Coaches Hot Seat BB (look at #2)

[SMU Football Blog]

I have exchanged emails with these guys before, so I sent this off:

Saw you had SMU's Matt Doherty on your coach's hot seat list. I just want you to know that from inside "the bubble" (the SMU community is called the bubble, btw), there is absolutely no pressure on Doherty. I don't think the hot seat means, "He might get fired after another three seasons like this one."
Doherty was hired by the current athletic director Steve Orsini. The firing of Doherty's predecessor created a lot of ill will between SMU and the Dallas high school basketball coaches. He came into a bad situation and everyone (alumni, students and administration) accepted that and agreed that the turn around at SMU was going to take time. Everyone recognizes that this team is rebuilding and will struggle into next year.
Doherty is very well thought of. Even if there was a desire to remove Doherty, which there isn't, there isn't any money to do it. All forseeable SMU athletics donations are going to Football. The same goes for booster attention. Nobody is going to get up much anger over Doherty even if he continues to struggle and therefore, nobody is going is going to clamor for him to be bought out. Again, however, you need to realize: everyone at SMU really likes Matt Doherty.
Doherty will be given a minimum of five years, if not more. Honestly, I believe the odds are better that Doherty will be at SMU more than 10 years than Doherty being at SMU less than five years.

[Dark Horse]

I almost threw up when I read that. If being blown out of our own gym by Southern, Alabama State and Centenary is a normal season, I'll cut my wrists. This has been the saddest season I've ever witnessed here.

"Frustrating," maybe, but surely you see the ability this group has. They're young, they make mistakes, they have a lot still to learn. But the raw ability these guys have is very encouraging. This definitely is a group that can get better as it matures.

[MustangIcon]

I dunno, Coach Tubbs was gone after two years.

apples and oranges

not really, but whatever.

Oh come on Hoop. You think Doherty inherited a similar situation as Tubbs???? Even you couldn't possibly claim that with a straight face.

[SoCal_Pony]

I almost threw up when I read that. If being blown out of our own gym by Southern, Alabama State and Centenary is a normal season, I'll cut my wrists. This has been the saddest season I've ever witnessed here.

You know, you can look back at the topics over the past couple of months here at Ponyfans and realize interest in SMU BB is at a low.

Outside of the game-day threads, made up usually of 5 to 10 posters, the most interesting topics have been Jason Kidd, Bobby Knight and Memphis.

This sure doesn’t have the look or feel of a jet fighter ready to launch, quite the opposite in fact.

[jtstang]

Oh yes, Tubbs inherited a powerhouse program from Dement. Look, the standard is win in two years or you're out. If Doherty isn't fired after this year, we need to examine the real reason Tubbs was set up and knocked down by SMU. God knows it wasn't really for "violations"....

[Big Hoss]

I dunno, Coach Tubbs was gone after two years.

apples and oranges

not really, but whatever.

Oh come on Hoop. You think Doherty inherited a similar situation as Tubbs???? Even you couldn't possibly claim that with a straight face.

I was going to say basically the same thing Icon.

How can the situation Doherty came in to be even remotely compared to Tubbs taking over at Kentucky? I'm starting to question his logic as a "Hoop Fan". Oh wait, different Tubbs. Yeah, whatever he said.

[Hoop Fan]

I dunno, Coach Tubbs was gone after two years.

apples and oranges

not really, but whatever.

Oh come on Hoop. You think Doherty inherited a similar situation as Tubbs???? Even you couldn't possibly claim that with a straight face.

Identical? no. Similar? Yeah, fairly similar. Early recruits: Cam Spencer vs. Ike Ofegbu. Adv. Tubbs. Bamba Fall, Brian Morris, Dez Willingham vs. the current Freshman 7. I don't know jury is still out but its anything but clearcut so far. Most of you guys have and continually scapegoat Tubbs because its easy and convenient for you. Its the SMU way. I just like to keep it real, thats about all.

