An Analysis of the Case...

[OC Mustang]

...To keep Coach Bennett at Head Coach...or not....

Notwithstanding Orsini's management call to be made of Coach Bennett's longevity, or lack of, at the helm of SMU, these are the questions and musings I would be pondering if indeed one is intellectually honest about this issue.

1. Does one grade Bennett on the last two years, or all five, as "his" players are pretty much just coming up as seniors or younger now?
2. Exactly how bad a hole did Cavan and Malin put the program circa 1999-2000?
3. Does the goal of a bowl supercede all other arguments?
4. If Bennett's contract is bought out to 2009, what do we pay for it?
5. Past the marquee names, alumni or otherwise, are there viable coaches who would be able to jump start where Bennett is currently and continue it?
6. Does Orsini know enough coaches with clout in Texas that he can hire someone to do the job?
7. Does the new coach have to honor existing offers, including last year's greyshirts? (not really an Orsini concern; just curious b/c if new coach doesn't honor greyshirts & commits, I guarantee SMU will be persona non grata among some high school coaches)

Just my two cents (I figure everybody else is piping up; so will I):
Orsini plays contact ball. However, if he is expecting longer than three year mulligan for his new coach to get going, then a) he himself better do what it takes to stay here himself longer than that and b) he better own up to his own standards. Live by sword, die by sword.

Not saying that Bennett deserves to stay, but in this calculus, I think that SMU is in the uneviable situation of being pressed to start over, but that starting over places this program at lowest level of support once again, not to mention squanders whatever experience advantage the team has by virture of being in a different system with different coach. I don't know what the right thing to do is, but whatever happens, it is all about winning now. And neither Turner, the Faculty, nor Orsini can stand in the way anymore...for any reason. Otherwise, what is the point? We will look like Rice's fans last Saturday as they are on the verge of a bowl for the 1st time in 45 years.

If Orsini understands that his neck is on the line if he is wrong, and frankly, so is Turner's (despite his prowess at raising money), then whatever they do is fine.

But their neck should be stuck out there too, just like Bennett's.
I wanna win that bad.