Nearly four months have passed since Randy Rutherford was named the head men’s basketball coach at Murray State, but he hasn’t yet settled into Tishomingo.
That’s still on his to-do list, after wrapping up recruiting.
“I’ve still got to find a place to live,” said Rutherford, the former Oklahoma State star and Tulsa Central High School coach who has a one-year deal with Murray State.
His goal is still the same: To change the culture of Aggie basketball. Murray State was 6-23 this past season, which saw Mike Kelley step down as head coach in the middle of the season and women’s coach Rennie Nickell take over in the interim.
“From the history I’ve seen, they don’t know what it takes to win,” he said Tuesday. “My goal is to show them what it takes to win. That is my biggest goal, to get the things I need to be successful.
“If we don’t get to 18 wins, I’ll be disappointed.”
He was 13-13 with Central, but he took the club to the state 4A tournament. Murray State was 35-85 under Kelley, but the six wins last season were twice the total from 2007-08.
So, Rutherford’s still hitting the recruiting trail hard and commuting from Tulsa to Tish once or twice a week.
“I think it’s difficult, but I love a good challenge,” Rutherford said of recruiting while not yet settled.
Then again, he said, there’s not much he can do on campus because his players won’t report to school until August.
Eight new Aggies have signed since Rutherford’s hire, including Ardmore swingman Domanique Godwin, the All-Ardmoreite Player of the Year. LaRon Buggs, a Central alumnus who played before Rutherford’s lone season there, is one of the returning Aggies.
“I believe all the kids I signed can play Division I,” Rutherford said.
That makes Godwin feel good.
“Everybody has a good feeling about (Rutherford),” Godwin said. “I know it’s going to be a tough workout. Basically, he’s going to work us hard.”
While trying to find some more players to sign, Rutherford also is in the hunt for an assistant coach. His plate is full, but an old value he learned from his college coach Eddie Sutton helps him through the course.
“I believe in the FACT factor: focus, attitude, commitment and togetherness,” Rutherford said. “If you can have all those things, everything else comes natural.”
Naturally, there’s still some buzz about a new era in Murray State basketball, which is still some four months away.
“I definitely think so,” said Nickell, who also is the athletic director. “People are excited about what he can do.”
All Rutherford looks for during the season is the support from the Tish townspeople.
A change of culture doesn’t hurt.
“It’s not a lot to do in Tishomingo, from what I understand,” he said, “so a player can do one of two things — you can be really good in basketball and graduate, or you can be bad at both.”
ic.murrell@ardmoreite.com
I.C. Murrell
221-6527
