Mike Cavan: Where is he now?

[ThadFilms]

Do you folks remember when he [Mike Cavan] was hinted as taking over as head coach Georgia? I do. I was working for the football program at that time. Video taping practices and whatnot... I bet he's wishing he took that job... As I recall he took his name out of the running, as he said, "to focus on rebuiding SMU". Is that what you guys remember? Because that [rebuilding the program] is what he told me personally.

On a side note... Tom Rossley is the offensive coordinator in Green Bay. Green Bay? Rossley up the middle? The Tom Rossley is coaching the Brett Favre? Up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt?... Wow.

So we know where Rossley is... I like Cavan. As a person, and as a football coach, can anyone tell me where he is now?

And also- as a sort of poll question, should he have remained in the running for the Georgia job?

I must add that, thought I didn't like us getting rid of Cavan at the time, I think that Bennett is the right coach for the Stangs.

Coach Bennett will return the Ponies to glory... Mark my words.

[Dooby]

Last I heard, Cavan was in the developement office at Georgia. He couldn't get a coaching gig at all last year.

[edit: here is the link:
<A HREF="http://georgiadogs.ocsn.com/genrel/080902aaa.html" TARGET=_blank>http://georgiadogs.ocsn.com/genrel/080902aaa.html</A> ]

I didn't like the hiring of Cavan at the time. I was briefly swayed when he went 6-6 his first year, but it went downhill from there. I am glad he is gone.

[This message has been edited by Dooby (edited 01-24-2003).]

[Lefty]

Cavan's a nice man, and he might make a decent coordinator someplace, but he's showed he's not a head coach. If he ever thought he'd get the head job at Jawja, he's delusional.

[Nacho]

He had a flirtation with Ole Miss after the glorious 6-5 season, which prompted Copeland to give him a contract extension. Maybe that's what you're thinking about. I never heard of him mentioned as the next Georgia coach.

[FIE HIT...BooYa]

"Cavan's a nice man, and he might make a decent coordinator someplace, but he's showed he's not a head coach."

You must not be talking about Mike Cavan, the HEAD COACH that took I-AA East Tennessee State to the Semi-Finals the year before his arrival at SMU. Or made Valdosta State a D-II powerhouse before his departure.

I agree that he did not succeed at SMU, but his ability to be a Head Coach was not the problem. An inability to control his offense during the last 4 years and the hilltop (AKA - the coaching black hole) wer too much for him. There are many factors that contributed to his demise, however to declare him unfit to be a head coach is just plain ignorance. If you would get off this Ponyfan Bandwagon that supports the "mustang flavor of the month" and actually use your brain you wouldn't make such comments.

[Lawgrad]

Sorry, but Cavan was not a good coach. He ran off the wrong players, could not put together a coherent game plan to save his life, and spent too much time playing mind games with his QB's. The biggest problem I had with Cavan was that he was not able to get the most out of his players, and he looked absolutely clueless on the sidelines. There is a big difference between backwater places like Valdosta Ga (and trust me, I know, I've been there) and ETSU and Dallas. He could not, and did not adapt, and that was yet another reason for his downfall. Maybe he never should have been considered for this position, but of all the coaches post death penalty, he in my mind was the worst.

[ponyman]

For that matter, does anyone know at this stage what kind of coach Bennett will be? And I will always have the Navy game to remind me of what kind of coach he MIGHT be.

[SHAQFU]

I agree with Fie Hit. To say Cavan has no potential as a head coach is a pretty shallow statement.
Cavan was not successful at SMU as a head coach for many reasons, but not because he isn't fit to be one. Another point I would like to make is that Cavan attempted to run a SEC offense with WAC players. You can't quite pound the ball when you aren't geeting the same type of offensive line that they have in the SEC. Cavan never brought in big guys like Austin Adami, Holder and Chivo.
Also, Lawgrad, it seems that you have something personnel against Cavan. I would also like to know how you think Cavan "spent too much time playing mind games with his QB's?"

Give me a readin'

[Pony Fan]

Just so you know, Cavan HAD the Georgia job after his first year here had Jim Donnan gone to North Carolina. Donnan backed out at the last minute and Cavan obviously stayed here.

[MrMustang1965]

Mike Cavan fits into a Div.1-AA program, not a Div.1-A program like SMU. God knows, he tried to take us down that path and I was fearful that SMU would become a Div.1-AA program under his watch!

The so-called legacy of Mike Cavan at SMU can be summed up in two words: JOSH MCCOWN!

------------------
"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!"

[PerunaPunch]

Oh for Pete’s sake...

