DMN: SMU is lucky to have June Jones - he's going to win

[Rebel10]

Dealing with a contract through the media is generally not the best way to do things. This is really unfortunate.

Definitely not the a good route to take. It backfired on them the last time they did this.

[ponyinNC]

The problem with the narrative regarding Jones and SMU (outside of those in the know, anyway) is that our changes to admissions occured at the exact same time Jones was hired - so if you are looking in from the outside, you think Jones is entirely responsible for the turnaround. He is of course, to a certain extent, responsible - but there are many other factors to consider.

What gets lost is that you are comparing apples to oranges when comapring Jones to PB, Cavan, Fry et al. I think just about any coach can get SMU to 5-6 wins against the level of competition we play against now. Maybe I am wrong, but that's what I think.

The argument that we should change our schedule so that we play teams we should beat does not sway me one bit.

[SMUPhil]

The argument that we should change our schedule so that we play teams we should beat does not sway me one bit.

Exactly, I feel like 5-6 of our wins each year already ARE those teams. So we need 12 of them in order to have a 'breakout season'?

[Stallion]

I know of no SMU commit who was fully qualified under NCAA rules without a serious criminal record who was denied admission to SMU and went on to start a single game at the Division 1A level. Nobody in the SMU community has ever been able to come up with an exception.

Because SMU won't comment on a kid until they sign a LOI or are enrolled in the university. So unless a kid approaches the media himself (ala Darryl Jackson), there's no way we would know about it.

OK you are wrong. Your time line makes no sense. SMU has signed about 20 kids who didn't make it in under NCAA qualification standards--WHICH CAN NOT BE DETERMINED FINALLY UNTIL THEY GRADUATE OR HAVE A ACCEPTABLE SAT/ACT. Then they have waited on all of those players or certainly more to see if they qualified by August. Hell we had about 7 guys who didn't qualify in June's first full year. We waited on Moreland and Holloway for 2 and 1 years respectfully. We waited on the 2 kids who were full qualifiers but we offered delayed admission. In Basketball we waited for Frazier. We have waited on guys who snuck in just days before fall practice like Shawnbray McNeil, Sterling Moore and that California freshman CB who started about 2 games in about 2010. We bhave waited on guys that weren't even reported on Rivals on Scout other than in their private section. We have not jerked a lot of commitments at the last minute. We did do that last year to a medicre Dallas LB but only because we were up against the limit and traded up for someone better. The KEY POINT-none of those guys we ever waited on but denied admission went somewhere because they were non-qualifiers-and they all spent 2 years in JUCO too meaning they nevert qualified. If they hadf qualified they could have been admitted to a Division 1A school after only 1 year.

[leopold]

No, but SMU scheduling TAMU, Tech, and TCU alongside a FCS power has losses all over it. Everybody gave us kudos in the preseason for taking on a difficult non-con sched, and look what happened - surprise, surprise, we lost.

When TCU was building, you would see them schedule one Oklahoma or Tech a year, us, and then a patsy as a winnable game. Frankly, where we were 10 years ago that qualifies that non-con as two patsies and a reach game. I do think there are smarter ways to schedule, IF you want wins. If you want butts in the seats, however......



ONE NOTE: I worked as a clerk in the DMN sports department during my SMU years. You want a response from them? BE CIVIL. Idiots would call or write and either scream obscenities or, in some cases, wouldn't even tell you what the problem is - I had one guy leave a message on my phone that went "Your paper sucks!" and then he hung up. Nothing more. Well, congrats, dummy, I still don't know what the problem is.

Write them, tell them why you disagree, and make a case, and do it without insulting anyone. More often times than not they will make an attempt to answer you. Seriously: They LOVE to debate sports - it's why they took the job. But if your an [deleted] they won't acknowlege you. You know, kinda like a message board.

[Rebel10]

I know of no SMU commit who was fully qualified under NCAA rules without a serious criminal record who was denied admission to SMU and went on to start a single game at the Division 1A level. Nobody in the SMU community has ever been able to come up with an exception.

Because SMU won't comment on a kid until they sign a LOI or are enrolled in the university. So unless a kid approaches the media himself (ala Darryl Jackson), there's no way we would know about it.

OK you are wrong. Your time line makes no sense. SMU has signed about 20 kids who didn't make it in under NCAA qualification standards--WHICH CAN NOT BE DETERMINED FINALLY UNTIL THEY GRADUATE OR HAVE A ACCEPTABLE SAT/ACT. Then they have waited on all of those players or certainly more to see if they qualified by August. Hell we had about 7 guys who didn't qualify in June's first full year. We waited on Moreland and Holloway for 2 and 1 years respectfully. We waited on the 2 kids who were full qualifiers but we offered delayed admission. In Basketball we waited for Frazier. We have waited on guys who snuck in just days before fall practice like Shawnbray McNeil, Sterling Moore and that California freshman CB who started about 2 games in about 2010. We have not jerked a lot of commitments at the last minute. We did do that last year to a medicre Dallas LB but only because we were up against the limit and traded up for someone better.

I think PPunch is trying to keep posting about this issue to deflect the conversation that Jones is seemingly putting on a media blitz to try to force SMU into giving him a contract extension. Jones may not even have a 2 year extension in hand like he is saying.

[ponyinNC]

I thought Hart said that is the plan going fwd - one body bag game, one game w/ TCU, one lower-level BCS team and one G5 team / FCS team

[sbsmith]

I do think there are smarter ways to schedule, IF you want wins. If you want butts in the seats, however......

