Kate's Blog - Doh will be back
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:52 pmI 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?
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?
