Coaching Thoughts...

[Butts in the Stands]

If Jones falls through the search goes from badly handled to a disaster.

Nope, wasn't mishandled. Orsini took two huge, albeit calculated, gambles on PJ and now JJ. On the first, he missed and on the second, he possibly missed. But you can't say it was "mishandled."

Stop being a GD enabler.

If Jones doesn't take it, it is BAD. Not good. A 75 day Blankin' wait without a coach is not good for this program. It was a gamble that quite frankly SMU may not be able to afford.

THIS IS BAD. THIS MAKES SMU LOOK BAD. THIS IS EMBARASSING.

I am sick of the [deleted] apologists on this board telling me that everything is going perfectly. It only makes you look stupid.






REMAIN CALM!!! ALL IS WELL!!!

You know, you're right. Taking some calculated risks to try and improve our football program is embarrassing. 20 years of losing isn't. We should have hired the first coach we could find to say yes so as not to risk being embarrassed in our coaching search. very good point!

[jtstang]

You know, you're right. Taking some calculated risks to try and improve our football program is embarrassing.

There are a bunch of people who would have been a step up from Bennett that could have been signed in December and tried to do a little recruiting. Frann, Barnett for two. If all his eggs were in the basket of Johnson and he loses, that's when you go to your backup plan and start recruiting. A backup plan who makes you wait until January 2008 is sheer mismanagement if he turns you down.

[SMU Football Blog]

Those calculated risks have hurt this program's and its athletic director's credibility. If you have not noticed, it looks like SMU is bout to get low-balled again. For the second time, a coach may take less money to go elsewhere. I guess that doesn't reflect on SMU at all.

Yes, I said I THought SMU had this in the bag. I guess I was wrong. I bet Orsini thought he had it in the bag, too.

[RushStPony]

You know, you're right. Taking some calculated risks to try and improve our football program is embarrassing.

There are a bunch of people who would have been a step up from Bennett that could have been signed in December and tried to do a little recruiting. Frann, Barnett for two. If all his eggs were in the basket of Johnson and he loses, that's when you go to your backup plan and start recruiting. A backup plan who makes you wait until January 2008 is sheer mismanagement if he turns you down.

Like who, Fran?

Personally, after watching all the losing over the past 20 years, I am fine with taking a couple of chances...No risk, no reward pal...

[SMU Football Blog]

Why not go after Graham for a week?

[jtstang]

Like who, Fran?

Absolutely like Fran...especially if we end up with him anyway.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Why not go after Graham for a week?

Is he looking for a pay raise as well?

[RushStPony]

Like who, Fran?

Absolutely like Fran...especially if we end up with him anyway.

I don't really care. I've put up with enough in the past 20+ years, that I don't mind waiting and taking a couple of shots at some big-time guys.

Again, I'm not defending Orsini. If JJ falls through, he loses a ton of cred in my book. However, I'm not going to through him to the wolves. I like his aggressiveness...

[jimhagle]

Why not go after Graham for a week?

Is he looking for a pay raise as well?

Graham can now be approached and ended on a very high note. He's definitely on the radar if we don't snag JJ. Just look at his last 2 years work!

[Alaric]

[quote="SMU Football Blog"]Those calculated risks have hurt this program's and its athletic director's credibility. If you have not noticed, it looks like SMU is bout to get low-balled again. For the second time, a coach may take less money to go elsewhere. I guess that doesn't reflect on SMU at all.
quote]

It's asinine to say the search is great if June comes here and a disaster if not. You guys are turning into the ultimate second guessers...you're the guy who says the fake punt is brilliant after it works and an unmitigated disaster if it doesn't work.

