ThadFilms wrote:While he doesn't match my number one criteria, that would be the ability to walk into a room of folks with moderate college football knowledge, and say - "Hey, SMU just hired ____ _______" and for the response to be, "Really?? Wow!"
But the more I read and research the more I realize that this is a "wow" hire. The guy just wins. And even though you can say, "yeah but Notre Dame sucked this year" .... when you have a streak that long, and your Notre Dame, and your at home and you are to man leagues better than your competition, you don't lose to Navy. ESPECIALLY with how crappy their season has gone. I thought I would have seen Navy win MAYBE with ND on the road during very good but not great season, when they were nestled between Michigan and USC...
But the fact is PJ took his boys in there and won it.
Fact is PJ undressed Jim Tressell in a national title game.
Fact is turned a team with one win in two years into a perennial bowl team.
Fact is PJ uses the talent his team has to win, playing to their strengths.
Some may question his ability to recruit, at Navy his recruiting limitations are far great then the real or perceived restrictions at SMU.
Fact is he still maximized his recruits potentials.
Fact is his players have far more stringent outside the practice field and locker room responsibilities than most anywhere in the country.
Fact is he is rumored for most every current major football search in the country.
And the rumor is he is coming here.
The more I think about it, the more I like it. Sure I can't go into a bar full of longhorns and wow them with our hire.... but I bet if we could get UT on the schedule PJ could lead us into DKR Memorial and give 'em a wow that they won't soon forget.
While we are going to hire Paul, no matter who your perceived "wow" factor person might be, there is absolutely no value to me in being able to walk into a room and have people impressed by a name.
I want to have people be impressed at our record which will bring relevance and more interest to SMU football.
SMU89 wrote:While we are going to hire Paul, no matter who your perceived "wow" factor person might be, there is absolutely no value to me in being able to walk into a room and have people impressed by a name.
I want to have people be impressed at our record which will bring relevance and more interest to SMU football.
Of course. I was just saying that was my top priority as a fan who has been mired in losing.
Eric Dickerson in Pony Excess
"I've love winning man, it's like better than losing." - Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh
Peter Schmuck
10:01 PM EST, November 30, 2007
News item: It's very possible Navy's Paul Johnson will be coaching his final Army-Navy game tomorrow at M&T Bank Stadium.
My take: If that's the case, Navy fans should send him off in style. Nobody has meant this much to the Navy program since Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy in 1963, and there's really nothing realistic Johnson hasn't already accomplished at Annapolis.
While we are going to hire Paul, no matter who your perceived "wow" factor person might be, there is absolutely no value to me in being able to walk into a room and have people impressed by a name.
I want to have people be impressed at our record which will bring relevance and more interest to SMU football.[/quote]
Well said. I'm just worried we really don't have him. I truly believe he could come in here and win, and win soon. But being an SMU fan for way too long, I just have some concern that we really don't have a commitment from him.
I can't remember who it is on this site that taught me the beauty of not going into a game with any expectations....but all of us really need to curb all of this excitement for PJ. I've finally learned to never believe until it's over. Five losses in the fourth quarter will do that to you.
SMU89 wrote:While we are going to hire Paul, no matter who your perceived "wow" factor person might be, there is absolutely no value to me in being able to walk into a room and have people impressed by a name.
I want to have people be impressed at our record which will bring relevance and more interest to SMU football.
Of course. I was just saying that was my top priority as a fan who has been mired in losing.
Brother, I've felt your pain.
Finally, the University is focused on athletics which is bringing in serious financial support .
)
