Fire Rick Hart

[mtrout]

Don't lose sight of the fact that Rick Hart's job is not to have a successful athletics program. It's to do whatever RGT wants.

[78pony]

as much as many of us hope NOTHING is going to happen. little rickey is RGT's lap boy and he will be protected. Plus he has driven our sports programs to a new low and that makes RGT happy as he feels athletics are a PITB and would be happy without them.

Its ok to always be wrong - but you dont have to prove it as often as you do. Your RGT vendetta is tiresome. You can say he doesnt make the right decision or that his emphasis is not in the right place - but the man has proven over 20 years he is very pro athletics. I personally think it is past time for him to retire, and we need new energetic new vision at the top. But to say he doesn't like athletics is just dumb.

Several things I believe about Turner & SMU. RGT has his finger, at least to a degree, on every single thing that goes on. He does not want to lose control over any facet of the operation, large or small. And if you erroneously think he loves athletics; I say wrong. He "tolerates" athletics. Doesn't hate, doesn't love, but tolerates as he has come to realize that they are a necessary thing (was going to say evil but...). He got just a bit more bright-eyed when he saw how some success in our athletic programs could positively influence fundraising potential. He has guided this ship from a very conservative, take no risks perspective since the beginning as he came in and had to face a somewhat hostile faculty right off the bat and made concessions to same. The BoT at that time liked his being able to appease this faction and the BoT became comfortable with him. Probably way too much so. I agree with your statement, zizr. "There's an innate feeling that SMU isn't allowed to have the kinds of success other schools have had in athletics due to "our past", and until that feeling is stamped out there is going to be a self-imposed cap on how far we can really take things."
We have lived in an environment of caution - fear, and inward guilt/shame, ever since Turner came in. He knows that if SMU were to ever get anything close to the DP again it would be devastating to the school, his legacy, and his now dear friends on the Board (he mostly hand picked). IMO and in short, the risk/fear of some sort of failure that would make us a national target again, like the DP, is far greater than the warm & fuzzies you get from conference championships in something as inconsequential as games of sport

[peruna81]

Interesting that we are now reminiscing over the Mob Boss

[aus10fromhous10]

At the risk of sounding like a Rick Hart apologist (which I’m not), how much credit does he genuinely deserve for the marketing efforts made to promote SMU athletics as “Dallas’s team?” While I’m not personally privy to hard stats on their efficacy, my impression is that the combination of the Born & Raised campaign, the triple-D logo, and the athletic department’s social media presence have generated a ton of local buzz and interest in SMU athletics.

Obviously, there are marketing professionals (whether employees or outside vendors) who are actually executing and getting the work done. But ultimately, the buck stops at Hart. And while Dykes certainly embraced and championed these efforts (particularly with the local recruiting focus), it’s not like we can’t continue to continue that approach with our new coach.

Frankly, I don’t know how to feel about Hart’s job performance, largely because I don’t personally have the kind of detailed insight necessary to make a fair pros/cons list. On one hand, it seems rather telling that you rarely (ever?) hear any buzz about other schools trying to poach him. On the other, it’s difficult to tell which of the major problems that have happened during his tenure were within his power to handle differently and which have been beyond his control.

[FWMustang]

One or both made some reference that changing conference landscape wasn't under their control. I think that is patently false. Not only should the President and AD be scanning the horizon for these seismic shifts, but they should be making moves to .

They should be doing EVERYTHING we can to be attractive for the next round of movement. We may be too late. But I still believe beyond our football and basketball futility, that not having baseball and softball is detrimental to any potential move to a better conference.

I understand all of the problems inherent with that, land not being the least of them. I sent an email to Dr. Turner when arrived with a photo of Ole Miss's new baseball stadium asking when he was going to bring that to the Hilltop. no room. Title IX, etc given why we couldn't. We've put in many new facilities under that same problem.

I hate the purple team in my hometown, but their football success and baseball success have done wonder for the whole university!

[peruna81]

The only redeeming moment of this dumpster fire is the immediate hiring of a HFBC. The usual "We've formed a committee" response of yesteryear is deadly in today's world. For that I give a tip of the hat.

The reality is that this is OUR dumpster fire of leadership at the highest levels of the University. Time for shange.

[Pony ^]

Should have been fired immediately after the Moody debacle.

Then should have really been fired when he let Jank hang around

[PerunaPunch]

I sent an email to Dr. Turner when arrived with a photo of Ole Miss's new baseball stadium asking when he was going to bring that to the Hilltop. no room. Title IX, etc given why we couldn't. We've put in many new facilities under that same problem.

There's a great little city-owned minor league baseball field within roller blading distance of campus in Reverchon Park. Currently being renovated, so timing is perfect. This would be an ultimate win-win cooperative project between the city and SMU.
https://www.reverchonballfieldrestoration.org

Dr. Turner's response of "no room" simply translates to either "no interest" or "no vision". That ballpark has been there (literally) for 100 years.

