PJ is OUT at GT...

[Dement-ed]

Put me on the list of those with a source I like to think of as pretty strong. Just talked to him, and he thinks Tech is NOT out of it yet, and that if they make the dollars match what Johnson wants, they get him. If it comes down to us vs. Navy .... he says it's 50-50 and will be determined financially.

[ponyplayer]

I snapped this just outside my window at Love field, Bush is now involved in getting PJ here.................

[George S. Patton]

But what he thinks and what he knows are two different things.

I think I'll got to lunch right now.

No make that

I know I'll go to lunch right now.

[Junior]

http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=27590&start=1020

[peruna11]

waiting on that flight plan... i want that plane to go SOMEWHERE new, prefereably straight on top of Reale's office

[Dutch]

I snapped this just outside my window at Love field, Bush is now involved in getting PJ here.................

Nice. i like the Bachman Mountain Range in the background

[me@smu]

Damn another day of watching the flight plans to see what is happening. Would be nice if Orsini would throw us a bone

[friarwolf]

waiting on that flight plan... i want that plane to go SOMEWHERE new, prefereably straight on top of Reale's office

And then on to Dallas for the game tonight!!!!!!!!

[peruna11]

[cs09viking]

Damn another day of watching the flight plans to see what is happening. Would be nice if Orsini would throw us a bone

hola me@smu!

[huskerpony]

Does anyone have any inside info on where Orsini is? Is he on campus, or was he on the plane with Johnson and on to Miami?

[Longtime]

I don't think Johnson is contract shopping. He gets paid pretty well at Navy and isn't about to take a pay cut just for a shot at success at a conventional Div. I program. If he keeps winning at Navy, eventually some big-time program will be desperate enough to pay him what it will take to leave Navy.

My only worry is that we end up overpaying for Johnson simply because we're impatient. And we don't have a credible Plan B. candidate if Johnson doesn't work out.

Baylor got into the same mess when it fired Kevin Steele. I believe they did it before the season, to get a "head start on the process." The first name that popped up in their search was Wake Forest's Jim Grobe - what a great hire that would have been. Their fans didn't think he was a big enough name. A portion of the fans demanded Mike Singletary...who now disparrages his alma mater because they won't overpay him.

The search took so long, Baylor wound up overpaying Guy Morriss just to get a so-called "name" coach with Texas ties. That didn't work out. I hope that isn't happening to SMU. I think Paul Johnson is our Jim Grobe. If we get him, we will probably pay too much. But at least we got the right guy.

It's only (someone else's) money. Overpaying Johnson doesn't affect the bottom line because his salary basically comes straight from donor pockets. But it does set a bad precedent, and if it backfires, the price goes up for the next guy we hire.

There are some really smart, potentially great young coaches out there who would take the SMU job for a lot less money. The question is, is SMU smart enough to identify them? Is the Beaudine firm worth the money we're paying them? What's their track record on finding hidden gems among coaches?

[huskerpony]

I don't think our main problem is finding a smart coach. Our problem is recruiting because we've never been to a bowl game since the DP. We need a coach with a name that can recruit. Phil Bennet was a smart hire in terms of X's and O's--although after watching a couple of games the past year, I think he was lacking in that department--but he was a very successful DC and K-State. His biggest problems were in recruiting and admission standards. Look at what he said when he left--"anyone who thinks there is a level playing field is crazy."

We need someone who has the ability to overcome that. Only three people come to mind that have ever done that--Jim Grobe, Paul Johnson, and Gary Barnett. (Granted, none of them had a big name when they showed up to turn their programs around, probably making my point incredibly lame, but I still stand by the fact that buying a big name guy can't hurt!)

[couch 'em]

What's their track record on finding hidden gems among coaches?

No guessing on "hidden gems". Get a proven coach. You get what you pay for!

[Billy Joe]

SMU will probably have to 'over pay' to get the quailty coach they want. 20 years of neglect to a football program does that to a school. At least we are not going after the 'diamond in the rough' coach like in previous coaching searches.