Coaches

[The Q]

Someone wrote on here a couple of weeks ago about how Coach Roark and Coach Sawyer should get a game ball. After the way Muse, Haywood, Rogers, Bonds and the big guys up front played today, give them a raise, too. Those guys have played better and better each week, and today's performance was remarkable. How many sacks did we have? Palmer was running for his life. He fumbled twice, and he was getting clobbered all day. The defensive line was sensational today, and Coach Roark and Coach Sawyer deserve a lot of credit. They've done a terrific job.

[PerunaPunch]

Amen to that. With the notable exception of a few bright spots like Adami and Aldridge, our DL has been generally been pushed around for longer than I want to remember. I'm ecstatic that it's finally turning around for the front 4, and that's especially remarkable for Sawyer who lost his best player (Desmond Jones) over the summer.

And it's not just coaching either. There's been a drastic improvement in recruiting players (so kudos to the position coaches for that too) as well as securing an impact JUCO like Adrian Haywood, whose acquisition made a HUGE difference this season.

[smu01]

actually its refreshing to see a coaching staff that does not rely heavily on stats when recruiting as cavan did...i played for cavan and watched a very good size and talented team around 1997 and 1998 go from a 1-A team to a D-3 size team. just because a player has out of the world stats doesnt mean he is any good....for instance if the player plaed in south dakota and was all state....cavan would recruit him!!!!

[Corso]

One thing that jumped out at me yesterday was that we got all that pressure with just our front four. I don't recall a single blitz. Coaching LBs and DBs gets a whole lot easier when you can generate a push with just the big boys up front. Congratulations to Coach Roark and Coach Sawyer, and also to Coach Gush and the entire defensive staff. Great job!

[McAndless]

smu01:

could you provide proof of that or were you slighted by Cavan and have a bone to pick?

[HorsePower]

Coach Roark has got to be eager for spring ball to start immediately. We all knew Muse and Rogers could run, but there were times yesterday when both of them shoved the OT in front of them straight backward like they were being blocked by Blake Warren. Both of the UTEP tackles looked like they were near (or maybe over?) 300 pounds, and Muse and Rogers not only were quicker, they looked plenty strong against them, too. Muse, in particular -- I didn't think he had that kind of push in him. They were very encouraging.

And Coach Sawyer has to be fired up for the spring, too. Bonds, Berry and Denman all played better this year, and the progress Haywood made under Coach Sawyer from the beginning of this season to the end is astronomical. Have we ever -- and I mean EVER -- had a DT who got into the backfield that quickly?

Hats off to both coaches -- what a terrific job they've done this year.

[smu01]

actually cavan loved me...i liked caven just know he can not recruit......i sat in his office many times listening to him talk about recruits.......so no i dont have a bone to pick with him.....he liked me and played me.......

[ALEX LIFESON]

Speaking of Desmond Jones...............he was on the sideline yesterday.

[Stallion]

Never mind that Mike Cavan recruited Herschel Walker and Linsay Scott at Georgia. A more accurate statement with irrefutable evidence over the years is that SMU under restrictive recruiting limitations can't compete in recruiting. Never mind that Cavan didn't have Ford Stadium, had only one player get on the field under the less restrictive recruiting guidelines passed circa 2000 and never had a commitment from the university. We've seen Bennett's recruiting fall off a cliff during the last 2 years as the losses mounted just like what happened under Cavan. Thank god he stopped the bleeding. These last 3 wins will allow him to look recruits in the eye and tell them that SMU is making tangible progress. It never would have happened if Bennett took the job under the conditions that Cavan did. What's often over looked is that about 75-80% of the top eligible recruits have already committed elsewhere. The greatest impact these wins might have are with the 2007 recruiting class.

[smu01]

well cavan didnt recruit hershal walker...well techniqly (agian spelling) he did but hershal already knew he was going to Georgia.....in georgia you either go to GT or UGA...and at that time UGA was the top choice...so caven worked no majic to get him trust me. and as for the restrictions........if caven or bennitt want a player they can get him in even with restrictions.....there not set in stone...i got into smu with a 2.3 gpa and a 910 on my sat when i transfered...cavan wanted me and got me...all it takes is a phone call from a coach to the dean..........i always hear all the talk about recruiting restrictions..every school in the country has them and they all know how to get around them..its not hard.....i dont know about bennett but i know caven......head coaches make the final decissions on whom to recruit but there assist. coaches are the ones responsible for finding these kids....example..a freind of mine played in NC in high school...cavens assistance passed him over because of stats....then after signing day i brought in a tape of him and caven's mouth dropped....he was like "why didnt we sign that kid he is better then anything we have...." the kid signed with nc state because SMU would not sign him...he wanted to come to SMU and play with me......so dont always blame the head coach look at the assistance to blame

