Our Esteemed JJ

[ponyinNC]

The answer has been given over and over and over again. Either JJ hires young agressive recruiters of DFW talent or we fire him and get someone who will. As founding president of the JJ statue club, I'm thankful for what he's done here -- and want him to stay. But there's your answer.

agree completely!

[sbsmith]

For all our Star Chamber babble, others see Jones as pulling a miracle turn around at SMU. In Arkyland, folks notice SMU now. They see we make it to the post season. They never had expectations of taking a dog dead program from the crypt to top 25. And folks from other schools constantly tell me that Jones has done great.

Good thing we don't all view this program through the distorted lens of outsiders. Something tells me they would be less than thrilled if their own team were being held hostage by a non-recruiting zombie of a coach that frequently loses to legit competition.

[ponyboy]

He loses to exactly who he's supposed to at our current level of maturity. We are a midmajor school in the top third of its midmajor conference the last four years. Go take a look at schools in that category and run a similar analysis of how they've done against "legit" competition.

The fact is he's done an excellent job here and the outsiders are right. Now, let's rebaseline and take a similar leap to Top 25 territory. You're right in that that's going to take a drastic improvement in recruiting.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

For all our Star Chamber babble, others see Jones as pulling a miracle turn around at SMU. In Arkyland, folks notice SMU now. They see we make it to the post season. And folks from other schools constantly tell me that Jones has done great.

ponyte I can relate even from this past week. i was talking with some Texas Tech fans outside the stadium. Friendly guys and I told them I thought their new coach was a great hire and i wish we would have hired him first. They honestly looked at me in a sort of disbelief and said "but what about June? He has done a great job turning you guys around". I said "well many at SMU think we need someone else...a bit younger and more energetic for us to take the next step". But you are correct ponyte a lot of fans from other schools would look at us like we are crazy if we fired June after 4 straight bowls. One fear I have is Turner...if we fire or don't renew June I am just not sure as long as Turner is calling the shots we would end up with anybody any better. Wasn't it June and Orsini that convinced Turner to hire Larry Brown? I just have no faith in Turner being super passionate about wanting this program to get to where it needs to be.

[mavsrage311]

For all our Star Chamber babble, others see Jones as pulling a miracle turn around at SMU. In Arkyland, folks notice SMU now. They see we make it to the post season. And folks from other schools constantly tell me that Jones has done great.

ponyte I can relate even from this past week. i was talking with some Texas Tech fans outside the stadium. Friendly guys and I told them I thought their new coach was a great hire and i wish we would have hired him first. They honestly looked at me in a sort of disbelief and said "but what about June? He has done a great job turning you guys around". I said "well many at SMU think we need someone else...a bit younger and more energetic for us to take the next step". But you are correct ponyte a lot of fans from other schools would look at us like we are crazy if we fired June after 4 straight bowls. One fear I have is Turner...if we fire or don't renew June I am just not sure as long as Turner is calling the shots we would end up with anybody any better. Wasn't it June and Orsini that convinced Turner to hire Larry Brown? I just have no faith in Turner being super passionate about wanting this program to get to where it needs to be.

I'm pretty sure Larry was forced down Orsini's throat. I don't think he wanted him at all.

[PonyKai]

Orsini was a clown when it came to hiring basketball coaches. He led a national embarrassment, not a search. He didn't want Larry.

[bubba pony]

[/quote]I'm pretty sure Larry was forced down Orsini's throat. I don't think he wanted him at all.[/quote]

That's how I remember it.

[ponyboy]

He loses to exactly who he's supposed to at our current level of maturity. We are a midmajor school in the top third of its midmajor conference the last four years. Go take a look at schools in that category and run a similar analysis of how they've done against "legit" competition.

The fact is he's done an excellent job here and the outsiders are right. Now, let's rebaseline and take a similar leap to Top 25 territory. You're right in that that's going to take a drastic improvement in recruiting.

