Copeland

[Roach]

.... 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.

Huh? What's your problem? I was asking how you know he's close to the faculty, or how he works with them, because I don't know. Sounded like you had some kind of knowledge. I've never even met him. I've heard he's a good guy, but I have no way of knowing what kind of an AD candidate.

I just thought you might have some insight you could share -- why so defensive?

I don't have a dream candidate, because we still have an athletic director and because I don't know who would be interested or contacted if an opening became available. I don't know if the school would look within or if they'd look outside.

Dream candidate? Let's see .... After a national search, I don't care if the next AD comes from Miami, Seattle, Timbuktu or down the corridor at Moody. I want someone who raises a boatload of cash, so the coaches never want for anything in their programs, a recruiting budget that allows all SMU coaches the resources needed to chase every player they want, a marketing budget that leaves the entire Metroplex (and other places around Texas) absolutely saturated with SMU gear and an advertising campaign that will have Phil Bennett, Jimmy Tubbs, Rhonda Rompola, Schellas Hyndman, Eddie Sinnott, etc., on billboards over every exit of every highway throughout north Texas and on TV and radio everywhere, the financial wherewithall to let the coaches hire whatever assistants they want, an AD who will ensure that every SMU student-athlete graduates with a 4.0 average with a minimum of three majors, and a partridge in a pear tree.

In other words, I don't know who would be an ideal candidate. Forgive me for asking for a basis for your opinion.

[ponyplayer]

where is Timbuktu in relation to Texas........................

[SMU Football Blog]

Stunned.

Stay focused, here. "Many schools have “academic integrity” and graduate their players and have success on the field or on the court." And we are 3rd in the state in academics. And historically have been dead last or next to last athletically.

[OC Mustang]

There seem to be multiple conversations going in this thread. I will stick to ours, Mexmustang.

Mexmustang wrote:

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

Euphemisms.

Academics, and as an extension, university officials, are among the most petty and vain group of people professionally that you will ever meet. Not meant to be personal toward you, but I get tickled every time I see the term "change agent". It reminds me of the snow job that McKinsey & Co. plays on the companies on whose behalf they supposedly work. I would agree with you on the one hand, given that the widest disparity of marginal personalities find a home in the university community. Perhaps Turner could tolerate some positive change. However, I just really doubt it. a) Turner has neither said nor done anything for me to think he is committed in deed and in earnest to changing the so-called athletic "model". b) the syllogism that Copeland being gone necessarily means we have something better is a logical fallacy (one I wish wasn't, to be sure, but sometimes we just don't get what we want).

So, I am sticking to the most assured method of getting on the administration's radar. Either SMU wins big or it loses big. Anything short of either of those outcomes, and nobody is motivated to hire a "change agent".

[aus10fromhous10]

I get that people think that Bennett's raise/extension was to let people know that he will be here for a while, but he had three years left on his contract without the extension, so what does one more year say? I would have been much happier seeing how things pan out next year, and if the team is as successful or improved from the '05 season, then give him a bigger raise and a longer extension

And I just wish Copeland would leave

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

I agree it would be nice to get a "Mark Cuban", but don't hold your breath.

President Turner seems to me to be an extremely conservative individual with maybe an ounce of rebel mixed in. (better than zero rebel like Pye)

So President Turner can be generally expected to make conservative choices.

Look at Copeland.

Copeland is a quiet conservative guy like the guy that hired him.

President Turner is not a risk taker, and will not hire a "bull in the China cabinet".

I think many of us wish Turner would hire someone that was strong enough to take on the people within the SMU Academia that dislike athletics and continue to "hold the program back" from reaching it's potential.

Don't get me wrong, I like President Turner, but he is not going to hire a "Mark Cuban".

So hopefully we can expect someone better than Copeland, but probably not someone that is going to "shock the world".

Just getting someone several notches ahead of Copeland would be ok and hopefully that will happen.

This will be an extremely important decision that determines our moods on many future Fall Saturday afternoons.

[ponyplayer]

Stunned.

Stay focused, here. "Many schools have “academic integrity” and graduate their players and have success on the field or on the court." And we are 3rd in the state in academics. And historically have been dead last or next to last athletically.

stay stunned......

Saying we do not have academic integrity......or you just throwing that out there.......historically i agree....just don`t bash the academics especially when we do not come close to having the majors other schools are putting out there........i want what everyone else is clamoring for......

[McClown27]

I don't have a dream candidate, because we still have an athletic director and because I don't know who would be interested or contacted if an opening became available. I don't know if the school would look within or if they'd look outside.