again excuse the spelling

[Stallion]

again I suggest you don't know what the hell you are talking about. Herschell Walker was perhaps the most highly recruited and anticipated player in the country and could have gone anywhere he damn well pleased. And a 910 SAT under the old formula would slice off about 50% of the recruiting pool essentially tieing one hand behind the coaches back in recruiting. Now if you feel that SMU tieing one hand behind the back is an even playing field then you have no real feeling for really is going on in recruiting. And that doesn't even take into the account SMU's inability to recruit JC transfers and Division 1A transfers or the lack of curiculm at SMU. So thanks for anecdotal evidence or some kid in North Carolina but it really is superfulous to the discussion about the reasons SMU has had difficulty recruiting to a bowl or championship level.

[smu01]

sorry you feel that way but i did coach in college..and i can tell you restrictions are not set in stone and if you think that youare sadly mistaken......any coach can get anyone he wants if he wants them bad enough......and hershal walker...i grew up in georgia..he was highly recruited but he new he was going to go to georgia by his junior year...he always wanted to go to georgia..any georgia fan knows that..........so yes..caven didnt really recruit him...kids can get into smu out of high school with poor grads as long as they meet ncaa requirments.....all it takes is for the coach to put presure on the dean or even do what he is getting paid to do..and thats get the job done..so yes i do know what the hell im talking about..sorry if you dont....helps to have played and coached in this leauge under the best to know what your talking about...and i believe being a strenght coach for fsu football and assisting with running backs and sitting in meetings with coach bowden qualifies me..

[smu01]

and since when cant smu recruit juco or other d-1a transfers....no other 1-a team can recruit 1-a transfers but if a kid from USC wants to transfer to SMU he can...only has to sit out a year....smu never banned that...they cant....

[Swamp Gas]

..... What's often over looked is that about 75-80% of the top eligible recruits have already committed elsewhere....

No, that's never overlooked, because you're always nice enough to remind us that the world is going to end soon.

[Stallion]

First of all you weren't even born when Walker was recruited. And the way things are done at FSU is not how things are done at SMU. What the hell are you talking about. At the time Cavan was here which is the Model we were talking about-SMU coaches could not offer players until they were admitted to the university which never happened until December. Recruiting these days is over by December for the best players these days. Even back then a good 55% of the players were committed before December. SMU had to make big changes in the admission procedure circa 2000 just to try to get an earlier shot at players. The players were reduced to 3 tiers of admission-I saved it to my computer and I may still have it. Anyone scoring below a 900 or so had to go thru a dpecial admission process which required factulty board approval, interviews and special writing assignments. Why in the hell would a good prospect with alternative options want to put himself through that? They didn't they simply went elsewhere unless they were the usual SMU recruit who never had other options. That was the last public pronouncement of SMU recruiting policies and that was seen as an accomplishment. Cavan had 1 recruit actually play based on that improved, "streamlined" admission process. SMU also requires additional core classes and has certain grading requirements such as averaging of retaken courses and tests which hinders recruitment. As for JC/CC and Division 1A transfers I have said for 5 years that SMU at least before this year has only been about to select a small slice of that recruiting pool which Phil Bennett admitted this year in a press conference which was on Full Access. SMU can not get MOST of these types of players because their hours won't transfer. The is one of the last big remaining obstacles left to even playing field. Now I admit that following SMU recruiting guidelines since the last published pronouncement has been somewhat of a moving target as it does appear that there has been more leniancy in the last few years-but that was most certainly not a fact during Cavan's tenure. This year is really the first year in 20 years you can surmise that SMU is going after perhaps a larger slice of the JUCO pool since I see at least 10 JUCO recruits we are after. But that development has been in the last 1-2 years. That is a major accomplishment and one only has to look at our roster to see that it has had a major tangible effect on the quality of our team. Everyone knows I'm not a big fan of our JUCO QBs but tell me how many wins would SMU have this year without Bobby Chase and Adrian Haywood. SMU did not recruit JUCOS until very recently.