Should SMU pursue a new coach?

[Samurai Stang]

With the conversation regarding the future of Doherty being dominated by very few posters, I am most curious as to the positions others hold.

[PoconoPony]

I do not think either of your voting categories are appropriate for the current situation. As I have posted before, Doh will be retained for the duration of his 5 year contract. First and foremost is the financial angle wherein the Athletic Department simply cannot afford to release him and pay a second and similar salary to another coach for a year. They simply do not have the money and will not waste this bullet on wealthy alum's paying off the bill. Secondly, I am fairly certain Orsini was astute enough when he hired Doh to know the basketball program was in shambles and needed a minimum of 5 years to start a rebuild. Orsini will follow that time frame game plan and live up to his promises to Doh that he has 5 years to show progress. If the SMU program had an existing high level basketball tradition which had temporarily fallen and the Athletic Department coffers were full, the situation might be different; however, the realities of the situation as they currently stand dictate what will be done and that which cannot be considered or immediately changed. It is a bit of a Catch 22 situation that comes to a defining decision at this time next year. At that time Doh will have had the time to prove that his "new" system is right and working, that the class of 2010 are program elevating players and that the recruiting class of 2011 ( November signings) has the quality to justify his 2 year contract extention clauses. In the interim all the speculation and grumbling is moot, sit back, support Doh,support the team and let Orsini's game plan and financial realities run their course. I too am impatient and question Doh's progress, but am a pragmatist when considering the big picture.

[Nacho]

did you copy and paste that post from cavan and bennett rumblings. sounds very familiar.

i haven't been to a bball game in two years. i vote with my feet. i have watched a couple of games on tv. saw them beat a very bad ecu team. i'm content to watch other college games. can't wait for march madness.

[RGV Pony]

did you copy and paste that post from cavan and bennett rumblings. sounds very familiar.

i haven't been to a bball game in two years. i vote with my feet. i have watched a couple of games on tv. saw them beat a very bad ecu team. i'm content to watch other college games. can't wait for march madness.

not to worry I guess. Wasnt there a date sometime in March where it was guaranteed Clyde would be the man?

[Nacho]

i don't think they will hire bcg.

[Samurai Stang]

they simply do not have the money and will not waste this bullet on wealthy alum's paying off the bill.

You at once claim that the athletic department does not have the money, but that they could have the money if they desired to from alumni. Will not waste the bullet? Such donors are interested in winning, and a losing basketball team is not what they desire. Whether SMU does it this year or next year, the same amount of money will be spent.

I too am impatient and question Doh's progress, but am a pragmatist when considering the big picture.

You claim to be a pragmatist. Pragmatism is based upon the concept that something must be tested in order that it might be proven correct. Your statement that "Doh will have had the time to prove that his "new" system is right and working, that the class of 2010 are program elevating players and that the recruiting class of 2011 ( November signings) has the quality to justify his 2 year contract extention clauses" is not pragmatism, but prognostication. Note that you do not say it is a matter of seeing if his results are positive, but rather a claim that they will be. No real pragmatist would prognosticate such as you do, and so I am left to assume that all of your "pragmatic observations" are simply your own attempt to predict that which you do not know.

[ontheedgeofmyseat]

Some great points, PoconoPony...logical, well thought out, unemotional..refreshing. Go POnies!!

[ponyscott]

I do not think either of your voting categories are appropriate for the current situation. As I have posted before, Doh will be retained for the duration of his 5 year contract. First and foremost is the financial angle wherein the Athletic Department simply cannot afford to release him and pay a second and similar salary to another coach for a year. They simply do not have the money and will not waste this bullet on wealthy alum's paying off the bill. Secondly, I am fairly certain Orsini was astute enough when he hired Doh to know the basketball program was in shambles and needed a minimum of 5 years to start a rebuild. Orsini will follow that time frame game plan and live up to his promises to Doh that he has 5 years to show progress. If the SMU program had an existing high level basketball tradition which had temporarily fallen and the Athletic Department coffers were full, the situation might be different; however, the realities of the situation as they currently stand dictate what will be done and that which cannot be considered or immediately changed. It is a bit of a Catch 22 situation that comes to a defining decision at this time next year. At that time Doh will have had the time to prove that his "new" system is right and working, that the class of 2010 are program elevating players and that the recruiting class of 2011 ( November signings) has the quality to justify his 2 year contract extention clauses. In the interim all the speculation and grumbling is moot, sit back, support Doh,support the team and let Orsini's game plan and financial realities run their course. I too am impatient and question Doh's progress, but am a pragmatist when considering the big picture.