Dream candidate? Let's see .... After a national search, I don't care if the next AD comes from Miami, Seattle, Timbuktu or down the corridor at Moody. I want someone who raises a boatload of cash, so the coaches never want for anything in their programs, a recruiting budget that allows all SMU coaches the resources needed to chase every player they want, a marketing budget that leaves the entire Metroplex (and other places around Texas) absolutely saturated with SMU gear and an advertising campaign that will have Phil Bennett, Jimmy Tubbs, Rhonda Rompola, Schellas Hyndman, Eddie Sinnott, etc., on billboards over every exit of every highway throughout north Texas and on TV and radio everywhere, the financial wherewithall to let the coaches hire whatever assistants they want, an AD who will ensure that every SMU student-athlete graduates with a 4.0 average with a minimum of three majors, and a partridge in a pear tree.

In other words, I don't know who would be an ideal candidate. Forgive me for asking for a basis for your opinion.

Oh sorry, I thought you were being cute. There is a contingent of people on this board--for whatever reason--who believe that the SMU athletic department must be completely changed. I thought you were one of those people, acting like Secules doesn't do anything. Once again, sorry, I will try to be nicer in the future.

To answer your question, I met Secules when I was an undergraduate and talked to him about his career. He is a real nice guy and seems real smart (more so than Copeland).

[SMU Football Blog]

Stunned.

Stay focused, here. "Many schools have “academic integrity” and graduate their players and have success on the field or on the court." And we are 3rd in the state in academics. And historically have been dead last or next to last athletically.

stay stunned......

Saying we do not have academic integrity......or you just throwing that out there.......historically i agree....just don`t bash the academics especially when we do not come close to having the majors other schools are putting out there........i want what everyone else is clamoring for......

OK, you clearly are missing my point. My point, and this has been my point for a year, is that a school can be athletically successful and graduate its student-athletes. There are a number of schools that do both, and we have found a way to do only one of those adn some people think the two are mutually exclusive. I have always said we should emulate those schools that have found a way to do both, without assuming the SMU way is the only way.

When I say "academic integrity," I am being sarcastic. I am not bashing the notion that SMU is a good school. I am bashing the ideas that (i) being successful in football makes SMU less of an academic institution; and (ii) graduating football players at a rate of 89% makes SMU better academically. Any system in place that graduates football players at a rate higher than the general student population is clearly flawed.

[couch 'em]

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.

I don't mean a 'Cuban type' meaning a rich guy, I mean someone who will do what is necessary to get the marketing and publicity, and stir things up. Cuban managed to take the Mavs from an ignored embarassment to a top tier team mostly by getting his name, and thus the team, in the paper, which got people to the games.

On a related note WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY do we not promote our soccer team?!!? Even if we ignore the billions of kids who play soccer all over Dallas, we have a huge resource of soccer-loving people streaming into Dallas all the time. Since nobody has the guts to solve the illegal problem, we might as well make a few bucks off of them. ( yes, yes, and the many legal immigrants, too)

[Eddie P]

I try to stay out of these threads but I'm just going to make one observation and then disappear:

When a group (faculty) has all the authority/power/leverage in a situation, what makes you think someone can "challenge" them?

Do people honestly think you can bully your way into the changes that have been accompished over the years with the faculty?

It's kind of hard to "challenge" someone when you have your hat in your hand.

Sorry. I'm done. It just annoys me when I read statements from people who do not understand the dynamics of what athletics has to accomplish to achieve change. It takes compromise/education/cooperation about the issues. Once again, it's kinda hard to make demands when you have your hat in your hand.

[MrMustang1965]

Alright, alright.
You've convinced me.
I'll take the job!

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

Eddie P......

Some people won't be bullied.

And thats who some of us want to go "head to head" with these athletic hating faculty.

There are talented individuals who will not enter a room..."hat in hand" as you say.....they have that kind of presence......they have unique abilities to dominate an agenda with leadership.

Do I know exactly how a "Mark Cuban type" manages to "get things done" when everyone else says it's impossible?

No.....thats why my address isn't the same as Cubans!

You imply "it cant get done because things are what they are"......well thats the same thing people always tell people that somehow manage to get to the top of the mountain.

Every road to success has road blocks of doomsayers....."you cant do that"....."that'll never work"......"you dont have the power to do that".......Blah Blah Blah.

Successful people that think "out of the box" can sometimes overcome what seem like road-blocks.

Many of us think that someone with a forceful, energetic, relentless demeanor can do a much better job of pushing this program forward.

We need someone that is not about to "enter hat in hand", down on knees, defeatist attitude..

The old thinking...that "this is the way it is....has always been and always will be"........

Thats BALONEY!

[jtstang]

Alright, alright.
You've convinced me.
I'll take the job!

You saved 4000 for that little gem?

[ALEX LIFESON]

Great post Pony-posse! We have to many people with DEFEATIST attitudes!