BLVD TAILGATE COACH RUMORS

[VarsityShop]

A friend called me last night with the latest BLVD coaching rumors which came from talking with Orsini as he walked down the BLVD as well as other SMU insiders close to the team.

#1. Terry Bowden is now a "safety net" hire. He is there if we want him, but he is not Orsini's top pick. Bowden could still be the Mustangs new coach if others don't work out.

#2. President Gerald Turner has a "favorite" and that is Navy Head Coach Paul Johnson. Turner likes the fact that Paul Johnson has done pretty well at Navy with a limited pool of talent and high academic standards. Also Paul Johnson has a clean background and is still in his forties. A player's parent also said the word is "the new coach will probably be Paul Johnson".

#3. Mike Shula is still a top candidate. The Mike Shula name came up often and not a single negative came up.

#4. When the names Fran and/or Nutt came up Orsini did not give any positive feedback like he did with Shula and Johnson. It appears Fran and Nutt are not on Orsini's final list.

#5. The rumor persists that people will be shocked at who will be named the next SMU coach. There will be a serious wow factor.

[ponyte]

It doesn't matter if the fans have a wow moment. What matters is if the players have a wow moment. Whoever the next coach is, I hope he has a reputation for very hard work and football discipline. Players must perform their position responsibilities or suffer the consequences. Perhaps we could then eliminate the multitude of blown coverages, stupid penalties and frequent turnovers.

[jtstang]

It doesn't matter if the fans have a wow moment. What matters is if the players have a wow moment. Whoever the next coach is, I hope he has a reputation for very hard work and football discipline. Players must perform their position responsibilities or suffer the consequences. Perhaps we could then eliminate the multitude of blown coverages, stupid penalties and frequent turnovers.

I understand your sentiment, but in fact it does matter that the fans have a "wow" moment. In fact, I am not sure that gettig the ponyfans reenergized should not be priority number one with this hire. If the fans are not excited by this hire there will be nobody left to play for, and if yesterday's attendance is any indication, that horse may have already left the barn.

[Ponymon]

A friend called me last night with the latest BLVD coaching rumors which came from talking with Orsini as he walked down the BLVD as well as other SMU insiders close to the team.

#1. Terry Bowden is now a "safety net" hire. He is there if we want him, but he is not Orsini's top pick. Bowden could still be the Mustangs new coach if others don't work out.

#2. President Gerald Turner has a "favorite" and that is Navy Head Coach Paul Johnson. Turner likes the fact that Paul Johnson has done pretty well at Navy with a limited pool of talent and high academic standards. Also Paul Johnson has a clean background and is still in his forties. A player's parent also said the word is "the new coach will probably be Paul Johnson".

#3. Mike Shula is still a top candidate. The Mike Shula name came up often and not a single negative came up.

#4. When the names Fran and/or Nutt came up Orsini did not give any positive feedback like he did with Shula and Johnson. It appears Fran and Nutt are not on Orsini's final list.

#5. The rumor persists that people will be shocked at who will be named the next SMU coach. There will be a serious wow factor.

I don't think we can eliminate anyone (unless Dwan and Sunshine really know the answer.) Orsini easily could be deflecting any rumors by downplaying his final candidate to try an increase the "WOW" factor when he is announced.

[Ponymon]

It doesn't matter if the fans have a wow moment. What matters is if the players have a wow moment. Whoever the next coach is, I hope he has a reputation for very hard work and football discipline. Players must perform their position responsibilities or suffer the consequences. Perhaps we could then eliminate the multitude of blown coverages, stupid penalties and frequent turnovers.

I understand your sentiment, but in fact it does matter that the fans have a "wow" moment. In fact, I am not sure that gettig the ponyfans reenergized should not be priority number one with this hire. If the fans are not excited by this hire there will be nobody left to play for, and if yesterday's attendance is any indication, that horse may have already left the barn.

I wouldn't base future attendance at the beginning of next year on the attendance in the last couple of games. The attendance has sucked the last couple of games every year since we returned from the death penalty. Why? Because we are always out of title contention after September in almost every one of those years except for a couple of them. I expect a decent attendance at the beginning of next year, like always, and we will just have to see what the team can do to maintain or increase it by the end of the year to change the pattern. Hopefully, we won't end up like we did again this year and have to suffer through another worthless season!

[FWMustangGirl]

I understand your sentiment, but in fact it does matter that the fans have a "wow" moment. In fact, I am not sure that gettig the ponyfans reenergized should not be priority number one with this hire. If the fans are not excited by this hire there will be nobody left to play for, and if yesterday's attendance is any indication, that horse may have already left the barn.

