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Daily Campus
SMU won't hire coach with controversial past
By: Mark Norris, Editor In Chief, [email protected]
Posted: 11/13/07
SMU has not specifically ruled out former Colorado head coach Gary Barnett, but he seems like a long shot to get the job using one set of criteria the school is using in its search for a new football coach.

SMU President R. Gerald Turner said no one has been ruled out yet, but that potential candidates are in two groups: those who have had problems in past jobs and those who haven't. SMU wants to hire from the group of coaches who have not had problems.

"We would prefer to have individuals where there's no controversy in respect about how they've run those programs," Turner said Monday.

The comments are the first from an SMU representative regarding the state of the search to replace fired head coach Phil Bennett, and using that set of criteria would rule out some of the leading candidates for Bennett's replacement.

While coaching at Colorado in 2004, Barnett found himself embroiled in scandal amid allegations that the school used alcohol and sex in the process of recruiting football players. An investigation concluded that the allegations were true but not sanctioned by any Colorado officials.

Barnett also found himself in hot water when he said kicker Katie Hnida, who alleged she was raped during her time on the team, was an "awful" player who "couldn't kick the ball through the uprights." At the time, Barnett said the quotes were taken out of context.

Barnett expressed interest in the SMU job in a Dallas Morning News story a week and a half ago.

Another potential candidate, Rick Neuheisel, was fired from the University of Washington in 2003 after officials said he lied to them about a job interview with the San Francisco 49ers and for participating in a men's college basketball pool. He later successfully sued the school and the NCAA for $4.5 in a wrongful termination suit. During the trial it was found that a compliance officer said it was OK for him to participate in off-campus basketball pools.

FWIW, the local Arkansas Democrat Gazette sportswriter says Nutt is coming to SMU.

with the coach speculating crap. It makes no difference who we bring in. We have done this for 20 years and for 20 years we have failed. What is different this time, Orsini. That is what we said with Copeland. We said the same thing with PB. We are wiping our [deleted] before we take a [deleted].

If we are unwilling to give someone a second chance, I see no reason fans, recruits, or coaches (with or without blemishes) should give us a second (post DP Gregg), third (Rossley), fourth (Cavan), fifth (Bennett), much less a sixth chance. We keep asking for second chances but are unwilling to give them! This is ridiculous!

mrydel wrote:FWIW, the local Arkansas Democrat Gazette sportswriter says Nutt is coming to SMU.

That would not surprise me. I believe Orsini has long had his man.

That would make sense. Fits the description of a current HC, "success" in a BCS conference, quasi-name. Was it the Hog beat writer or a columnist? Is it Wally something or another? Arkansas Online won't let you zoom in on the 'enhanced' edition.

After the up down up down stuff, I don't know that it would be such a terrible thing if Nutt came over here. We'll see I guess.

bigdaddy08091 wrote:with the coach speculating crap. It makes no difference who we bring in. We have done this for 20 years and for 20 years we have failed. What is different this time, Orsini. That is what we said with Copeland. We said the same thing with PB. We are wiping our [deleted] before we take a [deleted].

I don't know what you're speculating about. You've been saying Orsini already has his guy. Could you contradict yourself any more?

To the story,
It appears all of us have grown weary and would like to know and just move on. But the writer brought up Barnett and Neuheisal. Obviously, Turner's comments would appear to rule them out. But don't be so sure about that.

There was more speculation from the writer as to who would not be considered as to who would be.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge can clarify this for me. Can we have talks with coaches currently employed during the season (i.e. Major Applewhite, Houston Nutt, Gus Malzahn, Matt Christensen)? Or do we have to wait until their seasons have concluded to discuss with them the head coaching job?

perunapower wrote:Perhaps someone with more knowledge can clarify this for me. Can we have talks with coaches currently employed during the season (i.e. Major Applewhite, Houston Nutt, Gus Malzahn, Matt Christensen)? Or do we have to wait until their seasons have concluded to discuss with them the head coaching job?

You have to have permission from the coaches AD to speak with any current coach.

perunapower wrote:Perhaps someone with more knowledge can clarify this for me. Can we have talks with coaches currently employed during the season (i.e. Major Applewhite, Houston Nutt, Gus Malzahn, Matt Christensen)? Or do we have to wait until their seasons have concluded to discuss with them the head coaching job?

You're right. Attorneys, what does and what does not constitute tortious interference?

Franchione or Nutt? Seems the fans of their current teams have similar feelings about them. Either of them would fit the criteria of prior success at the D-1 level. Can they pass the SMU coaching ethics test though? Nutt with his affinity for text messaging women he's not married to, and Fran with newsletter-gate?

Agents can talk to Orisini, and agents can talk to thier clients.

Wally Hall is a long time columnist for the paper. He is also on a morning talk radio show and this is where he stated this latest rumor. He is a Nutt hater so he will say anything to give the impression that Nutt is gone. Those that like Nutt hate Wally and those that hate Nutt love Wally. Wally has alienated himself from the coaching staff so he has long been left out of the loop, but at the same time he does have many contacts so who knows.

I would not place any money on what he says, however you just do not know. I can assure you if there was any kind of leak from the Nutt bunch, they did not puposefully leak it to Wally.

mrydel wrote:Agents can talk to Orisini, and agents can talk to thier clients.

Wally Hall is a long time columnist for the paper. He is also on a morning talk radio show and this is where he stated this latest rumor. He is a Nutt hater so he will say anything to give the impression that Nutt is gone. Those that like Nutt hate Wally and those that hate Nutt love Wally. Wally has alienated himself from the coaching staff so he has long been left out of the loop, but at the same time he does have many contacts so who knows.

I would not place any money on what he says, however you just do not know. I can assure you if there was any kind of leak from the Nutt bunch, they did not puposefully leak it to Wally.

Is Wally on the inside of the Broyles loop?

ponyboy wrote:

mrydel wrote:FWIW, the local Arkansas Democrat Gazette sportswriter says Nutt is coming to SMU.

That would not surprise me. I believe Orsini has long had his man.

Who knows. However I have a hunch that whoever it is has some connection to CJ. Orsini has stated that he has reached out to CJ to assist with this. Why reach out and state it at least 2x if there is no connection to CJ. I don't know if there is a connection here. I do think that CJ may be a key in this puzzle. I don't know which side of the list Bowden fits on but unless there is some baggage there, I wouldn't discount him. I don't see Nutt as a big hire/turn around guy. Kind of a loose cannon. Does eliminate some posted on the board.

RGV Pony wrote:

mrydel wrote:Agents can talk to Orisini, and agents can talk to thier clients.

Wally Hall is a long time columnist for the paper. He is also on a morning talk radio show and this is where he stated this latest rumor. He is a Nutt hater so he will say anything to give the impression that Nutt is gone. Those that like Nutt hate Wally and those that hate Nutt love Wally. Wally has alienated himself from the coaching staff so he has long been left out of the loop, but at the same time he does have many contacts so who knows.

I would not place any money on what he says, however you just do not know. I can assure you if there was any kind of leak from the Nutt bunch, they did not puposefully leak it to Wally.

Is Wally on the inside of the Broyles loop?

I do not think Wally is welcome on the UA campus by anyone having anything to do with sports.