Should SMU Football be on this list?

[dcpony]

The 6 hardest coaching jobs in sports

By USA TODAY Sports staff December 24, 2013 7:00 am ET


1. Dallas Cowboys

Leading the Dallas Cowboys is the hardest coaching job in the NFL. As long as owner Jerry Jones also holds the role of general manager, that coach will have his roster and much of his coaching staff dictated to him yet be expected to lead “America’s Team” to the playoffs every season. Because of the team’s national popularity, they get an annual Thanksgiving spotlight, plus a handful of primetime and nationally televised broadcasts. That’s great if you’re winning, but if not, all of your team’s failings are right there for the entire country to second guess on Monday morning. - Chris Strauss

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/12/the-7-h ... in-sports/

[SMU 86]

At one point in time yes but with the reduced recruiting restrictions and weak conference it is not an impossible job anymore.

[StallionsModelT]

No way should SMU be on this list. Look at our conference. We no longer operate under a restrictive admissions policy and the ability to simply recruit local talent should give SMU a leg up on schools like Temple, UConn, Navy, Memphis, etc. I still maintain that if SMU were able to mop up DFW second tier recruits (obviously not the kids going to UT, OU, LSU, A&M, etc.) but the kids that end up at Tech, Kansas, Mizzou, Iowa State, Kansas State, etc. then we would have a Top 25 team damn near every year and would be a consistent threat to win The American.

[SMU2007]

I agree with SMT. No way. Lightyears ahead of a job like ecu in the middle of nowhere

[austinponie]

All good points for why SMU shouldn't be on the list.

Reasons for being on the list:
30 years of losing despite seemingly capable coaches/ despite easing academic policies.
Elitist attitude (which may nullify interest from area recruits & H.S. football coaches, Dallas fans & media coverage)
Very small fanbase & poor attendance.
Reputation ? (death penalty)??

Whatever the reasons, some of which were self-inflicted, it's been a difficult assignment..

[redpony]

AP- don't agree with your list. First, easing of academic policies were recent- not 30 yrs ago.
Elitist attitude is only amplified by the attitude of the coaching staff not reaching out to the community/local H.S./local coaches etc..
Poor attendance is the result of the product on the field. If the 'Pony Express' days had been played in Ford we would have had close to capacity attendance IMO.
In short, jj's attitude about recruiting and being attentive to the 'locals' has hindered this program as much or more than the few minor bowls games he has gotten us to.

[StallionsModelT]

The death penalty is no longer a legitimate reason for SMU being one of the most difficult coaching jobs in the nation. Maybe you could make the argument that it played a factor from 89-95 but that is such a myth that it actually has anything to do with what goes on today.

I can see attendance being a bit of a factor, but schools like Tulsa and Rice have had 8 plus win seasons and even a few moments of Top 25 (Tulsa was borderline Top 25 a few years back) and the attendance at those schools in on par with SMU.

I don't buy the elitist attitude. Look at the basketball staff going out and recruiting the best players in the nation (most of whom are inner city African-American kids) and landing them here at SMU. You can't get the best if you don't have the tenacity and resolve to fight the stupid stereotypes and labels against SMU.


I'm sorry but SMU is far from being one of the most difficult jobs in the nation.

[redpony]

I'm sorry but SMU is far from being one of the most difficult jobs in the nation.

Might be more accurate to call it one of the most 'over-paid" jobs. Especially seeing the 'work' the coaching staff does.

[Grant Carter]

Poor attendance is the result of the product on the field. If the 'Pony Express' days had been played in Ford we would have had close to capacity attendance IMO.

So if we were ranked in the top ~10 and hosting 4 games each year against swc opponents ( largely schools with large fan bases) then in your opinion we could almost fill Ford? Stallion needs to apologize to you for saying you have never offered anything insightful on board.

[redpony]

Grant- I believe that if you took the attendance figures from when the 'PE' teams played in Texas stadium and applied those numbers to Ford you would see that there were numerous times we would have had sell outs etc. Too lazy to look up the #s but think I am correct.

[DiamondM75]

Our average attendance figure during the Pony Express was 53K per game.

[feelthehorsepower]

AP- don't agree with your list. First, easing of academic policies were recent- not 30 yrs ago.
Elitist attitude is only amplified by the attitude of the coaching staff not reaching out to the community/local H.S./local coaches etc..
Poor attendance is the result of the product on the field. If the 'Pony Express' days had been played in Ford we would have had close to capacity attendance IMO.
In short, jj's attitude about recruiting and being attentive to the 'locals' has hindered this program as much or more than the few minor bowls games he has gotten us to.

If we had the pony express team playing at Ford, the stadium would be for 45-50k people and it would be filled every game. You cannot judge SMU attendance accurately for those periods since the games were played off campus at either the Cotton Bowl or half hour away at Texas Stadium. If we had a top 10 team right now and kept the level of play consistent, within 3 years you would have fundraising efforts take place for us building a house bigger than TCU's and we would be able to pack 50-60k each game. Consistent Top 25 teams bring lots of bandwagon fans, and since the Dallas Cowboys will always suck (and in my opinion don't deserve Dallas following them), you have an upside opportunity for SMU to have Saturday fans that want to watch elite football 10 minutes from home and not have to drive 45 minutes to Cowboys stadium (the only cool thing about the cowboys is their stadium!)


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[StallionsModelT]

The Dallas Cowboys will always "suck" ? They certainly are not a great team but I wouldn't call a team that has gone to Week 17 with the division title on the line a team that "sucks". That would be Jacksonville, Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo, Houston, and St. Louis.

[BigT3x]

The Dallas Cowboys will always "suck" ? They certainly are not a great team but I wouldn't call a team that has gone to Week 17 with the division title on the line a team that "sucks". That would be Jacksonville, Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo, Houston, and St. Louis.

Where are the trophies?