To respond to my own post, ha, it's a lot less of a leap from #54, where we curently sit over the last four years, to #25 than from #113 in the nation, where we spent two decades after the DP, to #54. So it should be a lot less hard to do.

[PlanoStang]

For all our Star Chamber babble, others see Jones as pulling a miracle turn around at SMU. In Arkyland, folks notice SMU now. They see we make it to the post season. And folks from other schools constantly tell me that Jones has done great.

ponyte I can relate even from this past week. i was talking with some Texas Tech fans outside the stadium. Friendly guys and I told them I thought their new coach was a great hire and i wish we would have hired him first. They honestly looked at me in a sort of disbelief and said "but what about June? He has done a great job turning you guys around". I said "well many at SMU think we need someone else...a bit younger and more energetic for us to take the next step". But you are correct ponyte a lot of fans from other schools would look at us like we are crazy if we fired June after 4 straight bowls. One fear I have is Turner...if we fire or don't renew June I am just not sure as long as Turner is calling the shots we would end up with anybody any better. Wasn't it June and Orsini that convinced Turner to hire Larry Brown? I just have no faith in Turner being super passionate about wanting this program to get to where it needs to be.

"But you are correct ponyte a lot of fans from other schools would look at us like we are crazy if we fired June after 4 straight bowls."

More importantly, any potential BETTER new coach would be thinking we're crazy. Also his
friends, like all Bennett's friends did, would be telling him "DON'T GO THERE IT'S A COACHES
GRAVEYARD

Last 4 coaches Rossley, Cavan, Bennett, and now JJ fired after 5 seasons.

[PK]

IIRC it was Turner that wanted LB and June helped persuade LB that SMU was a good place for him.

[ponyboy]

Love this take from Hoopmanx on the bball board:

Agreed, our 4 coaches can all recruit. We also use our staff very creatively. Fball's veiled criticisms of LB & crew don't hold water. He has a program that's proactively chasing chips, and a staff that lets everyone know we're serious. Lots of depth from intern all the way to LB, training staff etc. Most everyone is picked for a reason beyond their resume skill set.. Our recruiters were born to recruit and have youth & swag on their side. Player development has guys like Snow, Lynch etc. Larry understands winning culture, not just player acquisition, based on this rebuild. Its feels like a juggernaut in training, and its intense.

That's the difference between the revenue experiences. Fball vibes islands, no contact, soft, lazy etc. At some point, it is what it is. Its not about Larry getting a 18 person staff, its about him knowing that's what this requires to build this as fast as he has. We're paying real coin to get that kind of knowledge, before you even include coaching them up, developing them etc. Hoops leaves no stone unturned, barely sleeps etc. Its the aggression, the intensity that fball needs to mimic. They don't need a legend, they need a bunch of high end foot soldiers, coordinators that run interesting systems, and a dynamic, young, aggressive, head coach.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

I'm pretty sure Larry was forced down Orsini's throat.

By who?

[Rayburn]

As Mustangs we are hyper-aware of SMU football down to some tiny details. Maybe we need to step back a bit a examine the bigger picture. I can tell you that non-Mustang fans think we are crazy to be dissatisfied with JJ. They point out the distance between where we were when he started and where we are now. We are caught between the devil we know (June Jones) and the devil we don't know: a replacement that offers hope and change only to crash and burn.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

IIRC it was Turner that wanted LB and June helped persuade LB that SMU was a good place for him.

If that's true I still don't trust photo hound Turner....but that's just my opinion.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

I can tell you that non-Mustang fans think we are crazy to be dissatisfied with JJ. They point out the distance between where we were when he started and where we are now. We are caught between the devil we know (June Jones) and the devil we don't know: a replacement that offers hope and change only to crash and burn.

That's my feeling. I don't really think June takes us to the next level, but I've seen the greener pasture backfire. And of course the new guy would only be on a very short honeymoon and soon the hounds would be hollering for his scalp too. Rightly or wrongly...If we get to a bowl this year I betcha Turner extends June's contract.