Cowlishaw: June Jones is SMU's Tony Romo

by **Grant Carter** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:04 pm

When someone says something ridiculous like the head coach is not responsible for the defense I feel like that should not go unchallenged, that is all. So many things to criticize June for, absolutely no need to make things up. Stick to the losses and the poor recruiting.

by **SMUer** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:11 pm

How many defensive schemes do you suppose June came up with? How many blitzes on average does he call? How come in every Mason interview, collaboration with June isn't mentioned? Let's not be vague.

Jeebus, if June has a hand in our defenses this year too, he doubly has to go!

I honestly can't believe you are insinuating that June is significantly involved with the defense...

by **smusic 00** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:13 pm

The point is, he's the boss of the team. It's part of his job to make sure the defense is successful, that's all.

by **SMUer** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:18 pm

OK, June looks at Mason on Monday and asks, " you got a plan?" Sure. So what? Now he gets partial credit for our defense bailing is out of the Houston game last year?

by **Grant Carter** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:44 pm

SMUer wrote:OK, June looks at Mason on Monday and asks, " you got a plan?" Sure. So what? Now he gets partial credit for our defense bailing is out of the Houston game last year?

According to you the head coach, shares no portion of the credit/blame for the defensive performance even though he hired the defensive coordinator. Do you also give June no share of the blame for the special teams since all he did was hire the special teams coordinator? What if he was a walk around coach who had an offensive coordinator in more than name only, would the head coach potentially not get any of the credit or blame for a team's performance if he had coordinators for all three phases? This is fascinating, imagine how a head coach could avoid responsibility.

by **SMUer** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:15 pm

Just because you hire someone does not make you the progenitor for all that person's good and bad deeds. I judge June on his offense because that is his "expertise" and what we hired him for...and it is HIS, whether there's a "co-" on his title or not. No, I don't judge him harshly for our defense or special team play...do you?

Why would I image a walk-around coach? June is an offensive co-offensive coordinator, but pretty much just a OC.

by **Grant Carter** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:26 pm

SMUer wrote:Just because you hire someone does not make you the progenitor for all that person's good and bad deeds. I judge June on his offense because that is his "expertise" and what we hired him for...and it is HIS, whether there's a "co-" on his title or not. No, I don't judge him harshly for our defense or special team play...do you?

Why would I image a walk-around coach? June is an offensive co-offensive coordinator, but pretty much just a OC.

I judge him for wins and losses, offensive performance, defensive performance and special teams performance, among other things, just like I judge every head coach I have ever judged. Did not realize that was a strange thing to do.

by **SMUer** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:00 pm

I think that's weird. I don't put a lot of defensive fault on Garrett for instance, even though he kinda sorta makes personnel calls.

So does June getting credit for defensive plays make him a more valuable coach, in your mind? Or the fact that our special teams is abhorant tell you he's got to go? Fascinating.

by **gostangs** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:05 pm

I judge him also. And I have found him wanting.

by **soccermom** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:06 pm

I've always thought Romo was the most over-rated, now over- paid, QB around! And I don't like him, either, so maybe JJ is our Romo!!

by **Grant Carter** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:52 pm

SMUer wrote:I think that's weird. I don't put a lot of defensive fault on Garrett for instance, even though he kinda sorta makes personnel calls.

So does June getting credit for defensive plays make him a more valuable coach, in your mind? Or the fact that our special teams is abhorant tell you he's got to go? Fascinating.

The losses tell me he needs to go. Simple.

by **Mustangsabu** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:58 pm

SMUer wrote:So June gets credit for the win even though his offense couldn't deliver?!? Good god, he really can do no wrong in your eyes. Thanks for literally everything June! SMU is nothing without you!

If June doesn't get credit for the win, then mason takes the blame this year. Can't have it both ways.

by **SMUer** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:24 pm

Mason gets ample blame this year. Nobody is wanted it both ways. This is his first stinker. June has way more whoopsies.

by **PerunaPunch** » Sat Dec 21, 2013 10:02 am

Mason does very well with the cards he's given.

We graduated all our siZe and experience on the DL. We lost our depth at LB despite Stallion's assurances that academics (and other institutional barriers) are a non-factor. We lost our 2 best safeties in that Greenbauer went down early with an injury and Jay Scott (who many predicted to be the MVP of the defense this year) just didn't show up. Nobody wanted to throw against Acker, so everyone challenged a very average Chris Parks.

I also buy into the philosophy that after graduating Pittman, Thompson, Hunt, Grenier and Frazier that we don't have the Jumbo personnel to run the 3-4. I think there are a lot of things that Mason would like to have tried, but he had to balance wholesale changed to the D against completely disrupting what the kids had practiced.

That pretty much sums up the defense this year IMHO.

by **leopold** » Sat Dec 21, 2013 5:30 pm

SMUer wrote:
StallionsModelT wrote:He has proven that even with minimal effort you can win at SMU.

Bingo. There's the sunshine of this situation!

I gotta say, I genuinely think this is wrong and is puts us, vision-wise, one mistake away from making a horrible USM-fires-Bower type of decision.

What JJ coming to SMU did was prove:

1) SMU is willing to pay, and
2) we have no major impediments to win anymore.

The program has no major advatages to it right now. SMU has
- The ability to pay a slightly above average salary based on the current market for a proven coach.
- acceptable admission standards
- a natural recruiting base that is directly in the crosshairs of the Big XII and SEC, not to mention other conferences that see a target-rich environment
- "nice" facilities that don't drive away potential football players
- a below average FBS football budget
- below average fan support

Frankly, most of those are a MASSIVE step up from where we were 15 years ago. But that doesn't make this an easy job. Do not believe for a second that this is an easy gig, or that anybody could win at SMU.