Overboard

[SMUFan]

Mustang Nation, I urge you to take a deep breath and think.

Consider an incoming recruit, a player who like most of his new college teammates was a star at his high school. This kind of player often is bigger than life in his home town, quoted in the local newspaper every Friday night and treated like some sort of hero. Then this player arrives at college and he's no longer a star. The other players at his position are bigger and stronger, if not faster. The fans and media are up in arms, because when he signed, he was touted as the next great player for that school. But the coaches temper the discouragement with comments about how there's a huge adjustment from high school ball to college ball, that the game is faster and the players are bigger and stronger and faster and more physically mature. The coaches remind fans and media that the player is learning a new system and learning to work with new coaches and teammates, and that his talent eventually will shine through.

And many times, those coaches are right. (Admit it: how many of you thought SMU had wasted scholarships on Keylon Kindade? Allan Adami? Billy Ford? The list goes on. I did. And I was wrong.)

Well, there are rumblings out there from people complaining about Coach Bennett. "He's in over his head." "He's going to quit after one season." "He's done nothing to merit a head coaching position."

Such comments are insane and irresponsible and unfair to Coach Bennett. He's like a freshman in his first season. He's learning to work with new players and coaches. He's never been a head coach before. And to suggest he's done nothing to earn his spot is crazy. ALL coaches had a first year as head coaches, and many struggled in their debut seasons.

Think about:
Jimmy Johnson's first year in Dallas: 1-15.
Hayden Fry's first year at SMU: 2-8.
Joe Gibbs' first year in Washington: he started 0-5 before finishing 8-8 (I think).
Ron Meyer's first year at SMU: 3-8

Those guys all fared pretty well, wouldn't you say?

It takes time, especially for a coach in his first year. Just like the freshman who has to learn the nuances and subtleties of playing in college, first-year head coaches have to learn, too.

And Coach Bennett has a sparkling résumé when it comes to earning the right to be on the sidelines. He's been a terrific assistant coach, and all head coaches were assistant coaches someplace first, before they got a head coaching job. He is regarded as a sensational recruiter with personal relationships with countless Texas high school coaches. He has the respect of media, coaches and, most importantly, players.

For heaven's sake, relax with the complaints about Coach Bennett. If he doesn't turn this thing around in a couple of years, then complaints will have some validity. But he deserves a chance to get used to being a head coach, he deserves a chance to have a year or two for his players to completely understand his systems, and he deserves a chance to try to compete with the kids he recruits.

Go to every game you can. Be loud. And most importantly, remain supportive. There are many reasons so many people -- who know a hell of a lot more than we fans know -- think so highly of Coach Bennett. He needs us to be loyal supporters and loyal fans. Bill Snyder says we couldn't have a better man for the job, and looking at Snyder's record, I'd say he knows a thing or two.

Coach Bennett will get it done.

[DallasDiehard]

Amen!

[MustangMom]

I could not agree more! Coach Bennett will turn things around at SMU. I do believe you can add Darrell Royal to the list of coaches who did not fare well their first year.

Coach Bennett has brought a new attitute to SMU - give him a chance and also a chance to recruit. You can't just change things overnight! We have played some tough teams - I for one am proud of our players, who are not giving up, but playing hard every game. I am also behind Coach Bennett and his staff 100%! Go Mustangs - beat Hawaii!



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Go Mustangs!!
-MustangMom

[ProudPonyPa]

I would like to add to that, as I agree wholeheartedly. I further believe that the talent at SMU is not far off from the talent at any of the teams we have played so far or will play. There is just not that much of a deficit of talent with the men involved in this level of football.

Take this talent that is learning not only a new system, but new philosophies. That takes time.

Let's take a typical player: 3 weeks Spring ball, 4 hours/day. That's 84 hours given no breaks.

Add 2-a-days. Another 4 hours a day for 3 weeks. Another 84 hours. Total time: 168 hours. That is one week of time.

That is assuming one player can put undivided attention to the system during all 4 hours each practice day, and no days off.

Add our 10% human retention average for new material, and you have 8.4 hours of instruction.

