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I returned to the board because I heard that I had been pronounced wrong on this board. I am still trying to wean myself from such self destructive habits such as following SMU sports but it is hard after so many years.
The candidates we have interviewed really prove OP's point. Haith, Roberts, Tubbs, Reveno- household names all. They are not even necessarily the top assistants at their schools. Also, Lets not forget that interviews go 2 ways. These candidates will withdraw their names if they are told the truth about the job or unless promises are made to change the competitve standard. Either that or they are too stupid to be good head coaches.
I said that J tubbs would likely be the best candidate. J Tubbs would not be a leading candidate for any other job in the US. Did TCU look at him? They probably didn't care about Dallas recruiting. Tubbs may work out but he has never proven to be a head coach. Yes- he was good at Kimball. Kimball continues to be just as good woithout him. Think it may have to do with athletes? I wonder how good he'll be if he doesn't have the best athletes. About the same as he was at SMU? OU?
We are a long way from getting any name coach. I haven't even seen one interviewed. Get excited if it makes you feel better but I still don't see anyone who excites me. If this were an attractiobve job, we would at least be hearing the names like Franchilla, Doherty, Lavin etc. They don't want the job so they haven't even sttarted any rumors or lobbied for it..

Well no, we are probably not going to attract any existing HC from a prominent program...but then what mid-major school would attract these guys? When Tubbs left TCU, what did they wind up with. When Bliss was ousted at Baylor, what did they get...they got a respected assistant who looks like he may be a real up and comer. We can only hope to do as well. It's the reality of the situation...but remember, all of these great coaches today were assistants at one time too.

Drew was a HC at Valpo. TCU got the top KU assistant. We won't because the job isn't attractive when they realize they will have their hands tied. I was really responding to Pony Fan who thinks this is a great group of candidates. I see no one who was a proven as Dement when he got the job.

welcome back OP, at least temporarily. Cranky as ever huh? I know you didn't expect a high profile hire. You might be right, a guy like Roberts may withdraw after he learns more. Maybe not.

And youre right, Scott Drew was HC at Valpo, but he was handpicked by his daddy. I discount that some as far as being proven.

Tubbs is our best hire. Will it make national headlines? No, but I'm past that wishful thinking.

My mistake on Drew, but all the same Valpo is not a prominent program. I went there my freshman year in college and even though basketball is to Indiana like football is to Texas, Valparaiso is not a Duke. TCU's new coach, much like our's will be, is still a crap shoot...top assistant or not.

We also do not really know who else Copeland has interviewed...and it may not matter, but I think the selection committee is going to demand the best we can get. Just be glad I'm not on the committee because I don't know beans about selecting a new coach.

I don't know, Jeff Jones hat may be in the ring. Former ACC head coach at Virginia, head coach at American (which just missed dancing this year). Okay OP, I know that you probably wouldn't like him and we'd have to lock up our co-eds, but there are some names bubbling up. Now that the season has ended for some teams, we might find some other names beginning to be thrown about. Also, we don't know all the names on the list. We only know about those that were seen around the Big XII tournament in Dallas this past weekend or were spotted. I'm pleased that they are talking with Big XII assistants because they are probably familiar with Texas and recruiting in Texas. On the other hand, we shouldn't be satisfied just recruiting around Dallas. One thing the WAC has proved this year is that wading into the JUCO market and experience in that market, may be a short cut to dancing to fill a specific need. Looking at the search committee, there are some $$$$ on that committee. Also with Voc Atkins, you're going to get some input from a player who saw what happened this year and hopefully can give some input to the committee to avoid picking a guy who will repeat Dement's mistakes. We have some talented players (not many All Americans) but some decent role players who have shown that they can beat good teams and who can lose to lousy ones. I'm glad that we have a solid committee making this call.

OldPony wrote:Drew was a HC at Valpo. TCU got the top KU assistant. We won't because the job isn't attractive when they realize they will have their hands tied. I was really responding to Pony Fan who thinks this is a great group of candidates. I see no one who was a proven as Dement when he got the job.

