Congratulations

[LakeHighlandsPony]

In addition to Copeland's hires Cowlishaw should've mentioned the demise of men's track on his watch.

That has more to do with Title IX than anything else...

Which sport would you have cut?

GRGB,

Title IX plays a role, but I suspect the lack of revenues from our FB and BB teams over the past 18 years played a bigger role.

SoCal is right! I was getting ready to say the same thing. A funny thing happens when your stadium is filled and you are winning. Money!

[SMU Football Blog]

Below is my letter to Cowlishaw:

Nice shot across the bow, but please, next time aim straight for the hull. The ship is sinking anyway.

I still go to every SMU home game. I will probably try and find a bar that has CSTV and watch the SMU-Marshall game, or cave and buy the directv sports package so I can watch it at home. I huddle next to the radio and listen to games when there is no TV as if I lived in the 1930s.

Copeland's single achievement was the construction of Ford Stadium, done at an unprecedented time of SMU fund-raising where many SMU alums were giving away cash left and right as evidenced by the other new construction on campus. He may have had a vision, but he got lucky and help from a brilliant fund-raiser for an SMU President in Turner.

This goes beyond Cavan, Dement and Bennett. If you look at the record of SMU coaches during Copeland's tenure, those that are successful, Coach Hyndman in particular, were hired before Copeland came to SMU. The loan exception is arguably Men's golf coach Jay Loar who reached the NCAA's last year. By the way, Coach Tubbs' season was disappointing last year and this year will be no different with the academic ineligibility of Brian Hopkins. And the local basketball recruiting that Tubbs was brought in for has not panned out as all but one top recruiting prospect (Darrell Arthur) has committed elsewhere; I fully expect Arthur to commit elsewhere by the end of October.

In 2002, a "Commitment" was announced. That "Commitment" was little more than a $20,000,000.00 fund-raising effort that has been an abject failure. They have been trying to raise money for a new facade for Moody Colosseum for years and a practice facility, yet there has been no announcement because Copeland cannot raise the money.

In 1995, Kathy Harasta wrote that Cavan may be SMU's last head coach. She was wrong only because SMU built a beautiful football stadium, which breathed new life into SMU football. SMU football is once again on life support. Whatever momentum was created by building Ford Stadium and beating Kansas in that first game is gone. There are a precious few fans left.

I understand that SMU is not Nebraska or Notre Dame and must give a coach time turn a program around. I understand the benefit of patience. But at some point, with two senior quarterbacks and 22 returning starters, I expect to see improvement. SMU still has an inept offense, a weak defense and incompetent special teams. The only way to describe the performance against Tulane is lethargic. I planned on giving Bennett five years because I expected SMU to play better in 2005. With the exception of a game against TCU and a quarter against A&M, there has been zero evidence of improvement as exemplified by less than 50 net passing yards against Tulane.

But this isn't about Bennett. It is about Copeland. And it is about SMU. SMU needs to do what is necessary to legitimately compete at the college level. SMU needs to emulate its national and traditional rivals, and its chief rival TCU in particular. Copeland has been ineffective in leading SMU athletics in that direction. Copeland has been ineffective is bringing about the necessary changes to SMU admissions policies, the curriculum and the budget.

Whether you believe Bennett should be fired next week, next month or next year, you must believe that Jim Copeland cannot be responsible for that decision. More importantly, Jim Copeland cannot be responsible for hiring his successor. I don't know about the alumni that cut the checks, but the alumni that buy the tickets have completely lost confidence in Jim Copeland.

Copeland must be relieved of his duties. His successor must drag SMU, its board of trustees, its faculty and even its alumni, kicking and screaming into the modern world that is college athletics.

[jtstang]

I think you're giving up too early on Tubbs. BTW, when are you gonna start basketball blogging?

[RGV Pony]

In addition to Copeland's hires Cowlishaw should've mentioned the demise of men's track on his watch.

