Doh Talk from the DMN

[ponydawg]

For those that don't visit the DMN blog, most of the DMN writers have talked about it......a lot more positive then negative. Doesn't mean much but worth a read.....

http://sportssay.beloblog.com/



Welcome Matt

In checking Matt Doherty's resume, it's obvious that he doesn't believe in 30-year mortgages. Hope SMU doesn't have any long-term plans with him.

Posted by Barry Horn at 11:10 AM (E-mail this entry)

More than a coaching change

Matt Doherty's hiring could be a sign that things are changing at SMU (assuming he gets "approved" by the 18-person search committee).

This is a "name" hire. When was the last time SMU did that? Football people knew about Phil Bennett, but he had never been a head coach before. And it sounds like Doherty will be paid a nice salary, which is also somewhat new for SMU.

No disrespect to Jimmy Tubbs, who is as likeable as any coach I've met, but the Doherty hire is a significant upgrade. You're replacing someone whose previous head coaching experience was at Kimball High 16 years ago with someone who's been a head coach at Notre Dame and North Carolina.

Doherty has baggage from his UNC burnout, but as far as risky hires go, it's on the lowest end of the scale. If his biggest fault is that he's too demanding, things are going to be shaken up on the Hilltop. This is the signature hire for new AD Steve Orsini (who hasn't officially even started yet). Other than the building of Ford Stadium, this is the boldest move by SMU athletics in 20 years.

Posted by Keith Whitmire at 11:10 AM (E-mail this entry)

What am I missing here?

If Calvin Watkins weren't so busy keeping everybody informed about SMU's basketball goings-on, I'd sit him down and ask him to explain what I'm missing about the money situation.

(Great job, by the way, Calvin ... let me see what I can do about getting Uncle Belo to throw a little something extra in your paycheck.)

So, SMU is hiring this guy for $600,000 (that's the amount including incentives). Now, he was making $171,000 before, right?

And Tubbs was around $375,000, right?

Uh ... I barely escaped my Statistics 316 class at UT, so I'm not exactly Mensa-worthy in math. But it seems like there's a number between 600,000 and 171,000 that probably would have attracted Doherty.

This sounds like my infamous "reverse haggling" fiasco in London, where I got confused on the currency (assisted by one of those stout London beers, I believe) and actually haggled a local vendor the wrong way. DallasNews.com's Todd Davis witnessed the currency chaos.

Posted by Steve Davis at 11:14 AM (E-mail this entry)

Matt Doherty

I don't know if I like this hire. After all, it's kind of hard to get run out of town by your alma mater but that's what happened to Doherty - and quickly.

Any of you SMU experts (Whitmire) or rooty-poot private school graduates (Mosley) or any of the Northwestern mafia (Horn and Blackistone) got an opinion?

Posted by Jean-Jacques Taylor at 11:15 AM (E-mail this entry)

Re: Welcome Matt, etc.

1. It's OK that Doherty is well-traveled. If he leaves SMU for a big-time program, that means he's elevated SMU and made it a better job for the next coach.

2. SMU overpaid to hire Doherty a year too early, rather than a year too late. If SMU offered a salary closer to what Doherty was making at Florida Atlantic, then my guess is Doherty passes and waits for a better offer to come along. Chances are, he was going to keep improving FAU and he has the name value a BCS school would go after. Remember, it's a risk for Doherty, too, because of the current NCAA investigation and the fact no SMU basketball coach has left for a better job since Dave Bliss.

3. Yes, he got run out by his alma mater. There are plenty of stories about his behavior at UNC, just as there are stories about how he's learned from that experience. No hire is without risk, but the risks involved with Doherty are minimal compared to the reward if he returns to his Golden Boy status. He certainly couldn't bring SMU basketball down much lower than it already is.

Posted by Keith Whitmire at 11:50 AM (E-mail this entry)

RE: Matt Doherty

Sorry, Jacques, SMU made a wise move in getting Doherty to be their coach. Why? Look what we're doing. We're talking SMU basketball and that doesn't happen too often. Doherty brings name value to the Mustangs, which will help recruiting. I understand Jimmy Tubbs had some solid local high school ties, but how many of those guys had he actually signed during his tenure?

To give him that kind of cake, to me, says the university will attempt to compete and upgrade its facilities and add to the basketball budget. Doherty has proven he can recruit - I believe he signed the bulk of the UNC class that won a title two years ago, although there were some, shall we say, chemistry issues on the club that even Roy Williams had to pick through.

Can't wait until SMU plays Tulsa when Doherty meets former assistant and good friend Doug Wojcik in Conference USA play.

Posted by Todd Archer at 11:51 AM (E-mail this entry)

Glad you asked, JJ

Mr. Doherty may indeed be a welcomed Matt on the Hilltop and may do great things in his short stay. I believe, however, I had a better candidate. This coach went to the NCAA Tournament last year, has a big name and recruits well in Dallas. But my source (Calvin Watkins) tells me that he was never even considered.

I think Oral Roberts' Scott Sutton would have been an interesting choice who would have planted roots and done real well. He even has that Doherty grey going.

There is one caveat to my expertise. I nailed Mike Dement as a great hire.

Posted by Barry Horn at 12:02 PM (E-mail this entry)

Re: Golden Boy Doherty

As part of SportsDay's SMU alumni base, here's my two cents:

What a great first hire for new AD Steve Orsini. It helps bring some instant name recognition to the Hilltop, which is never a bad thing, and might actually do some good in getting fans inside Moody again.

The last sellout was nearly five years ago when Texas Tech fans easily outnumbered SMU faithful. The intimacy of the place is up there with Cameron Indoor Stadium, but Moody will never get that respect until its fans show up. With a proven track record in landing quality recruits that play exciting basketball, Doherty has the ability to make that happen.

Besides, with a name like Matt, he's got to be good.

Posted by Matt Jacob at 12:33 PM (E-mail this entry)

[Bergermeister]

Nothing new (as usual) here. SOS. Some things never change.