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If you were the AD at SMU, who would you rather have as your basketball coach - Jimmy Tubbs or Matt Doherty?

In defense of the burgers and Cheer squaking jt, I don't recall him ever alluding to the fact that he would still rather have Tubbs. He merely wanted SMU to come out and say "We fired Tubbs b/c our program is going nowhere with him and we think Orsini can find us a better coach." Instead we pinned everything on burgers and Cheer as a cop out excuse.

I can't imagine one ponyfan not being on board with Coach Doherty. He has me for one, genuinely excited about a team with 9 or 10 scholarship players and no proven scorers, much less the great recruiting class he is building right now.

my question still stands

I like the conviction of a man that asks a dumb question and stands by it.

I'd like to answer your question since I too was pi$$ed off.

No contest for me, Matt Doherty simply because of his high profile and the publicity that brings which should translate into better recruits.

BUT, you need to remember what the angst was all about. SMU (Copeland) allowed an influental former player and booster (Gramps) to railroad Tubbs because he wasn't playing his grandson. Gramps actually turned his alma matter (the only school to recieve the death penalty) in for bogus infractions to the NCAA. When the allegations were revealed, Copeland had'nt "retired" and the prospects of hiring a better coach than Tubbs looked pretty bleak. Not to mention the rift that was created with South Dallas.

It looks like the story has a nice ending (Doherty), but given SMU's past history it is a true miracle. All I can say is thank you president Turner for sending Big Jim into "retirement" and replacing him with a winner.

d_pony wrote:If you were the AD at SMU, who would you rather have as your basketball coach - Jimmy Tubbs or Matt Doherty?

I don't have a "rather" between those two. I don't care who coaches, really, I'd take you if you could put a winner on the floor. On second thought, if I was the AD at SMU, I doubt you'd get that gig.

Thanks for asking.

this was not a trick question - i was just asking the question if you were the AD at SMU who would you rather has a coach JT or MD? your response (my interpretation of your comments) was you don't care - whoever can win - that does not answer my question - i am trying to determine who you, JTSTANG, think would be the better coach at SMU - Jimmy or Matt - i am not asking whether you think the process in hiring or firing was correct - just this simple question - (I will try to make it clearer) - If you were the AD at SMU and you were going to make a new hire for the basketball coach at SMU and your two finalist were Jimmy and Matt - who would you pick?

my answer still stands

I do not know about jt as AD but in real life the answer to your question is:


Copeland = Jimmy

Orsini = Matt

jtstang STILL didn't answer the question, but since he does not help the cause by supporting the Mustang Club, he should sit on his opinions.

2112 wrote:jtstang STILL didn't answer the question, but since he does not help the cause by supporting the Mustang Club, he should sit on his opinions.

I gave the only answer I can give, and you can sit on your your mustang club plaque.

I appreciate your apparent honest response - I was not trying to prove a point - I was just curious who you thought would be a better coach at SMU - although i am somewhat surprised since you seem to have opinions on every other topic that is discussed

d_pony wrote:I appreciate your apparent honest response - I was not trying to prove a point - I was just curious who you thought would be a better coach at SMU - although i am somewhat surprised since you seem to have opinions on every other topic that is discussed

Look, this time I'm not being recalcitrant for its own sake. I've never seen Doherty coach. If you were asking me who I think has the better name recognition or who has coached at higher caliber schools, it would clearly be him, but that's a different question. I want whoever can win, and I don't think Tubbs was given enough of a chance to determine if he could, and I guess we'll see if Doherty can. The problem with your question is, because I do not think Tubbs got enough of a chance, I'll never be able to know who the "better" coach for SMU would have been.

And mrydel brings up a good point. I have no doubt Orsini caused the Tubbs firing even though Copeland took the fall, just so he could make a splash hire when he got here. We'll see if it works out for him. I hope it does.

I always thought when these infractions surfaced that the university would turn it into a witch hunt in order to find a reason to oust Tubbs so Orsini could bring in his guy.

Plus the fact, I don't think the $$ would have been flowing in to build the practice facility had Tubbs remained here. I also don't think we would have a new scoreboard.

Given what we know about the incoming signing class, I wonder if Tubbs would have had the charisma, etc. to attract the kids like Harp -- we already know Tubbs got Malone -- and the two from the prep school in CT.

The big donors probably played as much a role in Tubbs ouster as much as the outgoing and incoming ADs did.

I don't think Tubbs was ever going to be a credible Division I coach no matter how long he stayed. But that's just me.

jtstang wrote:And mrydel brings up a good point. I have no doubt Orsini caused the Tubbs firing even though Copeland took the fall, just so he could make a splash hire when he got here. We'll see if it works out for him. I hope it does.

I disagree. I think Copeland was pushed into retirement or faced firing, and why would he be inclined to take the fall for his successor? You are also forgetting that Gramps got the ball rolling long before we were in need of a new athletic director.

mrydel will have to answer for himself, but I took his post to mean that Tubbs was the best Big Jim could do, and Orsini was able to get a higher profile coach.