Who are we going to hire?

[redpony]

smu-fb. In general I agree with your comments. However, every now and then you find the exception. i.e. Patterson at tcwho. Although I don't care for him as a person he is a very successful coach. If we had somebody like him he could stay here as long as he wanted- providing of course that he consistently had winning teams.

[BRStang]

By the way, I generally agree, too, with SMUFB's sentiments on the need for ambitious, talented people, etc., and I'm not saying to limit the coaching search to someone who is not looking to be HC of USC or Alabama some day. What I am simply saying is that, BEYOND looking for a coach who knows how to win and recruit, there is no harm in also including in the criteria someone who may just perhaps want to stay at SMU for the long haul. These absolutes about "we don't want someone who wants to stay forever" are debatable.

[SMU Football Blog]

Patterson is somewhat unique. TCU's commitment to football beginning in 1997 was also unique. Unlike SMU, TCU's boosters took their exclusion from the Big XII personally. There were a handful of very specific boosters that were responsible for bringing in Francionne from a team in the same conference (almost never happens). Same boosters ensure that Patterson is given everything he ever asked for.

Patterson did at least consider leaving once or twice. I heard he doesn't interview well, which may or may not be true. I was told that at some point he decided he was happy where he was unless a handful of specific schools asked. Impression I was given is those schools are west and not Big 10 or SEC.

[leopold]

I'm baffled by the amount of publicity surrounding UT coaching search. All these coaches have agents .... isn't simply a case of working out a deal with the agent and then having an introductory news conference. Why "interview" Chad or Mike Gundy? Their body of work is well known and their personalities should also be well vetted.

MSU got their replacement coach with nary a whisper. A&M is flying under the radar after their guy - don't see them interviewing people all over the place.

Well, I know that this may be a singular example but look at us hiring Larry Brown. Everybody knew who he was in terms of both body of work and personality, for good and bad. But nobody wanted him, including us. I've heard - at least from this board - that it was the interview that made us take him seriously. I distinctly remember hearing one of the posters say that the individuals who interviewed him walked out of the interview saying it was the single best one they ever saw.

Sometimes it's just a gut decision, and one that has to be made after actually meeting the person.

[redpony]

of course patterson is the current day exception. IMO monied alums, winning at all costs and big dollar issues have ruined college fball. While patterson is today's exception there used to be coaches like bo schembecler, woody hayes, bear bryant etc. that cared for the schools they were coaching and were less interested in another school waving big bucks at them to lure them away.

[Stallion]

Now you are getting to the point-compare and contrast TCU repeatedly raising Franchione/Patterson's contracts as shot across bow of schools attempting to steal your best personnel with SMU officials who don't appear to have any appetite for what it would cost to keep Morris. Obviously SMU isn't going to fight to keep Morris like TCU did to keep their Coaches when they were non-P5. Note the schools with targeted Head Coaches offering to raise their targeted coaches salary to keep them. I saw in recent days Oregon, Purdue, UCF, Memphis and others being pro-active in trying to keep their coach. There is not a word out of SMU about efforts to retain Morris despite his name being mentioned with regard to at least 3-7 jobs. Once again SMU doesn't measure up to TCU

If you think you got the right guy-Pay him
It took us about 25 years to find him

[redpony]

AMEN!! couldn't agree more. seems like the problem is that our ad and the admin just don't get it.

[StallionsModelT]

Chad Morris is making more than any G5 head coach in the country. SMU has shown its commitment to being competitive. If he wants to go to Arkansas then tip your hat and wish him well. We've now been to 5 bowl games in the last 8 seasons. The job isn't a coach killer anymore. Go out and get the next Chad Morris.

[mrydel]

First we do not know that we have not tried to up the ante. Second, we do not know that Morris has any serious offers yet. Third, Morris may be our Franchione rather than our Patterson.

Gus M. Has laid down in front of Auburn what it will take to keep him. They may or may not agree. Morris could have very well laid down an option that we might not be able to reach.

We just do not know.

[Stallion]

Its not the AD or administration that would pay it. Those are off-budget alumni support items just like at TCU and just like with June Jones and Larry Brown at SMU in the past. SMU will have the athletic program its alumni, family and friends are willing to pay for

[Stallion]

Chad Morris is making more than any G5 head coach in the country. SMU has shown its commitment to being competitive. If he wants to go to Arkansas then tip your hat and wish him well. We've now been to 5 bowl games in the last 8 seasons. The job isn't a coach killer anymore. Go out and get the next Chad Morris.

Not the point. He's not making as much as the market is willing to pay. TCU chased off P5 schools repeatedly by paying national market value. Hey please don't tell me about SMU Big Money Boys any more because they don't have the balls that TCU has shown over and over. We are not following the TCU Model by rolling over on Morris. TCU didn't roll over like our supporters. The meme that SMU is looking for its Patterson can't be viewed in a vacuum without realizing that TCU paid national market rate to keep Patterson over and over again

[redpony]

Its not the AD or administration that would pay it.

agree, however when your ad is on the sidelines of the fball games instead of hob-knobing with the big money alums in the club then it sort of shows where his emphasis is. I'll bet that chris conte (ad at tcwho) spends a lot more time schoozing the money guys than our ad does. as you said- it is really a matter of commitment.

[StallionsModelT]

What a crock. We are paying the highest salary of any coach in what is unquestionably the top G5 conference despite being only two years removed from 1-11 and 2-10. The commitment is there. Chad has done an admirable job of turning the program around but the job is far from finished. I'm honestly wondering how much of his interest is coming from the fact that he wont have his 6-4 220 pound "Get out jail free card" wide out and our only consistent pass rusher in Lawler next year.

If Chad were to stay here he would stay as the highest paid coach in the AAC and higher than some P5's. The job isn't done here. Not by a long shot. But if he's able to parlay modest success at SMU into $4-5M a year at either Tennessee or Arkansas good for him and Jimmy Sexton.

[Stallion]

SMU " looking for their Patterson" is the crock. SMU wouldn't pay the market rate to keep "their Patterson"-so please stop with that nonsense. TCU repeatedly paid market rate to fend off about 8+ P5 schools. Let's be clear-SMU is not following the TCU Model to get to the next level. A lot of talk but the checkbooks never came out of the back pocket

[ericdickerson4life]

How would we feel if we paid him the going rate? Say $5 million/5 years. And he doesn't live up to Patterson, even if he stays. If he isn't consistently winning conference championships and banging on the door of New Year's Day bowl games that could kill our program as no one would want to invest in it again. It's a big risk just to say "pay the man the national going rate". I'm guessing odds aren't in our favor going that direction.