What message is this school/Orsini sending?

[George S. Patton]

We are now officially one month into the coaching search. As I stated earlier on Saturday in another post there appears to be more questions than answers regarding this.

There are consequences attached to this:

1. If we are trusting AD Steve Orsini to make this hire -- and we have no choice but to -- then he knows his career at this school is riding on this. Mess this up and he has no chance of advancing to a BCS school like I would think he wants to. Every time he has been interviewed about this search, he's perfected the art of giving the perfect non-answer answer.
If he has someone, fine, get the process started. But as time lingers, the actions of his office, will lead many to believe he is struggling mightily. In this case, he has to offer something to this finite fanbase a little more than packaged responses.

2. He recognizes there is a small season ticket holder base of less than 5,000 -- a goal they did not reach in the summer -- and there is a risk of that number eroding again, especially if this hire does not inspire anyone and that could cause people to cancel 2008 orders. Longtime ticket holders like myself would really have to question if we want to pump more into this school if this hire doesn't give us a reason to feel good about the future. I would still go to games but maybe just buy GA tickets.

3. With the athletic department consistently facing a shortfall, you're hire is going to drive season ticket sales and revenue because people want a reason to buy your product. Football is the only sport on this campus that truly has a chance to make money as opposed to living up to its current image as a money pit.

4. It was completely counterproductive for President Turner to be quoted in the Daily Campus suggesting that they did not want to pursue a coach with a shaky past. That completely tied Orsini's hands to those he may have considered. And that begs the question, does Orsini really have the autonomy to make the call on this search like we are led to believe?

5. The move to fire Bennett was done in order to salvage recruiting. Orsini got a waiver from the NCAA to keep in contact with the commitments for about 10 days. However, the longer this search takes, the less chance there is by the new coach and staff to salvage something. We already lost the Fuller -- who I believe we really never had anyway -- and the chance of doing anything in the JC signing period in December is pretty much no factor.


Patience is a virture. I like being virtuous but I don't have drown in it either. Something needs to be coming out from Mockingbird this week or this weekend or you're going to leave the impression that you've just been left without a chair when the music stopped.

Actions or in this case inactions speak louder than words

[Stallion]

opps I know one Littl' Injun Chief that may owe Biggin an apology.

[friarwolf]

We were having this same conversation about basketball and Orsini came out of no where with Doherty - and quickly, too. Have faith that the same will happen here; however, if Orsini doesn't deliver someone in the next week, feel free to panic and run wild in the streets with the rest of us..................

[mrydel]

Oh ye of little faith.

[SmooBoy]

George Michael says you gotta have faith.

[Diamond Girl]

If the person he's talking to still has a game to play this weekend, Orsini is smart in not announcing anything yet. In this case, the coach-who-is-yet-to-be-named still has obligations to his current team and employer. You can wait another 6 or 7 or more days to find out who this person is. What is it with the need for immediate gratification?

[ponyinNC]

great post Patton...although I have faith in Orsini, given his track record, I am also hoping that our administration is not hand-cuffing him. If that is the case, i would not be shocked if he bolted after this year.

[ponyplayer]

I think Mockingbird from Hillcrest west is shut down, will not be hearing anything from that street for some time.................

[George S. Patton]

opps I know one Littl' Injun Chief that may owe Biggin an apology.

Then you and him completely misunderstood my argument. I wasn't questioning his information. I was pressing how he got it to my satisfaction, and when didn't answer, then I got suspicious.

Sorry if that disappoints you. But I'm sure you'll get over it.

[FWMustangGirl]

George Michael says you gotta have faith.

George Michael has said and done a lot of other things that I'm not going to do. I am trying to trust that Orsini has this well in hand, though.

[SWC2010]

We are now officially one month into the coaching search. As I stated earlier on Saturday in another post there appears to be more questions than answers regarding this.

There are consequences attached to this:

......

5. The move to fire Bennett was done in order to salvage recruiting. ............

Now, let's don't become revisionists.

He was fired because of his inability to lead a team to a winning record.

[Alaric]

There's no way to know at this point if waiting us hurting us or not. If Orsini is losing prospects, it's obviously hurting us. If he's got his guy sewn up, it's not a problem. Right now I have faith Orsini's got the right man to do the job. If you don't have faith that Orsini knew jobs were going to be open and there would be competition for the job (anyone whose smart and connected would know), you need to worry.

[George S. Patton]

We are now officially one month into the coaching search. As I stated earlier on Saturday in another post there appears to be more questions than answers regarding this.

There are consequences attached to this:

......

5. The move to fire Bennett was done in order to salvage recruiting. ............

Now, let's don't become revisionists.

He was fired because of his inability to lead a team to a winning record.

Very true and I should have mentioned that, but you also make the decision as early as you can to make sure recruiting doesn't fall apart. That's why Orsini got the waiver. That's why A&M and Ole Miss have moved so quickly.

Look I understand Orsini is probably working under different circumstances here than Ole Miss or Nebraska is. And because we're SMU, he probably needs to be more on the down low on this.

Yet my interpretation of this is that there is disconnect forming here between the athletic department/school and the fan base. I could be wrong but that's my take.

[crazy horse]

I'm not an insider and I have no "sources", but the fact that there are so few rumored candidates or interviews being reported, leads me to believe the deal is done and there are other factors delaying the announcement.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Based on the way things have been going, I have a feeling it's going to be REALLY BIG!