I suppose saying that Cavan “showed he’s not a head coach” is a bit of an overstatement. But to Lefty’s defense, we’re not talking Pop Warner league, IAA or DII here. We’re talking about big time DI college football. And for those of you who say that WAC football (and the SMU program specifically) doesn’t classify as “big time” football, well, you’re in for a wake up call. For a large segment of the Dallas power elite (you know, the guys you write the multimillion dollar checks and snub the Vice President's request to play on their gold courses), SMU football is serious business.

Sure, Cavan had to deal with recruiting and academic restrictions, and there was a big hole in the ground instead of gleaming Ford Stadium, but overcoming obstacles is one thing that makes a good head coach. Further, coming to a prestigious academic institution like SMU is a recruiting advantage to many students. And at least to local 18-year-olds, the most prestigious places in the state to play football are 1) Texas Stadium, 2) the Cotton Bowl. Good coaches find a way to win.

And how can you insinuate that he was a good head coach despite his inability to control his offense for 4 years? He hired Larry Kueck, so by golly if Kueck called bonehead plays for 4 years straight he should have fired him. A coach’s #1 job is to find a way to win. So if SHAQFU is right in his assertion that Cavan was trying to run an SEC offense with WAC players, well, that means you’re not being a good head coach.

Let’s continue. Cavan wasn’t a good recruiter. Frankly, he was intimidated by other schools in Texas. He couldn’t sell the vision because he either didn’t have one or he’d long given up on it. The last couple of years of his tenure, Cavan was merely a figurehead, just going through the motions of being a head coach. His heart wasn’t in it.

So maybe Cavan can be a good head coach somewhere. Never say never they say. But I can definitely, conclusively say he wasn’t a good head coach here.

[sam]

Punch,you do not know what you are talking about. I can honestly say I do not think one thing you wrote in your last post had one true statement. but what could we expect.

[OldPony]

Cavan will never be heard of again. He still thinks the biggest win in SMU history was KU. I knew right then that he didn't understand SMU or what Pony fans think as successful. Nice man but no clue. Horrible QB development and mediocre recruiter although recruiting was an unfair barometer at that time. By far the worst coach since the DP although you can play games with his record that say not. I am glad he is gone and I wish him well in the future. The difference in energy level between he and Bennett is huge.

[Stallion]

Mike cavan is NOT a bad recruiter PERIOD. The list of kids he has gotten commitments from is extremely impressive. Mike Cavan's first two classes were very strong and he very little to sell. This year's class is only slightly better and Cavan had to work with that all-time stupid rule about having to be admitted to the university before visiting. If Mike Cavan had come to SMU under the same recruiting standards and rules as Bennett he might very well of run the table in recruiting and turned this thing around. And after last year's offense, defensive and team fiasco there really is very little support to show that he couldn't coach either-at least assuming that we agree Bennett can-right. The answers as usually are much deeper than what some of you are willing to examine.

[PerunaPunch]

Sam, I certainly respect your right to disagree with me, but what may I ask in my statements do you think are untrue?

Do you honestly think that the Fords, Loyds, Salvinos, Coxs, Hunts, Altshulers, etc., etc., would dump $60 million into something they didn't care about? I gave significantly to The Commitment, and the names of my wife and I were buried on something like page 10 (meaning there were easily several hundred people that gave way more than we did).

Do you believe that Texas Stadium and the Cotton Bowl aren't attractive places to play? In reality, maybe not, but to an 18-yr-old, theres nothing better. Kids grow up watching the Cowboys and the Cotton Bowl classic. Sure, you and I know that the Cotton Bowl is a dump and in dire need of an overhaul. But it's still the grande dame of Texas Football. Playing in Texas Stadium has one of the highlights of my football career.

So are you asserting that Larry Kueck did a good job as offensive coordinator. If so, I think it's safe to say that we can all just disregard you from this point forward. It was not my assertation that SMU was trying to run an SEC offense with WAC players. I merely pointed out that were that to in fact be the case, that's not good coaching. The job of the head coach is to implement schemes that offer the team the best chance to win. If Cavan wanted to implement a certain scheme, but didn't have the players, it was his job to recruit them. If not, his job is to implement the scheme that takes best advantage of the talent he has. Either way, the record demonstrates that this was not done effectively.

Was Cavan an effective recruiter? Does anyone think so? Sure he picked up a gem here and there, but was the talent equal to or improved over the guys Rossley brought in? How about his ability compared to Bennett's? Was Cavan intimidated by the large public schools? I've been told confidentially by more than one person in the athletic department that was the case. I also know for a fact that Cavan was getting legal advice about the buyout of his contract more than a year before he was actually fired. Is that a sign of a man committed to the team no matter what?

Everything I stated is to me rather obvious, and in most cases a matter of record. So why are you (basically) calling me a liar?

Again, I certainly respect your difference of opinion (PX and I have them all the time), but can you be more specific so that we can all discuss the situation more objectively?