Gary Barnett or Terry Bowden for HC?

by **JasonB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:11 am

QuikSStang wrote:i really don't understand why he's being so secretive about the search. hell, cooger high is publicly stating everyone they're interviewing

Because nobody else wants the coaches Cougar High is interviewing. Unless we hire somebody that nobody else wants, I expect the search to remain secret. There is no reason for us to push other schools into action on a particular coach, or let them know who our compitition is, especially now that it is out that we have 10 milion bucks to offer.

As for Orsini having an ego, his job is on the line with this hire. He will keep going after folks on the top of his list, whether WE think he pushed them aside earlier or not. He may have been fully confident that he could get Davis, Kraigthorpe, Nutt, Johnson before, but it just didn't happen because of all of the openings. Those were obviously names at the top of his list. So, we are now at the lower list which consists of names like Neuheisal, Fran, Barnett, Bowden... still better names than we have looked at in 20 years. Those guys might not be who we on the board wanted to start with, but they are certainly a WOW hire to the rest of the college football community. Everyone outside the hilltop bubble expects SMU to end up with a 1-AA coach or a coordinator.

Yes, it is taking longer than expected, but there are a lot more openings than expected as well. Because of the openings, we are going to be on hold until Arkansas makes their hire, because everyone wants a piece of the SEC pie. That is just how it is. Me personally, I would rather wait and try to get someone that Arkansas has interest in but turns down rather than someone that everyone else is going to ignore.

by **Insane_Pony_Posse** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:38 am

"If Barnett is hired now it will only prove that Steve Orsini is a
bigger greenhorn than we all thought. Everyone would have a
legitimate right to be mad at him then"

More asinine assumptions from the dark?

How do you know that Turner was not
putting pressure on Orsini to get PJ?

We don't know whats going on behind the scenes.

Like it or not PJ was probably their first choice.

Now that the scenario with Paul Johnson did not play out
in our favor, they could very well hire one of many 2nd choices
like a Gary Barnett and that would not reflect poorly on Orsini
except by people that make ASSumptions when they do not
know the complete picture.

by **ALEX LIFESON** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:53 am

Good stuff from JasonB and Insane Pony.

by **OR-See-Nee** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:55 am

Water Pony wrote:
biggin wrote:
Stallion wrote:At what point are we going to want to see some legitimate indication that Barnett, Fran, Bowden are even under consideration. If this weekend ends w/o such an indication its time to sober up because they should have been immediately contacted.

Orsini cannot hire Barnett or Bowden now. He will look like a fool. And I know he is not willing to do that.

If it does happen, who will look like a fool?

I suppose Michigan and Arkansas look foolish, also.

by **EastStang** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:07 am

You could present Barnett with a straight face and say, that we at first pursued a coach that who had no history of issues with the NCAA due to our unique situation and our strong support for women's equality. But that Barnett is a coach who is a proven great coach and who has agreed that he will live within the strictures of SMU's zero tolerance compliance policy and that SMU as a Christian institution is all about forgiveness and second chances, blah, blah, blah....

by **biggin** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:27 am

Some of you are a bunch of dummies. I am not making any assumptions. YOU are the ones making the ASSumptions that everything is going so well in this 7 week old coaching search. It is amazing that you are so gullible and want to believe so much that you criticize any negative factual assertion but you all assume that the best is happening. If this represents the base of SMU's support its no wonder the football program has been a loser for so long.

Yay! Orsini will come through with Urban Meyer - just you wait and see Wally! Yay! And Hooray! :lol:

by **Cadillac** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:31 am

I think the bigger problem (or, to say; "the best evidence in support of Biggin") isn't that they didn't hire one of these Coaches 7 weeks ago, but rather, that they didn't even send them a love letter. At least, Barnett came out and said that he wasn't even contacted, I don't know about Rick or Bowden.

I'm not sayin' that it would be impossible for Steve-O to make a course correction, but I'm not holding my breath.

