Well I’m not buying season tickets anymore...

[SMU_Alum11]

Let's be honest with ourselves. I think we all hoped Chad would do bigger things here, but we also all knew he was eventually leaving for another program, although most thought TAMU, not Arkie.

He is a great recruiter, and a great offensive mind. But with a team than included future #1 pick Courtland Sutton and all-everything Trey Quinn, we squeaked to seven wins with a very weak schedule that was set up for us to get to a bowl. UNT, SFA, Ark St? Easily could have been 6-6 and possibly 5-7.

Our D has been atrocious every year. We haven't won a big game except for last year against UH. Chad was learning on the job at SMU and it showed. He was never able to secure a QB commit that would be our D Watson...those late decommitments from Brewer and Moore really hurt.

I appreciate his work here, and thought with another 2 years we could really build something. But he is not Nick Saban.

Well said. Rather worrying about Chad, we should be worrying what’s the next pick anyways. Chad built a solid base but at the end of the day it was a base that squeaked by 7 wins. If we make a good hire year, the building will show and we will all look back and say that was great. If we make a neutral to bad hire, well no different than where we were 4 years ago. C’est la vie!

[mustangxc]

These salaries aren't being paid by the universities-they are being paid by donations from alumni and athletic foundations that support the universities

I know that! The IPF is also being paid for by donations from alumni and athletic foundations that support SMU. Our backers do not have endless supplies of money so it is better to invest that money into a resource we will have over the long term to sell to recruits rather than overpay for a coach that is looking for the bigger better deal from the moment he signs with us.

[Texasscout96]

I must admit this post was reactionary and a bit hasty. That’s on me.

But you all got very vicious when I said I wasn’t buying season tickets. I said NOTHING about not loving SMU or caring what happens to the program. You can say and think what you want but I am a proud SMU alumnus and I spent 5 years of ny life helping Coach Forrest Gregg and Coach Tim Rossley rebuild the program. I am only saying that I am not buying season tickets anymore. Nothing else has changed until they prove that they are willing to do what needs to be done.

I appreciate your passion for SMU and the program, but attacking me for getting frustrated with things doesn’t make me look bad. I was just being honest.

[geno]

I must admit this post was reactionary and a bit hasty. That’s on me.

But you all got very vicious when I said I wasn’t buying season tickets. I said NOTHING about not loving SMU or caring what happens to the program. You can say and think what you want but I am a proud SMU alumnus and I spent 5 years of ny life helping Coach Forrest Gregg and Coach Tim Rossley rebuild the program. I am only saying that I am not buying season tickets anymore. Nothing else has changed until they prove that they are willing to do what needs to be done.

I appreciate your passion for SMU and the program, but attacking me for getting frustrated with things doesn’t make me look bad. I was just being honest.

Then why not explain just why it is, here on a forum for Mustang fans, you have to publicize the fact that you're not buying season tickets anymore. Does the world need to know that? If so, why?

[ponyboy]

People express frustration on here all the time, geno. Nothing wrong in that.

[SMU_Alum11]

People express frustration on here all the time, geno. Nothing wrong in that.

Exactly. I do it all the time.

[gostangs]

Our problems go way back to hanging with Forest Gregg too long. we should have given him one year to help transition while we found a real AD and a real coach. Those were basically years we moved backward from zero.

Reality is we can find someone else pretty easily who is also great at this coaching thing for 2 - 2.5M a year. The next guy is not stepping into a trash bin like Chad did. I'll always respect Chad for representing us very well and working his tail off. hope the next guy does both as well, and has a good DC.

reminder - our department loses 3 M a year. A very few people pay in to keep us going, and all of us are getting a free ride on them. Without them we would be rice, but with more drinking. It is not a support issue (yet). Its a "what makes sense for a non p-5 school" issue.

[angryfan04]

Our problems go back to the self imposed recruiting restrictions we place on ourselves when we came back. Thank you Kenneth Pye

[oilpony]

Our problems go back to the self imposed recruiting restrictions we place on ourselves when we came back. Thank you Kenneth Pye

This.

[Pony81]

These salaries aren't being paid by the universities-they are being paid by donations from alumni and athletic foundations that support the universities

Public universities dont pay for salaries or team related expenses? That seems strange.

Stallions right.... coaches are paid by donors in private and public universities.
Go to the A&M announcement on Jimbo’s $75 mm deal - paid by the privately funded foundation.
This explains why administrations are so sensitive to fan reactions to a hire - see Tenn recently and our very own JJ ASU fiasco - the fans pay the bills. It’s not like they ar hiring an accounting professor or really hiring a President. Those decisions are for the Board or University. The FB or BB coaches paid by boosters.
He who pays the piper names the tune.

[Pony81]

Chad brought this program back from the dead . For that he got a P5 job with a 2X pay raise. See for life. Good for him and SMU. Far better for both that he succeeded.
But:
He hardly built a FB juggernaut
He never got his great QB recruit
His D was atrocious
He got 7 wins on a wish and a prayer.... you can’t make up the Cincinnati and Tulane is endings

So, he did good work, was the highest paid G5 coach, but we are still middle of the pack in the AAC.

Wanna see a miracle worker:
Justin Fuentes at Memphis
Willie Taggart at USF
Scott Frost - The 0-12 to 12-0 in 2 years UCF coach
Rhule at Temple
Many more who did much more with much less and for less money.

We will be fine. If we can get a hungry and ambitious coach and avoid the “ I’m too good for this” JJ type we will be fine. With our pay - we can avoid the Bennett’s and Cavans of the world

[Rebel10]

UCF lost their head coach the day that they won the conference championship. So G5 schools that are successful will probably lose their coach if a decent P5 program comes calling. It happens and it may happen again here if the next coach has success. Something SMU fans might have to get accustomed.

[SMU_Alum11]

These salaries aren't being paid by the universities-they are being paid by donations from alumni and athletic foundations that support the universities

Public universities dont pay for salaries or team related expenses? That seems strange.

Stallions right.... coaches are paid by donors in private and public universities.
Go to the A&M announcement on Jimbo’s $75 mm deal - paid by the privately funded foundation.
This explains why administrations are so sensitive to fan reactions to a hire - see Tenn recently and our very own JJ ASU fiasco - the fans pay the bills. It’s not like they ar hiring an accounting professor or really hiring a President. Those decisions are for the Board or University. The FB or BB coaches paid by boosters.
He who pays the piper names the tune.

Fascinating. So does this preclude the university from contributing to the athletic fund? I assume all direct revenue goes to the fund as well, right?