The right answer is usually the simplest answer.

[The XtC]

I'm not saying that the quote from Kate's blog should be taken at full value, and I frankly do not believe the "we're right on schedule" part. What I'm saying is that we are still looking, and we dont "have our guy" Other candidates are being contacted, if we had someone already, there wouldnt be a point in contacting others. If we had someone already, he should be in place now, and getting the show on the road. If Orsini knew he couldnt name his new coach for over a month, then what was the point in firing Bennett with 4 games to go?

I must have missed whatever you said about the logic of firing Bennett, I wasnt really reading the football board for awhile. What was logical about firing Bennett so early, if the new coach had to be kept secret for several weeks?

[mrydel]

I'm not saying that the quote from Kate's blog should be taken at full value, and I frankly do not believe the "we're right on schedule" part. What I'm saying is that we are still looking, and we dont "have our guy" Other candidates are being contacted, if we had someone already, there wouldnt be a point in contacting others. If we had someone already, he should be in place now, and getting the show on the road. If Orsini knew he couldnt name his new coach for over a month, then what was the point in firing Bennett with 4 games to go?

I must have missed whatever you said about the logic of firing Bennett, I wasnt really reading the football board for awhile. What was logical about firing Bennett so early, if the new coach had to be kept secret for several weeks?

The logic is to get the donations in the make the deal that was already brewing. If I am going to "pony up" money for the cause I want to know that it is really going to happen. I see Bennett is fired, I have some assurance of the hire and I pledge my money. If interviews are still taking place, and I do not know that to be the case but realize that you are in a position to possibly know, I would believe that is because it is a posted job and as long as it is posted you need to be interviewing. That is known as a smoke screen. If you deny interviews then the word gets out a coach is already hired and the masquarade is exposed. Also, from my contacts on the search committee I know we understood the full compliance necessary of interviewing minority applicants. Heck we may even hire a minority applicant. But regardless, we committed to do it by the book and agreed that minority interviews are appropriate.

Again, this is my speculation but at this time I feel comfortable with it, and regardless, I am going to support whomever the new coach is and look forward to at least doubling our victories in 2008.

[Ponyx2]

I must have missed whatever you said about the logic of firing Bennett, I wasnt really reading the football board for awhile. What was logical about firing Bennett so early, if the new coach had to be kept secret for several weeks?

Everyone knew Bennett was gone. And it would have looked really bad if it got out Orsini was contacting candidates before Bennett was officially fired. The way things have been going, though, it's doubtful anyone would have known.

[The XtC]

Ok, I understand your line of thinking, regarding the donors. I dont agree, but I see where your thoughts are, and there is some logic to what you are saying.

There was a thread on the board last night that seemed to claim that Orsini was still trying to solicit more donations. If true, does that mean our man is holding out for more money, and if so do we truly "have" him? I'm not trying to be a wiseass, just sort of thinking out loud.

I would also like to at least double our win total next year, and I think that is an achieveable goal.

[OC Mustang]

The logic is to get the donations in the make the deal that was already brewing. If I am going to "pony up" money for the cause I want to know that it is really going to happen. I see Bennett is fired, I have some assurance of the hire and I pledge my money. If interviews are still taking place, and I do not know that to be the case but realize that you are in a position to possibly know, I would believe that is because it is a posted job and as long as it is posted you need to be interviewing. That is known as a smoke screen. If you deny interviews then the word gets out a coach is already hired and the masquarade is exposed. Also, from my contacts on the search committee I know we understood the full compliance necessary of interviewing minority applicants. Heck we may even hire a minority applicant. But regardless, we committed to do it by the book and agreed that minority interviews are appropriate.

Again, this is my speculation but at this time I feel comfortable with it, and regardless, I am going to support whomever the new coach is and look forward to at least doubling our victories in 2008.

I believe you are right about the desire for the search committee to have done it "by the book". Given my personal experience vis-a-vis search committees, that's consistent and has been so for years.
But a rhetorical aside, I have to ask why A&M, a public institution, isn't concerned with same, nor Baylor, a "Christian" institution as well?
They hired their guys uber-quickly.

