Eric Dickerson Spoke The Truth

[stc9]

No. I didn't hear ED speak. But if you want a really good place to start when you go to Turner, I'll give you one.

Demand an operational audit of the entire Athletic department. Have an outside consultant come in and compare SMU's practices against the rest of the industry. This will say exactly where SMU is not competitive and allow the school to identify weaknesses. This will look at why the soccer programs are no longer top 5, why it took so long to recognize that we needed to tear down the natorium...etc. These guys go through everything.

[smumustang1980]

Eric is expressing his feelings about JJ, not facts. Throwing his/our school under the bus is counter-productive. For reasons that are hard to refute, JJ didn't have his heart, time or energy in recruiting, while failing to engage students and alumni in supporting the team and players. I believe the players liked him. Although our recruiting improved a bit at the beginning of his tenure, we clearly have not changed our recruiting results. I blame JJ for this, not current administration.

Agree. What we need to ensure is that SMU is committed.

So was ED speaking the truth or do you agree that it was JJs fault not the admin's? Which one?

June was terribly flawed. Will the public ever know the truth - never. Was ED speaking the truth - yes. Was SMU complicit in this failure - absolutely. Was this by design or lack of leadership? Let's move forward and see if President Turner will make the right moves. I am only interested in working with SMU in rebuilding the program.

[gostangs]

i think you might need to provide more facts as to what it is you want everyone to join hands and lobby for. Admit anyone that our competitors would admit? That was done several years ago. Highest paid non P-5 coach - that was done 7 years ago and he remained in the top 4-5 ever since. More athletic friendly majors? that was done 4 years ago. More tutors available for the football team ?- that was done three years ago.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree. In two to three months, a handful of our alums will once again come out of their own pockets to secure the services of a coach that our President and AD will have vetted to lead us forward. They all will be putting their necks out to the world in picking our next coach. It will be a HUGE commitment of real dollars. That is a big commitment by all of them.

What in the heck are you wanting that we aren't getting? Every action from Turner has been supportive. I think one fair criticism is that he has been late to recognize what needed to be done - but that is water under the bridge. What lack of commitment at this point could you possibly be referring to?

Dickerson was wrong, and was mouthing off about what he knows nothing about in support of his buddy. I think he looked like a bozo if you know the facts - and if you don't you shouldn't mouth off.

[smumustang1980]

No. I didn't. But if you want a really good place to start when you go to Turner, I'll give you one.

Demand an operational audit of the entire Athletic department. Have an outside consultant come in and compare SMU's practices against the rest of the industry. This will say exactly where SMU is not competitive and allow the school to identify weaknesses. This will look at why the soccer programs are no longer top 5, why it took so long to recognize that we needed to tear down the natorium...etc. These guys go through everything.

Now that is an excellent idea. Great. You would think that those making several million would have already done this... Thank you very much.

[smumustang1980]

i think you might need to provide more facts as to what it is you want everyone to join hands and lobby for. Admit anyone that our competitors would admit? That was done several years ago. Highest paid non P-5 coach - that was done 7 years ago and he remained in the top 4-5 ever since. More athletic friendly majors? that was done 4 years ago. More tutors available for the football team ?- that was done three years ago.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree. In two to three months, a handful of our alums will once again come out of their own pockets to secure the services of a coach that our President and AD will have vetted to lead us forward. They all will be putting their necks out to the world in picking our next coach. It will be a HUGE commitment of real dollars. That is a big commitment by all of them.

What in the heck are you wanting that we aren't getting? Every action from Turner has been supportive. I think one fair criticism is that he has been late to recognize what needed to be done - but that is water under the bridge. What lack of commitment at this point could you possibly be referring to?

Dickerson was wrong, and was mouthing off about what he knows nothing about in support of his buddy. I think he looked like a bozo if you know the facts - and if you don't you shouldn't mouth off.

Then we have nothing to worry about...

[couch 'em]

How about we just keep any reference to Dickerson off this board until he comes out publicly with a show of support for the SMU football program and it's new coach.

At best he is a whiner, and at worst he is a liar for spouting all of the long debunked nonsense about the school somehow not supporting June. Total nonsense. June was shown the door because he was lazy and did not live up to the responsibilities of his job.

Good riddance to June, and good riddance to ED if he doesn't want to get on board.

I started the post to see how many of you would actually want to do something constructive instead of simply making noise.

Then come with some facts. What is the restriction? It isn't admissions as proven by June and Larry Brown.

