Wake Forest Demon Deacons: How’s Danny Manning Doing?
Nolan Richardson, 1980-5
Tulsa Record: 119-37
After Tulsa: 389-169 (Arkansas)
Richardson won an NIT title with Tulsa in 1981, but he built his legacy with his pressure defense at Arkansas, reaching the final four three times and taking the 1994 National Championship in Charlotte, NC. His biography on Wikapedia argues that Richardson is the coach that made Tulsa a destination for other coaches looking to burnish their credentials.
Part of what makes Tulsa coaches in demand is their ability to win games at a school that ranks as one of the smallest FBS schools. Bigger schools may believe that if you can at Tulsa, you can win anywhere.
J.D. Barrett, 1985-91
Tulsa Record: 106-75
After Tulsa: 55-79 (Northwestern State)
Barrett could not keep Richardson’s success going at quite that pace, and he left Tulsa in 1991. Barrett does not really tell us anything about Manning, because Barrett was not promoted to his next job. NW State is a step down from Tulsa.