WHEN WILL YOU PEOPLE SEE THE REAL PROBLEM? NAME COACH NEEDED

[Stallion]

Bill Bennett should be fired because he has a terrible gambling problem.

[NickSMU17]

How can everyone not be embrrassed by what occured at UNT? I have been a loyal Cubs fan for many years and understand dissapointment, but I realize there is a point when you make a change and try to revive peoples faith. This happens to be a double this year as SMU sucks and the Cubs Suck. Just as the cubs will be firing Dusty (greatest coach in the world until bartman) SMU needs to fire Bennet (greatest SMU coach until UNT). To high of expectations for both teams to only get embarrased during the season. Stop trying to cloud over reality, the UNT loss was awful and inexcusable.

[Ikus]

Again, you people are missing the point. Bill Walsh couldn't take SMU in the right direction with the players we presently have. Plus, I think Bill Bennett is a garbage recruiter. I mean can you imagine that scary guy Bennett, with that Crazy Mustache and all coming into your house and trying to recruit you? Bottom line point, without a "NAME" Coach, who can say you know me and you know what I have done in the past, a really top level player will never attend SMU.

Aside from the fact that you don't know who our coach is, you also don't know him. I've met him several times, and I've heard stories from lots of people -- players, other coaches, etc. The fact is Coach Bennett (first name: PHIL) absolutely CAN recruit. He's charismatic as hell, funny, bright, etc. Recruits like him. Parents like him. It's true, he does have a mustache, but look around -- so do many other coaches. Sit and talk with Coach Bennett for a while and I think you'll realize it's completely harmless.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

re:I mean can you imagine that scary guy Bennett, with that Crazy Mustache and all coming into your house and trying to recruit you

I agree somewhat....

Don't get me wrong Coach Phil is a nice enough guy,
but he seems more like the manager of your local
Firestone Tire Store than someone you want to hand your
son over to for the next four years to develop into a man.
Nice but charisma? I think not. We do need a big name coach
that can "wow" the recruits and parents.

I sometimes think Coach Phil is just "in over his head" being
a head coach and is much better suited to be be a very good
defensive coordinator. I am sure if Orsini cans him Coach Phil
will have a job very quickly as a DC soon after his dismissal
from SMU.

[ponyte]

Well, we have "Been at" this before. We have demanded and fired every coach since Ron Meyers. Exactly has does firing a coach during the season help us win the next game? How does demanding that we fire a coach as soon as the season ends help us win the next game? Which mastermind coach will come and save this season? How delusional are we?

We are the same people that have call for the same solution for decades. Fire the coach and find a newer and better coach. That will solve all problems. At least give everyone a nod for decades old consistence to a decades old problem with decades old results.

I am disappointment (now I sound like Tom Daschle) that we have not won squat in two decades. I am saddened by the lack of dedication the University has show towards winning football. It kills me inside to lose to NTSU. And firing the coach doesn't change that one iota. Show me the track record where firing the coach and hiring a new one has worked once in the last two decades!!!!!!

How any coaches do we fire before we get a clue that revolving coaching staffs has not worked for us in the last two decades.

It seems that we wrap the childhood security blanket of “Fire the coach” around our shoulders every week. Please good posters, try to break the oh so comfortable routine of yelling "Fire the coach" and try to be a bit more creative. At least take the one "old reliable" solution off the board for one day. Try some new ideas so there is some variety in opinions on this board. It will be a lot more entertaining than reading "Fire the coach" day in and day out.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

ponyte.....

I hear ya....you make alot of very valid points.

But on the other hand doesn't every college
basically do the same thing?

It seems to me most colleges fire coaches every few years
until they find the right guy....which is not very often.

I mean don't facts bear out that coaching is not
a very stable position?

Everyone is looking for the "right one" and
I see SMU as not really being that much different
from everyone else.

Look at Notre Dame....they fired Willingham pretty
quick and now seem to have found their guy.

A&M may be about to can their guy after a 4-6 years
just like SMU.

Whats so unusal?

[2112]

But before, we had Copeland doing the hires, mebey Orsini can do the trick.

