What is the TCU model for football success?

[PonySnob]

What would be wrong with running the SMU football program the same way that the TCU program is run? For the most part, it appears that whatever TCU is doing to have a successful program doesn't seem to be cheapening the academics at TCU. Wouldn't SMU fans rather have a top 20 program in the country instead of being of the bottom two or three programs in the country?

[echothat1]

All we have to do is pay someone like TCU paid LaDanian Tomlinson and...presto/change-o, we've got the ability to win some games, make the news, get some name recognition and recruit. Then we, too, might become a team that is ranked higher than many teams who would crush 'em and has no chance of a BCS berth. (Of course, I am just speculating about TCU paying Tomlinson)

[Stallion]

so why don't you shut up-seriously there is no reason to slander a kid just because he helped beat the crap out of your team.

[geno]

Echo, in case you have been dozing, LaDainian has been gone from TCU for nearly three years now. How does that affect tCU's success since he went to the Chargers? I wish someone would SERIOUSLY respond to the question, what is their formula for the success they've had. Sure, it's ConfUSA, but we're WAC, and any advice would help.

[echothat1]

Tomlinson put TCU back on the map...no one had even remembered them until he happened to decide to play for them...TCU owes him for the success they're having now...he did more for recruiting at TCU than Franchione or anyone subsequent...now they've got a sustainable program...

And Stallion...why don't you shut up?

[Big Cat]

LT is not the reason TCU is a big time program. One player does not make that much of a difference. It starts at the top.

[Nacho]

TCU formula:

1--recruiting

2--good coaching. Started with Fran. A brilliant move by TCU. They went out and got a proven d-1 head coach. He turned out to be outstanding. Some of that was probably partly luck on their part. Who knew he was that good? His successor Patterson has proven to be a quality coach.

They have the train on the track now. All they have to do is load up on recruits every year. As long as Patterson stays they will be fine. If he leaves they have to make the right decision.

[VarsityShop]

re: All we have to do is pay someone like TCU paid LaDanian Tomlinson and...presto/change-o, we've got the ability to win some games, make the news, get some name recognition and recruit. Then we, too, might become a team that is ranked higher than many teams who would crush 'em and has no chance of a BCS berth.

Echo are you denying that TCU has a pretty good football team that most SMU fans would be thrilled to death to have?

Your little trash talk about how teams ranked above TCU could beat them seems like "sour grapes" to me. If TCU could be beaten by teams ranked below them, they certainly are not the only team like that.....it happens every weekend.

<small>[ 10-19-2003, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: VarsityShop ]</small>

[WobbleFrog]

More than anything else I think that we Frogs and the administration in particular took the snub of being left out of the Big XII in a very personal way. After that happened it seemed like the powers that be in Frogland were ready to spend whatever it took on facilities and coaches. I forget the exact figure they offerred Fran to stay but it was unreal and unprecedented in TCU history. One thing that is helping TCU right now is very good fan support from the Ft. Worth community. The city seems to have adopted the Frogs as their own. Unfortunately you guys don't have this luxury and it is not totally your fault because Dallas is so different from Ft. Worth in that regard. In other words, there is not any other game in town over here, just like Lubbock and Austin, et al. Dallas just has too many other options. UH and Rice have the same problem you do. At the same time, there is no doubt that SMU has also put a tremendous amount of $ into athletics and facilities and in time I am sure that things will turn in your favor. We appear to be on the verge of a great regional conference and it should help all of us with recruiting, scheduling, freeing up xtra $ for marketing, etc. Hang in there guys and all will be better soon.

PS I don't think we paid Tomlinson!

[Dooby]

As an SMU fan that grew up in the Fort going to a lot of TCU games, I can say that WobbleFrog is pretty much correct. When the Big XII broke up, the TCU alumni came up with a plan for righting the ship.

The first thing they did was commit to raising a lot of money. And then they actually did it.

If you look at the Fran hire, it really was impressive. They spent the cash to get a head coach from a winning team within their own conference. In purely Texas football terms, the equivalent would be Baylor hiring Leach from Texas Tech. [people look at the Fran hire as the impetus to everything that made the Frogs successful; in reality, it was the first product of a larger plan].

Second, they made a conscious decision to involve the Fort Worth community rather than just the alumni.

Third, and I don't think the Frogs will be able to dispute this; they made a decision not to limit their team's success. See everything Stallion has ever written on this and the other board. First and foremost, they recruit football players and not scholar-athletes. That means grade-risks and that means JuCos. To date, SMU is still playing catchup in this regard and hasn’t fully faced up to this reality.

The combination of Points 1, 2 and 3 is the difference between the Frogfans’ commitment and the “Commitment.”

[WreckEm16]

TCU Formula: Play in District 10-4A.

[ALEX LIFESON]

you just proved, what an idiot you REALLY are.