things happen around coaches that get them fired they always wind up at a different school. Fall semester hasn’t started yet they don’t want any of these kids to leave Oklahoma and follow Kale Gundy.
Kale has the knowledge to be a head coach he probably will go coach with his brother and be an office of coordinator is my guess and it won’t happen until after school starts.