[ponyte]

It isn't that firing a coach isn't a valid option; it is that the only option mention on this board seems to be "fire the coach".

When Meyers took over in the late 1975, SMU lacked championship talent. The crowds were poor (Rice at the Cotton bowl with 6,000 fans). There was no excitement. Instead of firing the coach, SMU brought in Russ Potts as AD. Potts brought out the Mustang Mania campaign. He got butts in the seats. Now during the Mustang Mania era, SMU has ZERO winning seasons. It was the Pony Express that started the winning era. But Mustang Mania did bring people to the stadium and excitement to the Hilltop and that helped Meyers recruit. Potts also embraced the Frank Broyles School of scheduling and started playing cream puffs to pad the schedule. It took imagination and someone to look at the problem with a different perspective to come up with different ideas and solutions to turn around SMU football in the 70s. It wasn't just a "new" coach that turned the corner.

Orsini can hire or fire whomever he deems fit. That is why he gets paid the big bucks. But I hope that ‘hire and fire’ is not the only solution to our decades’ old problem. I hope we have a little more insight and vision to address issues that hamper our efforts to recruit and compete. I hope we put excitement back into SMU football and with that increase our expectations.

[mrydel]

It isn't that firing a coach isn't a valid option; it is that the only option mention on this board seems to be "fire the coach".

When Meyers took over in the late 1975, SMU lacked championship talent. The crowds were poor (Rice at the Cotton bowl with 6,000 fans). There was no excitement. Instead of firing the coach, SMU brought in Russ Potts as AD. Potts brought out the Mustang Mania campaign. He got butts in the seats. Now during the Mustang Mania era, SMU has ZERO winning seasons. It was the Pony Express that started the winning era. But Mustang Mania did bring people to the stadium and excitement to the Hilltop and that helped Meyers recruit. Potts also embraced the Frank Broyles School of scheduling and started playing cream puffs to pad the schedule. It took imagination and someone to look at the problem with a different perspective to come up with different ideas and solutions to turn around SMU football in the 70s. It wasn't just a "new" coach that turned the corner.

Orsini can hire or fire whomever he deems fit. That is why he gets paid the big bucks. But I hope that ‘hire and fire’ is not the only solution to our decades’ old problem. I hope we have a little more insight and vision to address issues that hamper our efforts to recruit and compete. I hope we put excitement back into SMU football and with that increase our expectations.

Kind of enjoyable to read the perspective of someone who witnessed and was a part of a successful program rehabilitation. Now if only the proper steps will be taken. We do need more than just a coach and I get the feeling that Orsini believes that. With or without Bennett (Phil that is) I do not think a coaching change would be the only change made.

[couch 'em]

that makes a lot of sense. He can sell it but he can't do the other things you listed? I feel like I am listening to the same kind of people who said "just give Dave Campo a chance". These are Bennetts guys, after 4 years and we are a laughing stock. It is you people who are content with failure that keeps us at the bottom. Oh, and what recruiting restrictions do we still have in 2006, and what are they from?

Come on, man, are you just here to troll? Try reading other threads on this board. Everything you have said has been said a dozen times. Coming on there and going "bennett sucks, he can't coach and we don't have enough talent" isn't giving us a pearl of wisdom. Try joining a discussion.

[EastStang]

We had a committee hire the coaches including people like Lamar Hunt and Gerald Ford. They didn't get where they are by letting someone like Bennett or Copeland blow smoke up their butts. They hired the best man who would take the job. As I have said many times before, we aren't getting a "Name Coach". We had one who actually took a team to the Super Bowl and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, named Forrest Gregg, his record at SMU was what? Who else is out there with those kind of credentials? So, you see, our job can make even great coaches look terrible, so don't expect them to be lining up at the door to take the job.

[abezontar]

so's your face

[Stallion]

the first three years of Mustang Mania I know we had Alabama on the road, Penn St, on the road, Ohio St. on the road, Ohio St. at Home, Florida on the road not to mention Arkansas, Texas, A&M, a strong UH team and Baylor under Teaff, Tech wasn't so hot.