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Florida Atlantic men's basketball coach Matt Doherty has accepted an offer to coach at SMU, the Dallas Morning News reported in Monday's editions.

SMU would be the fourth stop in Matt Doherty's tenuous coaching career.
Doherty met with SMU president Gerald Turner on Sunday afternoon and agreed to terms, unidentified sources told the newspaper. Doherty is expected to meet with an 18-member search committee Monday afternoon for final approval. He likely will be introduced as the new coach Tuesday, the newspaper reported.

Both Turner and Doherty were unavailable for comment. Incoming athletic director Steve Orsini didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Doherty would be replacing Jimmy Tubbs, who was fired in early April after the Mustangs finished 13-16.

Florida Atlantic had averaged only eight victories in the previous eight seasons, went 15-13 in what was Doherty's only season as coach.

SMU will be the fourth stop in Doherty's coaching career.

After seven seasons as an assistant at Kansas under current North Carolina coach Roy Williams, Doherty went to Notre Dame for the 1999-2000 season, going 22-15.

He took over the Tar Heels for the 2000-01 season. Doherty's first Carolina team went 26-7, was ranked No. 1 in the country late in the season and won a share of the ACC's regular-season title. All that helped earn him The Associated Press' coach of the year award.

But in 2001-02, his feuds with Carolina players becoming public and the Tar Heels went 8-20 -- the school's first losing season since 1962, Dean Smith's first at the school. A year later, North Carolina went 19-16. Labeled an underachiever, Doherty resigned with three years left on his contract, and Williams eventually replaced him in Chapel Hill.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

I will say this is an interesting hire. I don't happen to think it was a good move for either SMU or Doherty right now, but we shall see. It smells more and more like Orsini just wanted a new guy, but I guess we will never know the real reason. I wish Doherty luck and it will be fascinating to see where he stands two years from now and how much patience and interest people show in him after the initial honeymoon. I don't think he is nearly the rock star alot of you are making him out to be.

ps. When does MJ show up at practice? Wasn't that one of the benefits people thought of on Doh? Maybe ribbon cutting for the new facility?

Hoop Fan wrote: Maybe ribbon cutting for the new facility?

Orsini clearly thought changes had to be made before a new facility is built. I think he thinks that the Doherty hire may get him the support needed to get the facilities done. I hope he is wrong. Changes to the model have to be done before any new facility. After they are made, build it.

National Coach of The Year. In 5 seasons as a head coach, 4 winning seasons. Former head coach at ND and UNC. Ladies and gentleman (and Hoop) this is a close as SMU has been since the DP to anything resembling a rockstar. Great hire by SMU.

Made frontpage on ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline, and CNN SI...Good Stuff Fellas!

McClown27 wrote: .... I think he thinks that the Doherty hire may get him the support needed to get the facilities done. I hope he is wrong....

So you're hoping Orsini doesn't get support from alums now? Should we not go to any games, buy hats and t-shirts, or watch and listen to road games until the national championship trophy arrives?
Fascinating.

MFFL02 wrote:Made frontpage on ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline, and CNN SI...Good Stuff Fellas!

That's FANTASTIC national pub.

Hoop Fan wrote:I will say this is an interesting hire. I don't happen to think it was a good move for either SMU or Doherty right now, but we shall see. It smells more and more like Orsini just wanted a new guy, but I guess we will never know the real reason.

Hoop, I still don't think Tubbs firing was a Orsini move. Gramps got the ball rolling long before Copeland retired, and I think Orsini was told of the situation when he interviewed. I'm sure he had input on the move and this may explain why he did'nt meet with Tubbs after he was hired, but the timing makes it impossible to believe he just wanted a new guy.

As for the Doh hire, I agree it is an interesting hire and a crap shoot for both parties, but it is a better hire than I expected us to pull off. The positive as I see it is the experience and motivation. I think it was crucial that we hire someone with head coaching experience, and Doh will certainly be motivated to succeed if he has aspirations of landing another job at a big time basketball school.

Hoop Fan wrote:I will say this is an interesting hire. I don't happen to think it was a good move for either SMU or Doherty right now, but we shall see. It smells more and more like Orsini just wanted a new guy, but I guess we will never know the real reason. I wish Doherty luck and it will be fascinating to see where he stands two years from now and how much patience and interest people show in him after the initial honeymoon. I don't think he is nearly the rock star alot of you are making him out to be.

ps. When does MJ show up at practice? Wasn't that one of the benefits people thought of on Doh? Maybe ribbon cutting for the new facility?

To take a shot at answering your question, I would say in 2 years if:

he has shown the ability to improve the skills and on-court decision making of the players he has inherited and or recruited, has shown to make good in-game coaching decisions, put in an offense and defense that takes advantage of the skills of his players, and has not made bone headed decisions that results in violations of his contract or the ncaa, then he'll likely be in ok shape. Otherwise, I am sure he will getting skewered on this board.

As far as annointing him a rock star, I have not gotten that impression from the posts. They seem pretty even between his past accomplishments and failures. And, I haven't seen any commitments on his part or the university's regarding bringing any old team mates in for pep talks.

Personally, I give Orsini and Turner credit for getting candidates like Doherty and Evans. Better than what one poster predicted of getting 95 year old candidates, huh? Anyway, gotta tell ya hoop. The boat is sailing without your beloved Tubbs whether you like it or not. I would hope you would claim your seat and get on - it might be fun or at least eventful. If you decide to hop on, don't tell jt. We are hoping to leave him on the dock.........................

friarwolf wrote:As far as annointing him a rock star, I have not gotten that impression from the posts. They seem pretty even between his past accomplishments and failures.

I don't know what post you are reading, but I am reading that this is our best hire EVER, and we have instantly become national media darlings.

DickerJames wrote:

friarwolf wrote:As far as annointing him a rock star, I have not gotten that impression from the posts. They seem pretty even between his past accomplishments and failures.

I don't know what post you are reading, but I am reading that this is our best hire EVER, and we have instantly become national media darlings.

Pay attention. The original quote was "a lot" are annointing him a rock star...........I think when you look at all posts, most are talking about his accomplishments.............As far as "media darlings", that is outside the realm of my post.................

I would not go so far as to say we are media darlings. But we have received substantial national media coverage for the hire.

Also, if by rockstar we mean "easily rocognized name" then yes I would have to say he is of "rockstar" status and the biggest hire for SMU post DP. Is there someone I am forgetting that was more of a big name hire?

friarwolf wrote:Pay attention. The original quote was "a lot" are annointing him a rock star

Well, I guess it is safe to say you don't understand the meaning of "alot", and can't see that the majority have in fact made him a "rock star".

whatever................