coaches on the hot seat blog entry --SMU

[PonyDogg]

www.coacheshotseat.com


SMU - The Mustangs better be hiring a coach that has a team playing in bowl game, or this is going to turn into the stupidest move in the history of college coaching searches. If the SMU AD has waited this long to hire a guy that has been available all of this this time, then you really you to question everything that is going on in the SMU athletic department. Looking at coaches that have teams in bowl games the only coach that would make any sense is East Carolina’s Skip Holtz , but that is certainly not the type of hire that Orsini has made in the past. If SMU is not planning on hiring a coach that has a team in a bowl game, then the coach should be hired today. There is no reason to wait around and let recruiting get damaged any further, and everyday that passes makes us seriously question just what in the hell is going on in Dallas. If Orsini cannot find a proven head coach, then he needs to hire a up-and-coming assistant like Southern Miss did with Larry Fedora. Whatever they decide, they need to get off the dime and hire a football coach.

[BRStang]

This is exactly the kind of sentiment I was trying to explain. Other than half of the members of this board, anyone who knows (and cares) anything about SMU and its search for a coach is wondering what is wrong with Orsini. We look Bush League. Like I said, I'll reserve final judgment until the hire is made, but like so many others have said, every day that passes raises the bar on the type of hire Orsini needs to make.

Of course, Biggin' could be right and there could be no interest from ANY quality candidates, which would be very sad. But even then, wouldn't Orsini want to go out and get the best thing possible. I cannot imagine it would take 50 days to do that.

[RGV Pony]

You'd think the coacheshotseat guy is one of us. I wonder if his blog has a place for "comments." If so, I wonder if one of the 'other half' alluded to by BRStang has already admonished coacheshotseat to calm down.

[westexSMU]

I think it is still obvious that he is after an NFL coach now. So if this is the case, don't expect a hire for at least 9/10 more days. Remember in Kates last article, she had asked Barnett and Bowden if they were interveiwing and they said they would listen if SMU called but that they had not heard from SMU....I guess when Orsini did not get PJ, he started after an NFL Hire.

[BRStang]

I would love ESPN or CBS Sportsline or someone to write an article about the SMU search with analysis about "longest coaching searches", "pros and cons of taking the SMU job", what SMU needs in a head coach, whether there is any logic to why it is taking so long, etc., etc. Maybe then the coaching-search sunshiners would wake up. Nahhh.

But, I am not going to delude myself. No one from ESPN, CBS, CNNSI or anywhere else gives a flip about SMU or our search. Hell, CNNSI doesn't even know the difference between So. Miss and SMU.

[SMU88]

It is hard to believe that Orisini believed that we had a chance with PJ. He was never coming here once the GT job opened up. If he put all his eggs in that basket then obvious we have a problem with our AD. This is absolutely stupid how long we have been waiting for a coach, We play in a loser conference where no coaches want to come. I mean bowls didn't even want us when we actually bowl eligible last year (and I would have bet my house that if we got 6 victories we would have been a shoo in a bowl). After all you can't play in the BCS unless you go undefeated. I am sick and tired of this wait and see garbage. Even the great Duke got their coach already, and they are the doormate of the ACC. I am a season ticket holder and I am completely fed-up with this BS. All this is doing is playing in hands of our liberal professors that never wanted SMU to play football again!! Any longer and we might as well forget about this recruiting year unless we are content on going after the scraps of the high schools that no one wants. SMU doesn't need bodies what we need is athletes!! But hey if you are just as happy being a mediocre football team in a mediocre football conference then you have no place to get upset when we lose or get spurned by other coaches. Obviousily $10 million is not enough to get a good coach in here (not a wannabe, not a maybe he can be good, or lets take a chance on him). Just another in the string of clear disappointments in the recent history of SMU football.

[westexSMU]

Concerning coachesonthehotblog questioning what this does to our recruiting, certainly this is a setback as more good prospects commit to other schools....However, if we get a quality coach who will be able to recruit the type of players that move our classes up into the Rivals top 50/60 ,such as tcu has done, we will be much better off in the future. Remember, our last 2 Rivals classes were #107 and #99. If because of all this we end up say over #100 again, what real difference does it make ? That is about where we have been anyway......The key is can our new coach improve on this recruiting record in the future...The way we have been recruiting does not provide enough quality players and enough depth.....Can it get much worse than 1-11 ???

[TheBestAvailable]

I think it is still obvious that he is after an NFL coach now. So if this is the case, don't expect a hire for at least 9/10 more days. Remember in Kates last article, she had asked Barnett and Bowden if they were interveiwing and they said they would listen if SMU called but that they had not heard from SMU....I guess when Orsini did not get PJ, he started after an NFL Hire.

If it were an NFL coach it would be done by now. The NFL owners don't care as much about their assistants announcing college promotions during this portion of the season.

Head coaches are a different story, especially in college. Anytime a head coach leaves a college before a bowl game the school, fans and the players become enraged.

Example, Alabama & Fran, TCU & Fran, New Mexico & Fran.

[SMU89]

Relax. The most important thing is that we get a good coach.

For those saying recruiting is damaged:

- How many 3+ stars do we have?

- The recruits you are worried about losing were willing to come here to play for a 18-52 coach that just went 1-11.

- Signing day is not until Feb 6 and they dont have to sign for months after that date. When we announce a good coach in early January, he will be more impressive than 18-52 and 1-11 and will have plenty of time to review Bennetts recruits and new recruits that would consider SMU b/c of the new coach.


I'll say it again:

1) It is going to take time

2) It will be worth the wait

[Pony Soup]

I can't hear you. Speak up.

[RGV Pony]

Relax. The most important thing is that we get a good coach.

For those saying recruiting is damaged:

- How many 3+ stars do we have?

- The recruits you are worried about losing were willing to come here to play for a 18-52 coach that just went 1-11.

- Signing day is not until Feb 6 and they dont have to sign for months after that date. When we announce a good coach in early January, he will be more impressive than 18-52 and 1-11 and will have plenty of time to review Bennetts recruits and new recruits that would consider SMU b/c of the new coach.


I'll say it again:

1) It is going to take time

2) It will be worth the wait

Regarding 2) above: It had better be.

[SMU89]

Relax. The most important thing is that we get a good coach.

For those saying recruiting is damaged:

- How many 3+ stars do we have?

- The recruits you are worried about losing were willing to come here to play for a 18-52 coach that just went 1-11.

- Signing day is not until Feb 6 and they dont have to sign for months after that date. When we announce a good coach in early January, he will be more impressive than 18-52 and 1-11 and will have plenty of time to review Bennetts recruits and new recruits that would consider SMU b/c of the new coach.


I'll say it again:

1) It is going to take time

2) It will be worth the wait

Regarding 2) above: It had better be.

Agree.

Steve knows it. There has been nothing stated on this board that he doesn't already know.
He knows about the coaches sitting at home that he could have hired from day one.
He knows about recruiting.
He raised $10+ million and knows who he is after.
Clearly, they are not sitting at home; so, we have to wait.
He is not an idiot.

Bottom line, there is no public information so naturally people think of everything and get worried.

The good news is people care.

[Pony Fan]

I heard the best joke about us today. Some of my longhorn friends were telling me they heard we were going to hire Bennett back for $2 million per year, as he was the only coach that would come here. They laughed, I didn't.

[Top 25]

Good things come to those who wait.

SMU89 is spot on.

[Pony Fan]

I THINK you are right, and have confidence that we are going to be happy when this is over, but Steve has painted himself in a corner.