Kate's Blog - Doh will be back

[FriscoPMG]

I just vomited on myself reading this...

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/03/smu-doherty-look-to-next-year.html

SMU's season ended with a 69-53 loss to Central Florida last night in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. It marked the fourth straight season SMU lost in the opening round and the fourth straight sub-.500 season (14-17) for fourth-year coach Matt Doherty. He is 47-75 on the Hilltop.

I'll have a comprehensive story in tomorrow's paper on what's next for SMU basketball, but for now, know this. Doherty will indeed be back next year - and possibly longer. I've received a lot of e-mails wondering about his job status, and I know the Internet is full of talk as well. As I covered the Olympics in Vancouver last month, this is the first chance I've had to provide some answers.

Doherty has three years remaining on his contract. He signed a five-year deal when he was hired before the 2006-07 season, but he earned one-year extensions after each of his first two seasons. That means he's under contract until the end of the 2012-2013 season.

SMU did not announce the extensions when they were enacted. When I confirmed them today, SMU declined to reveal the standards that were required to activate them. Doherty earned $517,500 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2008, the most recent tax documents available. SMU is a private institution so it doesn't have to release its coaches' contracts.

SMU finished 7-9 in league play this season, one that included blowing a 24-point, second-half lead to UAB at home, but also a 7-4 stretch and a win over Memphis. The seven wins were the most in league play for SMU under Doherty.

I will speak with Doherty later today. I asked to speak with SMU athletic director Steve Orsini about the direction of the program today and received this statement in response:

"Coach Doherty and I sat down at the end of last season and established our annual goals for the program. First on that list was that we would continue to show progress. While we did not succeed to the levels we had hoped, I believe we did show progress during the regular season.

"Just as I do with all my coaches, Matt and I will sit down in the coming weeks and evaluate the season and the program. My charge to him for next season will be to continue to show improvement, and, as a former National Coach of the Year, I believe he will accomplish that goal. My vision for the men's basketball program at SMU remains unchanged. We will compete for conference championships and return the Mustang basketball program to national prominence."

Some of the biggest questions for next year involve who will replace senior guard Derek Williams, who had a stellar year. Will Paul McCoy return from injury and a rough season all-around looking like the player that led the Mustangs in scoring as a freshman?

One of our columnists this week opined that SMU basketball isn't awful, just irrelevant. Do you agree? Either way, what are your thoughts on what needs to be done to take the program to the next level?

[RGV Pony]

and what, pray tell, did he do in a 14 win and then a 10 win season to earn extensions?

Someone find the Kate blog entry that announced PB would be back. She couldve just copied and pasted. And now Orsini is giving his coaches a "charge"? Sounds like he's been hanging out at Perkins learning how to dismiss a congregation.

well, let's hope Doh turns it around, because he's all we got, I guess.

[PK]

The mob boss has a problem on his hands. PB was not his hire and giving him a year to prove himself before canning him made the mob boss look like a reasonable man. On the other hand Doh is a mob boss hire and it looks like he is giving Doh all the time he can to prove himself so that SO will in the end look like he made a good hire. Doh is not making it easy for the mob boss who may ultimately have to swallow some pride and admit he made a mistake in order to save the BB program from totally disintegrating.

[skyscraper]

I feel like this post should be 'stickied' up at the top to remind us all that all of our head coaching discussion is for not.
This makes me sick. I was on board with keeping Doh after the team seemed to hit it's groove in the latter part of the season. But last night was such a coaching disaster, I don't know how you can sell next season to anyone.

[Hoop Fan]

all i ask is for SMU not to 'spin' this crap. How in the hell did Doh EARN extensions in those years when SMU fired the previous coaches for similar if not better results?? Don't tell us he earned jack. Orsini gave him something, he didn't earn it.

[NastyStang]

Absolutely ridiculous!!! Take a second and imagine the atmosphere/fan support/excitement going into basketball next year. This was one of the worst fan support years I have ever seen. Moody will be a tomb...

[Pony_Fan]

We can thank the circle of champions and Eric Dickerson for June Jones. I think PonyDoh is correct, the O doesn't know hoops. I don't get these extensions. I was fine with maybe next year but beyond that I would have said no way...

Where else can you fail and get extensions? That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. This is just Bennett all over again.

How is our record going to be any better next year? I hope I am very wrong but I don't see it.

Dia has vastly improved, Haynes looks like he can get better, maybe Robert N. will get completely healthy. - these news guys better produce quickly.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

Way to reward failure! The SMU Way. Maybe Orsini can be DISD Superintendant

Bringing back that corpse is not Top 25 in all we do!

[Hoop Fan]

tell us Mr. Orsini, were we afraid Doh was going to take his toys and go back to Florida Atlantic? FLORIDA ATLANTIC.

[BIGHORSE]

I only went to a few games this year, I will not go to any games next year!

[moodymadmen]

I just curled into the fetal position under my desk and turned out the lights...how depressing. Just when you thought SMU basketball couldn't sink any lower...if this is true what a sad, depressing, utter joke of a program. Just sickening.

SMU BASKETBALL: WHERE 0 WINNING SEASONS AND 28 GAMES UNDER .500 GETS YOU A CONTRACT EXTENSION. PONY UP!!

[couch 'em]

This is the same talk we heard before Bennett was canned. It is meaningless, hope is not lost.

[Eye In the Sky]

We are going into year 5 of his pathetic tenure and the standard is to "show improvement." Don't worry about a winning season, actually winning a game in the CUSA tourney, or even postseason. Just show improvement. No wonder this program has gone nowhere. There's no sense of urgency. Doh was gonna be here no matter what.

Sorry, Steve and Matt. You've lost me as a fan. I missed more games this past season than ever before, and SMU basketball won't be a priority next season...or the next, or the next.

[Alaric]

a good time to stop all donations

[friarwolf]

all i ask is for SMU not to 'spin' this crap. How in the hell did Doh EARN extensions in those years when SMU fired the previous coaches for similar if not better results?? Don't tell us he earned jack. Orsini gave him something, he didn't earn it.

Amen, brutha........Doherty missed his calling. He should be an agent as he certainly negotiated himself one superlative contract..................