Copeland

[couch 'em]

We need someone who can get us on the front page. A Mark Cuban type. Worked wonders for the Mavs.

[PK]

We need someone who can get us on the front page. A Mark Cuban type. Worked wonders for the Mavs.

He is an owner not a manager. Besides, you are talking pro sports here. Just a little difference there. You aren't going to get a mega rich guy to be AD.

[PK]

No internal promotions. We need a completely new perspective on things.

That statement would assume everyone internal has signed on to the current AD's outlook. That may not be the case. I like Scott, but I have no idea whether or not he would be a good AD...but then maybe he would. I want someone who does indeed love SMU and breaths red and blue. What we don't need is a "have gun will travel" CEO type, who goes to the highest bidder until someone comes along with a better offer.

[McClown27]

No internal promotions. We need a completely new perspective on things.

That statement would assume everyone internal has signed on to the current AD's outlook. That may not be the case. I like Scott, but I have no idea whether or not he would be a good AD...but then maybe he would. I want someone who does indeed love SMU and breaths red and blue. What we don't need is a "have gun will travel" CEO type, who goes to the highest bidder until someone comes along with a better offer.

Couldn't agree with you more. Scott is young, smart, and really seems to love the program. Also, has a working relationship with the two money coaches (Bennett & Tubbs) who should be there for a while.

[Stallion]

we need a completely new perspective.

[Mexmustang]

We need someone that is willing to challenge both the faculty and President Turner.

[SMU Football Blog]

MexMustang and Stallion are 100% right.

[OC Mustang]

Mexmustang wrote:

We need someone that is willing to challenge both the faculty and President Turner.

Won't happen. I imagine we can find someone who is creative, energetic, loyal, etc. vis-a-vis athletic marketing and administration. However, I will say three things about whomever that candidate happens to be.

1. Challenging the faculty can be read "gets along poorly with fellow employees" and challenging Turner can be read "insubordination". Doubt any sentiment to that end in an interview will be rewarded.

2. Even worse, outshining either faculty and/or Turner can become a political problem. I do know much about Turner, but I suspect he doesn't have so thick of a skin as to be 2nd fiddle to a subordinate. Won't happen.

3. Our uber-wealthy alumni, or rather, those that give, aren't in the habit of wanting everybody to know their business until it is time to get credit by having a press conference and/or name put on a building somewhere. Copeland, if indeed a prodigious fund-raiser, must be attuned to this fact. He is most quiet about his dealings. Speaking from experience with some of these people (Dedman Sr., Hunt, Lyle, Blanton, Altschuler, etc.), they like that. That is a strike against an overtly open and challenging AD.

So, there are three reasons to suggest that any change in AD will not come with an overtly confrontational or high-decibel alternative. Right, wrong, or indifferent, it is a business, and execs don't like being 2nd or being openly defied. Can't say that I blame them. If you want to really change policy, you need to influence the board and Turner. Period.

[SMU Football Blog]

Hiring from within is a terrible idea.

I don’t know anybody in the athletic department personally. I am sure they are all great guys. I am sure they all have bright futures. One or more of them may make a great AD some day.

But not here and not now.

What about SMU athletics makes you say that hiring from within is a good idea? Who here is actually satisfied with the current state of affairs? Is SMU improving facilities? Plans, but no progress. Is SMU raising gobs of money? Hardly. Has SMU been successful on the playing field? No comment.

I have said it before, but whatever SMU’s goals are, it is approaching them wrong. If SMU’s goal is to be a top athletic program, well, clearly that isn’t happening. If SMU’s goal is a commitment to “academic integrity” in athletics, it isn’t even doing that as well as many other schools who graduate athletes at a better rate than SMU. If SMU’s goals are both, then it has been a failure as well. Many schools have “academic integrity” and graduate their players and have success on the field or on the court. And that last sentence is the most important and everybody needs to understand it: there are schools with “academic integrity” and graduate their players and also win.

Turner needs to interview people. Turner needs to go through the process. Turner needs to talk to people from outside the bubble. Turner needs to talk to people that have been a part of successful organizations. They need to tell him what they would do as AD. They need to tell him what they would do differently; what they would do better.

I have no interest in anybody currently employed by SMU and I have no interest in anybody that has never worked for an athletic department. I don’t care if the guy has any connection to SMU. Please spare me with your Charlie Waters posts and your Craig James posts and your Lamar Hunt posts and whatever else crackpot ideas people come up with. Frankly, if we get some associate AD from USC or Duke or Northwestern that I have never heard of, that is fine with me as long as he gets the job done.

[Mexmustang]

"Challenge" and "Insubordination" are as far apart as laying down and being a "yes man" and being an effective "Change Agent"!

[McClown27]

Hiring from within is a terrible idea.

I don’t know anybody in the athletic department personally. I am sure they are all great guys. I am sure they all have bright futures. One or more of them may make a great AD some day.

But not here and not now.

Blog,

When the athletic programs (read football) are finally turning around, why do we need new blood?

Secules has worked with the faculty, and we are finally seeing some changes to the model. Maybe we can hire Todd Graham for A.D., then Stallion would go goofy. Secules just wasn't rated very high on Rivals "Up and Coming A.D.'s" list.

[Roach]

.... Secules has worked with the faculty ....

Really? On what? Or in what capacity?
I've never really been clear on the specifics of what Secules does (not that I've ever asked, of course).
Thanks in advance, McC27.

[McClown27]

.... Secules has worked with the faculty ....

Really? On what? Or in what capacity?
I've never really been clear on the specifics of what Secules does (not that I've ever asked, of course).
Thanks in advance, McC27.

Thanks for the condescension.

I can guarantee you he knows more faculty members than the assistant A.D. at UT or USC, or in this case probably a school like Minnesota. Assistant A.D.'s generally handle operational details.

Roach, who is your dream candidate? I look forward to your putting out a name to be scrutinized.

[SMU Football Blog]

Blog,

When the athletic programs (read football) are finally turning around, why do we need new blood?

Secules has worked with the faculty, and we are finally seeing some changes to the model. Maybe we can hire Todd Graham for A.D., then Stallion would go goofy. Secules just wasn't rated very high on Rivals "Up and Coming A.D.'s" list.

We saw some changes to the "model" five years ago. That, btw, was the last public mention of such a thing by anyone official. I don't give anyone credit for turning anything around until the thing has actually been turned around. SMU won five games last year, which is an improvement, but SMU also won five games in 1992, 1996 and 1998; SMU won six games in 1997. Let's not be presumptuous in believing that this thing is turned around just yet.

[ponyplayer]

[quote="SMU Football Blog"]Hiring from within is a terrible idea.

"I don’t know anybody in the athletic department"

try meeting someone or stay objective................................

"I have said it before, but whatever SMU’s goals are, it is approaching them wrong. If SMU’s goal is to be a top athletic program, well, clearly that isn’t happening. If SMU’s goal is a commitment to “academic integrity” in athletics, it isn’t even doing that as well as many other schools who graduate athletes at a better rate than SMU. If SMU’s goals are both, then it has been a failure as well. Many schools have “academic integrity” and graduate their players and have success on the field or on the court. And that last sentence is the most important and everybody needs to understand it: there are schools with “academic integrity” and graduate their players and also win. "

really......third in the state of Texas with a grad rate of 89%............