JUCOS

[Mickey]

Jucos sign next week and Bennett has said that he will sign a JUCO QB. How do you sign one without an OC/QB coach? Answer is obviously - YOU
DON'T! More spin by Bennett.

[Dooby]

I am sick of the nay-sayer cr@p. Bennett said 2+ months ago he was going to sign a juco QB. The recruiting services have said we have pursued 4 of them. We know we offered 1; we know one came for an official visit; 2 of the four have accepted offers; 2 are still out there. And we know one was not available to visit schools till this weekend because he was still playing ball.

How you call that “spin”; I’ll never understand. It could only be spin if there was never an intention to do anything. Which, as shown above, is not the case.

We are still pursuing a juco QB, but Bennett isn’t going to waste a scholarship on a body. Bennett is only going to pull the trigger on a kid that will contribute. None of us would have it any other way.

My allergies are acting up and it is not Bennett’s fault. Stop blaming Bennett for everything. Stop faulting him for everything. Particularly the things he is doing right. He reassigned the OC which needed to be done and needed to be done immediately following the season. The options were to do nothing; or wait an extended period of time. Neither are good options.

<small>[ 12-08-2003, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: Dooby ]</small>

[Cheesesteak]

Quote from Mickey:

"...sign a JUCO QB. How do you sign one without an OC/QB coach?"

Players are generally not initially recruited by the position coach they would likely play for unless that position coach covers their region (for example southeastern Oklahoma).

Assistant coaches cover recruiting areas where they have relationships or other strengths and recruit athletes in that territory.

Occasionally there are exceptions but it would be inefficient to have the (for example) QB coach trying to build relationships in a four state area.

Of course a QB would want/need to meet with the QB coach if the courtship gets serious. Several schools are in SMU's position every year. It all works out. Players understand that coaching positions are open from time to time.

Coach Bennett made the appropriate personnel decisions at the right time.

He should take all of the time required to identify and hire the right new coach(es).

[PonyTales]

How right you are.

1. Most players aren't going to a college because of a single assistant coach. Trust Coach Bennett and his staff to continue the recruiting success they had last year -- I know I do.

2. And while there are two more JUCO quarterbacks out there who have been identified as potential SMU targets, there are countless more we don't know about. Just because Dane King committed to Baylor doesn't mean the well has run dry of JUCO quarterbacks.

3. Not all JUCOs enroll in January. I don't think Bobby Chase is showing up until the fall, or at least the summer.

[Mickey]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dooby:
[qb] I
How you call that “spin”; I’ll never understand. It could only be spin if there was never an intention to do anything. Which, as shown above, is not the case. [QUOTE]

Bennett is the premier spin doctor. Reference his comment about Tate Wallis playing QB. " Maybe Cavan didn't know what he had".

How about the new turf so that Ford can host HS play off games. Did you enjoy the games?

How about his comment in the first year that we woukld win the WAC.

How about the comparisons to Miami FL.

<small>[ 12-09-2003, 03:20 AM: Message edited by: Mickey ]</small>

[Mickey]

Originally posted by Cheesesteak:
Quote from Mickey:

[b]"...sign a JUCO QB. How do you sign one without an OC/QB coach?"

Players are generally not initially recruited by the position coach they would likely play for unless that position coach covers their region (for example southeastern Oklahoma).

Assistant coaches cover recruiting areas where they have relationships or other strengths and recruit athletes in that territory.

Occasionally there are exceptions but it would be inefficient to have the (for example) QB coach trying to build relationships in a four state area.

Of course a QB would want/need to meet with the QB coach if the courtship gets serious. Several schools are in SMU's position every year. It all works out. Players understand that coaching positions are open from time to time.[/b]

The way it works is that the area coordinator evaluates and recruits a player. He then brings in the position coach for his evaluation. If there is agreement to offer, they go to the head coach for his approval. The evaluation of the position coach is critical to the offer because that is who the recruit will be playing for.

You are damn right the players want to meet their position coaches. Especially QBs who want to meet the QB coach and the OC.

Yep, there are coaching changes all of the time, but if I am a JUCO recruit, I don't sign with a school in 6 days if I dont know who my position coach will be. This is especially true if I am a QB thinking of playing for a head coach whose background is on the defensive side.