[stc9]

No. I didn't. But if you want a really good place to start when you go to Turner, I'll give you one.

Demand an operational audit of the entire Athletic department. Have an outside consultant come in and compare SMU's practices against the rest of the industry. This will say exactly where SMU is not competitive and allow the school to identify weaknesses. This will look at why the soccer programs are no longer top 5, why it took so long to recognize that we needed to tear down the natorium...etc. These guys go through everything.

Now that is an excellent idea. Great. You would think that those making several million would have already done this... Thank you very much.

I would also recommend that Hart presents the results and action plans at Mustang club and SMU alumni club events around the country. It would serve two purposes. 1) This would re-connect some of the "lost generation" to the athletic department. 2) It might help shake the money tree a little bit for some of the smaller donors around the country.

[GiddyUp]

One of the major issues is the Board of Trustees doesn't give a flip about football - no commitment there. You still have yet to say exactly your plan of action and what the shortcomings are exactly. Larry has shown its possible. I have seen better marketing efforts than I have in 10 yrs for both fball and hoops. Should have come together a long while ago.

ED is far removed from the school. I think June gave him a earful - why would he take local radio interviews? Makes no sense.

[floridianstang]

No. I didn't hear ED speak. But if you want a really good place to start when you go to Turner, I'll give you one.

Demand an operational audit of the entire Athletic department. Have an outside consultant come in and compare SMU's practices against the rest of the industry. This will say exactly where SMU is not competitive and allow the school to identify weaknesses. This will look at why the soccer programs are no longer top 5, why it took so long to recognize that we needed to tear down the natorium...etc. These guys go through everything.

This is an excellent idea. Now is the moment to look inside and see where we are lacking before we hire someone.

[East Coast Mustang]

Can someone please articulate to me how Turner doesn't support the football program, especially since JJ was hired in 2008?

He pi$$ed off the faculty by dumping a ton of money into the Ford Stadium project to bring on-campus football to SMU back in the late-90s

"Athlete friendly majors" are now a reality with applied physiology and sports management programs

I don't think there's been one player who June recruited that wasn't admitted to SMU for academic reasons that went onto play for another FBS program w/o first going the JC/prep school route

JJ, not RGT, initially shot down proposed IPF because he didn't want his players crossing the street

People love to blame RGT, and as I've said before he is deserving of some blame 1995-2007, but the idea that he was somehow holding June back is stupid. June's failure to give a [deleted] about recruiting from Dec. 2011-present is what held June back. ED is either too naive or too stupid to realize this.

[Puckhead48E]

As someone who has not lived in the area for over a decade, I rely on boards and info from local friends for updates on the program. I don't know how it has been since the early 2000's, but I can tell you that Turner was anything but supportive of the program from his arrival until I departed the area. How do I know? Repeated public statements regarding football not being a large part of the SMU experience, separating the school from past players because they represent a time of failure, and generally being apathetic or negative about football (and pretty much all sports) in his public statements. Has he changed since? Well, so much of SMU has changed since that I can only assume he has. Was it losing that 'cush brand of water he had? Was it programs like Northwestern (a similar type school) succeeding on the field while maintaining academics? Was it a realization that big-time sports and national attention can be attributes to the school and help promote and grow the academic future and expand programs? Was it an alumni and donor base that finally got sick of his negative comments and took actions to promote those programs? I think we can all see that we now have an AD that is serious in his commitment. I hope that commitment is echoed by Turner. And that commitment must be to the entire athletic department, not just football (a view it seems is not supported by some on this board). When the football and basketball programs were the laughing stock on campus and beyond (my freshman year, the joke was don't try out because you will probably make it), the soccer and swimming and tennis and track teams provided SMU with school pride and prestige both nationally and internationally. Look at the number of national team players to come from both mens and womens soccer. Look at the number of olympians to come from swimming and track. These were the ONLY reasons to have pride in SMU athletics. So we need support for the entire program, and that must include Turner. I hope it does.
And I have met Dickerson, who was a very nice guy and happy to talk. Were his comments wrong or were they hurtful? I think there were elements of both from what I have read and heard from what is available. He was one of a key group of guys who really elevated SMU to the top of the pantheon, and were then cast out by the school and administration and denied access when they tried to come back and help the school and program in the 90's by brining their names to the program. I guess June was able to get them back involved or at least to a greater extent and probably brought them to events to speak to the team...get them some wow time with the kids and boost their ego's. I assume his departure could feel like the only guy in the family who actually wanted ED back at the school was gone. He lashed out, and shouldn't have. Let's get over it, because when we look at other schools and their famous football alumni....I really don't think we should worry about one who bitched about the administration not supporting the program as much as he wanted us to. Heck, if that type of talk gets people this bothered, imagine of we were fans of an SEC program with all the crap they do!

