It's Official!!! Johnson was on the plane

[Beanman]

Football rumor mill says Johnson met with Duke officials yesterday.

http://www.footballrumormill.com/scoop.php

Old news

[mustangbill67]

I believe I read that Reale is also the agent for O'Leary the UCF coach. So Orsini already has a working relationship with Reale.

[EastStang]

With three interested parties, SMU, Duke and GT, it would appear that Johnson will be able to command top $$$$. If the bidding gets too high, we might have to go to a plan B, or the Miami junket might be a bit of a ruse to let Johnson know, we can only go so high.

[me@smu]

This isn't SMU's plane. Ford could have just wanted a nice Mojito from southbeach on the way home.

[Squier05]

I believe I read that Reale is also the agent for O'Leary the UCF coach. So Orsini already has a working relationship with Reale.

I haven't chimed in much during this whole coaching search because I haven't had anything of substance to contribute, but here is a little tidbit.

Jack Reale's son was a fraternity brother of mine at SMU, and was also a Squire with me (Say what you want about our organization, but we did support the football team more than most of the student body). He is a big supporter of SMU. In addition, he is a graduate of Georgia and represents most of the Georgia football players in the NFL. Perhaps he has a prejudice against Georgia Tech that might influence his client in some way?

Again, this doesn't really mean anything and is purely fodder for conversation., but interesting none the less.

[FWMustangGirl]

Jack Reale's son was a fraternity brother of mine at SMU, and was also a Squire with me (Say what you want about our organization, but we did support the football team more than most of the student body). He is a big supporter of SMU. In addition, he is a graduate of Georgia and represents most of the Georgia football players in the NFL. Perhaps he has a prejudice against Georgia Tech that might influence his client in some way?

Again, this doesn't really mean anything and is purely fodder for conversation., but interesting none the less.

Quick, call your frat brother and find out where PJ is signing.

[ponyplayer]

they are looking for the plane............

[me@smu]

I believe I read that Reale is also the agent for O'Leary the UCF coach. So Orsini already has a working relationship with Reale.

I haven't chimed in much during this whole coaching search because I haven't had anything of substance to contribute, but here is a little tidbit.

Jack Reale's son was a fraternity brother of mine at SMU, and was also a Squire with me (Say what you want about our organization, but we did support the football team more than most of the student body). He is a big supporter of SMU. In addition, he is a graduate of Georgia and represents most of the Georgia football players in the NFL. Perhaps he has a prejudice against Georgia Tech that might influence his client in some way?

Again, this doesn't really mean anything and is purely fodder for conversation., but interesting none the less.

What the ____ is a squire?

[Longtime]

My take: Just because Gt and Duke also have him on their lists doesn't mean a bidding war. I sense that he's at the top of our list and much lower on theirs. If true, that makes a big difference because I think the money will be about the same at all three schools. No one is going to pay him $2 mill, that's Bob Stoops-Mack Brown money (well, almost).

And if it is true that his wife is here with him, that usually indicates that they're here to cut a deal. To me, "Touring the campus" is the old way of doing things. I'm sure Johnson knows what SMU and Dallas have to offer - he has coached a game here, after all. If he's been brought to campus, that means SMU is offering a deal. The visit is probably more for his wife's benefit than his - to woo her and resolve any concerns she might have.

He may (or may not) go back to Annapolis to think it over, say goodbye to his team, whatever. I imagine SMU is pretty anxious to get this over with. If they've got a deal and his wife is already here, they could go ahead and have the press conference.

The thing about Fran not going back to Tuscaloosa saying goodbye to his Alabama players was a little overblown, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but how often do you hear of head coaches actually giving goodbye speeches? Usually the players don't want to see the jerk again.

But this being SMU, they will probably want a full day to prepare for the press conference, to draw as much media as possible. They will leak it first, then have the press conference to get two days' worth of attention. Then it's back to Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Mavs, Cowboys.

[huskerpony]

Just checked the Navy boards again. They are saying the same things we are about the coach talking to his players before he would make a public announcement.

They are also doubting the reports that he was even here because his car is in the parking lot. Their hippo obviously wasn't industrious enough hippo to see if it was parked there through the night! (Since he probably had a limo service take him to the airport.)

No word over there that there is a player meeting scheduled yet.

[Pony94]

Parked there all night, kinda like Costanza!

[RGV Pony]

Parked there all night, kinda like Costanza!

as opposed to Patterson's van over in Ft. Worth. Which was parked "down by the...."

[EastStang]

My take: Just because Gt and Duke also have him on their lists doesn't mean a bidding war. I sense that he's at the top of our list and much lower on theirs. If true, that makes a big difference because I think the money will be about the same at all three schools. No one is going to pay him $2 mill, that's Bob Stoops-Mack Brown money (well, almost).

And if it is true that his wife is here with him, that usually indicates that they're here to cut a deal. To me, "Touring the campus" is the old way of doing things. I'm sure Johnson knows what SMU and Dallas have to offer - he has coached a game here, after all. If he's been brought to campus, that means SMU is offering a deal. The visit is probably more for his wife's benefit than his - to woo her and resolve any concerns she might have.

He may (or may not) go back to Annapolis to think it over, say goodbye to his team, whatever. I imagine SMU is pretty anxious to get this over with. If they've got a deal and his wife is already here, they could go ahead and have the press conference.

The thing about Fran not going back to Tuscaloosa saying goodbye to his Alabama players was a little overblown, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but how often do you hear of head coaches actually giving goodbye speeches? Usually the players don't want to see the jerk again.

But this being SMU, they will probably want a full day to prepare for the press conference, to draw as much media as possible. They will leak it first, then have the press conference to get two days' worth of attention. Then it's back to Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Mavs, Cowboys.

Excellent post. Remember though his one game in Dallas was when we set the stadium on fire.

[docabel]

Why are we assuming that the agent would be brought in on the private jet. He would be coming in on a commercial flight I would guess....

[ThadFilms]

My take: Just because Gt and Duke also have him on their lists doesn't mean a bidding war. I sense that he's at the top of our list and much lower on theirs. If true, that makes a big difference because I think the money will be about the same at all three schools. No one is going to pay him $2 mill, that's Bob Stoops-Mack Brown money (well, almost).

And if it is true that his wife is here with him, that usually indicates that they're here to cut a deal. To me, "Touring the campus" is the old way of doing things. I'm sure Johnson knows what SMU and Dallas have to offer - he has coached a game here, after all. If he's been brought to campus, that means SMU is offering a deal. The visit is probably more for his wife's benefit than his - to woo her and resolve any concerns she might have.

He may (or may not) go back to Annapolis to think it over, say goodbye to his team, whatever. I imagine SMU is pretty anxious to get this over with. If they've got a deal and his wife is already here, they could go ahead and have the press conference.

The thing about Fran not going back to Tuscaloosa saying goodbye to his Alabama players was a little overblown, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but how often do you hear of head coaches actually giving goodbye speeches? Usually the players don't want to see the jerk again.

But this being SMU, they will probably want a full day to prepare for the press conference, to draw as much media as possible. They will leak it first, then have the press conference to get two days' worth of attention. Then it's back to Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Mavs, Cowboys.

Excellent post. Remember though his one game in Dallas was when we set the stadium on fire.

Hey a plane that may or may not have been carrying already set this board on fire long before we had any kind of proof that he was indeed on the plane. Imagine the press conference.


Now, of course, if they want to keep this on the down low.... do they start using someone else's plane OR did they land in Baltimore as a ruse??? Fun to watch as this develops!