My rationalization of the JJ Program

[Mustangsabu]

This is not a defense, it is how I think it works, for both good and bad.

Tenet No. 1: We do what we do. Used as a rallying cry by the June-haters on this board, to me this phrase embodies JJ's philosophy of football. His is a system of offense that, he believes, when run correctly nullifies large parts of what opposing defenses do. If the offense is on the same page, they react to what the defense is showing, and do whatever is open. It is, like communism, a wonderful principle. It did wonders in Hawaii. It brought moderate success to SMU, which in comparison to what had come before must be considered a boon. "We do what we do" is not a vacant, lazy refrain, it is the central idea behind the coach we hired, and it has been more or less consistent throughout his time here. But it has not brought us the success we hoped it would.

Tenet No. 2: Repetition. The whole system is, by all accounts, simple in concept but difficult in practice. The same players doing the same things over and over again until it is second nature. The more fluent a player is, the more productive. This is why we see the same players used time and time again (until this year). I believe that this is why the number of players used in games has been so limited, and I also believe that this has hurt our attractiveness to recruits in the WR and possibly QB positions. It is very much an all eggs in one basket approach. And it is linked to tenet No. 3.

Tenet No. 3: Conference games are more important. When he came here, June was charged with winning bowls and winning championships. His approach has reflected those goals. OOC games play a role in making bowl games, but not in winning championships. And OOC provide opportunities to gain much needed repetition in the system and, also too often in our case, blood new offensive playmakers. The ATM game is a prime example. Other teams had had success running the ball but we threw the ball over 60 times. Why? Because this was a warmup game. This was about getting better. The TCU game is largely the same. Rutgers is where this team needs to come together and play well.

Tenet No. 4: Recruits will come. Being in Texas was going to make June's system to the greatest hotbed of talent in the country. Texas. The players would come. The single-most problematic tenet as I see it. While June's ability to improve players has helped enormously, there is clearly evidence that our development as a team has been limited by simply not having the depth of quality needed to take us to the 10-11 win arena. But this was not the focus. I don't believe that SMU was hiring June for anything but the quick turnaround system. There was always the uncomfortable question of who would succeed him and how you follow that program. One need only look at Hawaii to see how quickly it can all fall apart.

This is, in part at least, how I believe our program approaches the season, and the game of football itself. And it has brought success to the program that had not been seen in a long time. In my opinion it was the right kind of idea. Bring in a system that can turn things around quickly and get us to prominence. 2010 - C-USA Championship game. The closest we have come to a championship. And a game our defense played very well in and gave our O the chance to win. A chance we didn't take, but up until that point I think it fair to say things were really trending up. We had not won a single "marquee" game, but we were very competitive in almost all the others.

And 2011 started so well. 5-1. We'd beaten TCU. We had humbled UCF. We were showing up in the "also receiving votes" category in the rankings. We had, unknown to us all, peaked. I think we all need to temper what we have witnessed since then with the realization that we had actually seen a pretty meteoric rise. And we also need to realize that 2011 and 2012 were winning seasons with impressive bowl victories, so it is not like we have collapsed totally. But there is a different feel to the state of the program. JJ's ASU nonsense clearly shows that he was ok with leaving. But he didn't, but he will doubtless have noted the decided change in attitude towards him. Gone are the lavish luncheons where boosters chuckled and oohed as he showed us what minor alterations were needed to have put up 70 points the Saturday before. Gone even are the Ozona evenings where the workday was no longer to be wagered against hearing JJ's thoughts on the week and it could be enjoyed over beverages and in a much smaller setting. Gone now are the horses he championed. It is clear that bowl games are no longer enough.

He has one challenge left. Win the AAC, and take us to a BCS bowl, and it appears to me that he has gambled all on that. He is all in on GG leading a passing attack that none can stop. Had we beaten Tech, I slightly wonder if the approach since would be different, but I think that really on October 5th it starts. 8-0 in conference and hope Louisville loses a game. It's that simple.

I sat through our practice game at College Station, and I suspect I may sit through another on Saturday, but if he delivers the AAC I will be okay with that.

If he doesn't we will only be looking backward and upward at where we were when we kicked off at Southern Miss in 2010. And it will be the standard on which I will judge him.

When the season is over.

[East Coast Mustang]

A well thought out, rational analysis acknowledging the pros and cons of June's system. Expect to be torn to shreds by the anti-JJ anarchists, though. They do what they do.

[RGV Pony]

Mr Gambini.. er... mustangsabu... That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out take.

Food for thought.

[MustangStealth]

It is, like communism, a wonderful principle.

Definitely trolling.

[GoMustAAngs2007]

A thorough, intelligent, and rational perspective on June's time here.

Tenet No. 4: Recruits will come. Being in Texas was going to make June's system to the greatest hotbed of talent in the country. Texas. The players would come. The single-most problematic tenet as I see it. While June's ability to improve players has helped enormously, there is clearly evidence that our development as a team has been limited by simply not having the depth of quality needed to take us to the 10-11 win arena. But this was not the focus. I don't believe that SMU was hiring June for anything but the quick turnaround system. There was always the uncomfortable question of who would succeed him and how you follow that program. One need only look at Hawaii to see how quickly it can all fall apart.