If you were learning a new musical instrument, that would get you the correct way to hold it and a few note changes with terrible tone.

If you were learning how to drive, that would barely get you the knowledge for a driver's permit.

Let these kids learn this system and teach it to the next class, and you will have a huge improvement. There will be more teachers and less students. You could even let Cavan do the recruiting and still see the difference.

Get'em Bennett, Get'em Ponies!!

[ponytalk]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by SMUFan:
<B>He's like a freshman in his first season. He's learning to work with new players and coaches. He's never been a head coach before. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Coach Bennett knows how to win, he just has no talent. Give him time to get his own players, not learn how to be a coach, he knows how to do that. Coaches cannot win without players.

[Joyous]

Ponytalk - that was a pretty BOLD statement.
Bennett has "No Talent". That's like me calling you something and I don't even know you.

[HorsePower]

I sort of agree with both ponytalk and Joyous. Joyous is right that saying we have no talent is unfair. But I think ponytalk is right in that we don't have enough talent. There are some gifted players on the roster, just not enough. When the talent and depth around them is improved, the abilities of our top players will shine through even more.

BEAT HAWAII

[PerunaPunch]

We're also VERY young in a lot of areas. Most teams lines are packed with Juniors and Seniors. Ours is packed with Freshmen and Sophmores.

[Pumped up Pony]

I would like to add to that, as I agree wholeheartedly. I further believe that the talent at SMU is not far off from the talent at any of the teams we have played so far or will play. There is just not that much of a deficit of talent with the men involved in this level of football.

Take this talent that is learning not only a new system, but new philosophies. That takes time.

Let's take a typical player: 3 weeks Spring ball, 4 hours/day. That's 84 hours given no breaks.

Add 2-a-days. Another 4 hours a day for 3 weeks. Another 84 hours. Total time: 168 hours. That is one week of time.

That is assuming one player can put undivided attention to the system during all 4 hours each practice day, and no days off.

Add our 10% human retention average for new material, and you have 8.4 hours of instruction.

If you were learning a new musical instrument, that would get you the correct way to hold it and a few note changes with terrible tone.

If you were learning how to drive, that would barely get you the knowledge for a driver's permit.

Let these kids learn this system and teach it to the next class, and you will have a huge improvement. There will be more teachers and less students. You could even let Cavan do the recruiting and still see the difference.

Get'em Bennett, Get'em Ponies!![/B][/QUOTE]

YOUR SON IS MIGHTY "LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN RECRUITED BY CAVAN...SO YOU SHOULD THANK HIM EVERY NIGHT..LAST TIME I CHECKED...WE WHERE THE ONLY 1A SCHOOLS TO OFFER YOU..."

[BoazHoes]

Yep your right about having a new coach and it taking time to "learn the new system"....I mean look at Notre Dame and 1st year coach Tyrone Willingham. It took a "long time" for him to get those kids to believe they could win. Please!

[ProudPonyPa]

Pumped Up Pony: YOUR SON IS MIGHTY "LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN RECRUITED BY CAVAN...SO YOU SHOULD THANK HIM EVERY NIGHT..LAST TIME I CHECKED...WE WHERE THE ONLY 1A SCHOOLS TO OFFER YOU..."

PUP (good acronymn, by the way) YOU (now us) were the only school Donnie marketed himself. Since he just moved from Hawaii, nobody even knew about him unless we told them. Since Donnie wanted to play here, he went to the camp. SMU wanted him. Why go anywhere else.

My post was not about Donnie, it was about the whole team. Since you brought that up, you are extremely jealous. You must know Kelli Williams.

[SMUguy]

PPP, don't waste your time responding to foolish posts. From all accounts, your son is a good kid. The true fans of SMU athletics and its athletes all wish Donnie well. That holds true for you and ProudPonyMa, too.

[ProudPonyPa]

BH, I know that Willingham is successful. That is part of my point. IT IS NOT ABOUT TALENT. I wish people would stop bashing our players. They need confidence. It has to be a self-starting type of confidence, but bashing them here surely isn't helping.