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Looking back I think we should recognize what a good job Coach Rossley actually did while he is was here, no matter what you felt about the play calling. And it looks like we are going back to the spread offense of the Rossley era.

Coach Rossley's teams played much tougher competition in the SWC and and in the original WAC, not the current watered down version. Played UNC, A&M, Wisconsin, UCLA tight and could get wins against TCU and Arkansas. And remember Cavan's only winning season was his first with all of Rossley's players and a year after Rossley went 5-6. I don't believe he had any more talent than Cavan or Bennett. Also, I miss the emphasis Rossley always put on special teams, he always had a good kicker and punter.

If the ship does not get turned around in the next couple of seasons Copleand is the one who needs to get off the ship.

I agree with your assessment of Coach Rossley. He rarely had guys who were as big and strong as the opponents, but they sure played hard, and they played fundamentally well. He got the most out of his players, which is kind of how his son played. I always liked Coach Rossley - is he still in Green Bay?

Yes, he's still the OC in Green Bay.

An asst. college coach in the mid '90's once told me that coaches around the country were flabbergasted that Rossley was let go after a 5-6 season at SMU. The general opinion was, "Hell...5-6 is a great record at THAT place."

Firing Rossley is 75% of why I call Copeland Copeland. We were gradually getting better every year, and Cavan's 6-5 in 97 would've been 7-4 or better if Rossley had stayed. We'd probably have been invited to a bowl game somewhere as the comeback kids from the DP.

It makes one wonder what might have happened if during the Rossley era, we could have beaten one of those teams that we came up just barely short:

UCLA
A$M - twice
Wisconsin at Ownby

Might a win over one of those teams helped springboard the program - much like TCU's win over USC did?

One thing about it, Rossley's teams were a lot more fun to watch than the run, run, run, punt teams of the past 3-4 years.

I believe most of us here think that a win in one or two of those games would've been great. A win at ucla would have given SMU great national exposure, especially since we did play a pretty good game. A win over a$m would've been great for the in Texas scene. However, it still would not have been too great given, as we all know, the insane requirements that saddled the coaches ability to recruit.

Go Ponies!

We did tie A$M in 94 in the Alamodome, and got beat by a lucky (or questionable call) 30 yd. pass in the last few plays of the 95 game.

Heard talk on here about them being on a future schedule. Anybody heard more on that?

Rossley was perfect for SMU.

Rossley could pump our players up where they thought and believed they could beat the Arkansas and A&M's of the world.

Rossley didn't have a great record, but his brand of football was exciting and I think the players really liked him.

I think Bennett will be just as good or hopefully even better given time.

Both Rossley & Bennett love SMU.......Cavan thought SMU would just be a pit stop.

Tom Rossley was a complete failure as college football coach. WOW! he had a 5-6 season in the WAC in his sixth year as coach-I guess we should just ignore his 4-26-3 record in his previous 3 years which equals a superlative 12% winning percentage. What a GENIUS! And if its fair to point out that Tom Rossley played a tough schedule it is also equally fair to point out that he got to offer recruits the opportunity to play in the SWC. SMU was a MUCH improved team under Cavan the next year-they won because they did the exact opposite of Rossley by instituting a tough running game and getting rid of Rossley's pansy defense. Any SMU coach who goes 0-6 against Rice should unquestionable be CANNED immediately.

I agree with everything you said, Stallion...except the part about Cavan. IMO he was a failure, too.

Stallion wrote:Tom Rossley was a complete failure as college football coach. WOW! he had a 5-6 season in the WAC in his sixth year as coach-I guess we should just ignore his 4-26-3 record in his previous 3 years which equals a superlative 12% winning percentage. What a GENIUS! And if its fair to point out that Tom Rossley played a tough schedule it is also equally fair to point out that he got to offer recruits the opportunity to play in the SWC. SMU was a MUCH improved team under Cavan the next year-they won because they did the exact opposite of Rossley by instituting a tough running game and getting rid of Rossley's pansy defense. Any SMU coach who goes 0-6 against Rice should unquestionable be CANNED immediately.

It was not the coach, fool, it was the MODEL. Get it through your head. How many JUCO non-qualifiers was Rossley allowed to recruit?

oh boy...............here we go yet again!!!!:-(

Stallion why be such a hater. The fact remains Rossley was outmatched with athletes in the SWC but he would play some tight games with the big boys and pull off an upset every now and then. He goes to the WAC and goes 5-6 his first year and is fired, it makes no sense. Then Cavan wins in his first year with all of Rossley's players and then the team goes downhill in a second rate league. Rossley would have been successful had he been allowed to stay because of the change in conference and weaker teams SMU was playing, proven by his first year in the WAC. And he did LOVE SMU and it was easy to tell this. And I guarantee you he had no better players than Cavan or Bennett, he just knew how to find the diamonds in the rough that the larger schools looked over and get the most out of his players. Stallion, who are your to call anyone a failure when the only time you have probably stepped between the lines is to perform at halftime with the band.

STALLION Actually, Rossley also went 5-6 in 1992, Remember??? with SWC WINS over Houston,Arkansas, and TCU that year! They beat Arkansas at Little Rock that year.Not to bad considering all the WALK ONs that also had to start!