ponyup123456 wrote:The reality is besides maybe a top few programs, and probably even them, you need, in to some way or another, pay players to come. I'm sure Larry Brown is great at actually coaching, but there's very little chance players weren't being paid. It's a reality of the sport and I'm sure our administration is making a conscious decision to try to not be a part of that given our history of cheating.
We weren't paying our players under Larry, that is absurd.
We had to have a HCIW because of LB's history. It worked because it gave players a vision of the "now" and the "future". LB and Jank were a great pair because of the good cop, bad cop relationship.
Jank hasn't transitioned to the bad cop role as HC, and hasn't brougnt in an assistant to play that role either. The culture of the program has dissipated, and now we need a new coach to bring it back.
If you look at SMU's long history, this type of scenario happens constantly. We go on a run in a sport with a great coach. Then we get this perspective that the school is what matters, so when the coach leaves we promote an assistant or hire someone less well known. The program tanks. Then we take a long time to figure that out, suck for a while, and then finally invest to bring it back.
Hopefully the major donors and administration recognize this pattern and make the change this year before it will take ages to recover.