[floridianstang]

As someone who has not lived in the area for over a decade, I rely on boards and info from local friends for updates on the program. I don't know how it has been since the early 2000's, but I can tell you that Turner was anything but supportive of the program from his arrival until I departed the area. How do I know? Repeated public statements regarding football not being a large part of the SMU experience, separating the school from past players because they represent a time of failure, and generally being apathetic or negative about football (and pretty much all sports) in his public statements. Has he changed since? Well, so much of SMU has changed since that I can only assume he has. Was it losing that 'cush brand of water he had? Was it programs like Northwestern (a similar type school) succeeding on the field while maintaining academics? Was it a realization that big-time sports and national attention can be attributes to the school and help promote and grow the academic future and expand programs? Was it an alumni and donor base that finally got sick of his negative comments and took actions to promote those programs? I think we can all see that we now have an AD that is serious in his commitment. I hope that commitment is echoed by Turner. And that commitment must be to the entire athletic department, not just football (a view it seems is not supported by some on this board). When the football and basketball programs were the laughing stock on campus and beyond (my freshman year, the joke was don't try out because you will probably make it), the soccer and swimming and tennis and track teams provided SMU with school pride and prestige both nationally and internationally. Look at the number of national team players to come from both mens and womens soccer. Look at the number of olympians to come from swimming and track. These were the ONLY reasons to have pride in SMU athletics. So we need support for the entire program, and that must include Turner. I hope it does.
And I have met Dickerson, who was a very nice guy and happy to talk. Were his comments wrong or were they hurtful? I think there were elements of both from what I have read and heard from what is available. He was one of a key group of guys who really elevated SMU to the top of the pantheon, and were then cast out by the school and administration and denied access when they tried to come back and help the school and program in the 90's by brining their names to the program. I guess June was able to get them back involved or at least to a greater extent and probably brought them to events to speak to the team...get them some wow time with the kids and boost their ego's. I assume his departure could feel like the only guy in the family who actually wanted ED back at the school was gone. He lashed out, and shouldn't have. Let's get over it, because when we look at other schools and their famous football alumni....I really don't think we should worry about one who bitched about the administration not supporting the program as much as he wanted us to. Heck, if that type of talk gets people this bothered, imagine of we were fans of an SEC program with all the crap they do!

+1

[JasonB]

smumustang1980, I have been saying for the last week that we need to figure out what the gapes are and plug them.

I personally think that we have probably encountered budget issues with recruiting, assistant coach pay, other operational support pay (including strength/conditioning program), funding for a full meal program. And we still have issues with the Provost (KF issue).

However, what we need are the people who actually know details to come forward. We need to push for more transparency from the athletic department. I am willing to increase my donations to the school, but I want to know what the anticipate budget of a top class program is going to look like, so we know what the fundraising goals should be and what happens if there is a shortfall. If we need a 500K recruiting budget to be effective, and ours is only 50K, we all need to know that, to understand what the issues are (I am just throwing that as an example, not excusing the former coach for not allowing people to go out and watch local football games and tweet about it).

So, if you know more, share it. Otherwise, you are fighting a losing battle.

One of the problems we have is that the people who have the appropriate inside information are scared to share it because they are afraid they are going to get cut off. Such as me not talking about us running option with Davis at fall practice and freaking out when football dad mentioned it.

The ONLY way we are going to be able to push for any additional changes that need to be made to the athletic program are for you and ED to come out and specify what in the hell you are being so cryptic about. Others as well. If we don't get those specifics, the black curtain is still going to be hanging between us and the athletic department and we are still all going to be just guessing about what the budgets are and what is really going on behind closed doors.

[GiddyUp]

Agreed as it does seem like a secret society and we need more transparency to the issues.

[ponyte]

Whether Turner has great or horrid for SMU football isn't relevant to his job. His job is to run a university not an athletic department which also has a football program. That's the AD's job.

Turner has been in charge with improved academics, building expansion, growth of a huge endowment and improved parking. By any measure he has been a fabulous president.

He is visible on every home game out on the Vard. He is there and you can tell him your thoughts to his face. He is a vary approvable guy.

He listens but it doesn't mean he will do as you ask. I have talked to him more than once abut an IPF (Indoor Party Facility) but we still have to endure the heat and weather on T\the Vard.