Regrets hiring Morris?

[JohnnyRock]

Were any other coaches seriously considered before Morris was hired? I know Herman said publicly about the SMU job that he will not go somewhere that is not fully committed to winning. Montgomery at Tulsa is having great success. Was he considered? Temple's coach is doing well also. There is an argument that the team is improving and young but every SMU team is young for some reason. Our conference competition is improving also and several teams are recruiting better than SMU despite the staff's recruiting efforts. It is funny how SMU has yet to put a shovel in the ground on the indoor practice facility. How many more years will go by before it is built? Morris has shown us how to lose a fan base - get slaughtered by an unranked conference opponent on homecoming.

[longbuzzer]

I look at the future and Morris like I look at my stock market strategy.

In the market, I'm currently heavy on IoT (internet of things). The companies I buy stock in are long term, big return plays. I don't care about today.

This strategy has worked just fine for the past three decades.

Morris is a long term, big time play in my opinion.

So my answer is, no I don't regret hiring Morris. I wish we would have hired him two years earlier.

[SMUfrat]

year 3 will be the true test. Look at USF... uphill battle and they are doing pretty good now. Should be ranked IMO.

Chad needs 2 years of recruits to do anything. If by year 3 we arent bowling... then i think we should start looking for real answers. If we don't bowl in year three or four, i say that is enough to move on. but we arent there yet, and probably will never be at that point.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

I think all the guys you mention were considered. Not sure any of them thus far would have done much better here. Comparing what Herman inherited to Chad is really "apples to oranges". At this time I don't have any regrets that SMU hired Coach Morris. It's not like Saban, Dabo, Chris Petersen, or Urban Meyer were coming here. Chad and his staff appear to be very good, hard working recruiters. If Coach Morris sticks around hopefully we can be very competitive in this conference. Attendance has to be a major bummer to recruits considering SMU. Heck I'm not sure winning 6-7 games a year is going to solve that major problem. It may take 9-10 win seasons to make much of a dent in attendance.

[PerunasHoof]

Herman interviewed at SMU. We decided not to hire him. I think that was a good decision, not sure if his attitude would have gone over well at SMU. He was a good hire for Houston, and Morris was a good hire for SMU.

Obviously not a great game and kills the momentum we had, but anyone who really thought we would be winning 6+ games this year with a team mainly consisting of underclassmen and a back-up QB had their expectations a little high. Next year is where the real fun starts.

[CalallenStang]

What Herman inherited at UH and what Montgomery inherited at Tulsa cannot be compared with what Morris inherited at SMU. I think all three were the right fits for the jobs to be done at the schools that hired them

[GoMustAAngs2007]

I generally agree with the points made above. I don't regret SMU hiring Coach Morris. The hire was almost universally praised at the time especially given the state of the program.

I do agree that the staff deserves criticism for Saturday's performance. Things lined up nicely for attracting new fans: Homecoming weekend with a lot of alumni and families in town that may not have attended a game in a while, two game winning streak including the first win over a ranked opponent in five years and the team drops an absolute turd. Everyone left campus thinking, "same old SMU football."

While we should absolutely expect a winning record and a bowl game in 2017, this conference is proving to be far more competitive than previous slates in the WAC and C-USA. All of our conference foes have their own $1 million + head coaches trying to make a name for themselves.

We just need Morris and staff to continue building depth and experience on the roster. They were basically starting from scratch after the 2014 season.

[Rebel10]

1st year coach Mike Norvell inherited a better team as well.

[PerunaPunch]

It is interesting to me how when the team performs about to the expectation that everyone hoped for (most knowledgeable folks I talked to were hoping to double our win total from last year – i.e. 4+ wins), that PonyFans are see mingling wanting to set fire to the place.

I think the problem is that A) one of the 4 wins came against Houston, which set expectations overly high, and B) we got blown out in front of a homecoming crowd when PonyFans are desperate to support Coach Morris and the team by increasing attendance. I can attest to the fact that I was none too thrilled that my father (a 4-yr letterman from the class of '61) drove in from out-of-state to attend this debacle.

All the being said, I think a sign that the team is improving is that we are now occasionally winning games we shouldn't. Hopefully we'll get to #5 against ECU.

[PoconoPony]

No regrets hiring Morris. This site and the premium web sites made it very clear at the time of hiring the dismal state of the talent level. Every one who posts here was well aware that JJ had basically given up and did nothing after the ASU fiasco. We all knew this rebuild was going to take at least 5 years and a special coach to be successful. Morris has dramatically up graded the talent level and for the most part made the team somewhat competitive in contrast to the last 2 years of JJ. Any realistic person understands that this year is a transition year and only part of the building process. You cannot play predominantly frosh, red shirt frosh and sophomores and really compete without the tribulations that come with such young players and a young staff. It is what it is; a young developing team that needs far more talent, depth, experience, maturity and physical strength to be highly competitive. Relax and support the kids and staff as there are real limits that will take several more years to over come.

[Digetydog]

Herman interviewed at SMU. We decided not to hire him. I think that was a good decision, not sure if his attitude would have gone over well at SMU. He was a good hire for Houston, and Morris was a good hire for SMU.

Obviously not a great game and kills the momentum we had, but anyone who really thought we would be winning 6+ games this year with a team mainly consisting of underclassmen and a back-up QB had their expectations a little high. Next year is where the real fun starts.

After inheriting a roster with holes the size of Texas in it, Morris has doubled the win total from the prior season in his first two seasons on The Hilltop. But for a rash of injuries, SMU would have had a real shot at being Bowl Eligible today and almost certainly would have 5 wins (Tulsa).

[Oldmins]

Herman interviewed at SMU. We decided not to hire him. I think that was a good decision, not sure if his attitude would have gone over well at SMU. He was a good hire for Houston, and Morris was a good hire for SMU.

Obviously not a great game and kills the momentum we had, but anyone who really thought we would be winning 6+ games this year with a team mainly consisting of underclassmen and a back-up QB had their expectations a little high. Next year is where the real fun starts.

Just curious. What is there about "his attitude" that would go against him at SMU? i've heard that criticism before, but have never known what "his attitude" was that was so bad.

[mustangxc]

My only complaint is the same one I had when we hired him and it is his salary. I don't understand why he was given a substantially larger contract than Herman and Montgomery. I understand Herman now has a bigger contract. The money really doesn't affect the results and it is not my money so it is unimportant. I do think the team has made satisfactory progress under Morris so any complaints are premature. There are no guarantees, but things are pointing in the right direction despite this embarrassing loss to Memphis.

[peruna81]

I have about the same regrets in hiring Morris as TCU does about hiring Patterson

[Rebel10]

My only complaint is the same one I had when we hired him and it is his salary. I don't understand why he was given a substantially larger contract than Herman and Montgomery. I understand Herman now has a bigger contract. The money really doesn't affect the results and it is not my money so it is unimportant. I do think the team has made satisfactory progress under Morris so any complaints are premature. There are no guarantees, but things are pointing in the right direction despite this embarrassing loss to Memphis.

HCCM's salary is about the same as June Jones if not a little less. He was already making 1.3 million per year at Clemson so he was not coming here for less than that or even the same. And SMU was in a mess and needed a total rebuild. And he had turned down P5 jobs in the past that offered more than SMU is paying him. I mean Willie Fritz and Seth Littrell are both making 1.5 million per year. And Scott Frost at UCF is making about the same as HCCM at 2 million per year.