Quickest way back to relevance?

[San Antonio Mustang]

Despite what I posted about World possibly being correct, I hope we keep trying. We have not had great salesmen on our coaching staffs in my memory. If I were AD, I would try to find the best salesman in coaching. I would want him to hire adequate coaches who are also adequate salesman. But even if the head coach is not that good at X&Os, if he can sell the program and then let the Assistants coach we will be better off. Mack Brown is an example of what I would look for.

[BRStang]

This is what I would do if I were AD.

Step 1: Fire June Joke immediately and promote Mason to interim HC. This would hopefully light some kind of spark for the fan base, the media and most importantly the team. JJ has lost the locker room. It is over.

Step 2: Gather every swinging d!ck with an SMU connection and drum up support for funding and lobbying a top notch coaching staff to come to SMU. I would try to follow the Larry Brown model, and try to hire a pied piper/salesman type "name" with NFL connections and buzz as HC, along with a solid up and comer, energetic, assistant head coach. This will take money, but if we work during the next few months, hopefully we could drum up the funds and interest before others start taking our candidates.

Step 3: Structure the contracts with bonuses and incentives for successful milestones.

Step 4: overhaul the future schedules to the extent possible to dump the "aTm's" and schedule some mid to low level ACC or Big 10 teams from the east coast, an FCS team and TCU for non-conf.

Step 5: Start trying to market the heck out of SMU during basketball season to regain national exposure and interest. We need exposure, exposure and more exposure. Get our cr@p in every sporting goods store in Texas and in the major cities and areas where we have alumni bases. Start reaching out to alums in other cities to REALLY get involved in promoting SMU in there areas.

This is just a start. I would have other ideas and plans, especially relating to publicity and exposure, but it's late and I'm going to bed now.

[gostangs]

In the last 12 yrs we have had someone who had horrible assistant coaches and someone who doesn't recruit. It is not that hard. Figure out the rules and play to win.

[JasonB]

A little outside the box thinking on the funding perspective...

Have the AD run a budget on what it takes to run a top notch football program. Everything from great training table, strength program (when a player is quoted as saying a true freshman is the 4th strongest player of the team, that is probably an indictment on the training program rather than an amazing freshman), gameday activities, all the way through the coaching staff and facility improvements.

Have the University commit their amount, CoC commit their amount, and then start a kickstarter campaign for the rest.

Instead of abstractly trying to raise money through the Mustang Club, set a specific goal with clear objectives and publish it for everyone to see. If we get towards the end of the campaign and are a little short, several of us on here would probably be willing to give a little extra to meet the goal. It would also show the commitment of the university to the football program in comparison to the alumni, which would probably be a healthy thing to display as well.

[CoxMustangFan]

World could be correct. I hope not. The problem I see is P5 teams have at least 20 million to spend on their programs including legally paying players and we have just a few million and can't legally pay players. How do you recruit enough quality to be competitive with the P5 teams? And as World says we do not have a fan base to support us. Dallas folks don't care about SMU. They only care about UT, A&M, & the Cowboys.

Not wrong, but just part of the puzzle. Look at the full picture:

- ~1% US growth rate
- Continued top spot for the NFL (for now)
- The economics of Tier 1, 2, and 3 networks (with HUGE focus on 3...)
- Government funding and adverse impact on public schools
- Exploding position of DFW
- SMU's new national positioning via ESPN
- Conference unrest
- DFW's potential geographic proximity to every P5 conference.
- SMU's resources (more than competitors UCF, Houston, UConn, and Memphis COMBINED).
- AAC -- per Aresco -- will match P5, and SMU can write the checks.
- The GoR expiration for B12 and ACC in 2025, 2026.

The list goes on and on. We just need to not lose our minds now. Not being critical of the fans that have had to witness/support this situation for more years than I've been alive, just saying there is much to be played out.

If I were AD, I would be putting tremendous effort in building our fan base and being a Texas (and national) leader in lacrosse (in addition to bball, of course). Long term I believe football is going to struggle battling the popularity and growth of lacrosse (I can feel your eye roll). If SMU doesn't have the chance to make the step in football it could very well be because of the growth due to lacrosse (I know, sounds nuts). Having meaningful value in football, basketball and lacrosse puts SMU in a great position.

Just my two cents ("AGAIN" apparently).

[Charleston Pony]

and can we change that awful commercial that is run when we play? maybe something a little more appealing to prospective students?

[Planter's Punch]

Be prepared for June to spin as much negative press and myths about SMU as he sees his time here ending

[RGV Pony]

Pull up the NDA they made Collins sign and have June sign