[Big Hoss]

I think opinions vary here in part as to why each of us thinks Tubbs was let go. Was it because he wasn't getting it done, or was it because Doherty is a higher profile coach that Orsini thought could take our program higher than Tubbs?

Personally, because I think it was the latter reason, I would venture to guess that Doherty has more time to make this program what everyone wants it to be than what Tubbs was given. Call it a shorter leash for Tubbs or whatever you want.

Also, I am inclined to think that the Crum Center funding was helped along by the hiring of a "named" coach like Doherty. Granted, take all of my comments from the perspective of someone who grew up a UNC fan, and really believes in Doherty.

[Hoop Fan]

I almost threw up when I read that. If being blown out of our own gym by Southern, Alabama State and Centenary is a normal season, I'll cut my wrists. This has been the saddest season I've ever witnessed here.

You know, you can look back at the topics over the past couple of months here at Ponyfans and realize interest in SMU BB is at a low.

Outside of the game-day threads, made up usually of 5 to 10 posters, the most interesting topics have been Jason Kidd, Bobby Knight and Memphis.

This sure doesn’t have the look or feel of a jet fighter ready to launch, quite the opposite in fact.

I totally agree. besides bribing a frat and sorority to take turns having their pledge classes show up, there is no feeling of anticipation or excitement of anything different building in moody. my god, i want there to be, but lets not kid ourselves. I'll give Doh all the time he needs but lets not hype things that are not there, that leads to bigger issues later.

[Pony_Fan]

I almost threw up when I read that. If being blown out of our own gym by Southern, Alabama State and Centenary is a normal season, I'll cut my wrists. This has been the saddest season I've ever witnessed here.

You know, you can look back at the topics over the past couple of months here at Ponyfans and realize interest in SMU BB is at a low.

Outside of the game-day threads, made up usually of 5 to 10 posters, the most interesting topics have been Jason Kidd, Bobby Knight and Memphis.

This sure doesn’t have the look or feel of a jet fighter ready to launch, quite the opposite in fact.

pretty true, back in the Sassafrass days, we had much more discussions going on. Positions and game discussions...

Wow, I've wasting a lot of time here

[Pony_Fan]

How about that game tonight boys

[RGV Pony]

I almost threw up when I read that. If being blown out of our own gym by Southern, Alabama State and Centenary is a normal season, I'll cut my wrists. This has been the saddest season I've ever witnessed here.

You know, you can look back at the topics over the past couple of months here at Ponyfans and realize interest in SMU BB is at a low.

Outside of the game-day threads, made up usually of 5 to 10 posters, the most interesting topics have been Jason Kidd, Bobby Knight and Memphis.

This sure doesn’t have the look or feel of a jet fighter ready to launch, quite the opposite in fact.

I totally agree. besides bribing a frat and sorority to take turns having their pledge classes show up, there is no feeling of anticipation or excitement of anything different building in moody. my god, i want there to be, but lets not kid ourselves. I'll give Doh all the time he needs but lets not hype things that are not there, that leads to bigger issues later.

My eyes deceived me yet again. First glance: "...besides bribing a fat sorority girl..."

[Hoop Fan]

that too. did you see the Chi-Os? not what i remember.

[LA_Mustang]

Those Sass, Willie D and Q teams would wipe the floor with these guys. Sass was WAC Freshman of the Year in a much tougher conference than the current C-USA....and as I remember, that 97-98 team was very young too - Sas and Willie D both started as FR.

[Cardinal Puff]

I have been there for all of the home games. Yes, just so frustrating to lose to Centenary and Co. Yet they have improved through the season and the team is going after the win till the end. I do not have the feeling that I had at the end of the Dement era when it often appeared that the team just gave up-that was worse than anything I have seen this year.
Papa is clearly a player, but Mike Walker has improved significantly as have the other freshmen.
I don't see Doh on any kind of hot seat as long as the team continues with improvement.