That has more to do with Title IX than anything else...

Which sport would you have cut?

Probably the same sport(s) Tulane and Rice cut when they were worried about funds for football. Oh wait...none. Come to think of it, they have baseball too. And comparable alumni bases...except Rice must be about 75% smaller given its enrollment. I would've hired an executive search firm and spent the money to put in place someone who could fundraise and market...a combination of Messrs. Cuban and Potts.

[Sam I Am]

Out here in the sticks in the aftermath of Rita, the DMN and this bulletin board are my links to civilization and SMU sports. Today's column about the post-DP SMU showing no signs of life gave me hope that there might be enough public opinion to affect the direction of our program to make it better. Then again, the story might only have been our obituary. Maybe we're dead and just haven't had enough sense to lie down in our graves.

[SMU Football Blog]

I think you're giving up too early on Tubbs. BTW, when are you gonna start basketball blogging?

I am toying with deviating from football more often than I do now. But I assure you, I will spend more time talking about Lost than I will SMU basketball.

Not to get off on a basketball rant, here but I didn't care for the Tubbs hire. File this list away for a year or two if you like. It is the list of other people interviewed:

Norm Roberts-HC St. Johns
Doug Wojcik-HC Tulsa
Eric Reveno-Asst. HC Stanford

We'll find out soon enough about Wojcik vs. Tubbs. Roberts was the other finalist and was hired by St. Johns less than two months later. But those are decent basketball schools that picked coaches Copeland interviewed. Sorry if I trust their judgment more than Copeland's.

Recall when Dement was hired, Tommy Amaker was also a candidate. Tommy Amaker is now the coach of Michigan.

[jtstang]

Hate to hear you're not a supporter of men's hoops at SMU. I really think we ought to deemphsize football and reallocate resources to basketball, since we could turn that program around faster. It must suck to have your one favorite SMU sport be so far in the toilet it can't see the light of day. Oh well, you always got "Lost" to fall back on.

[DickerJames]

I also e-mailed Mr. Cowlishaw and thanked him for putting our current administrations failures in print. When your football team can't compete in the WAC or C-USA, changes need to be made.

[WorldStang]

Hate to hear you're not a supporter of men's hoops at SMU. I really think we ought to deemphsize football and reallocate resources to basketball, since we could turn that program around faster. It must suck to have your one favorite SMU sport be so far in the toilet it can't see the light of day. Oh well, you always got "Lost" to fall back on.

I COMPLETELY AGREE.. much much easier to turn around a basketball team than football team. Get basketball going and just maybe.. unlikely, but maybe breathe life into football by getting us some national attention in something other than the country club/olympic sports.

[SMU Football Blog]

Hate to hear you're not a supporter of men's hoops at SMU. I really think we ought to deemphsize football and reallocate resources to basketball, since we could turn that program around faster. It must suck to have your one favorite SMU sport be so far in the toilet it can't see the light of day. Oh well, you always got "Lost" to fall back on.

I don't disagree. I have said much the same thing before. I will only point out the nice 35,000 seat building at the corner of Bishop and Mockingbird to let you know that the decision has been made.

[RE Tycoon]

Below is my letter to Cowlishaw:

Nice shot across the bow, but please, next time aim straight for the hull. The ship is sinking anyway.

I still go to every SMU home game. I will probably try and find a bar that has CSTV and watch the SMU-Marshall game, or cave and buy the directv sports package so I can watch it at home. I huddle next to the radio and listen to games when there is no TV as if I lived in the 1930s.

Copeland's single achievement was the construction of Ford Stadium, done at an unprecedented time of SMU fund-raising where many SMU alums were giving away cash left and right as evidenced by the other new construction on campus. He may have had a vision, but he got lucky and help from a brilliant fund-raiser for an SMU President in Turner.