Sure, Fran has been available but the newsletter gives me some major credibiliity questions about him and despite Stallion trying to trumpet him as the second coming of the messiah, here are some of his lowlights that

-After the Aggies' 17–34 loss at Miami this year, an ESPN writer gave honorable mention to the A&M coaches' play-calling in the Miami game in his weekly "Bottom 10" college performances
-During his five-season tenure at A&M, Franchione had not produced a team that finished higher than third in the Big 12 South, or one that ranked in the postseason AP or Coaches national polls.
-Compiled a 4–16 record against ranked teams, and a 4–14 record against Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.
-Compiled a 19–21 Big 12 record.
-Fran's first year, the Aggies finished the season with a 4–8 record.
-Nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma, the WORST LOSS IN A&M'S HISTORY.
-The 2003 season (Fran's first) marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years.
-In 2004 season, A&M had a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor at Waco, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor.
-The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl that year to play #17 Tennessee in the postseason, but lost 38-7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million., WTF?
-In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll, regressed to a 5–6 record.
-The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 Division I NCAA teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan head coach Gary Darnell to replace Torbush.
-Lost 2005 bowl game 45-10 to California.

[Mustangs35SMU]

-In 2004 season, A&M had a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor at Waco, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor.

What a fun day that was. Wish I still had the audio for that last play where the A&M announcer was silent for nearly a minute and a half after the play was over.

[Alaric]

For the record, I think Fran's a great administrator and would work hard to sell the program, That being said it's worth the risk to spend time looking around and I don't think anybody coming in here after the season would have put a class together that's too valuable to risk losing.

Fran would upgrade talent, he'd be a huge improvement over what we've had in the past. I do have some credibility problems with him and I really wonder why he had very limited success at A&M and had some of A&M's biggest "debacle" games ever even with good talent...

[jtstang]

Sure, Fran has been available but the newsletter gives me some major credibiliity questions about him and despite Stallion trying to trumpet him as the second coming of the messiah, here are some of his lowlights that

-After the Aggies' 17–34 loss at Miami this year, an ESPN writer gave honorable mention to the A&M coaches' play-calling in the Miami game in his weekly "Bottom 10" college performances
-During his five-season tenure at A&M, Franchione had not produced a team that finished higher than third in the Big 12 South, or one that ranked in the postseason AP or Coaches national polls.
-Compiled a 4–16 record against ranked teams, and a 4–14 record against Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.
-Compiled a 19–21 Big 12 record.
-Fran's first year, the Aggies finished the season with a 4–8 record.
-Nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma, the WORST LOSS IN A&M'S HISTORY.
-The 2003 season (Fran's first) marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years.
-In 2004 season, A&M had a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor at Waco, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor.
-The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl that year to play #17 Tennessee in the postseason, but lost 38-7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million., WTF?
-In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll, regressed to a 5–6 record.
-The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 Division I NCAA teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan head coach Gary Darnell to replace Torbush.
-Lost 2005 bowl game 45-10 to California.

All vastly better than the performance by the SMU coaches during the same period.

[SMUBob]

Sure, Fran has been available but the newsletter gives me some major credibiliity questions about him and despite Stallion trying to trumpet him as the second coming of the messiah, here are some of his lowlights that

-After the Aggies' 17–34 loss at Miami this year, an ESPN writer gave honorable mention to the A&M coaches' play-calling in the Miami game in his weekly "Bottom 10" college performances
-During his five-season tenure at A&M, Franchione had not produced a team that finished higher than third in the Big 12 South, or one that ranked in the postseason AP or Coaches national polls.
-Compiled a 4–16 record against ranked teams, and a 4–14 record against Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.
-Compiled a 19–21 Big 12 record.
-Fran's first year, the Aggies finished the season with a 4–8 record.
-Nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma, the WORST LOSS IN A&M'S HISTORY.
-The 2003 season (Fran's first) marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years.
-In 2004 season, A&M had a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor at Waco, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor.
-The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl that year to play #17 Tennessee in the postseason, but lost 38-7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million., WTF?
-In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll, regressed to a 5–6 record.
-The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 Division I NCAA teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan head coach Gary Darnell to replace Torbush.
-Lost 2005 bowl game 45-10 to California.

All vastly better than the performance by the SMU coaches during the same period.

Not sure I agree. A&M with all of their talent, all of their recruiting advantages, should have done much better if Fran were the great coach some of you say he is.

And as for recruiting, does anybody believe that ANY coach is going to get Big XII talent to come to SMU? Not until it gets turned around, three or four years from now at least, and probably never so long as we're in an inferior conference.

I would have thought Neuheisel or Barnett would have been worth the added NCAA scrutiny, but not Fran. He's left ashes in the mouths of alums everywhere he's been.