[p1nyfan2021]

I sent an email to Dr. Turner when arrived with a photo of Ole Miss's new baseball stadium asking when he was going to bring that to the Hilltop. no room. Title IX, etc given why we couldn't. We've put in many new facilities under that same problem.

There's a great little city-owned minor league baseball field within roller blading distance of campus in Reverchon Park. Currently being renovated, so timing is perfect. This would be an ultimate win-win cooperative project between the city and SMU.
https://www.reverchonballfieldrestoration.org

Dr. Turner's response of "no room" simply translates to either "no interest" or "no vision". That ballpark has been there (literally) for 100 years.

That park would be perfect for both B-Ball and Softball. We just have to get students/people to go to it.

[peruna81]

Reverchon DOES have SMU history...where the last home baseball game was played

[Water Pony]

I compliment Hart on quickly signing Rhett Lashlee as HC. Speed was important, as was providing continuity with someone most of the team has experience. The fact we announced our new Head Football Coach before TCU did was cool.

[redpony]

I will give kudos to hart for moving quickly and decisively..

[Topper]

One or both made some reference that changing conference landscape wasn't under their control. I think that is patently false. Not only should the President and AD be scanning the horizon for these seismic shifts, but they should be making moves to .

They should be doing EVERYTHING we can to be attractive for the next round of movement. We may be too late. But I still believe beyond our football and basketball futility, that not having baseball and softball is detrimental to any potential move to a better conference.

I understand all of the problems inherent with that, land not being the least of them. I sent an email to Dr. Turner when arrived with a photo of Ole Miss's new baseball stadium asking when he was going to bring that to the Hilltop. no room. Title IX, etc given why we couldn't. We've put in many new facilities under that same problem.

I hate the purple team in my hometown, but their football success and baseball success have done wonder for the whole university!

Hart's Assignment No. 1 on the day of his hire should have been to position SMU in a power conference. In this respect, he has failed miserably. I am sure that in response to this statement, he would correctly point out that TV viewership and butts in the stands account for something in a college football world controlled by the television networks. In this respect, SMU has failed to produce loyal fans in the post DP era. Students come to SMU for the educational and social experience not because we have a winning football tradition. For the past 35 years we haven't. We are now two generations or more into a relatively small base of alums who are not rabid college football fans. I see the DP haunting us even now.

[peruna81]

One or both made some reference that changing conference landscape wasn't under their control. I think that is patently false. Not only should the President and AD be scanning the horizon for these seismic shifts, but they should be making moves to .

They should be doing EVERYTHING we can to be attractive for the next round of movement. We may be too late. But I still believe beyond our football and basketball futility, that not having baseball and softball is detrimental to any potential move to a better conference.

I understand all of the problems inherent with that, land not being the least of them. I sent an email to Dr. Turner when arrived with a photo of Ole Miss's new baseball stadium asking when he was going to bring that to the Hilltop. no room. Title IX, etc given why we couldn't. We've put in many new facilities under that same problem.

I hate the purple team in my hometown, but their football success and baseball success have done wonder for the whole university!

Hart's Assignment No. 1 on the day of his hire should have been to position SMU in a power conference. In this respect, he has failed miserably. I am sure that in response to this statement, he would correctly point out that TV viewership and butts in the stands account for something in a college football world controlled by the television networks. In this respect, SMU has failed to produce loyal fans in the post DP era. Students come to SMU for the educational and social experience not because we have a winning football tradition. For the past 35 years we haven't. We are now two generations or more into a relatively small base of alums who are not rabid college football fans. I see the DP haunting us even now.

Topper, it IS the AD's job to put butts in the seats...our seats at Ford. Hart has singularly NOT done that, and has managed to make the reseat at Moody the highlight of his tenure at making the fan experience "different". Not something to hang his hat on...

TV contracts are not his responsibility...he didn't negotiate a dime of the ESPN deal.

The DP is a part of our past. Embrace it. Elaborate on it. All of college football has now accepted that players have a chance at revenue.

For those that might remember in the ancient days of the 1980s, Amon Carter was a DUMP. Inhabited by a terrible football team. The Frogs were no bargain for any AD to position for success.

But they did it. They won. They found a coach after Fran that didn't leave, and slowly moved up step by step. ACS is now at the very least a hostile environment and a decent venue to play in. Winning solved some of the issues, but a Russ Potts/Brad Thomas approach to butts in the seats is long overdue here at SMU to begin to replicate the changing landscape.

Our "other" issue about gameday is parking...for the casual fan that gets a free ticket it is not worth the hassle of trying to negotiate the Byzantine landscape. If we want more walk ups, this should be priority one.

None of this has been addressed in Hart's tenure, or for that matter since the early days of Orsini. There has been enough time spent in the status quo. A new IPF is the hallmark feature of the Athletic landscape? More plans? Stop the immediate bleeding on this patient before we think about the cosmetic cleanups. Fix football.

I feel a sermon coming on...

[Topper]

I literally cannot give away good seats to our games. When I tell people we are playing UCF or Tulane they think I'm crazy. They want to see UT, Tech A&M. Arkansas or even Baylor. Conference means everything.