This goes beyond Cavan, Dement and Bennett. If you look at the record of SMU coaches during Copeland's tenure, those that are successful, Coach Hyndman in particular, were hired before Copeland came to SMU. The loan exception is arguably Men's golf coach Jay Loar who reached the NCAA's last year. By the way, Coach Tubbs' season was disappointing last year and this year will be no different with the academic ineligibility of Brian Hopkins. And the local basketball recruiting that Tubbs was brought in for has not panned out as all but one top recruiting prospect (Darrell Arthur) has committed elsewhere; I fully expect Arthur to commit elsewhere by the end of October.

In 2002, a "Commitment" was announced. That "Commitment" was little more than a $20,000,000.00 fund-raising effort that has been an abject failure. They have been trying to raise money for a new facade for Moody Colosseum for years and a practice facility, yet there has been no announcement because Copeland cannot raise the money.

In 1995, Kathy Harasta wrote that Cavan may be SMU's last head coach. She was wrong only because SMU built a beautiful football stadium, which breathed new life into SMU football. SMU football is once again on life support. Whatever momentum was created by building Ford Stadium and beating Kansas in that first game is gone. There are a precious few fans left.

I understand that SMU is not Nebraska or Notre Dame and must give a coach time turn a program around. I understand the benefit of patience. But at some point, with two senior quarterbacks and 22 returning starters, I expect to see improvement. SMU still has an inept offense, a weak defense and incompetent special teams. The only way to describe the performance against Tulane is lethargic. I planned on giving Bennett five years because I expected SMU to play better in 2005. With the exception of a game against TCU and a quarter against A&M, there has been zero evidence of improvement as exemplified by less than 50 net passing yards against Tulane.

But this isn't about Bennett. It is about Copeland. And it is about SMU. SMU needs to do what is necessary to legitimately compete at the college level. SMU needs to emulate its national and traditional rivals, and its chief rival TCU in particular. Copeland has been ineffective in leading SMU athletics in that direction. Copeland has been ineffective is bringing about the necessary changes to SMU admissions policies, the curriculum and the budget.

Whether you believe Bennett should be fired next week, next month or next year, you must believe that Jim Copeland cannot be responsible for that decision. More importantly, Jim Copeland cannot be responsible for hiring his successor. I don't know about the alumni that cut the checks, but the alumni that buy the tickets have completely lost confidence in Jim Copeland.

Copeland must be relieved of his duties. His successor must drag SMU, its board of trustees, its faculty and even its alumni, kicking and screaming into the modern world that is college athletics.

Nice little letter you wrote Blog. You should aslo submit this as a letter to the editor.

[Diehard Pony]

In addition to Copeland's hires Cowlishaw should've mentioned the demise of men's track on his watch.

That has more to do with Title IX than anything else...

Which sport would you have cut?

GRGB,

Title IX plays a role, but I suspect the lack of revenues from our FB and BB teams over the past 18 years played a bigger role.

SoCal, I agree with you completely. Everyone should note that TCU still has track and baseball, as an example.

[RE Tycoon]

I just received a response from the email I sent TC and he agreed that Copeland is most likely the problem. He also said that he thinks Bennett is just one of those people who is not cut out to be a head coach. I definitely agree with him regarding Copeland, and I'm starting to agree that Bennett may be better suited as a DC.

[SMU Football Blog]

In addition to Copeland's hires Cowlishaw should've mentioned the demise of men's track on his watch.

That has more to do with Title IX than anything else...

Which sport would you have cut?

GRGB,

Title IX plays a role, but I suspect the lack of revenues from our FB and BB teams over the past 18 years played a bigger role.

SoCal, I agree with you completely. Everyone should note that TCU still has track and baseball, as an example.

I know we like to think no other school has ever had these problems, but TCU had men's soccer until 2000. And they don't anymore for the same reasons we don't have track and baseball. I'd like to have both, too. But we don't.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Bennett may be better suited as a DC.

Sure isnt good with the offense. We know that for sure. Not that we've had one for the past few years.