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SMU's Bennett to receive contract extension

Postby PonyCat » Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:29 pm

SMU's Bennett to receive contract extension
02:35 PM CST on Saturday, January 14, 2006
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

SMU football coach Phil Bennett received a one-year contract extension and a salary increase school officials will announce Sunday. Bennett is signed through the 2009 season and will receive a base salary of at least $500,000.

Bennett led SMU to its most wins in eight seasons in the 2005 season. The Mustangs finished 5-6, and went 3-1 against bowl teams. SMU ended the regular season with a three-game winning streak, its longest since 1999.

“Our goal is to win championships at SMU,” athletic director Jim Copeland said in a statement. “Our strong finish to the 2005 season only strengthened my belief that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come."
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Postby Fish 'n Chips » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:09 pm

Congrats to Coach Bennett.

I believe this will only endorse the idea that Bennett is around to stay, and builds confidence in the fans and prospective recruits that the coaching staff situation has some stability. I think this is a positive move with our current momentum/end of season success. However, let's see what the 2006 season brings.

Does anyone know what his incentives and bonuses are on top of the $500K/year?
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Re: SMU's Bennett to receive contract extension

Postby Lamont_Cranston » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:58 pm

PonyCat wrote:“Our goal is to win championships at SMU,” athletic director Jim Copeland said in a statement. “Our strong finish to the 2005 season only strengthened my belief that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come."
...and it sounds like Copeland will be watching it all from the sidelines.
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Postby that's great raplh » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:16 pm

I am all for this.
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Postby that's great raplh » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:16 pm

i like phil - he is a nice guy
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Postby Mustangs35SMU » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:38 pm

I like this also.

But didn't he just receive one this summer until 08?
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Postby that's great raplh » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:26 pm

Phil Bennett

Player Profile

Position:
Head Coach

After guiding SMU to its highest win total in eight seasons in 2005, SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett is poised to take the Mustang program to even greater heights in the future.

Bennett led SMU through a thrilling 2005 campaign and has Mustang fans as excited about the football program as they have been in decades. The 2005 season was full of highlights like SMU's first win over a ranked team since 1986 and a three-game win streak to end the season - SMU's longest since 1999. Seven Mustangs were named All-Conference USA and two were tabbed freshman All-Americans as national media outlets have taken notice of SMU. ESPN, CBSSportline, CSTV and FoxSports have all sung the praises of SMU and Bennett.

SMU is approaching its "highest point (in) two decades," says CollegeFootballNews.com. The Mustangs "proved this year that they can compete with anyone in their new conference," the article continued. "And unlike his first couple of years in Big D, a whole different caliber of recruit may now be willing to hear (Coach Bennett's) pitch."

The last note is especially exciting to Mustang fans since Bennett has hauled in SMU's best recruiting classes in years since his arrival with each crop of signees being considered among the best in the conference. His work has earned him "Top Recruiter" honors in the league from various publications since his arrival at SMU.

Bennett has had the SMU program moving in the right direction ever since becoming the 15th head coach in SMU football history on Dec. 5, 2001.

A Marshall, Texas, native, Bennett has always had a special fondness for SMU, going all the way back to his senior year in high school. As a highly regarded linebacker prospect, he was being recruited by all of the schools in the Southwest Conference and made an official visit to the Hilltop.

"When I came back from SMU, I told my mother that's where I wanted to go to school," Bennett said at his hiring. "My mom wanted me to go to Texas A&M and that is where I ended up. SMU made an impression on me though and it was never lost on me.

"When I got into coaching, I always kept an eye on SMU. I always thought there would be a time and place where we would meet. This is the right job at the right time for me. Dreams do come true because I am here at SMU."

In 2004, Bennett led SMU to wins in two of its last three contests despite fielding the youngest team in the nation and losing 14 starters to injury for portions of the season. For his efforts, Bennett was awarded a two-year contract extension in December of 2004 that will keep him on the Hilltop through at least the 2008 season.

"Our goal is to win championships," said SMU AD Jim Copeland when announcing the extension. "I am convinced that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come and we are very happy to have him as our head football coach."

SMU President Gerald Turner echoed Copeland's sentiments, saying, "We believe that the improvement in the performance of our young team will continue under Coach Bennett's leadership."

"I have said from the beginning that we will win championships at SMU and that I'm in this for the long haul," said Bennett. "I do want to thank the administration for their vote of confidence in what we're doing as a football program. I also want to let them and our fans know that we will turn this program into a consistent winner."