<small>[ 12-09-2003, 03:40 AM: Message edited by: Mickey ]</small>

[Mickey]

Originally posted by PonyTales:


2. And while there are two more JUCO quarterbacks out there who have been identified as potential SMU targets, there are countless more we don't know about. Just because Dane King committed to Baylor doesn't mean the well has run dry of JUCO quarterbacks.

3. Not all JUCOs enroll in January. I don't think Bobby Chase is showing up until the fall, or at least the summer.

There may be countless more JUCO QBs out there, but the JUCOS sign in 6 days. I think Chase reports in JAN. Bennett has already stated that he wants the QB to go through spring practice. We only have 6 days left and not all JUCOs can qualify for transferring in January.

<small>[ 12-09-2003, 03:47 AM: Message edited by: Mickey ]</small>

[Johnny Rock]

Put the blame for SMU'S lack of success in football on the administration, i.e., the Board of Trustees, President Turner, and Copeland. It is easy to blame the coaches for everything. I believe that Copeland got rid of Cavan to take the heat off of him. Hopefully, the same thing will not happen to Bennett. At SMU, it is like musical chairs with coaches and the same 'rah, rah commitment' speach every five years. Like most, if not all of our competition, we should be recruiting a few JUCO's every year. This year we recruit a JUCO QB? Huh? Why not a DL, OL, or CB? Tulsa did and look where it got them. If we can recruit one JUCO QB, then why cannot we recruit a few other JUCO players every year? If we did, I guarantee you this...we would be much more competitive. Until, SMU'S model changes to allow the coaches to fully compete do not expect bowl games at SMU, or winning seasons for that matter. Harsh? Maybe. Fact? Yes. Let's stop the bull **** on this board and be truthful. The model must change to be successful! Didn't Hawaii's coach get quoted as saying that Bennett is on an island when it comes to recruiting? Get the point? I do.

[EastStang]

Boy Mickey, you sure have lots to say on this subject. My two cents is this. Bennett may be waiting until postseason is over for an OC hire. He probably has the OC picked out and ready to come, but can't name him until after bowls are finished. Unless of course you want to hire an assistant from a non-bowl eligible team (aka a losing team) just to fill the slot. I would rather Bennett sign big JUCO uglies for the front lines. That to me is a higher priority. A solid O-Line can make a QB live a lot longer and make up for a host of other sins. Time means points in football. I'd like to have a little more experienced depth at QB which is why a JUCO QB should be considered.

[Stallion]

to be fair Mickey makes some good points-but aren't SMU assistant coaches subject to the same federal employment guidelines and regulations that mandate a certain period before a hiring can take place after it is posted. SMU has always strictly followed those laws in the past.

[gostangs]

Stallion has it right - our OC has been "hired" a while back - its not like Bennett lost his temper and made the changes last second - with his coaching contacts, he has his guy hired - we will hear about it soon.

[Dooby]

If there is one thing that drives me nuts on these boards, it is the assumption around here that if they haven't seen it in 3-inch type in the dallas morning news, then it doesn't exist.

[Stallion]

I was going to say he might already be hired too(I don't know) but remember last year certain new hires had been working for SMU for a week before it was formally announced.

[giacfsp]

Originally posted by Mickey:
.... How about his comment in the first year that we woukld win the WAC.

How about the comparisons to Miami FL....

He didn't say SMU would win the WAC his first year. He said that was his goal - to win the WAC. Personally, I want a coach who aims for the top. Sure beats a coach who gets up there and says "we're going to be bad this year. Please buy your tickets." He has said many times that he never goes in to a game expecting to lose. That optimism might seem like a reach now, but it will pay off. In fact, it already has -- his players were working as hard at the end of the season as they did at the beginning. Coach Bennett will have us winning soon.

As for the Miami comparison, who would you rather he use as a model? When he made that speech, he was showing that it could be done, a private college in a major metro area with many entertainment options. I don't ever recall hearing him say SMU is as good as Miami. In fact, I'm pretty sure nobody has heard him say that. But if he uses Miami as a model and aims at that level, I'd say that's a good thing!

[Phil Fan]

Originally posted by gostangs:
... with his coaching contacts, he has his guy hired - we will hear about it soon.

That's what I'm hearing, too. And I've heard it's an impressive hire, but I can't get a name yet.