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SMU fires football coach Phil Bennett
Source: He will remain in place for Mustangs' final four games

04:17 PM CDT on Sunday, October 28, 2007
By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

SMU on Sunday fired football coach Phil Bennett, according to a source in the athletic department.

He will coach out the final four games of the season, through the Nov. 24 season finale at Memphis.

Athletic director Steve Orsini notified Bennett, 18-48 in almost six seasons, of his decision this afternoon, less than 24 hours after the Mustangs lost, 29-23, at Tulsa and were mathematically eliminated from becoming bowl eligible.

Bennett had two years remaining on his contract and is paid almost $500,000 a year. Bennett, 51, lost his job because he and long-downtrodden SMU whiffed at their season of hope. The Mustangs dropped seven of their first eight games, including the last six.

It was a far cry from the expectations built during the preseason, in which Bennett talked about going to the program's first bowl since 1984 and since the death penalty. Bennett said SMU should challenge for a Conference USA title.

SMU poured a $750,000 increase into its marketing budget to promote the team and the new “Pony Upâ€

done and done

It was the right decision. To do it now, that is.

Good guy but not a good enough coach - and he had no help from a undermanned staff. Time to pony up some dough and get us a new dude.

While we are at it, we better get a p.e. major pronto.

I wonder what will happen to the team and the rest of the season now.

Uh.....not sure what you mean. Are you afraid they might lose games two at a time?

perunapower wrote:I wonder what will happen to the team and the rest of the season now.

We win out. It's SMU.

We end the season 5-7 and were just 1 yard short of a bowl.

Source tells DMN that Bennett will remain in place for the final games of the '07 season.

Well, there's no excuse for not playing "wide open" the rest of this season. No pressure now on anyone. Can we have some fun from here on out?

If I'm Houston, I'm actually pretty concerned about this development.

I wish Phil nothing but the best. He'll land on his feet. It's the coaching profession. They knew what they had to do this season, and they didn't meet the challenge.

I actually think the players will be looser and play better. And if some threaten to transfer, don't judge what they say but what they do.

gostangs wrote:Uh.....not sure what you mean. Are you afraid they might lose games two at a time?

How many players defect (if any)? Do we give up on the season? What happens now that we have a lame duck coach coaching the team for the last 4 games?

I just saw Darth dancing naked in the street.


It was not a pretty sight.

would you like to keep any assistant coach or just clean house?

perunapower wrote:

gostangs wrote:Uh.....not sure what you mean. Are you afraid they might lose games two at a time?

How many players defect (if any)? Do we give up on the season? What happens now that we have a lame duck coach coaching the team for the last 4 games?

Players can not transfer without releases...all they can do is quit...and figure out where they will get enough money to pay for their college education.

BIGHORSE wrote:would you like to keep any assistant coach or just clean house?

Yeah, let's keep Rusty Offense.