From CSTV.com.....

[PonyDogg]

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/122007aai.html

Again, we could have had either weeks ago... These aren't a "wow" but a "hmmm" hire

Of course we could have had them weeks ago, but maybe we didnt want them weeks ago. Can anybody on this board seriously blame Steve-O for trying to get the best coach he could. He tried PJ and wined and dined him and PJ went to a more attractive school. For all we know he may have tried to get others and they just didnt want to come here. Orsini can only try to make SMU sound like the best school to a coach and if the candidates dont buy it then you cant blame Orsini. SMU is SMU. So to blame Orsini for this coaching delay is ignorant and unjustified. I salute Orsini for having the balls to try to get PJ who was maybe the best option for any school at the time, but the deal just didnt happen. In the case that we are settling for say Fran or Coker that is 100 times better than who we would have settled for 10 years ago. If we would have hired either one of these guys 1-2 months ago the same people would be on here complaining that we jumped the gun.

Applause! Applause! I agree. The naysayers are really unbelievable.

[gostangs]

They are not unbelievable - because most of them post in a very predictable way - immature. They are, however, ignorant blowhards as well. They have no clue how a process like this works and they don't care to learn - like two year old crying in a mall.

[bigdaddy08091]

Reminds me of this article:

UH narrows coaching candidates to Pardee, Haywood

For University of Houston athletics director Dave Maggard, the hunt goes on for a football coach to replace Art Briles. But a person with knowledge of the situation says that the search has been narrowed to two candidates — former NFL and Cougars coach Jack Pardee and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5370749.html

Paul P. is coming to SMU.

[George S. Patton]

Reminds me of this article:

UH narrows coaching candidates to Pardee, Haywood

For University of Houston athletics director Dave Maggard, the hunt goes on for a football coach to replace Art Briles. But a person with knowledge of the situation says that the search has been narrowed to two candidates — former NFL and Cougars coach Jack Pardee and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5370749.html

I'm glad you brought that up because that's exactly what I was thinking when UH announced Sumlin was its new coach. That appeared to be an AD who had people share info that he didn't mind releasing because he had another list he was working with.

Just a thought.

[westexSMU]

I stiil say Orsini is after an NFL coach. If Fran is not hired this week end, you can bank on an NFL hire.

[huskerpony]

Reminds me of this article:

UH narrows coaching candidates to Pardee, Haywood

For University of Houston athletics director Dave Maggard, the hunt goes on for a football coach to replace Art Briles. But a person with knowledge of the situation says that the search has been narrowed to two candidates — former NFL and Cougars coach Jack Pardee and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5370749.html

I'm glad you brought that up because that's exactly what I was thinking when UH announced Sumlin was its new coach. That appeared to be an AD who had people share info that he didn't mind releasing because he had another list he was working with.

Just a thought.

Yeah, wasn't GT narrowed down to Muschcamp and Tenuda at one point? And Arkansas narrowed down to Tommy Tuberville and Tommy Bowden too? (I know they both turned Arkansas down, but still was reported as such.)

[smitty329]

coker looks like dumbo....for that reason i take Fran.

Of course - all this time Steve O has been looking at People magazines sexiest men alive for our new coach! So, is it Clooney or Pitt? I guess it's Pitt but it won't be announced until he's done rebuilding New Orleans!

[Texas Red]

There's a lot to like about Pitt. They could say "he's a proven winner who turned around New Orleans." He's young too. I kid, I kid.

I would not be too [deleted] the knee-jerkers who question the coaching search. It's not the norm to take this long, no question about that. I don't know even to expect the unexpected -- I expect to wait it out and hope the end result is good. Keeping it very quiet makes sense if Steve Orsini was aiming extremely high. It's embarassing to get a lot of rejections. So, that's a positive to take away from this -- SMU does appear to be aiming high.

[Lawgrad]

So Fran and Coker have better Reps then Bowden?..........That makes sense.

Neither one of those guys quit during the middle of the season, so yes, they do have better reps that Bowden. Neither one of them have been out of coaching for the past 10 years, so yes they do have better reps than Bowden.

Get off the Bowden kick. There are a number of good reasons why he has never gotten a job since he quit on his team 10 years ago. At this point, the only Bowden worth a damn is Tommy Bowden, and he extended at Clemson. What about Bowden do you think would translate in this century? He drove Auburn into the ground before he quit, with a Bennett-esque 1-5 record to start the season, and then dropped off the face of the planet. He is a name and nothing more, by this point in time. Do you think it is surprising that NO ONE is knocking down his door to interview him? He had to have his Daddy call the Governor of West Virginia to support his campaign to get that job. He hasn't recruited anyone in ten years, and has most likely lost all of his pertinent contacts. When you add to that the fact that he didn't really recruit Texas when he was HC at Auburn, what makes you think he could do anything here?

Based on recruiting and coaching alone, I would go with Fran, but I would second the masses who feel that his deal should have been taken care of a long time ago--if not right after he left A&M, then after his severance became final.

Mrs. Bowden, please stop trying to get your son a job here. We aren't interested.

[mr. pony]

HIRE BOWDEN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Terry, that is.