We absolutely need to do both. So we need to keep the teams on the schedule that will fill Ford and start recruiting/coaching to beat them. Right now our greatest impediment to executing that strategy is June Jones and his coaching staff.

[Stallion]

Am I wrong that June has gotten every recruit admitted who qualified?

There was one, Darryl Jackson, which (I guess?) is debatable. He signed an LOI here, but then didn't arrive on campus- not sure if he wasn't admitted, but it looks like he then signed with Oregon State, didn't do anything his freshman year, and retired from injuries.

There was also the stud New Mexico running back with serious prior transgressions who was probably coming here, then wasn't, but he was a JUCO and it wasn't grades, it was "other stuff." Don't know if June decided to cut chase or was told to. Don't think he ever panned out here.

I think Dontae Levinson didn't make NCAA standards, then fell off the face of the earth.

Darryl Jackson was here, he actually moved to Dallas and was living with some of his future teammates when he got the news that he would not be admitted. Any way you look at that deal, it was handled POORLY by SMU and basically [deleted] off everyone in the AD.

Dontae Levingston was admitted (so he must have been fine with NCAA standards), but only lasted a year or so before becoming an academic casualty.

Pony Pride reported that Levingston transferred due to deaths in the family. Recruiting services reported that he he transferred because he only came to SMU to be coached by Klemm. Why did he come back to Dallas in January if he had flunked out?

Re: Levingston Transferring?
by PonyPride » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:04 am

Freshman offensive lineman Dontae Levingston said deaths in his family made him want to be closer to home, so he is transferring from SMU. Levingston, who redshirted the 2011 season, was scheduled to leave Dallas Tuesday morning. He said he will attend a junior college for a semester in order to get his academics in order to transfer to another FBS school, hopefully in the PAC

[gostangs]

how could anyone still think we have any kind of special recruiting issues from any other team we compete with (and I use that term loosely). You would have to be unable to do ANY research and a total lazy junker to not get that at this point. One legitimate gripe could be it might be harder to advance toward your degree at SMU than at any of the state schools or a coddle spot like TCU - but that is in my mind the only legitimate difference we have, and we try our best to eliminate that with tutors - as do all the tougher private schools that also want to do sports at the top level.

Goesling really blew it on this article. Its wrong about 8 ways. I seriously think June wrote it for him and emailed it to him.

Intelligently write to him via email and point out the errors - but be nice - we want his love later. Seriously they need to know when they are being worked over.

[PerunaPunch]

The problem with the narrative regarding Jones and SMU (outside of those in the know, anyway) is that our changes to admissions occured at the exact same time Jones was hired - so if you are looking in from the outside, you think Jones is entirely responsible for the turnaround. He is of course, to a certain extent, responsible - but there are many other factors to consider.

This is untrue. SMU has been making changes since Jones agreed to come. But nobody waived a magic wand to accomplish this overnight.

You are very correct in that there are many factors to consider.

[GiddyUp]

Why not model some successful schools?

Because June does it his way and thinks he knows everything.

[ponyinNC]

The problem with the narrative regarding Jones and SMU (outside of those in the know, anyway) is that our changes to admissions occured at the exact same time Jones was hired - so if you are looking in from the outside, you think Jones is entirely responsible for the turnaround. He is of course, to a certain extent, responsible - but there are many other factors to consider.

This is untrue. SMU has been making changes since Jones agreed to come. But nobody waived a magic wand to accomplish this overnight.

You are very correct in that there are many factors to consider.

That is fair - appreciate your points.

[Stallion]

17 Category C commitments in June Jones' first full recruiting class. 15 got in which we have beaten to death. The other 2 were offered delayed admission. The academic standards were cleared for June Jones which he admitted immediately. There have only been minor tweaks and changes since he came here which affect only a sliver of the recruiting pool. Look if we are wrong why don't you do an investigative report by interviewing SMU athletic and administrative officials. Ask for the numbers or a profile of those going before the Committee. What you will find are a bunch of kids flagged but most all were admitted OR THEY NEVER QUALIFIED.

[PerunaPunch]

Pony Pride reported that Levingston transferred due to deaths in the family. Recruiting services reported that he he transferred because he only came to SMU to be coached by Klemm. Why did he come back to Dallas in January if he had flunked out?

Re: Levingston Transferring?
by PonyPride » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:04 am

Freshman offensive lineman Dontae Levingston said deaths in his family made him want to be closer to home, so he is transferring from SMU. Levingston, who redshirted the 2011 season, was scheduled to leave Dallas Tuesday morning. He said he will attend a junior college for a semester in order to get his academics in order to transfer to another FBS school, hopefully in the PAC

I can't/won't comment on that. I stand by my statement. Once again, I will try to pound the point through. Here's the scenario:

You are a student-athlete who couldn't cut it academically, didn't like going to class, maybe had a little too much fun. Whatever. Somebody from PonyFans, Rivals, Morning News, whoever sends you a text and asks where you are. SMU won't comment to your whereabouts, but I see you're not on the roster anymore. What do you expect a student-athlete to say?

"Hi PonyPride, yeah I'm at home. Dallas was fun, but I didn't like going to class. So sorry."

or

"I had to move back home for personal reasons."

What do you think a 20-yr-old kid is going to say? Does the very fact that Levingston told different stories to different media sources not raise any question marks for you? Add to that the fact that if Levingston only came to SMU to be coached by Klemm, why is he not playing at UCLA (or anywhere else that I'm aware of)?