Not saying it's a "great group" but thought some of you had said it would get hardly any interest. I think it's a better cast than most would have thought.

So....OP....enlighten us, please, as to whom you feel would be a head coach at SMU.

You might also want to include exactly why a proven Div 1 coach would be interested in SMU at this point.

P.S. A head coach started as an assistant somewhere in time.

OP is the same guy that constantly came on here bagging on Hop for not living up to the hype. After his play over the past month has indicated that Hop's approaching the level we all expected, we haven’t heard a peep from OP.

BTW, who ever said that we were going to attract a top level candidate???? I don’t remember anyone saying that.

OldPony wrote:.... If this were an attractiobve job, we would at least be hearing the names like Franchilla, Doherty, Lavin etc. They don't want the job so they haven't even sttarted any rumors or lobbied for it..

If we were paying the salaries those guys made at UNM, Notre Dame/UNC and UCLA, respectively, then this job suddenly would be much more "attractive" to that type of candidate. The fact is those guys all have some money in the bank (unless they're morons, and you don't get where they are in life by being stupid), so they don't need a job when a better-paying job may come their way. We need to get the program back on its feet, stock the roster with serious athletes and get more fans in the seats before the economics of the athletic department will allow pursuit of a candidate with the stature of those three.

Thanks HoopFan- Yes I'm still cranky. Old curmudgeons like me don't suffer fools easily and we see some rather foolish comments here quite often.
I believe that SMU must do 3 things to attract a top notch candidate. 1)Show them the money-for new facilities 2) Show them the money for a big contract 3) Show them how that they can recruit JC players and transfer hours for these kids into some major that they night find interesting (or easy). If these 3 things were done we wouldn't be looking at these candidates. We aren't doing these things so Tubbs may be our best choice. He has gotten no play from anyone else (like TCU or UNT who also recruit the metroplex) but he may be the best choice we have.
PK asks "What mid majors have gotten proven D-1 head coaches? How about Louisville-Pitino and Memphis-Calipari?
LA points out that I haven't had anything to say re Hopkins starting to play to potential. I haven't been on the board for about 3 weeks but I am happy to see that he has begun to live up to the hype. I noticed though that I wasn't the only one who thought there were better guards than Hop this year in the WAC (see all WAC team). No one hopes he succeeeds more than I do. He still has a lot to prove to be considered a national top player which was his hype.
Now OP will ride off ointo the sunset again for a few weeks and check back occasionally to see if we hire anyone. Good luck to us all.

Couple points. I understand the implication, but I'm not sure how relevant it is that TCU and UNT did not hire Tubbs. No matter who he was, would North Carolina hire an assistant from Duke or vice versa? No way. For the same reason, simple pride, SMU or TCU would never hire a long time assistant from the other school. Aint gonna happen. Would Duke have ever hired Matt Dougherty? Would UNC ever hire Wojo even if he was the next coming of K? As for UNT, I think Tubbs was a serious candidate for their job, but their AD knew Jones personally from his time in the Southeast. The point is people should take care of their own, and good programs know how to do it and actually do it. Frankly, SMU has never done it worth a damn and its time to start.

As for Louisville being a mid major, maybe in football, but never in basketball. They won the national championship in 1980 and 1987. They have always been one of the top attendance schools in NCAA hoops. They are not only not a mid-major, they are legit college hoops royalty.

I meant mid major conferences. There are many schools who have excellent basketball traditions including Memphis and Louisville. These schools are known for the b'ball precisely because they do the things necessary to compete.
When they have an opening they go after the big boys. SMU is not an attractive job. That was my point in the first place and i was said to be wrong because of all the "great interest" we are getting Until we do the 3 things above, we won't be in the hunt for the top candidates. We'll keep trying to catch lightning in a bottle. When this coach (or Bennett-whichever comes first) is fired though, I think it is time to fire Copeland. Stallion says it over and over that it isn't the coaching. I think coaching matters but I also know that no one is going to be successful on a national basis unless changes are made.