Channel 8 story on Bennett last night

by **EastStang** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 1:34 pm

As I said, I think Bennett probably would be a very good coach with the right set of players. He had a good assistant coaching career with good programs prior to coming here. The problem is that he has not be able to adapt to what he has been able to recruit here. Thus, when the offense is short a quarterback, his defense is fine. When the defense is short on linebackers, we have a great QB. In short, we seem to just not be able to put things together. I do think we need to change coaches just to change the landscape for recruiting. But, I will add that if we're not making fundamental changes at the university level, it will probably be like putting lipstick on a pig.

by **Bergermeister** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:49 pm

EastStang wrote: He had a good assistant coaching career with good programs prior to coming here.

He coached at some "bigtime" schools, but none made a very big splash while he was coaching there. Coached some good defenses on pretty mediocre teams. Maybe someday he will indeed be as smart, smart, smart as he thinks he is. :wink:

by **EastStang** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:33 pm

K State was right up there when he was there. They certainly won the Big XII North, and were in the hunt for the National Championship. What kind of splash were you looking for?

by **BrianTinBigD** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:11 pm

So we all agree that Phil is a good man. Does that make him a good head coach? His specialty is defense and we are woefully inadequate on that side of the ball. I am not buying the fact that he is a good coach. Good coaches make players better and I am not sure what Phil Bennet has personally done to improve the talent level of our current players.

by **PonyPride** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:16 pm

EastStang wrote:K State was right up there when he was there. They certainly won the Big XII North, and were in the hunt for the National Championship. What kind of splash were you looking for?

In addition, he had the No. 3 defense in the country at one point when he was at Kansas State, and it wasn't just because Terence Newman covered everyone on the field.

by **BrianTinBigD** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:20 pm

PonyPride wrote:
EastStang wrote:K State was right up there when he was there. They certainly won the Big XII North, and were in the hunt for the National Championship. What kind of splash were you looking for?
In addition, he had the No. 3 defense in the country at one point when he was at Kansas State, and it wasn't just because Terence Newman covered everyone on the field.

Not only did he have T Newman, he had just about every freaking JUCO player he could get his hands on at K-State. Most of which never graduated from K-State.

by **cguru** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:22 pm

not to nitpick, but K-State didn't win the Big XII when PB was there

by **Stallion** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:52 pm

and a believe a couple of staffs at least were let go. I know he was there for TCU's 1-11 and I believe his regime was let go at OU.

by **Stallion** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:09 pm

You know I raised this point when Bennett was hired but was shouted down by the almost unanimous Cheerleading after the hiring of Bennett, but Bennett has almost always been on poor staffs that got fired-that's why he's had so many jobs. Here's the list:

Iowa St.-Jim Criner fired 1986
Purdue-Fred Akers fired 1990
LSU-Curley Hallman fired 1994
OU-John Blake fired 1998
A&M-under R.C. Slocum-he wasn't fired*(See below) but I do believe he was pushed out in 1996.
TCU-F.A. Dry fired
SMU-2007?

What a great group of losers this guy has worked for. Seriously, this is quite a group of some of my least favorite coaches of all time. So Phil is VERY used to seeing programs spiral out of control. And you heard it here first. He has coaching during some of the worst periods of competitiveness at Purdue, LSU, OU, TCU and arguably SMU (based on the Massey Rankings I recently posted). Most of these staffs were fired after only about 3 years-and on almost all he was THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR. What a resume.

by **Stallion** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:15 pm

Yep fired from Texas A&M too-its amazing our genius AD didn't pick up a clue isn't it? He should have never gotten this job in the first place.

MANHATTAN --- There was a time, not so long ago, when Phil Bennett could have coached against Texas A&M and looked across Kyle Field with contempt.

Not for the Texas A&M fans, who showed him such great support when he played defensive end for the Aggies from 1974-77. Nor for any of the traditions he grew to love. Instead, Bennett had a beef with one man, A&M head coach R.C. Slocum.

It was Slocum who fired Bennett, along with two other assistants, after a disappointing 6-6 finish in 1996. Bennett was the defensive coordinator for that team, a role he filled two seasons after serving in the same capacity at LSU, Purdue and Iowa State. He was made out as a scapegoat for a young secondary that was burned terribly on pass defense early in the season. The Aggies eventually allowed 328 yards per game and suffered a 51-15 thumping from arch-rival Texas to end the season.

The dismissal didn't set well with Bennett, who was openly critical of Slocum's decision in interviews he did after moving on to Texas Christian in 1997 and Oklahoma in '98.

Finally, Bennett figured enough was enough. Slocum had not only been his boss, but also his position coach as a player. He was the person responsible for steering Bennett into coaching in 1979. So when Bennett coordinates the Kansas State defense in a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday against A&M, he won't be carrying any hard feelings.

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by **westexSMU** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:31 pm

[quote="EastStang"]K State was right up there when he was there. They certainly won the Big XII North, and were in the hunt for the National Championship. What kind of splash were you looking for?[/quote]....................If you REALLY go back and check the K-State records, you will find a Coach named Mike Stoops (Head Coach Arizona presently and Bob's Brother) was the defensive coodinator for several years before Coach Benett got to Kansas State. K-State DC Coach Mike Stoops, who left K-State in 1999 when Bob Stoops got the job at Oklahoma to join him at OU, had already built a top 10 defense at K-State before Coach Bennett got there.........Coach Bennett had spent the two previous years at OU 1998 3-8 record when OU had their worst year in 50 years, and at TCU 1997 1-10 record. Both staffs were fired in each of those 2 years after Coach Bennett was the DC at the schools for 1 year. Coach Bennett was also at LSU before that and I think that staff was fired also at LSU....Just stating the facts.

by **Stallion** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:59 pm

He was fired 6 times in 13 years most all of which were as Defensive Coordinator-that's almost impossible to accomplish-but that resume sure looked great to ole Jim Copeland.

by PK » Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:19 pm

Stallion wrote:He was made out as a scapegoat for a young secondary that was burned terribly on pass defense early in the season. The Aggies eventually allowed 328 yards per game and suffered a 51-15 thumping from arch-rival Texas to end the season.

Sound familar???

by **westexSMU** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:31 pm

Hey, he has done a good job of keeping this job here. 5 years straight and no winning seasons. However, Coach worked a deal with Copeland for a raise/contract extension after a 5-6 season !!! Coach is pretty good at marketing himself that's for sure....I mean we even have Dale Hansen now saying SMU should keep him. Great Marketing...at 1-6

by **Charleston Pony** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:38 pm

Bennett was well prepared, said all the rights things and blew Copeland away. Give him credit. He came in here a bundle of enthusiasm and even I will admit (after being in the Charlie Waters camp) that I thought he might be the guy to turn this trainwreck around.

I flew to Dallas to attend his team's opener against Navy. That night should have told all of us everything we needed to know about how the Bennett years would go.

Channel 8 story on Bennett last night

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