Bennett's gained his coaching reputation as one of the premier defensive coordinators in the nation during the 10 years prior to his arrival at SMU. From 1999-2001, he guided Kansas State's defense to national rankings of third, fourth and second, respectively. He was particularly proud of his 2001 defense when the Wildcats had lost eight starters on defense from the previous season.

When Bennett arrived at SMU, he got Mustang backers as excited as they have been about the program in recent memory.

He boldly stated on his first day on the job that his goal is to win a conference championship, winning praise from his players and Mustang supporters. He has put together an outstanding coaching staff with deep ties to Texas. Every assistant coach on staff is either a native or has coached and recruited the Lone Star state. Those ties have reaped big rewards in recruiting as the Mustangs have been able to sign some of the state's top players during his tenure.

His spring coaches' clinic is attended by more than 250 high school coaches from around the region each year, and SMU's spring game is now a recruiting event as more than 200 recruits and their families have toured Ford Stadium and the Loyd All-Sports Center before each season.

Bennett's infectious personality and can-do attitude have not only captured the attention of his players but also SMU students and supporters. He has toured fraternity and sorority houses during the spring to drum up student support and has been a fixture on the Dallas and SMU alumni speaking circuits since taking the job.

"One of the first things that struck me in our initial conversation was how prepared he was," said SMU Athletic Director Jim Copeland, the man who hired Bennett. "He knew our history, our players, our recruits, the league. He was very impressive in that initial meeting.

"We talked for about two hours and I left thinking, `I can't be this enthusiastic about the guy this early in the process.' He has a personality that just grabs you. He has never met a stranger."

And SMU was no stranger to Bennett, who is now leading the Mustang football program back to prominence.

Coaching Experience: Entering his fifth season as the SMU head coach... Led SMU to its best record in eight seasons with a 5-6 campaign in 2005... Coached SMU to a convincing 21-10 win over No. 22 TCU in the Iron Skillet game, the Mustangs' first win over a ranked team since 1986... Has an overall mark of 11-35... Posted a 3-9 record in his first season as he led the Mustangs to three wins in their final five games... First win came over defending conference champion Louisiana Tech 37-34 on Oct. 19, 2002... Reeled in the program's best recruiting classes since the mid 1980s in 2003 & 2004... The classes were considered among the best in the conference and one of the top 50 nationally... Named the 15th head coach in SMU history on Dec. 5, 2001... Came to SMU after serving three years as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Kansas State... In 2001, he led the Wildcat defense to a No. 3 national ranking, allowing just 262.4 yards per game, as K-State made an Insight.com Bowl appearance... Coached the Wildcat defense to a No. 4 national ranking in total defense and a No. 6 national ranking in pass efficiency defense in 2000... Coached Dyshod Carter and Jerametrius Butler, just the second pair of teammates in K-State history to each record 10 or more career interceptions... Led the Wildcats to a No. 1 national ranking in pass efficiency and a No. 2 national ranking in total defense in 1999... Kansas State also led the nation in turnover margin that year... Nominated as National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999... Coached the secondary at Oklahoma while serving as co-recruiting coordinator in 1998, helping the Sooners rank sixth in the nation in total defense... Was the defensive coordinator at TCU in 1997, leading the Horned Frogs to their highest national defensive ranking in five years... Coordinated the defense at Texas A&M and in 1995 and 1996... In 1995, the Aggies ranked in the national top 10 in every major defensive category, including third in total defense and scoring defense and second in pass efficiency defense... Named American Football Quarterly Defensive Coordinator of the Year that season... Began his coaching career at Texas A&M as a part-time defensive ends coach from 1979-80 before assuming a full-time position in 1981... Moved to TCU and coached tight ends and tackles in 1982... Was the defensive coordinator at Iowa State from 1983-86... Was the defensive coordinator at Purdue from 1987-90... Moved to LSU where he began coaching outside linebackers in 1991 before being named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1992-94... LSU led the SEC in every major defensive category and finished eighth in the nation in total defense in 1994.

Playing Experience: Played defensive end at Texas A&M from 1974-77... Earned second team All-Southwest Conference honors as a senior.

Bowl Experience: Player: 1975 Liberty Bowl, 1977 Sun Bowl, 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl; Coach: 1978 All-American Bowl, 1991 Independence Bowl, 1995 Alamo Bowl, 1999 Holiday Bowl, 2001 Cotton Bowl, 2001 Insight.Com Bowl.

