Those Who Were Around - Does this feel like Ron Meyer

[Dwan]

part two?

The confidence, the salesmanship, the vision, the young staff....feels similar to what I have read about Ron

[Stallion]

Yep

Ron Meyer was slicker and more polished but I mean that in a bad way-he was always an outsider who nobody trusted from Day 1. Morris in more Texas and is the ultimate insider and has the solid backing from the Coaches

[ponyte]

Some similarities to be sure but still different. Meyer brought flash and style. He also did things his way. Example, Meyer recruited year round. Back then, summer was off limits to recruiting. Not to Meyer. Meyer sent his staff out t recruit on Friday nights. Used the available planes to fly folks all over Texas. The Friday practices were run my Meyer and his OC and DC. All other coaches were gone.

These two activities were revolutionary recruiting tactics back then.

I have not seen much of CM but he doesn't have the flash, style or showmanship of Meyer and I don't know how innovative he will be with the recruiting process.

These are not knocks at CM, just some differences between Meyer and CM at this point.

[ftworthmustang]

part two?

The confidence, the salesmanship, the vision, the young staff....feels similar to what I have read about Ron

When I saw the press conference, that was exactly what I thought. Similar personalities.

[Boston Pony]

Coach Meyer, who had success at Purdue (Rose Bowl), Cowboys (Scout), and UNLV, was perfect for Dallas at that point. He is a great salesman (still is) and was successful for SMU in a timeframe that was dog eat dog in Texas. The staff was a mix of young and experienced that could recruit anywhere, so the 'Texas' connection wasn't as important a 'hook' for them. It took more than one year to get the top recruits (it was a couple of years the '79 class). The big first year recruit was Mike Ford (Mesquite QB). He was considered a top recruit and a steal for SMU. I tend to compare to effect Keith Frazier has made on BB recruiting.

[orguy]

Yep

Ron Meyer was slicker and more polished but I mean that in a bad way-he was always an outsider who nobody trusted from Day 1. Morris in more Texas and is the ultimate insider and has the solid backing from the Coaches

Disagree. SMU has always been a school of outsiders in more than one sense of the word but I digress.

Coach Meyer was SMU in many ways back then. Personally, I liked the guy and so did many
in this area. Takes an "insider" to recruit the likes of Dickerson/James regardless of the overblown "money" angle. Meyer sold SMU well. A likeable ingratiating charismatic individual.

[orguy]

Coach Meyer, who had success at Purdue (Rose Bowl), Cowboys (Scout), and UNLV, was perfect for Dallas at that point. He is a great salesman (still is) and was successful for SMU in a timeframe that was dog eat dog in Texas. The staff was a mix of young and experienced that could recruit anywhere, so the 'Texas' connection wasn't as important a 'hook' for them. It took more than one year to get the top recruits (it was a couple of years the '79 class). The big first year recruit was Mike Ford (Mesquite QB). He was considered a top recruit and a steal for SMU. I tend to compare to effect Keith Frazier has made on BB recruiting.

Well put. Fond memories of Coach Meyer.

[Nacho]

meyer helped to get us the dp but we still love him.

morris has a great personality. i'm hoping he does a great job. i know he is going to give it his best shot.

[Boston Pony]

My brother played for him at Purdue and they still often talk football. He is still active in coaching fraternity, even talked to NFL about development league.

[smumustang1980]

I remember his first Press conference in '76. He said he would have SMU win the Southwest Conference in five years, and he was true to his word. All the local sports media thought he was crazy. He said he'd take it to Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the Ponies played a good first half in '76.

He played to win.

Dickerson admires him as do others.

[masterbeater]

My favorite Ron Meyer quote: "Winning cures cancer."

[orguy]

meyer helped to get us the dp but we still love him.

morris has a great personality. i'm hoping he does a great job. i know he is going to give it his best shot.

You must not have been around back then Nacho. Blame the higher ups on the Board and their arrogance for getting SMU the DP. William P Redneck? Ever heard of the SMU dropout on the board of trustees? Former GOP governor of the state?

Ron Meyers contribution/role in getting SMU the DP is nill if one looks at the facts.

[smumustang1980]

Governor Clements was no redneck... A sharp, entrepreneur. His fault was thinking SMU could act like A&M and UT and get away with the same in a media hotspot such as Dallas.

Clements was the first Republican Governor of Texas in '78 since Reconstruction and the damn Yankees...

[orguy]

Far from being sharp "the gov" was every bit the dimwit who failed out of SMU Engineering with more than one "F" on his transcript.

[gostangs]

you may not have liked his personality or his situational ethics, but Clements was no dummy - and saying so just makes you look like one. He did some amazing things philanthropy wise for Dallas and for SMU. Made one REALLY bad decision to continue the last of the payments instead of telling the players to pound sand - and for that his reputation is rightfully harmed forever - a good lesson for all of us.

Meyer was highly involved in the death penalty - Collins and crew were just executing the same plan he put in place. Don't be a knucklehead - the guy pinned 100 bills up on high school bulletin boards.

In any event there is no need to dig up the archeology - there are really no comparisons between the two other than effort and energy - which is not a bad thing.