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Mike Price took a team, UTEP, that had had three consecutive 2-win seasons to an 8-4 record and a bowl his FIRST year on the job.

The Miners were also nationally ranked for the FIRST TIME EVER that year.

IT happens, and it happens quickly, if it's working.

Have a nice day, everyone.

UTEP can admit anyone with a pulse. He recruited a ton of JUCO's. We can't. If our administration would allow JUCO hours to reasonably transfer, we might have a shot at some of these kids. That said, Price is a good coach and more importantly has been a great recruiter throughout his career. Anyone who can get players to go to WSU is a great recruiter. And he's close to Juarez where he can do whatever he wants to do and it stays there.

[quote="EastStang"]UTEP can admit anyone with a pulse. He recruited a ton of JUCO's. We can't. If our administration would allow JUCO hours to reasonably transfer, we might have a shot at some of these kids. That said, Price is a good coach and more importantly has been a great recruiter throughout his career. Anyone who can get players to go to WSU is a great recruiter. And he's close to Juarez where he can do whatever he wants to do and it stays there.[/quote]

Yeah but its alot easier to recruit someone to come to Dallas than it is El Paso. Especially with our campus and facilities vompared to theirs.

But the post was about how quick the turnaround was. And the quick turnaround was because he basically used an entire recruiting class on JUCO players, beefed his team up with quality players, and turned the program around on a dime.

You forgot to mention the fact that Price is a big time coach and that kids would rather play in front of 40k fans than the 12000 that show up to our games. One way for us to improve would be for us to go after a "tainted" coach (ie, Neuheisel). Price's only indiscretion was a weekend binge at a strip club. Likewise, O'Leary who is performing another quick turnaround at Central Florida made an immaterial lie on his resume. My sense is that SMU will never hire anyone with any "taint" whatsoever despite the indisputable evidence that guys who can coach make a difference. Yet another ramification of the 80s . . .

93,
I agree we need a "name" coach to really turn it around.

Price also had the huge Room Service bill with the hooker that night. What was it like $5,000. But hey, now Juarez is across the border and hookers come cheap there. Hey Gringo....

I'm sorry, but how can you even come close to comparing what Price did at UTEP versus what Bennett is doing at SMU? SMU just recently lifted the admissions requirements that kept SMU's recruiting handcuffed for so long. There's only so far you can go with those types of requirements.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens to this team after a couple more years of solid recruiting. I have a feeling things can only get better from here.

I'm sorry, you're right, Mr. Longhorn.

I guess 16 losing seasons in the last 17 years is to be expected in a hell hole like Dallas, Texas.

I never really thought about it this way, but you might be right. Someone like Neuheisel would certainly get SMU in the national spotlight and you might catch lightning in a bottle. Sure, he might come in, win for 3 years and then bolt but by that time you would be in a much better position to find a quality coach and continue to re-build. At least it would spark interest in the program. Of course, if it were TCU, I would be hard pressed to accept a weasel like Neuheisel as our coach but mayb you just have to hold your nose and swallow hard for a couple years.

93Mustang wrote:You forgot to mention the fact that Price is a big time coach and that kids would rather play in front of 40k fans than the 12000 that show up to our games. One way for us to improve would be for us to go after a "tainted" coach (ie, Neuheisel). Price's only indiscretion was a weekend binge at a strip club. Likewise, O'Leary who is performing another quick turnaround at Central Florida made an immaterial lie on his resume. My sense is that SMU will never hire anyone with any "taint" whatsoever despite the indisputable evidence that guys who can coach make a difference. Yet another ramification of the 80s . . .

My point is the time is long past jacking around.

Change whatever you have to do, but do it, and soon.
Or can it. It won't survive at this rate.

mr. pony wrote:I'm sorry, you're right, Mr. Longhorn.

I guess 16 losing seasons in the last 17 years is to be expected in a hell hole like Dallas, Texas.

Did you even read my post?

mr pony,
In those 17 years we have had 4 coaches. At what point do we figure out its not the coach - its the self imposed limitations. It is crazy that we are still handycapping ourselves 19 years after the fact.

That said, has there been improvement in the team this year?

My opinion is yes. Not where we would all like to be or as fast, but going the right direction.

/\ Agreed.

Treadway-

I don't think UTEP is suddenly good in one year's time just because they have less stringent admissions policies than SMU. That has been the case for years.

What changed in the last year at UTEP? The coach.