Prominent Players Coached: Reggie Brown, Jerametrius Butler, Dyshod Carter, Lamar Chapman, Rich Coady, Jarrod Cooper, Chris Dishman, Kevin Garrett, Dennis Gibson, Bill Hitchock, Darren Howard, Corey Ivey, Warrick Holdman, Steve Jackson, Torie James, Jon McGraw, Keith Mitchell, Jim Thorpe Award winner Terence Newman, Dat Nguyen, Mark Simoneau, Fred Strickland, Dennard Walker and Jim Thorpe Award winner Roy Williams.

Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in education from Texas A&M in 1978.

Personal: Coach Bennett and his wife Julie have four children, Sam and Maddie Bennett and Katie and Megan White.
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Postby BennettBacker » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:39 pm

Congratulations, Coach!
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Postby LakeHighlandsPony » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:50 pm

Congrats Coach!! Good things happen to good people!
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Postby Ponymon » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:44 pm

I have to admit that I was starting to get down on Coach Bennett with the way the season started, but I am more than happy that the year ended up so well. It has been my philosophy that it takes 3 to 4 years for a coach to accumulate players that are loyal to him and show progress. When a coaching change is made after just 2 or 3 years, generally the program has to start over. There are exceptions such as Notre Dame, Tulsa, and a few other programs, but most programs aren't lucky enough to bring in coaches capable of such turnarounds right away. I am very happy that Coach Bennett's contract was extended another year. Next year looks like it can be very exciting if we are lucky enough to find a quarterback that can take over from Romo and run with it. Everything I have heard about our quarterback prospects sounds great, but we are short of game experience, which is a concern. Hopefully, Willis, Johnson or one of the recruits from this class can get the job done! Congratulations Coach Bennett and I hope you become the Pete Carroll of SMU 8) :!:
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Postby Thumper » Sun Jan 15, 2006 1:20 am

LakeHighlandsPony wrote:Congrats Coach!! Good things happen to good people!
Absolutely right. Congratulations, Coach Bennett.
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Postby NavyCrimson » Sun Jan 15, 2006 1:55 am

copeland finally makes a good move :wink:
BRING BACK THE GLORY DAYS OF SMU FOOTBALL!!!

For some strange reason, one of the few universities that REFUSE to use their school colors: Harvard Crimson & Yale Blue.
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Re: SMU's Bennett to receive contract extension

Postby Pony_Fan » Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:33 am

PonyCat wrote:“Our goal is to win championships at SMU,” athletic director Jim Copeland said in a statement. “Our strong finish to the 2005 season only strengthened my belief that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come."


Funny how he switched his quote from saying 5-6 wins is good ....

Well Copey, that ain't gonna happen until the SMU actually let's student-athletes in the school. We'll see how that pans out while you are retired.
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Postby Lamont_Cranston » Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:14 am

There are a few extra lines added to the original article in the 'online' version that I pulled up a few minutes ago. And it looks like Copeland ain't going anywhere for awhile, folks! (see bold type) :roll:

Here's how it now reads:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SMU officials said they will announce today that football coach Phil Bennett has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the school through 2009.

Bennett also received a base salary increase from $450,000 to just over $500,000.

The deal was finalized Friday.

It's the second contract extension for Bennett, who signed a two-year extension in December 2004.

In four seasons under Bennett, SMU is 11-35.

But 2005 was SMU's best season under Bennett. The Mustangs finished 5-6 with a three-game winning streak to end the season. It was SMU's longest winning streak since winning three straight in 1999. SMU went 3-1 against bowl teams and handed its biggest rival, TCU, its only loss of the season.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said that loss probably cost the Horned Frogs a BCS bowl bid. SMU's win over then-No. 22 TCU was the first time the Mustangs had beaten a ranked opponent since 1986.

The Mustangs lost three games on their opponents' last offensive possessions.

When the season was over, seven Mustangs were named to all-Conference USA postseason teams.

"We're not where we want to be yet," Bennett said. "But we made progress, and we want to take it to another level. I'm excited to be a part of what we're doing."

Bennett's assistant coaches also received salary increases.

SMU athletic director Jim Copeland has taken heat from fans, boosters and alumni for sticking with Bennett. Copeland, who is contemplating retirement, said he would like to see the football program have winning seasons before he leaves.

"Our goal is to win championships at SMU," Copeland said in a statement. "Our strong finish to the 2005 season only strengthened my belief that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Postby NavyCrimson » Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:30 pm

oh boy :cry:
BRING BACK THE GLORY DAYS OF SMU FOOTBALL!!!

For some strange reason, one of the few universities that REFUSE to use their school colors: Harvard Crimson & Yale Blue.
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