Ask anyone who has done it before, and it becomes readily apparent that sales is a tough way in which to make a living. There are those who find great success in sales, and enjoy luxurious lifestyles because of their vocation, but it often is harder than many think.

Director of High School relations Tam Hollingshead is the only member of the football coaching staff who played at SMU (photo by SMU athletics).

Tam Hollingshead doesn’t sound like someone who thinks being a salesman is a tough way to live. As the Director of High School Relations for the new SMU coaching staff, Hollingshead’s job is basically that — to sell SMU. He doesn’t recruit the student-athletes themselves, but he plays an integral role in the process, nonetheless: he basically sells SMU to the high school coaches.

“I work with (Director of Football Operations) Randy Ross a lot, basically trying to help him out in any possible way,” Hollingshead said. “My main goal is to help us build relationships, in an NCAA-acceptable way, between SMU and high school coaches.

“My job is to communicate with them, to make them feel comfortable with SMU. I want to make sure they’re comfortable with the qualities of SMU, and all that we have to offer.”

Ask the Brownwood native about those qualities, and he goes into his spiel, as if the room is full of coaches who have blue-chip prospects looking for a home.

“We have such a tremendous university here,” he said. “We’re on a great campus, we have great academics, we have the city of Dallas, we’re in a good conference … it kind of sells itself.

“But it’s easy for me — I know the qualities. I enjoyed them myself.”

Hollingshead is the only member of the football staff who played for the Mustangs. Recruited by former SMU coach Hayden Fry, Hollingshead was a defensive back for the Ponies after earning all-state honors in high school. In 1972, he was captain of the freshman team, playing safety and wide receiver. A year later, after having worn jersey No. 16 in his first season, he was handed a new jersey — one that carried the No. 37 worn by SMU legend Doak Walker.

“I was honored,” he said, “and shocked. I didn’t ask for it, and in a way I didn’t want it.”

But wear it he did. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential as a player, but he was a Mustang for life. He has been in the coaching industry almost since he graduated, squeezing a nine-year stint as tight ends/specialists coach at Texas A&M into a career in which he established himself as one of the premier high school coaches in the state. During one stretch, he guided Permian High School to a gaudy 43-4-2 record in four hears as head coach at the 5A high school in Odessa, including a state championship. Most recently, he spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Heath High School in Rockwall.

His experience at Heath was made more enjoyable by the fact that his son, Drew, was (and is) the starting quarterback. But while he loved coaching his team and watching and coaching his son, he had in the back of his mind the idea that he’d like to get back into coaching in college — specifically at his alma mater.

“I had visited with some people here last year, telling them that if anything came open, I’d like to help the school,” Hollingshead said. “I have great memories of SMU and the Southwest Conference from the 1970s, and I’d like to see it get back to that level.”

One of the axioms of the coaching industry is that “good players make good good coaches,” and if the reception SMU coaches are getting now is any indication, there might well be a flood of talented players heading to the Hilltop.

“Everyone at every level of this industry knows June Jones,” Hollingshead said. “He has the track record, and (high school) coaches know that — they’ve watched games. They stay up late Saturday night to watch Hawaii games, so they know what his teams are like, what he’s like. They want their players to play for June.”

As impressed as high school coaches are with Jones and his new SMU staff, Hollingshead said the Ponies’ coaches have been equally pleased with the talent and athletic ability they have discovered is available to them in Texas.

“Recruiting in Texas is a coach’s dream,” he said. “There are some really tremendous athletes here, and tremendous numbers of athletes. When you walk in and start talking about Coach Jones in this state, you should be able to get some talented players. The reception we’re getting is outstanding. There are coaches out there who want to see SMU do well, and want to send their players here.”

For all the hype and attention Jones has gotten since he arrived in Dallas in January, Hollingshead said the impact might well be greater than anyone realizes.

“The decision to hire Coach Jones, and his decision to accept the position, was a very positive thing for SMU, of course, but it’s really going to be a very positive thing for the community,” he said. “There are lot of people who are ready to see SMU enjoy some success — it might as well be now.

“I know what a special place this is, because I played here, and now I get to share that with high school coaches. When you’re talking about something as important and special as SMU is to me, it’s not that hard to get your message across.”