June Jones' First Big Decision at SMU

[MrMustang1965]

June Jones has made his first BIG decision at SMU. Do you approve or not?

Let's review the history leading up to this decision:

1) SMU signs Denton Ryan QB Justin Willis

2) In his second year at SMU, QB Justin Willis is suspended the week before a pivotal C-USA game against UTEP for allegedly assaulting a male student at an off-campus location. Willis is re-instated to the team a week later.

3) Rumors begin circulating that SMU HC Phil Bennett will be fired before the end of the 2007 football season;

4) Starting SMU QB Justin Willis publicly declares "if coach Bennett leaves, I will leave, too!"

5) SMU HC Phil Bennett is 'fired' but stays on to lead the Mustangs for the remainder of the 2007 season;

6) SMU hires June Jones away from the University of Hawai'i;

7) SMU QB Justin Willis attends news conference announcing the hiring of June Jones and publicly expresses his excitement of leading the Mustangs in the Run-and-Shoot offense;

8 Sometime during the SMU spring semester, SMU QB Justin Willis decides to not attend classes on The Hilltop;

9) Before SMU's spring football practices begin, SMU HC June Jones disciplines QB Justin Willis for not attending classes by suspending him from the team;

10) SMU HC June Jones outlines what QB Justin Willis must do for reinstatement to the Mustangs offense;

11) After spring practice ends, SMU HC June Jones reinstates QB Justin Willis to the team saying that he did what the coaches asked of him;

12) Summer two-a-days begin on The Hilltop with QB Justin Willis participating - but apparently struggling - in June Jones' Run-and-Shoot offense;

13) SMU HC June Jones names true freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell (from Katy High) and Braden Smith (from Rockwall High) as SMU's starting QBs less than 2 weeks before the Mustangs' opening game against Rice in Houston. Jones drops Willis out of the starting rotation to 3rd string QB but states that Willis is "one or two plays away" from leading the Mustangs.

[PlanoStang]

JSquared, and JWill have had some differences in the past.

J Squared (the 2 mil/yr man) is going to make JWill jump thru
as many hoops as possible before JWill earns the #1 position.

I just hope JWill understands that.

I also hope JSquared isn't like Cavan. Switching QB's during a game
based on the last drive.

I also hope SMU has based JSquared's contract on some
accomplishments before he is due the full 5 year 10 mil deal.

[SmooBoy]

JSquared, and JWill have had some differences in the past.

J Squared (the 2 mil/yr man) is going to make JWill jump thru
as many hoops as possible before JWill earns the #1 position.

I just hope JWill understands that.

I also hope JSquared isn't like Cavan. Switching QB's during a game
based on the last drive.

I also hope SMU has based JSquared's contract on some
accomplishments before he is due the full 5 year 10 mil deal.

This all sounds quite familiar.

[perunapower]

3) Rumors begin circulating that SMU HC Phil Bennett will be fired before the end of the 2007 football season;

4) Starting SMU QB Justin Willis publicly declares "if coach Bennett leaves, I will leave, too!"

I thought Justin said he would transfer if PB was fired after the 2006 season.

[ThadFilms]

Uhh, I'm not voting. I'm really nonplussed about the whole thing, I think - now - he had Mitchell in mind from the start.... Mitchell or Kevin Craft. All I know is whether this was a good decision or not, we're better off in the long wrong with June Jones calling the shots.

[RednBlue11]

there should be a "wait and see" option

[kent dorfman]

I feel as if I am in no position to approve nor disapprove. My thinking is that maybe Jones would rather have brought in a JUCO like Craft, Bower or Rausch and given Bo some time to watch and learn. However despite the fact that he couldnt land any one of the three and is now going with freshmen I think he's putting them in there because they are the best suited to run his offense. If he thinks it's best then it's good enough for me and there aren't too many coaches I'd say that about.

[SMU2007]

yea this question doesn't make a whole lot of sense. most of us haven't been evaluating jwill and bo running jj's offense during practice for the last few weeks and don't really have any idea who's better prepared to run this thing.

[PonyGolf13]

I am trying to trust in JJ, but this is really hard to swallow.

I kind of expected us to be very improved this year, winning maybe 5 or 6 with a good, solid, fairly proven coach. Now I'm starting to see that this will be another building year (I say that because we really didn't have that much to rebuild), and that to be where we want we need more time. If we end up in a great position for next year then fantastic, but right now I'm preparing for another tough one.

[that's great raplh]

JSquared, and JWill have had some differences in the past.

I also hope JSquared isn't like Cavan. Switching QB's during a game
based on the last drive.
eal.

that was ugly

[gostangs]

Its not that hard. We hired JJ becuase his ofense is effective aganist mid level talent like CUSA. Our offense is now 80% pass. BO has a stronger more accurate arm and hangs in the pocket. JW got us all the way up to 1 win last year. Why all the tears? Next issue.

[J.T.supporta]

Its not that hard. We hired JJ becuase his ofense is effective aganist mid level talent like CUSA. Our offense is now 80% pass. BO has a stronger more accurate arm and hangs in the pocket. JW got us all the way up to 1 win last year. Why all the tears? Next issue.

We hired PB for his Defensive mind and we all know how that turned out. Lets hope that JJs Offensive mind will turn out to be huge, win wise, for us

[gostangs]

PB was actually not that bad a coach (throw stuff now). His biggest issue was a light weight staff. That is the biggest difference between PB and JJ. PB's boys were high school cast off's. JJ's boys are ex NFL. That will pay dividends for us - but not much this year.

[J.T.supporta]

PB was actually not that bad a coach (throw stuff now). His biggest issue was a light weight staff. That is the biggest difference between PB and JJ. PB's boys were high school cast off's. JJ's boys are ex NFL. That will pay dividends for us - but not much this year.

maybe the real difference is a Special Teams coach

[Pony Soup]

PB was actually not that bad a coach (throw stuff now).

Gostangs has incurred a number of injuries since posting this. You may stop throwing stuff now and allow him to recover in peace as he has learned his lesson.