My point is that I understand the dynamics of a search committee, and it's completely believable that the committee is so bloody onerous that the committee itself is the reason we are dragging heinie on this. But we are definitely dragging heinie. That's a competitive fact. And I remain unconvinced given Turner's ill-timed and ill-conceived comments early in the process as well as Orsini's Soprano-silence that the reason for the delay demonstrates in some way that SMU has its new coach-he's just in the closet right now.

Pardon my increduality on this, but I remain as nervous as Bill the Cat.

[mrydel]

Ok, I understand your line of thinking, regarding the donors. I dont agree, but I see where your thoughts are, and there is some logic to what you are saying.

There was a thread on the board last night that seemed to claim that Orsini was still trying to solicit more donations. If true, does that mean our man is holding out for more money, and if so do we truly "have" him? I'm not trying to be a wiseass, just sort of thinking out loud.

I would also like to at least double our win total next year, and I think that is an achieveable goal.

Dwan's post concerning Nutt could be right and if so I am wrong, but I just find it hard to believe that Nutt's ego would have ever allowed him to consider us seriously, thus I do not think a deal could have been solid. I could hear Nutt saying "if I can not get what I want I will cetainly consider you", but nothing more. Of course I could also hear Nutt agreeing with every deal offered, lining them all up side by side and taking the one with the most money. Who knows. If the Nutt saga is true, then I think we get Fran next week.

[PK]

I would also like to at least double our win total next year, and I think that is an achieveable goal.

Surely your minimum expectation is more than two wins. We could have saved a lot of trouble and kept PB...hey all you have to do is double your wins to two...no problem amigo.

[jtstang]

I would also like to at least double our win total next year, and I think that is an achieveable goal.

Surely your minimum expectation is more than two wins. We could have saved a lot of trouble and kept PB...hey all you have to do is double your wins to two...no problem amigo.

All you got to do is win one more game to make it to a bowl...no problem amigo....

[mrydel]

Pardon my increduality on this, but I remain as nervous as Bill the Cat.

No reason to be. We can go nowhere but up. The problem is we all want to go up high and we are worried about not going high enough. But anything is an improvement over where we have been. I want the WOW, but will be ok with the wow, and even if we have to settle for the ow, I will still support the team.

[RGV Pony]

Pardon my increduality on this, but I remain as nervous as Bill the Cat.

No reason to be. We can go nowhere but up. The problem is we all want to go up high and we are worried about not going high enough. But anything is an improvement over where we have been. I want the WOW, but will be ok with the wow, and even if we have to settle for the ow, I will still support the team.

how about the wtf?

[Charleston Pony]

Ok, I understand your line of thinking, regarding the donors. I dont agree, but I see where your thoughts are, and there is some logic to what you are saying.

There was a thread on the board last night that seemed to claim that Orsini was still trying to solicit more donations. If true, does that mean our man is holding out for more money, and if so do we truly "have" him? I'm not trying to be a wiseass, just sort of thinking out loud.

I would also like to at least double our win total next year, and I think that is an achieveable goal.

Dwan's post concerning Nutt could be right and if so I am wrong, but I just find it hard to believe that Nutt's ego would have ever allowed him to consider us seriously, thus I do not think a deal could have been solid. I could hear Nutt saying "if I can not get what I want I will cetainly consider you", but nothing more. Of course I could also hear Nutt agreeing with every deal offered, lining them all up side by side and taking the one with the most money. Who knows. If the Nutt saga is true, then I think we get Fran next week.

my theory in all of this was that Orsini was targeting a "group" of coaches who have proven their ability to win at this level, but had fallen from grace...may be on the verge of being fired...or at the very least were dealing with a "fractured" fan base and had mixed support where they were. Nutt certainly fits that profile...as did Butch Davis, Krag, etc... As Biggin says, these things don't stay secret long and I think Orsini has run into problems with the way things have unfolded...especially in Nutt's case...and is now scrambling to "find the best coach he can for SMU". I've never doubted the sincerety of that statement.

I doubt very seriously SMU could ever afford to get into the arms race for an "up and comer" who is already coaching at this level. Right now, Fran looks like a good candidate to me, but he will likely have plenty of options to resume his career at a number of schools that have had more recent success than SMU. CSU & USM come to mind and there will undoubtedly be more joining that list.

The other possibility is to lure someone from the NFL. I hope we've at least approached Shula to see if he might have any interest.