Sonny to leave for Tech?

[Water Pony]

The majority of the posts above suggest our Administration (Turner and Hart) have ignored or not considered many of the recent events with the possible exception of OU and UT surprise move to the SEC.

I assume the opposite. Sonny's contract situation, working the phones on conference alignment, modernizing Ford and seeking commitments from our most active and generous alumni and supporters are top of mind to everyone, including the Board of Trustees.

Since we actually don't know what steps have been considered and/or taken, I full expect that Sonny has been part of planning and he will be incented to both stay and be part of SMU Ignited, especially with regard to our future on the FB Field. He is in a unique situation where he can help create a better future for us and an amazing legacy for him and his family.

I would rather assume the above than assume the worst; but that is just me.

[peruna81]

I would imagine that this is an interesting next few weeks for the Dykes family. Interest from other schools, a team that is sitting pretty, talk of conference alignment, renovation and upgrades of facilities...and balancing a young family and their desires.

Sonny has roots here in Dallas...his dad was in Dallas and he grew up around Mustang Mania. It was formative to th man he is today.. He also has Tech ties, obviously.

A good "problem" for all of us, when you think about it.

[dr rc]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the admin supposed to do about a fanbase that refuses to show up to games? That's the #1 reason SMU did not get an invite to the Big 12.

I think on average the alums are showing but we are generating zero interest from non-alums. Dallas folks are spoiled when it comes to sports where they only want to watch P5 and NFL games not Cinderella teams.

The alums are not really doing a good job of showing up TBH. There are 61k in DFW alone and 135k worldwide (w/most being in Texas). https://www.smu.edu/admission/academics/supportresources/networking

The attendances that are noticeably less than the announced numbers of sold tickets are just not good enough. SMU should be able to pull a minimum of 25k just off alumni based in Texas for each game. For whatever reason they just don't want to come.

[Charleston Pony]

haha, at my age I am thrilled to see the sun shine each day. Sorry that you don't think LB was given a crappy deal that was designed to run him off. Then the acceptance of a charlatan for a coach to replace and refusal to make a change.
Do you also refute that many times we just shoot ourselves in the foot?

I am hopeful that perhaps the fball $$ supporters will step up and make sure we don't lose one of the best coaches we have had in years.

I was thrilled when little SMU was able to hire Larry Brown who had been shunned by the NBA and thought he was going to be taking over a Big East program, but yes...it was disappointing our administration didn't support him and let him be the guy to bring us back from that probation. While Larry was the key to building that bball program, I haven't forgotten that it was Jank who brought us Nic Moore (probably over LB's objection) who was clearly the "straw that stirred the drink". Remember Larry wanted "length" in all his players and ran off JFrog because he wasn't about to have 2 guys under 6 ft on his roster. While Jank was brought in as HCIW to replace LB if his age got the best of him, I thought he did a really good job during Larry's suspension and that 1st year with the talented roster he inherited.

I will admit to being disappointed in recent seasons, but I'm impressed by the roster Jank & staff have been able to build for this season. Time will tell but I'm reluctant to criticize coaches because as the saying goes "Jank has undoubtedly forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know". I personally am pulling for him and this year's team but agree the leash should be a very short one at this point. And yes, the re-seat money grab was a fiasco and very poorly timed. That's on our A.D. Finally...I hope SMU is able to keep Sonny but if money becomes an issue, that's out of my hands. If conference affiliation is ultimately the deciding factor, that problem goes way back to Ken Pye and SMU's reaction to the death penalty but yes, I will agree that RGT & Hart may have done more. If people want to criticize RGT for SMU's standing in various rankings of colleges and universities, my beef would be "how on earth has SMU become one of the most expensive schools in the entire country?" I'm fortunate to have attended in the early 70's because there is no way I would have attended SMU at today's cost.

[SMU_Alum11]

Wow surprise by the number and yeah we should be able to pull more than 35% of them coming to the games which isn't including family and friends so it's got to be less than 35%. Wow depressing. I wish they could do some type of survey to find out the root causes for why they aren't coming to the games:

1) Don't like football?
2) Too difficult to park and commute?
3) $13.10 tickets still too expensive
4) What can be added to the stadium and experience to get you here?

I'm sure we have excellent marketing major alums (maybe even on this board) that could do a decent data grab.

