PonyFans.com

I'm not really understanding why some here are so opposed to Dykes? He did pretty well at La Tech. His stop at Cal seemed doomed from the start what with losing the AD who hired him almost right away and Cal upping their entrance requirements making an already tough job even harder.

Because LA tech was a sunbelt team that slightly upgrade to CUSA (nu-sun belt). Once he got to the P5 level, he crashed in a mediocre P5 conference. This is like June Jone .5. 2.0 would sound like an upgrade... Hiring this guy sounds like Rick Hart and SMU have given up on wanting to be a P6 school and just want to coast into the new FCS.

SMU_Alum11 wrote:Because LA tech was a sunbelt team that slightly upgrade to CUSA (nu-sun belt). Once he got to the P5 level, he crashed in a mediocre P5 conference. This is like June Jone .5. 2.0 would sound like an upgrade... Hiring this guy sounds like Rick Hart and SMU have given up on wanting to be a P6 school and just want to coast into the new FCS.

What he did at Cal is still pretty impressive given the academic restrictions. In the right environment I think Sonny can do just fine. I'm just not sure if that's us. I'll give him a chance though, but at the first sign of flirting with Tech, get him out.

Comet wrote:

SMU_Alum11 wrote:Because LA tech was a sunbelt team that slightly upgrade to CUSA (nu-sun belt). Once he got to the P5 level, he crashed in a mediocre P5 conference. This is like June Jone .5. 2.0 would sound like an upgrade... Hiring this guy sounds like Rick Hart and SMU have given up on wanting to be a P6 school and just want to coast into the new FCS.

What he did at Cal is still pretty impressive given the academic restrictions. In the right environment I think Sonny can do just fine. I'm just not sure if that's us. I'll give him a chance though, but at the first sign of flirting with Tech, get him out.

Honestly, and I know most us are thinking it, but who cares about academics in terms of sports. APR isn't going to get you to a NY6 bowl or conference championship. I posted his records in another thread but he never had a winning conference record in the PAC. He got the same record we are at right now. Why on earth would hire this guy? Technically if he gets successful in one year with Chad's recruits and bolts for Tech we are worse off than before. If we are going with this mentality then why not go for Lane Kiffin, who actually looked like he built a solid team in a sub-par conference.

I don't know much about Dykes other than the 30,000 foot level observations of him at La Tech and Cal. But, CERTAINLY Cal is a different breed of place and culture, and one that was very far from Dykes' established recruiting base. Frankly, I'm a little surprised Cal even plays football. (Shouldn't those weird liberal wackos be protesting the health dangers from something so American and traditional as football??)

At any rate, I am willing to give Dykes the benefit of the doubt. It appears he is not coaching currently only because he was fired after the coaching carousel stopped turning last season. If he will give us a few years before looking for greener pastures, maybe it will work out nicely.

mustangxc wrote:What has been embarrassing about this search?

Just my opinion on the optics.

Last time we made a hire we had a very public choice of the top two coveted P5 coordinators.

This time it has the feel of taking the only one interested which is strange since the job should theoretically be very desirable right now.

Obviously, I don't know all of the details but in my opinion it just looks bad.

Dykes may do great - this certainly isn't going to change my support of the program or anything.

Better source : Wikipedia look for Sonny, see his new job. Obviously someone who updates Wikipedia has the paid subscription. Lol.

JasonB wrote:There is a reason Cal wanted him.

But it pulled him away from his recruiting base.

Not a bid hire IMHO if it happens...

That said, the school has knocked it out of the park on its last several hires - June, Morris, LB, Jank, Golf, Soccer, Mays... kind of trust them to do this well. Lack of leaks is a good sign.

Agree 100%.......well said !!

This hiring has "whipped us like a tied-up goat"

--Spike Dykes

dr rc wrote:I'm not really understanding why some here are so opposed to Dykes? He did pretty well at La Tech. His stop at Cal seemed doomed from the start what with losing the AD who hired him almost right away and Cal upping their entrance requirements making an already tough job even harder.

I'm really not understanding why everyone here is not opposed to Dykes. He did OK at a lesser program and did poorly at a program that was tough. Not a ringing endorsement. That your pappy was a coach at cow pasture college doesn't make you qualified even if you played X-box Madden with Fatterson for a season.

Wikipedia seems to know something we don’t listing Sonny Dykes as the new HC of SMU for the 2018 season. Hate to be negative, but we need to examine the AD’s competency in accordance with his position’s requirements.

The Cal experience for Coach Dykes wasn't a total failure, it was a cultural mistake. He took over a program that had APR issues, declining recruiting and had lost it's way on the field. He was fired not for on the field issues, but because of his desire to get out of town, which was best for both parties. Within a month, he's at TCU improving their offense as an analyst. I'm concerned about his ability to get a staff together but not about his past coaching record.

DanFreibergerForHeisman wrote:

mustangxc wrote:What has been embarrassing about this search?

Just my opinion on the optics.

Last time we made a hire we had a very public choice of the top two coveted P5 coordinators.

This time it has the feel of taking the only one interested which is strange since the job should theoretically be very desirable right now.

Obviously, I don't know all of the details but in my opinion it just looks bad.

Dykes may do great - this certainly isn't going to change my support of the program or anything.

HOW HAVE WE GIVEN NO ATTENTION TO BOHL AT WYOMING.