Cowlishaw: June Jones is SMU's Tony Romo

[CalallenStang]

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.

USM-fires-Bower worked out well for them. USM-replaces-Fedora-with-Ellis-Johnson is where it all went horribly wrong.

[CalallenStang]

We lost our depth at LB despite Stallion's assurances that academics (and other institutional barriers) are a non-factor.

What does part A of this statement have to do with Part B?

[Rebel10]

We lost our depth at LB despite Stallion's assurances that academics (and other institutional barriers) are a non-factor.

The depth at LB was lost due to Lincoln transferring and Nero leaving the team. They both had attitudes that no college would put up with from my understanding. It had nothing to do with institutional barriers. The entire freshman class in football passed their classes and the entire basketball team passed their classes as well.

This is what Frazier told Melvin Swift.

Swift said. “He said the big thing about SMU is that they help you succeed in the classroom too and always help you with everything."

[Rebel10]

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.

That is pro JJ supporter suck up fear tactics or abused spouse syndrome. We are going to have to move on from JJ sooner than later but he will be here next year. aTm gets rid of Sherman and get Sumlin then proceeds to roll. We were 6-6 then 5-7 with poor recruiting classes coming in so I will take the next coach 3 years to recover from the bad recruiting anyway. If SMU gets one more poor recruiting class in just makes it that much worse.

[leopold]

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.

USM-fires-Bower worked out well for them. USM-replaces-Fedora-with-Ellis-Johnson is where it all went horribly wrong.

Getting Bigger-Better Dealed after the coach gives you one good season isn't 'working out well.' Frankly, Bower probably could have have given them that season and more - it was his talent, after all.

[leopold]

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.

That is pro JJ supporter suck up fear tactics or abused spouse syndrome.

Please leave my non-existent Mante Teo type girlfriend out of this. She has never done anything to you, and hits me only because she loves me and I deserve it.

#felldownthestairs

[GiddyUp]

Arkansas State has hired their 4th coach in 4 years. They have been to 3 consecutive bowls and won 3 consecutive conference championships. They did it by having coaches that could recruit. Their new coach will be paid $700,000 a year for 5 years with a $3 million buy out for years 1-3 then $2 million in the 4th and $1 million in the 5th. They will most likely move into CUSA soon and continue to move upward. They have played some of the top teams in the country and taken them down to the wire. I never thought that I, as an SMU fan, would ever be jealous of Arkansas State.

this is very telling..

[CalallenStang]

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.

USM-fires-Bower worked out well for them. USM-replaces-Fedora-with-Ellis-Johnson is where it all went horribly wrong.

Getting Bigger-Better Dealed after the coach gives you one good season isn't 'working out well.' Frankly, Bower probably could have have given them that season and more - it was his talent, after all.

Fedora had that great season in his 4th year after most of Bower's talent was gone. Bower's talent gave Fedora very Bower-like seasons.

Bower's last 4 years at USM:
7-5
7-5
9-5
7-6

Fedora's 4 years:
7-6
7-6
8-5
13-1

[leopold]

You're right about winning on his own talent, I stand corrected.

But the main point remains: USM found out the hard way what they had. Even when they got the right coach he bolted as quick as he could. It was short term thinking, and those two HORRIBLE years more than negates a very good one.

[CalallenStang]

You're right about winning on his own talent, I stand corrected.

But the main point remains: USM found out the hard way what they had. Even when they got the right coach he bolted as quick as he could. It was short term thinking, and those two HORRIBLE years more than negates a very good one.

June tried to leave after 4 years as well. Would that, in and of itself, have made his hiring a mistake?

USM's problem wasn't firing Bower and hiring Fedora, who elevated the program hire than it was under Bower. It was making the next hire when Fedora left. There are reasons why they screwed it up: their AD Giannini was on his way out and entrusted a former general with no athletics administration experience with making the hire. Add in that they didn't have a big budget to attract candidates, and you get the makings of a disaster.

Their reasons for going to the Hawaii Bowl that year instead of the Liberty Bowl are reminiscent of June's statements that he would rather go to the Hawaii Bowl than the Liberty, and for that reason they also didn't get the support of many long-time boosters in paying for a new coach.

[leopold]

June tried to leave after 4 years as well. Would that, in and of itself, have made his hiring a mistake?

USM's problem wasn't firing Bower and hiring Fedora, who elevated the program hire than it was under Bower. It was making the next hire when Fedora left. There are reasons why they screwed it up: their AD Giannini was on his way out and entrusted a former general with no athletics administration experience with making the hire. Add in that they didn't have a big budget to attract candidates, and you get the makings of a disaster.

Their reasons for going to the Hawaii Bowl that year instead of the Liberty Bowl are reminiscent of June's statements that he would rather go to the Hawaii Bowl than the Liberty, and for that reason they also didn't get the support of many long-time boosters in paying for a new coach.

If it meant firing a coach with Bowers record to hire him, yes.

Guys, I get it: Fedora shows the upside of firing a proven coach who over succeeds but doesn't quite make it to the next level.

But that meant that now they have to go out and hit a home run on their hire every time AND hope he stays. Ansas you point out with USMs issues and limitations it is going to be extra hard.

With the state of college athletics and conference transition USM can't be messing these things up - their fb team HAS to win - they can't hire a Callahan like Nebraska.

[CalallenStang]

Say they kept Bower. Say he decided to retire the year that Fedora ended up leaving. They would have still screwed up the hire.

The Bower firing wasn't the reason that they have been among the worst teams in college football over the past two years. The mess that is USM athletics post-Giannini is why they have been so bad.

[leopold]

A guy retires when he retires; time comes for everybody. Doesn't mean you fire Nick Saban just cause he lost to Auburn this year - Remember his wife when she talked about fans becoming spoiled.

Yes, the Bower firing absolutely is why their program is so bad. If Bower was still coaching they would have definitely won more than one game in two years and probably more than 14 games over 3 years.

[CalallenStang]

Wow. "If" he were still coaching. I'll give you another "If." "If" they hired Gus Malzahn instead of Ellis Johnson they would have been a potential BCS buster last year.

[leopold]

YES.

That's the point if this conversation: the coach matters.

People are acting like the program is in a position to hire anybody else and win and it's not. Even a better than average coach is going to have problems winning here.