New challenge for coach Brandon Tyler: Turning around Sallisaw's tradition-rich program
By Patrick Kays
Brandon Tyler photo by George Mitchell
His track record speaks for itself.
Pattern held together.
He just seems to have it. Whatever “it” is, Brandon Tyler has it.
After helping turn both Vian and Gore from winless teams to bona-fide contenders and fresh off of a state championship appearance at Gore, Tyler is set to take over yet another program in Sequoyah County coming off of a winless season - the Sallisaw Black Diamonds, who announced the hiring of Tyler earlier this week.
The Black Diamonds - who went to back-to-back Class 4A title games in 2000-01 and reached the 4A quarterfinals as recently as 2019 - have won only once over the last two seasons. They didn't win a single game this past season and with Tyler's hiring, he becomes the third coach Sallisaw has had in as many seasons.
But for now, at the biggest school in Sequoyah County, a much needed primer has arrived.
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“Our expectation is always going to be the same no matter where I am at,” said Tyler. “That’s to compete for a district championship, make the playoffs and make a run at the state championship. We want to set our goals high and try to reach them.”
With championship game appearances at both Vian and Gore, Tyler has known what it takes to achieve those goals and get a team in the shape they need to be.
It is a lesson he had to teach himself after taking over the Gore job.
“At Gore, knowing how bad they had been up to that point, I had to check myself as a coach to be able to see if I could turn this program around,” said Tyler.
“And the kids bought in.”
‘Bought in’ paid off in a 60-11 record in his time at Gore and 127-25 record in his 12-year campaign at Vian, which included a state title game appearance in 2006.
This past season, his final one at Gore, Tyler helped the Pirates reach the state title game for the first time in school history with a resounding win against Hominy in the Class A semifinals. But Gore fell short in the title game, falling to Fairview, 32-28, in a matchup between unbeaten teams.
Building the type of players needed to turn a program around is something that means a lot to Tyler.
It adds a mantra of mentor buried into the title of head coach.
“We live in this selfish culture. It’s all about me, me, me. We gotta go back to we,” said Tyler. “We have to put people before us and when that happens, we develop good men that buy into what you are trying to do and that carries over into Friday night.”
“It makes you a good teammate and you play for the buddy next to you.”
Tyler - who also spent a brief time as an assistant at Van Buren (Ark.) - will rely on that culture as he steps into the highest classification he has competed at in the state of Oklahoma, at Class 4A.
Without hesitation, he seems to embrace that challenge - which should fire up the Black Diamond faithful.
“It is going to be a challenge,” said Tyler. “This is my first time at this level. There are probably going to be a lot more quality players on both sides than you see at the Class A level all the way around. The coaching will be more sound at what they are doing.
“But, it will be a fun challenge.”