Bingo! Geez......some people just don't get it do they PoconoPony? Thanks for the points, so now we can end all these threads....right?...somehow I doubt it.

[Argyle Pony]

I have mixed emotions about this! The team is playing their hearts out. Two injuries have hampered their progress even more. I think we would have beaten Tulsa Wednesday night if Williams hadn't of gone down. He is letting them play more. They have gotten tougher and I think a lot of the improvement is because of the two new assistants that coach added at the beginning of this year! I can see development in many of the players. We have a couple of players coming in next year that will help make a difference immediately. At the same time, I have been disappointed in some of our losses especially earlier in the season. Maybe we are on our way to becoming a program on the rise or maybe we had a spurt near the end to save the coaches job for another year! I do know that Orsini is watching more games this year than last year and that attendance is slowly growing. What ever happens...I will be at the games! Go Mustangs!

[Bergermeister]

i haven't been to a bball game in two years. i vote with my feet.

Yeah, the Doh regime has not been good for attendance or enthusiasm toward basketball at SMU. A few in the inner circle are still enamored. I guess we'll go through the motions another year. Nice facilities, nice man in the carpeted office, lousy program.

[PoconoPony]

they simply do not have the money and will not waste this bullet on wealthy alum's paying off the bill.

You at once claim that the athletic department does not have the money, but that they could have the money if they desired to from alumni. Will not waste the bullet? Such donors are interested in winning, and a losing basketball team is not what they desire. Whether SMU does it this year or next year, the same amount of money will be spent.

I too am impatient and question Doh's progress, but am a pragmatist when considering the big picture.

You claim to be a pragmatist. Pragmatism is based upon the concept that something must be tested in order that it might be proven correct. Your statement that "Doh will have had the time to prove that his "new" system is right and working, that the class of 2010 are program elevating players and that the recruiting class of 2011 ( November signings) has the quality to justify his 2 year contract extention clauses" is not pragmatism, but prognostication. Note that you do not say it is a matter of seeing if his results are positive, but rather a claim that they will be. No real pragmatist would prognosticate such as you do, and so I am left to assume that all of your "pragmatic observations" are simply your own attempt to predict that which you do not know.

I predicted nothing. I merely stated that the practical realities will prevail based on the current situation.

[Cardinal Puff]

Based on conference play this year, I am on board with keeping Doh. This team has come together and he has hope on the horizon in the signings.

[EastStang]

.500 in conference and overall were my yardsticks. If we didn't make that, he should go. Tonight is the game to save his job.

[PonyDoh]

.500 in conference and overall were my yardsticks. If we didn't make that, he should go. Tonight is the game to save his job.

lol @ firing a guy on a one game swing

[redpony]

Orsini will follow that time frame game plan and live up to his promises to Doh that he has 5 years to show progress.

Do you really believe SO will do what he says? He has already proven he is a freaking liar. i.e.- a)The mules will only be on the field for one game. After the end of the season we will decide their roll regarding the fball program.
b)Top 25 in everything we do- perhaps he meant top 25 in our conference
c)In an interview prior to last fball season SO clearly stated that if the bball program were not over .500 this season it would be unacceptable Guess he meant changes at the end of 2011 as we all know there won't be any changes this year regardless of the teams performance.

Obviously, SO says what people want to hear and don't confuse him with the truth or facts.
Soon there will be virtually no one at the bball games and that will just drive the athletic budget further into the hole.

GO PONIES!!!