Overboard
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2002 12:30 amMustang Nation, I urge you to take a deep breath and think.
Consider an incoming recruit, a player who like most of his new college teammates was a star at his high school. This kind of player often is bigger than life in his home town, quoted in the local newspaper every Friday night and treated like some sort of hero. Then this player arrives at college and he's no longer a star. The other players at his position are bigger and stronger, if not faster. The fans and media are up in arms, because when he signed, he was touted as the next great player for that school. But the coaches temper the discouragement with comments about how there's a huge adjustment from high school ball to college ball, that the game is faster and the players are bigger and stronger and faster and more physically mature. The coaches remind fans and media that the player is learning a new system and learning to work with new coaches and teammates, and that his talent eventually will shine through.
And many times, those coaches are right. (Admit it: how many of you thought SMU had wasted scholarships on Keylon Kindade? Allan Adami? Billy Ford? The list goes on. I did. And I was wrong.)
Well, there are rumblings out there from people complaining about Coach Bennett. "He's in over his head." "He's going to quit after one season." "He's done nothing to merit a head coaching position."
Such comments are insane and irresponsible and unfair to Coach Bennett. He's like a freshman in his first season. He's learning to work with new players and coaches. He's never been a head coach before. And to suggest he's done nothing to earn his spot is crazy. ALL coaches had a first year as head coaches, and many struggled in their debut seasons.
Think about:
Jimmy Johnson's first year in Dallas: 1-15.
Hayden Fry's first year at SMU: 2-8.
Joe Gibbs' first year in Washington: he started 0-5 before finishing 8-8 (I think).
Ron Meyer's first year at SMU: 3-8
Those guys all fared pretty well, wouldn't you say?
It takes time, especially for a coach in his first year. Just like the freshman who has to learn the nuances and subtleties of playing in college, first-year head coaches have to learn, too.
And Coach Bennett has a sparkling résumé when it comes to earning the right to be on the sidelines. He's been a terrific assistant coach, and all head coaches were assistant coaches someplace first, before they got a head coaching job. He is regarded as a sensational recruiter with personal relationships with countless Texas high school coaches. He has the respect of media, coaches and, most importantly, players.
For heaven's sake, relax with the complaints about Coach Bennett. If he doesn't turn this thing around in a couple of years, then complaints will have some validity. But he deserves a chance to get used to being a head coach, he deserves a chance to have a year or two for his players to completely understand his systems, and he deserves a chance to try to compete with the kids he recruits.
Go to every game you can. Be loud. And most importantly, remain supportive. There are many reasons so many people -- who know a hell of a lot more than we fans know -- think so highly of Coach Bennett. He needs us to be loyal supporters and loyal fans. Bill Snyder says we couldn't have a better man for the job, and looking at Snyder's record, I'd say he knows a thing or two.
Coach Bennett will get it done.
Consider an incoming recruit, a player who like most of his new college teammates was a star at his high school. This kind of player often is bigger than life in his home town, quoted in the local newspaper every Friday night and treated like some sort of hero. Then this player arrives at college and he's no longer a star. The other players at his position are bigger and stronger, if not faster. The fans and media are up in arms, because when he signed, he was touted as the next great player for that school. But the coaches temper the discouragement with comments about how there's a huge adjustment from high school ball to college ball, that the game is faster and the players are bigger and stronger and faster and more physically mature. The coaches remind fans and media that the player is learning a new system and learning to work with new coaches and teammates, and that his talent eventually will shine through.
And many times, those coaches are right. (Admit it: how many of you thought SMU had wasted scholarships on Keylon Kindade? Allan Adami? Billy Ford? The list goes on. I did. And I was wrong.)
Well, there are rumblings out there from people complaining about Coach Bennett. "He's in over his head." "He's going to quit after one season." "He's done nothing to merit a head coaching position."
Such comments are insane and irresponsible and unfair to Coach Bennett. He's like a freshman in his first season. He's learning to work with new players and coaches. He's never been a head coach before. And to suggest he's done nothing to earn his spot is crazy. ALL coaches had a first year as head coaches, and many struggled in their debut seasons.
Think about:
Jimmy Johnson's first year in Dallas: 1-15.
Hayden Fry's first year at SMU: 2-8.
Joe Gibbs' first year in Washington: he started 0-5 before finishing 8-8 (I think).
Ron Meyer's first year at SMU: 3-8
Those guys all fared pretty well, wouldn't you say?
It takes time, especially for a coach in his first year. Just like the freshman who has to learn the nuances and subtleties of playing in college, first-year head coaches have to learn, too.
And Coach Bennett has a sparkling résumé when it comes to earning the right to be on the sidelines. He's been a terrific assistant coach, and all head coaches were assistant coaches someplace first, before they got a head coaching job. He is regarded as a sensational recruiter with personal relationships with countless Texas high school coaches. He has the respect of media, coaches and, most importantly, players.
For heaven's sake, relax with the complaints about Coach Bennett. If he doesn't turn this thing around in a couple of years, then complaints will have some validity. But he deserves a chance to get used to being a head coach, he deserves a chance to have a year or two for his players to completely understand his systems, and he deserves a chance to try to compete with the kids he recruits.
Go to every game you can. Be loud. And most importantly, remain supportive. There are many reasons so many people -- who know a hell of a lot more than we fans know -- think so highly of Coach Bennett. He needs us to be loyal supporters and loyal fans. Bill Snyder says we couldn't have a better man for the job, and looking at Snyder's record, I'd say he knows a thing or two.
Coach Bennett will get it done.