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Oklahoma head basketball coach Porter Moser found himself in the middle of controversy this week when rumors of a pending move to DePaul surfaced online. While the Sooners are still prepping for the upcoming Big XII Tournament, a number of outlets were reporting on the speculation of a departure from Norman.
Moser shut the narrative down Monday night, emphatically stating that he has no plans to bail on Boomer Sooner. Instead, he says he’s looking ahead to the postseason in hopes of making some noise this March.
Whispers started early this morning hinting at a potential change of scenery, pegging Big East program DePaul as the landing spot. Those pushing that storyline were quick to point out his connection to the city of Chicago, as he’d spent a decade at Loyola prior to landing the gig at OU.
Moser made his mark with the Ramblers following a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, one of which resulted in an improbable Final Four run.
While Sister Jean landed most of the headlines during that miraculous March, it was Moser keeping the Ramblers motivated throughout the tournament.
He’d lead the program back to the Big Dance three seasons later, advancing to the Sweet 16. Loyola finished the year ranked in the final AP Poll for the first time in 25 years.
The head coach accepted a job at Oklahoma that offseason, but on Monday, his future with the program was seemingly in doubt.
Porter Moser was reportedly interested in the DePaul job after just three seasons with OU.
Porter Moser reportedly in line to leave Oklahoma become head coach at DePaul. good move. guy knows Chicago from time at Loyola, is beloved figure there. hope school comes up with resources to make it work. besides playing in SEC is going to be a bear for whoever gets Sooners’…
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) March 11, 2024
Included in a potential hiring would be a reported $6.5M buyout that DePaul would have to pay Oklahoma for swiping their leader, which the Blue Demons would be more than willing to do.
This from ESPN’s Jeff Borzello:
Talks aren’t as advanced as social media would lead you to believe, but there’s interest and DePaul has expressed it would be willing to pay Moser’s buyout, which is around $6.5 million, sources told ESPN.
Momentum grew for a potential move throughout the day, but luckily for OU, Porter Moser made it a point to shut the rumors down.
Heard all the rumors this afternoon 🤦♂️ and want to say emphatically THERE IS ZERO TRUTH!!
I LOVE Oklahoma and Sooner Nation ❤️🤍
These accounts make stuff up and there is no validity to any of these “sources” b/c I have spoken to NO ONE about any job!! pic.twitter.com/Hcl5h0q1f5
— Porter Moser (@PorterMoser) March 12, 2024
Moser said that there’s “zero truth” to the validity of the online “sources,” emphatically denying he’s been in contact with another school.
That’s a good sign for the Sooners as they gear up for the Big XII Tournament. Moser and Co. will now look ahead to a matchup with TCU on Wednesday.