This is what I believe to be June's greatest miscalculation during his time at SMU. I remember attending a young alumni meet and greet in the summer of 2008 right after he was hired. I specifically asked him about his recruiting strategy and how he planned to attract some of the best talent in the metroplex. His response was nearly identical to what Mustangsabu outlined above - with his name recognition and his system, recruits would be lining up to play for him at SMU. Coming off of his last season at Hawaii, we had no reason not to believe him.

As we all found out, that strategy does not work in the meat grinder that is Texas recruiting, especially when competing with the likes of Baylor, Tech, TCU, and the numerous out of state programs who recruit the DFW area. June's refusal to change this strategy has been pointed out numerous times on this board.

And 2011 started so well. 5-1. We'd beaten TCU. We had humbled UCF. We were showing up in the "also receiving votes" category in the rankings. We had, unknown to us all, peaked. I think we all need to temper what we have witnessed since then with the realization that we had actually seen a pretty meteoric rise. And we also need to realize that 2011 and 2012 were winning seasons with impressive bowl victories, so it is not like we have collapsed totally. But there is a different feel to the state of the program. JJ's ASU nonsense clearly shows that he was ok with leaving. But he didn't, but he will doubtless have noted the decided change in attitude towards him. Gone are the lavish luncheons where boosters chuckled and oohed as he showed us what minor alterations were needed to have put up 70 points the Saturday before. Gone even are the Ozona evenings where the workday was no longer to be wagered against hearing JJ's thoughts on the week and it could be enjoyed over beverages and in a much smaller setting. Gone now are the horses he championed. It is clear that bowl games are no longer enough.

The UCF game in 2011 was without question the peak of June's tenure - 5-1 record, receiving votes in the AP poll, and talk of the Big East started shortly after the TCU game. Then Southern Miss happened, then Tulsa, then it was a roller coaster ending to the season with a narrow win at home over Rice followed by the BBVA Compass Bowl victory over Pitt.

Candidly, if you had told me in 2006 that by 2010 we would play for a conference championship and in 2011 we would be going to our third straight bowl game with three consecutive seasons of seven wins, I would have cried tears of joy.

I may get flamed for this by the JJ-haters, but he has done enough here to leave on his own terms. I agree with Mustangsabu's final point that all the chips are down on this season - if we are competitive in the AAC and finish with 8-9 wins and another bowl game, he stays. If we end up with 4-5 wins, I hope he negotiates a buyout of the last year of his contract and retires.

I am also in favor of our next coach being a younger, more aggressive, up-and-coming type, but keep in mind that if we do land someone like that, he will likely be gone in a few years anyway.

[SMU 86]

June got out of Hawaii right when Colt Brennan graduated. Smart move as he obviously saw what was about to happen. The next QB they had was just not that good.

[LHS81]

June got out of Hawaii right when Colt Brennan graduated. Smart move as he obviously saw what was about to happen.

So you're saying Gale Gilbert is SMU's Colt Brennan?

[SMU 86]

June got out of Hawaii right when Colt Brennan graduated. Smart move as he obviously saw what was about to happen.

So you're saying Gale Gilbert is SMU's Colt Brennan?

He's not trying to get out of here. He has Burcham ready to go. But even I have to admit that waiting for recruits to line up at your door in Texas is probably not the best idea at any of the state's schools. You have to go hard after them. And as I said in another post, I think he can do it if some adjustments are made.

[Mustangs_Maroons]

JJ's time at SMU should be over. It should have been over during the ASU fiasco. That is when he lost all his credibility with me. You add to that the lack of school pride and flat out neglecting to recruit like a HC should, then it's obvious any rationalization of what could have been or should have been doesn't matter anymore.

He currently only cares about collecting his paycheck. He doesn't care for SMU or its traditions. I hope SMU has a plan for next year because there is no way we are going to a bowl this year based on how this team has played this year.

[ponyinNC]

The lack of recruiting was the dagger that kept us from 10 win seasons IMHO. Inexcusable.

Just imagine ---- if Mora doesn't get the UCLA job, and Klemm was able to stay at SMU for just 1 or 2 more years, we would have had tons of Pac-12 level talent on our team. He was named freaking "coach/recruiter of the year" , and had the following guys ready to sign with SMU:

Gabe Marks ( 4 star, 13th ranked WR)
Robert Lewis (actually committed to SMU, then bolted when Klemm left)

All these guys were on SMU hard because of Klemm and ended up at UCLA:

Jordan Payton (4 star)
Lacy Westbrook (4 star)
Ishmail Adams (4 star)
Eldridge Massington (4 star)
Caleb Benenoch (4 star)

[SMU2007]

Klemm showed what recruiting could be here at SMU with a staff that gave a crap.
This is the main reason this geriatric staff with June at the helm is so infuriating.

[Lebanese4Life]

We're not going to win the AAC

[Mustangs_Maroons]

Klemm showed what recruiting could be here at SMU with a staff that gave a crap.

+1,000,000

[ponyinNC]

We're not going to win the AAC

agreed. LV, Cincy, UCF, all way better.

UH looks good under O'Korn. Uconn hung with Michigan.

[mustangxc]

We're not going to win the AAC

agreed. LV, Cincy, UCF, all way better.

UH looks good under O'Korn. Uconn hung with Michigan.

UCONN lost to Michigan and lost to Towson and Maryland.