Would You Be Happy With Coach Fran?

[TCU owns YOU]

I was excited about Fran early on because I thought he could bring some of his son's juco players with him, he could take advantage of A&M not having a coach and even after Sherman was announced, I thought he could still snatch a couple of his recruits with

I guess we're down to the third item at this point if Fran would even come here having to take sloppy fifths or sixths.

Are you really this stupid, that you are basing your whole coaching search on this months recruits? If SMU hired Franchione and got zero recruits this year, it would still be a huge success for the program. He is a proven winner (especially at C-USA level) and is proven to turn a whole program around (not just win/losses but fans, tradition, attendance, facilities, media, etc).

[58raider]

Hire Fran and keep Tech on your schedule. We like going against Fran's teams.

[Chuck Norris]

Hire Fran and keep Tech on your schedule. We like going against Fran's teams.

And working at Blockbuster

[EastStang]

Or Tastee Freeze.

[Ponyx2]

Some Tech grads make manager. Of course it's only managing Oklahoma State graduates.

[SMUBob]

I guess what this has taught us is that $2 million is not enough to overcome the reputation that we have as a career-killer, except for those guys whose career has already been killed and they are looking for a chance to resurrect it.

Personally, I don't find Rick Neuheisel to be objectionable, nor Gary Barnett, nor Larry Coker, nor Terry Bowden. The reason I vote no on Franchione is that he's become a JOKE in the state of Texas -- for crying out loud he's the cover of the Bum Steer issue of Texas Monthly. He won't just show up and start recruiting like gangbusters here. Do you think any of his A&M recruits would follow him?? Of course not!!

Plus, there is zero reason to think that Fran would have one iota of loyalty if anything good happened to SMU during his contract. He'd be gone in a New York minute to any BCS program that had any interest at all.

I think $2 million per year could be spent more wisely. A good young coach and a well paid staff of assistants. I'm encouraged that some alums care enough that we could have raised that kind of money ---- but you can spend less than that and still be at the top of the list for C-USA schools.

I think Fran is dishonest and it will end badly for SMU with him. Sadly, if you guys have convinced Orsini that Coker is too boring for SMU, then it looks like we'll hire the Bum Steer and worsen our JOKE status here in Texas where it counts.

Based on what we've learned throughout this process, maybe we should have gone with the highly respected coordinator. Would we have considered Les Koenning Jr. ???

[Stallion]

OPINION: "He won't just show up and start recruiting like gangbusters here."

FACT: He's recruited well at every school he has been at. Based upon his track record he would recruit better than all all CUSA West teams I have little doubt and he is positioned to recruit much better than the rest on your list with the possible exception of Barnett. He proved it BCS schools-he's proved it at non-BCS schools. He has resurrected about 5 programs in his history. He's the only guy on the list with back-to-back victories over UT I might add. Your opinion holds little weight based on the facts of his track record.

[EP Pony Fan]

Better than UTEP, which collects your beloved JUCOs and Div. I transfers?
Better than Houston, which can accept anyone with a pulse?
Better than Tulsa, which is recruited by Jesus Graham himself?
If he's the guy, I hope you're right, but at the moment, call me skeptical.

[EP Pony Fan]

... FACT: He's recruited well at every ...

"well" = opinion, not fact.

... better than all all CUSA West teams I have little doubt

"I have little doubt" = "maybe not a lot, but by definition SOME doubt" = opinion, not fact.

... positioned to recruit much better than the rest on your list with the possible exception of Barnett.

"positioned to" + "with the POSSIBLE exception" = opinion, not fact.

... Your opinion holds little weight based on the facts of his track record.

Yeah, well, your "facts" hold little weight when they're really opinion with a "FACT" label stamped on them.

[Stallion]

I have never seen a worse recruiting Division in my life outside of the Sun Belt. The result has been a season where CUSA West has become the worst Division in College Football. Even Briles was severely underachieving. Graham is the best recruiter-btw he's lost about 5-6 great recruits this year to BCS schools already. Graham recruited more top difference makers in 1 month at Tulsa than the rest of the conference did last year. He completely rebuilt an entire Receivers corp in one month of recruiting last year. Franchione would bring in the best classes in this Division even at SMU. I respect June Jones' Coaching ability but seriously where would he be without all those kids who have never gotten into SMU? He wouldn't be 12-0. Probably wouldn't be more than 7-5 in the WAC. It continually seems to fly over Ponyfans heads that these Coaches are a product of the advantageous Models they work under. June Jones deserves applause and congratulations for recognizing the essential importance of the Polynesians players and making All-Americans out of kids with criminal records but it ain't happening at SMU. Franchione was the best non-BCS recruiter in the Country at TCU(FACT) and has been consistently top national recruiter at BCS schools(FACT). There is also little doubt-that if SMU would get on the stick-Franchione could hire the best Coaching Staff with experience and Contacts in Texas.

