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Coach Phil has been very quiet (contrasted with last year's preseason). I think he knows that this team is well ahead of last year's and is hopeful of "sneaking up" on 2 of our first 3 opponents. SMU knocks Tech and Baylor off in the first 2 games of the season. Then get ready for a barn burner with OSU.

Or he learned his lesson last year after talking things up and then starting 0-7, worst start in school history. He wants to be optimistic, but I bet he is more cautious this year. Lets not build things up too much for this year. In all fairness to the coaches and players, this program is a year or two away. Now if they improve massively in 2003, then all the better, but no one should predict or expect that IMO.

Coach Phil, the defensive master, is a hunter at heart, and all great hunters are very quiet as they stalk their prey. As he said it all about "expectancy", and I'm expecting big things this year.

We're not there yet, despite the improvements over last year. When SMU has startign linemen who are seniors, then we can begin to swagger.

When the coach talks about expectancy, I believe he is referring specifically to the people inside the program, ie coaches and players. They have to expect to win and believe they can win every time they step onto the field. Thats what being an athlete and a competitor is all about. Now, for all of us outside the lines, we need to be fair and have reasonable expectations. That means all of us arm-chair qbs, washed up athletes and even SMU's administrators. Support the team, yes, but lets not set them up to fail. Its early in Bennetts tenure, and he is doing and saying all the right things, but lets not misinterpret the signals and get carried away. It gets miserable in October around here when people aren't realistic.

You need to get off the field and on the bench. Hurry, before you cause others to underachieve with you.

Thats the point. I'm not on the team. Are you saying the team significantly underachieved last year? Thats a slippery slope my friend.

No, I'm saying as fans, we need to also carry the expectancy of winning . . . NOW! Not next year, or the year after, but right now!

For those who have ever been around Coach Bennett, you know his confidence and optimism know no bounds. Believe me, he has as much confidence as he always did. He's just not spelling it out in the media.

One or two more years and he's being talked about as one of the state's or maybe even country's top coaches.

Being out of town, I appreciate some of the insight to Phil, as well as his story on how he arrived here after the death of his wife.

Who among you has spent quality time with him? What do you take away from conversations and seeing him in action? How does the team react?

I haven't met him but would love hearing how he interacts with others?

Coach Phil is a player's coach . . . the best indicator of this is to see how many of his former players keep up with him post playing days. Dat Nguyen is a prime example -a solid supporter of Coach Phil and the team. Of course he has the requisite level of bs, but all great coaches are adept at manuvering (verbally).

One of the key attributes of a great coach is to understand how to treat all the players the same while adapting instruction and motivation to touch the "button" of the individual in question. Bear Bryant called it treating all players the same, but differntly the same.

This is one of the areas that I watch for when we're allowed to view practice. The ability to get players to play beyond their ability and to do it consistently - this has to be a key if SMU is to be successful in the near term.

Well, for the record,Coach Phil took the time Sunday night to come down under the natatorium to speak with the Mustang Band and our alumni organization, the Diamond M club. He was very optimistic and excited about this year.

Class guy with a solid, determined, concerned approach. A real difference maker today and in the future.

Bennett said last TUESDAY: I plan on being 2-0 going into our home opener, "It's the only way I know how to coach."

Uh oh - the skeptics will now say he's foolishly overconfident.
Personally, I like a coach who expects to win.