I agree. I think a big name can reenergize the fan base, though. The names that will get the fans excited should easily get the players and their families excited.

[BRStang]

I understand your sentiment, but in fact it does matter that the fans have a "wow" moment. In fact, I am not sure that gettig the ponyfans reenergized should not be priority number one with this hire. If the fans are not excited by this hire there will be nobody left to play for, and if yesterday's attendance is any indication, that horse may have already left the barn.

I agree. I think a big name can reenergize the fan base, though. The names that will get the fans excited should easily get the players and their families excited.

To me, the only name on Special Delivery's (who I trust) list that is a WOW factor is Terry Bowden. I'm with Stallion on the Paul Johnson option: I don't think he would have the same success here in recruiting without Texas ties and the fact that his system of obtaining players is apples to oranges from SMU. And Shula got run off from Alabama because he couldn't win enough. Saban lost yesterday to UL Monroe with Shula's players. Regardless, I don't think Mike Shula = WOW.

[FWMustangGirl]

To me, the only name on Special Delivery's (who I trust) list that is a WOW factor is Terry Bowden. I'm with Stallion on the Paul Johnson option: I don't think he would have the same success here in recruiting without Texas ties and the fact that his system of obtaining players is apples to oranges from SMU. And Shula got run off from Alabama because he couldn't win enough. Saban lost yesterday to UL Monroe with Shula's players. Regardless, I don't think Mike Shula = WOW.

I have faith in Orsini. I love the idea of Terry Bowden as coach here. What I love even more is the thought that TB is the safety net. That tells me the Orsini has someone fantastic in mind. I can't even imagine who Copeand's safety net for the Bennett hire was. I shudder at the thought. That's what I am hanging onto until the new coach is announced.

[BRStang]

If Orsini is still mentioning "safety nets", then this information is inconsistent from Dwan's posts. I still don't think we have any more substantive information on who it is or whether a decision has even been made than we did yesterday morning.

[jimhagle]

A friend called me last night with the latest BLVD coaching rumors which came from talking with Orsini as he walked down the BLVD as well as other SMU insiders close to the team.

#1. Terry Bowden is now a "safety net" hire. He is there if we want him, but he is not Orsini's top pick. Bowden could still be the Mustangs new coach if others don't work out.

#2. President Gerald Turner has a "favorite" and that is Navy Head Coach Paul Johnson. Turner likes the fact that Paul Johnson has done pretty well at Navy with a limited pool of talent and high academic standards. Also Paul Johnson has a clean background and is still in his forties. A player's parent also said the word is "the new coach will probably be Paul Johnson".


#3. Mike Shula is still a top candidate. The Mike Shula name came up often and not a single negative came up.

#4. When the names Fran and/or Nutt came up Orsini did not give any positive feedback like he did with Shula and Johnson. It appears Fran and Nutt are not on Orsini's final list.

#5. The rumor persists that people will be shocked at who will be named the next SMU coach. There will be a serious wow factor.

I for one will be shocked if they get Johnson to come here. Love his schemes or not wouldn't it be nice to have a guy who can be a gameday coach for a change?

[SMUFan]

For the love of all things holy and sacred in PonyLand, please say no on Paul Johnson. He's done a swell job at Navy, and that's just nifty. Name a battleship after the guy. Even though he has put up a bunch of points (and hats off to anyone who beats Notre Dame — admittedly, a rather lengthy list this year), but I don't know how fired up I can get over an option offense.

Sorry — I like to see the ball thrown into the end zone, too.

[abezontar]

I don't want another guy who can't stop Todd Dodge at UNT.

[couch 'em]

#2. President Gerald Turner has a "favorite" and that is Navy Head Coach Paul Johnson. "the new coach will probably be Paul Johnson"

#3. Mike Shula is still a top candidate.

#5. The rumor persists that people will be shocked at who will be named the next SMU coach. There will be a serious wow factor.

Numbers 2 and 3 don't seem to match up with #5. Is there a secret candidate, or is the "shocked" factor just a result of too many people getting too hopeful and forgetting that we are, in fact, still SMU?

[VarsityShop]

Oh and one more rumor he told me about:

Last year Orsini wanted to fire Phil Bennett, but was basically over-ruled by President Turner. The candidate that Orsini was ready to hire and the candidate that had agreed to come to SMU was Butch Davis.

[davidsmu94]

Oh and one more rumor he told me about:

Last year Orsini wanted to fire Phil Bennett, but was basically over-ruled by President Turner. The candidate that Orsini was ready to hire and the candidate that had agreed to come to SMU was Butch Davis.

Now don't tell me that