Porter Moser reveals key factors in hiring new assistant

Porter Moser’s Oklahoma coaching staff is going to look a whole lot different this year than it did during the 2022-23 season. Moser will have three new assistants on his front-of-the-bench staff.

The plan was originally to have only two new coaches but assistant coach Emanuel Dildy, who joined Moser at Oklahoma when he was first hired, was just hired by Duke. He filled the opening with the Blue Devils that had been the spot of Amile Jefferson.

Now Moser has to find an assistant coach in August, which is far from idea. He has some ideas of where he hopes to start.

“There’s a lot that’s gonna go into (it),” Moser said to the media Monday. “People that I know. People knows me. I’ve had a lot of guys leave. Someone that I really feel is gonna stay here for some time. Somebody that I know and trust that knows me, knows my system, is a factor. That’s part of that. Not to say that’s the end all. But when you lose somebody and they got to start right up — our workouts are over for the summer. So it’s really is someone that knows what we’re doing, knows my system. I’ve got some guys targeted.”

Dildy and Moser first worked together at Loyola Chicago from 2013-16 during Moser’s memorable run with the Ramblers. He then worked at Missouri, Valparaiso and Northwestern before taking the job with the Sooners in 2021.

All three of Moser’s original assistant coaches from that 2021-22 staff have left the program. David Patrick took the head coaching job at Sacramento State and then K.T. Turner took an assistant coaching job at Kentucky after that first season. Turner is now the head coach at UT-Arlington.

“It’s tough to lose, especially your associate coach who all summer you were doing the workouts with, to lose him at this time of year,” Moser said. “But that just shows you a lot about Emanuel. I knew when I hired him. I had him at Loyola. Very good on the court, and I thought his next step was going to be a head coach, but this was an opportunity he felt he couldn’t pass up. Getting an assistant coach this late, our workouts are done, our roster is set, so some of the biggest things (that are) important is someone that really I believe is going to build this thing with me.”