-CoS

by **OC Mustang** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:38 am

Fact: Turner proffered his intent to not hire from the list of coaches with controversial histories.
Fact: Turner profferred his own preference for Paul Johnson, whether that was right/wrong/indifferent.
Fact: Johnson turned us down in favor of a BCS team, whether that was right/wrong/indifferent.

Orsini indeed hasn't opened his mouth at all about anything in this search. So to me, his credibility isn't shot at all, and it wouldn't be if he hired Barnett. Turner is the one who would need to backtrack. I think his royal highness is a dumba$$ for opening his mouth about it in the first place, and you can quote me on that, Kate. How the hell can an organization enforce discipline regarding professional silence when their top exec decides to go off of the reservation and babble on about it? Pye got in trouble daily for that kind of thing.

Therefore, let Orsini do his job to the best of his ability. He might suck at searches; he might be incredible at them...I don't know. Personally, I think he has more to worry about from his boss sabotaging his best efforts than he does his own shortcomings. Just MLTHO.

by **JasonB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:05 am

biggin wrote:Some of you are a bunch of dummies. I am not making any assumptions. YOU are the ones making the ASSumptions that everything is going so well in this 7 week old coaching search. It is amazing that you are so gullible and want to believe so much that you criticize any negative factual assertion but you all assume that the best is happening. If this represents the base of SMU's support its no wonder the football program has been a loser for so long.

Yay! Orsini will come through with Urban Meyer - just you wait and see Wally! Yay! And Hooray!

We didn't get our first set of choices. Oh well. If we hire a coordinator who has not been talked about as a HC candidate before (Bennett), I will throw a fit. But until that happens, it still sounds to me like we have guys on the shortlist that wouldn't have been there 20 years ago, or even five years ago. And yes, I would call that progress.

by **EastStang** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:53 am

The only thing that is different is that had we gone after Barnett, Bowden or Neuheisal early on, the price might have been lower. Now, its going to cost us since these guys agents knew we were willing to pay top dollar to get Johnson.

by **NewPonyFan** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:15 pm

What exactly did Bowden do to put him in the category with Barnett and Neuheisal (not to say that I think they should be in a special category either)? Some ridiculous internet rumors that were publicly denied by the supposed involved parties? The fact that he left in the middle of the '98 season due to basically being forced out by the all powerful auburn booster?

He didn't drop out of sight for 8 years - he took the highest profile job in college football at the time - studio analyst for ABC College Football. Would ABC hired and kept him for 8 years if there was "baggage"? Would Yahoo have hired him? Would big time corporations/organizations hire him to speak to and motivate their groups?

The guy won BIG in the SEC - toughest conference in the country. First with "Dye's players", and then with his players. Does anybody whine that Tubberville went 13-0 with Bowden's players?

I just don't get it. Someone please enlighten me.

by **Phxfan** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:27 pm

NewPonyFan wrote:What exactly did Bowden do to put him in the category with Barnett and Neuheisal (not to say that I think they should be in a special category either)? Some ridiculous internet rumors that were publicly denied by the supposed involved parties? The fact that he left in the middle of the '98 season due to basically being forced out by the all powerful auburn booster?

He didn't drop out of sight for 8 years - he took the highest profile job in college football at the time - studio analyst for ABC College Football. Would ABC hired and kept him for 8 years if there was "baggage"? Would Yahoo have hired him? Would big time corporations/organizations hire him to speak to and motivate their groups?

The guy won BIG in the SEC - toughest conference in the country. First with "Dye's players", and then with his players. Does anybody whine that Tubberville went 13-0 with Bowden's players?

I just don't get it. Someone please enlighten me.

I've never quite gotten this thing about Bowden either. I think the rumors led Orsini and the rest to go for Johnson instead. I think early on he wanted the job. As time pasted and SMU threw all it's efforts toward Johnson. Other schools started looking at Bowden. I think he is considering other options now. I would not be surprised if he were to get SMU's job by the time this is over.

Gary Barnett or Terry Bowden for HC?

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