[Dukie]

Obviously the Texas Tech job becomes more attractive with Texas and OU departing as they now have a better opportunity to win Big XII Championships, but this might come down to Dallas vs Lubbock (which dramatically different location/lifestyle do you prefer?) along with pay & benefits. Not sure Tech necessarily has recruiting advantages so given the new NIL rules, the BOLD program and the shear number of athletes available in the DFW area, Sonny would probably be as successful at SMU than he would be at Tech, regardless of conference affiliation. We can only hope he and his family love Dallas and the Circle of Champions loves him (and his staff, I should add)

I’m not so sure that losing UT and OU from the schedule but adding UCF and Houston makes Tech more attractive…

[Charleston Pony]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the admin supposed to do about a fanbase that refuses to show up to games? That's the #1 reason SMU did not get an invite to the Big 12.

I think on average the alums are showing but we are generating zero interest from non-alums. Dallas folks are spoiled when it comes to sports where they only want to watch P5 and NFL games not Cinderella teams.

When you factor in families and even neighbors/friends, SMU has plenty of nearby alumni to fill a 30k stadium 6 times a year. SMU's attendance problem reflects the general apathy of SMU students and alumni towards athletics. We Ponyfans are the exception rather than the rule. I think the same is true at most schools, i.e., a large percentage of students and alumni not being interested in sports, but with SMU being one of the most expensive schools in the country, we have an elitist image that the average Joe college football fan simply doesn't identify with. I hope the SMU as Dallas' team can change that but as the cost of attending makes SMU even more exclusive than it has been, it's a tall hill to climb. Not sure what effect the Cowboys' success has. At one point, I thought a losing professional team might drive more fans to watch a winning SMU program but I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive. I think it's true that Dallas loves a winner and as we saw in the hey days of Moody, SMU can be "the place to be and to be seen" if we have a high profile nationally. Let's just hope that starting Saturday vs Houston, our guys can continue making this a magical season because it is sorely needed.

[Charleston Pony]

Obviously the Texas Tech job becomes more attractive with Texas and OU departing as they now have a better opportunity to win Big XII Championships, but this might come down to Dallas vs Lubbock (which dramatically different location/lifestyle do you prefer?) along with pay & benefits. Not sure Tech necessarily has recruiting advantages so given the new NIL rules, the BOLD program and the shear number of athletes available in the DFW area, Sonny would probably be as successful at SMU than he would be at Tech, regardless of conference affiliation. We can only hope he and his family love Dallas and the Circle of Champions loves him (and his staff, I should add)

I’m not so sure that losing UT and OU from the schedule but adding UCF and Houston makes Tech more attractive…

From the perspective of a coach under pressure to win?

[PonyPride]

For what it's worth: Texas Tech has now fired football head coach Matt Wells.

[GoStangs11]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the admin supposed to do about a fanbase that refuses to show up to games? That's the #1 reason SMU did not get an invite to the Big 12.

I think on average the alums are showing but we are generating zero interest from non-alums. Dallas folks are spoiled when it comes to sports where they only want to watch P5 and NFL games not Cinderella teams.

When you factor in families and even neighbors/friends, SMU has plenty of nearby alumni to fill a 30k stadium 6 times a year. SMU's attendance problem reflects the general apathy of SMU students and alumni towards athletics. We Ponyfans are the exception rather than the rule. I think the same is true at most schools, i.e., a large percentage of students and alumni not being interested in sports, but with SMU being one of the most expensive schools in the country, we have an elitist image that the average Joe college football fan simply doesn't identify with. I hope the SMU as Dallas' team can change that but as the cost of attending makes SMU even more exclusive than it has been, it's a tall hill to climb. Not sure what effect the Cowboys' success has. At one point, I thought a losing professional team might drive more fans to watch a winning SMU program but I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive. I think it's true that Dallas loves a winner and as we saw in the hey days of Moody, SMU can be "the place to be and to be seen" if we have a high profile nationally. Let's just hope that starting Saturday vs Houston, our guys can continue making this a magical season because it is sorely needed.

The fact is there is no interest from Dallas alumni that graduated in the last 40 years. There is a decent showing from people who live nearby that were around during the 60s through the 80s who have an emotional connection to the program. We need to win NOW to generate excitement among young alumni and keep them engaged.

[indianmustang]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... att-wells/

[Rla1022]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the admin supposed to do about a fanbase that refuses to show up to games? That's the #1 reason SMU did not get an invite to the Big 12.

