Daily Campus Addresses Bennett's Raise

[aus10fromhous10]

Bennett scores big
SMU may have jumped the gun by extending the coach’s contract
by the Daily Campus Ed Board
January 17, 2006

SMU announced that head football coach Phil Bennett signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the helm until 2009, as well as a more than $50,000 per year raise, making his salary just over half a million dollars per year.

The SMU football team made tremendous strides during its 2005 campaign. The Ponies’ win over then No. 22 TCU was the first time SMU has beaten a ranked opponent since 1986, which was before the death penalty.

The team finished its season 5-6 with a three-game winning streak, the longest since winning three in a row in 1999.

For a team that went winless in 2003, that’s not too shabby. But, it’s not a truly remarkable season, either.

Ed Board feels that this contract extension and raise are unwarranted, unnecessary and premature. One mediocre season after three pitiful seasons is not a reason to celebrate.

In Bennett’s past four seasons at SMU, the football team is 11-35, a horrible record that surely would have resulted in a coach’s firing at another university that was allegedly committed to football success.

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Bennett’s job is to win football games. While the team is making great improvements, and the 2005 season was a pleasant surprise, Bennett has yet to show that he can consistently win games.

This vote of confidence from the SMU Athletic Department is not an indication of Bennett’s successes as a coach; it’s a sign of the lowering of SMU’s standards in its athletic programs.

Bennett still had time left on his contract. The athletic department could have waited to see if the 2005 season was a sign of things to come or whether the Mustangs just got lucky this year.

Bennett does not deserve a pay raise for taking a mediocre team and making them less mediocre; that’s what his original contract and pay was for.

If he had taken the team to the Conference USA championship game, or at least a bowl game, then Ed Board would agree that a raise and contract extension would be warranted.

Ed Board feels that this is the standard the athletic department should be holding itself to, and nothing less than that should be rewarded.

While Ed Board wishes nothing but the best for the team and hopes for a successful 2006 season, we feel this was an irresponsible decision by the athletic department.

[LonghornFan68]

It may not be a popular sentiment on this board, but I REALLY like Bennett and think he deserves every penny thrown at him. His task is not a simple one and as an outside observer (somewhat at least) I've seen vast improvement over the last few years. I think he's mananged to do pretty well with what he has been given, especially when you look at what he has to work against (the Texas', aTm's, Tech's, TCU's, etc). It's not easy to recruit against the big schools and it's not easy to win with mediocre talent. He's managed to relative success and should be awarded - but there is still obvious room for improvement. Next year will say a lot about where this program will head for the next 10 years. I, for one, am pretty excited to see what happens.

SMU fans should feel lucky they have a pretty good coach at the helm right now.

[Lamont_Cranston]

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Politics.

On a more serious note, Ed Board needs to write an editorial/column on the 'model' and how it needs to be overhauled at SMU. But that would require too much work on Ed Board's part, wouldn't it? If it's not already written in the DMN, Ed Board can't write about it.

[giacfsp]

So the same group that recognizes that ".... The SMU football team made tremendous strides during its 2005 campaign ...." follows that up by saying the extension is " .... a sign of the lowering of SMU’s standards in its athletic programs."

Making tremendous strides is an indicator of lower standards?

When I was in school, I took some journalism classes, worked at the Daily Campus and sat on the Ed Board. I quickly learned never to let the board get in a discussion about athletics, because the vast majority of the people on the board basically resented the athletic department and everyone in it.

Sounds to me like nothing has changed.

[giacfsp]

.... On a more serious note, Ed Board needs to write an editorial/column on the 'model' and how it needs to be overhauled at SMU.

Can you imagine the trainwreck these experts would come up with?

.... But that would require too much work on Ed Board's part, wouldn't it? If it's not already written in the DMN, Ed Board can't write about it.

A bit harsh, perhaps, but you're probably almost dead-on. When I was there, Ed Board meetings were 45 minutes, once a week. We all crammed into a room and said "I don't have any ideas, do you? Nope .... do you?" After about 42 minutes were gone, the editor would rant and rave, pick one of a few (usually unimportant) topics and point to one of us and say "you write it." Then we'd all split up, without having shared a lot of opinions or (perish the thought) facts. The next day, it would appear in the paper without most members of the board even having read it. But suddenly, it was deemed the opinion of "everyone" on the staff, which often couldn't have been further from the truth.

[ponyplayer]

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Politics.

On a more serious note, Ed Board needs to write an editorial/column on the 'model' and how it needs to be overhauled at SMU. But that would require too much work on Ed Board's part, wouldn't it? If it's not already written in the DMN, Ed Board can't write about it.

weathermen........

[mrydel]

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Politics.

On a more serious note, Ed Board needs to write an editorial/column on the 'model' and how it needs to be overhauled at SMU. But that would require too much work on Ed Board's part, wouldn't it? If it's not already written in the DMN, Ed Board can't write about it.

weathermen........

A Professional Baseball player will be put into the Hall of Fame with a 32% batting average.

[DallasDiehard]

A Professional Baseball player will be put into the Hall of Fame with a 32% batting average.

Too true!

[ponyte]

Bennett scores big
SMU may have jumped the gun by extending the coach’s contract
by the Daily Campus Ed Board
January 17, 2006

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Uh, I can think of several hundred major league hitters that get bonuses for being less than 32 percent successful at their jobs.

[ponyboy]

This was written by a 20 year old kid. Think about it.

[bubba pony]

baseball is 1 against 9 and a 90 MPH fastball. no comparison. while the writing is college level and not AP it's true what they write. bennet had a contract and should have another year to prove himself. one hail mary pass and now he has turned the program around. drop the one pass and many would be demanding he be fired.

[PonyTales]

There are plenty who were calling for that already.

You could look at it the other way: one sane official in the Marshall game and we're talking about how cool it is that we qualified for a bowl game this year.

Bill Parcells had another year on his deal, too, but thanks to his "I haven't decided if I'm going to retire" charade, he soaked Jerry Jones for a raise an extension (not that I feel bad for Jerry, but....)

[Kappas Are Yummy]

Bennett scores big
SMU may have jumped the gun by extending the coach’s contract
by the Daily Campus Ed Board
January 17, 2006

In how many other fields can the figurehead of an organization be less than 32 percent successful at his job and then be rewarded for it?

Uh, I can think of several hundred major league hitters that get bonuses for being less than 32 percent successful at their jobs.

It's the same thing for pitchers and I think they've all played for the Texas Rangers.

[that's great raplh]

DC blows

the online version never updates - they don't cover sports - and there are no pics of Pig Run

[Dutch]

the only thing the DC was/is good for is making sure you're invited to the Crush Party of the week and the crossword puzzle.

and on a sad note, i don't think they print the crush party ads anymore because people were getting their feelings hurt - fukcign figures.