[Stallion]

More FACTS: Franchione Recruiting Classes

2003: 10th
2004: 13th
2005: 8th
2006: 27th
2007: Not so Good-but an unusually small class of 19 for a BCS school.
2008: Top 10 Class at the time he was fired- I think it was No. 8 and is presently 12th.

And folks this was not an easy time to recruit at A&M with the Brown and Stoops in the mix for National Championships. Its pretty damn difficult to beat UT in recruiting when they are winning National Championships, winning 20+ games in a row and streaking to 7 straight Ten plus winning seasons. I predict his successor will not come close.

As for his recruiting at TCU those are not easily obtainable on the internet any more but trust me that they were outstanding-better than all non-BCS schools. I tracked it on Mustang Maniacs and Ponyfans at the time. They kicked our [deleted] in DFW recruiting so bad it was humiliating. Some may remember my prediction of at least a 5 game winning streak by TCU based solely on the talent discrepancy between SMU and TCU. Of course, it came true. There has not been a bigger talent discrepancy between SMU and TCU in the modern era than there was based on Franchione's recruiting classes at TCU. Plenty of players in the NFL(even without LT) to prove it.

[Pony Soup]

First, THANK YOU EP PONY. Stallion pulls this nonsense all day.

Second - Stal, please not that you cannot point to "rankings" of recruiting classes as fact when evaluating potential coaches. That amounts to the argument that Ohio State is the best team in the country this year, which we all know is not true (If anyone here thinks that, please look me up in about 12 days).

Third - for Stallion again. Please commit to one person as your ideal candidate for SMU's next HC based on who is a real possibility given our resources. This is your chance to be SO for 15 seconds. Please limit yourself to two words and include both one first name and one last name. Post below.[/list]

[friarwolf]

I was excited about Fran early on because I thought he could bring some of his son's juco players with him, he could take advantage of A&M not having a coach and even after Sherman was announced, I thought he could still snatch a couple of his recruits with

I guess we're down to the third item at this point if Fran would even come here having to take sloppy fifths or sixths.

Are you really this stupid, that you are basing your whole coaching search on this months recruits? If SMU hired Franchione and got zero recruits this year, it would still be a huge success for the program. He is a proven winner (especially at C-USA level) and is proven to turn a whole program around (not just win/losses but fans, tradition, attendance, facilities, media, etc).

No, I am not basing it on just this month's recruits you idiot. Go back to the frog website or are you such a loser that even your own kind won't have you................

[TCU owns YOU]

Hire Fran and keep Tech on your schedule. We like going against Fran's teams.

Did you know Tech just lost their academic accredation as University and is so to be reclassified as a community college?

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/highereducation/entries/2007/12/13/texas_tech_put_on_probation.html

[color=darkblue]Texas Tech put on probation
By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz | Thursday, December 13, 2007, 01:24 PM

Texas Tech University received the higher education equivalent of a lump of coal this week: The agency that accredits colleges in 11 Southern states placed the university on probation.

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools cited Tech for failing to collect sufficient data in an assessment of whether students had attained the expected learning competencies.

University officials said the data would be collected in the spring semester, analyzed in the summer and reported to the accrediting organization by September. They expect probation to be lifted in December 2008, when the accrediting organization meets again.

Belle Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges, said the agency has been monitoring Tech since reaffirming its accreditation two years ago.

“Probation is always serious, but I have all the faith that they’ll be able to clean it up in the next year,â€

[TCU owns YOU]

More FACTS: Franchione Recruiting Classes

As for his recruiting at TCU those are not easily obtainable on the internet any more but trust me that they were outstanding-better than all non-BCS schools.

Actually our recruiting was better than all the non-BCS and BCS teams. In 2001, TCU sent 14 players to NFL which was tied with FSU for most of all colleges.

Fran not only recruits well but turns 2-star recruits like Tomlinson, Schobel, and Urlacher into NFL MVP's. Gary Patterson still talks about LT running a 4.9 forty when he got to TCU.