I think on average the alums are showing but we are generating zero interest from non-alums. Dallas folks are spoiled when it comes to sports where they only want to watch P5 and NFL games not Cinderella teams.

When you factor in families and even neighbors/friends, SMU has plenty of nearby alumni to fill a 30k stadium 6 times a year. SMU's attendance problem reflects the general apathy of SMU students and alumni towards athletics. We Ponyfans are the exception rather than the rule. I think the same is true at most schools, i.e., a large percentage of students and alumni not being interested in sports, but with SMU being one of the most expensive schools in the country, we have an elitist image that the average Joe college football fan simply doesn't identify with. I hope the SMU as Dallas' team can change that but as the cost of attending makes SMU even more exclusive than it has been, it's a tall hill to climb. Not sure what effect the Cowboys' success has. At one point, I thought a losing professional team might drive more fans to watch a winning SMU program but I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive. I think it's true that Dallas loves a winner and as we saw in the hey days of Moody, SMU can be "the place to be and to be seen" if we have a high profile nationally. Let's just hope that starting Saturday vs Houston, our guys can continue making this a magical season because it is sorely needed.

The thing that most fail to think through is that much of the recent alumni base (2008 and 2010 for me) have younger children and live north of 635 or even 121. We’ve been to 2 this year , Homecoming and Tulane. A Thursday night game is the worst coming from work from home in Frisco to get to a 6:30 game. We barely made it to the parking lot by 6:15. Had school and work the next morning so listened to the rest on the way home when we left at 9:30. Saturdays our 15 year old works (no drivers license) has athletics etc… We usually make 2 games a year. I’d rather watch from the Shark bar on 121 and drink cheaper / better drinks then deal with all the hassle.


PS… I am actually going to the Cincy game though meeting my dad in Louisville for a weekend.

[PonyKris89]

Sonny is building his own legacy here, SMU above TTech and will continue that trend.
He has a great thing going here. And the Reagor-Dykes bad publicity in Lubbock is not going away soon, hangover for sure in Lubbock on that count.

[BUS]

Bottom line.
Sonny is going to coach where his wife wants to raise and educate their children. They have plenty of money already.... Unless you have money as your god. That is NOT what I read Sonny as.

What is life about?... working to make the world a better place. I think Sonny and family like it here and are making a difference right here.

Be up front with the salary, pay well for the assistants and win.

Go Mustangs.

[SMU_Alum11]

I think on average the alums are showing but we are generating zero interest from non-alums. Dallas folks are spoiled when it comes to sports where they only want to watch P5 and NFL games not Cinderella teams.

When you factor in families and even neighbors/friends, SMU has plenty of nearby alumni to fill a 30k stadium 6 times a year. SMU's attendance problem reflects the general apathy of SMU students and alumni towards athletics. We Ponyfans are the exception rather than the rule. I think the same is true at most schools, i.e., a large percentage of students and alumni not being interested in sports, but with SMU being one of the most expensive schools in the country, we have an elitist image that the average Joe college football fan simply doesn't identify with. I hope the SMU as Dallas' team can change that but as the cost of attending makes SMU even more exclusive than it has been, it's a tall hill to climb. Not sure what effect the Cowboys' success has. At one point, I thought a losing professional team might drive more fans to watch a winning SMU program but I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive. I think it's true that Dallas loves a winner and as we saw in the hey days of Moody, SMU can be "the place to be and to be seen" if we have a high profile nationally. Let's just hope that starting Saturday vs Houston, our guys can continue making this a magical season because it is sorely needed.

The thing that most fail to think through is that much of the recent alumni base (2008 and 2010 for me) have younger children and live north of 635 or even 121. We’ve been to 2 this year , Homecoming and Tulane. A Thursday night game is the worst coming from work from home in Frisco to get to a 6:30 game. We barely made it to the parking lot by 6:15. Had school and work the next morning so listened to the rest on the way home when we left at 9:30. Saturdays our 15 year old works (no drivers license) has athletics etc… We usually make 2 games a year. I’d rather watch from the Shark bar on 121 and drink cheaper / better drinks then deal with all the hassle.


PS… I am actually going to the Cincy game though meeting my dad in Louisville for a weekend.

Yup, thank God for good in laws otherwise I would have been one of 300k that tuned into the show. I was able to get off work and hit the boulevard with 3 others (trying to do my part). I can definitely understand the issue. I had to skip ACU and USF because of that reason. I'm hoping to make the UCF game but chances aren't looking too good and no way to make road trips.