Notre Dame AD search

[ponyte]

The next guy will have to deal with making the women's rowing team more competitive and the Horsy team more attractive to fans. Those will be the issues. Facilities for football and basketball are in the process of being upgraded or have already been upgrade. Same for the coach and we don't plan on firing either basketball or football coaches for a few years yet. The schedules have been pretty much set so nothing there to monkey with for the near future. So basically, the next guy (or gal) has to run a financially viable product and market what we have and little else.

The big stuff (hiring and firing coaches) has been done. Also, the academic and recruiting handcuffs that the administration placed on athletics have been removed. So the next guy doesn't have to mess with that as well. We may not need an Orsini next to have a successful turn around.

[RGV Pony]

Can we fire up the secret AD thread again?

[George S. Patton]

Enough with the kneejerking. It is wise not to get too tied to people because of the transient nature of this business. IMO, should Orsini leave, he's just set this up to be a good job for somebody else.

I think Eric Hyman did that for Danny Morrison over at TCU. But the TCU people can speak to that.

If there is a replacement to be found, I think the search committee can identify a proactive AD who can foster strong relationships with coaches and programs and fund raise very well and those who are just earning a paycheck. Keep in mind, there is momentum here.

Actually, I thought if Orsini was here for three years, that would be the extent of his stay. It appears he's just one year early.

We'll be fine.

[HB Pony Dad]

Hopefully I will not have another reason to hate Notre Dame more than I already do!

AD's get more scorn when things are going poorly and more praise when things are going well than they probably deserve.

Players are the key followed closely by coaching.

Even after USC hired Carroll we were looking to dump Mike Garrett (USC's A.D. and Heisman Trophy winner) as Carroll was thought by most (including yours truly) to be a has-been, washed up ex-NFL coach. After going 6-6 in his first year, including the loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, 10-6, we were sure we were right and it was all the AD's fault.

But then we started recruiting well, got really good players and the wins started coming. The whole atmosphere changed and USC again became a winner.

Now Garrett is a genius.

If SMU can get the players and we pay for a first rate AD if Orsini does go to ND, the momentum to win will continue.

I only use the USC analogies as my SMU knowledge is very limited right now and am trying to get up to speed as fast as I can.

[Nacho]

Aren't we supposed to want our coaches and AD (see Hyndman, Orsini) to get hired by better programs. That means they have done very well here. I would rather have that than to fire them.

I told O not to leave last week but he didn't listen to me I guess.

[jtstang]

We should get Orsini on the committee to find his replacement in exchange for releasing him to go to Notre Dame.

[HB Pony Dad]

We should get Orsini on the committee to find his replacement in exchange for releasing him to go to Notre Dame.

Does Orsini have a "Notre Dame clause" in his contract?

Lou Holtz did when he was coaching at the University of Minnesota. His contract included a "Notre Dame clause" that allowed him to leave if the Notre Dame coaching job were to become available.

[jtstang]

Who knows? Orsini's contract is not public as Holtz's was.

[DiamondM]

Oh well. I would have thought a school with Touchdown Jesus would naturally go for a guy named Chryst.

[jtstang]

Oh well. I would have thought a school with Touchdown Jesus would naturally go for a guy named Chryst.

B. I wondered when somebody would knock that outta the park.

[couch 'em]

Oh well. I would have thought a school with Touchdown Jesus would naturally go for a guy named Chryst.

It's a little known fact that Orsini is the masculine version of "The Virgin Mary" in Italian.

[StallionsModelT]

Hey, maybe now we can finally get that dream match-up with Notre Dame up and running.

[Pony Up]

Awful. Just awful if he leaves. However, I wish him the best at Notre Dame. What he's done in his short time here is remarkable. We can now have genuine reason for hope at SMU and its pretty much all his doing. Now, even more important than getting JJ, if Orsini is leaving, we MUST make a great hire for his successor. I've said it in previous posts regarding Orsini's future that this university cannot endure another Copeland. That would be the death rattle.

I disagree that it's awful if he leaves. Just like when anyone calls for a coach to be replaced, it's only a good move if the next coach is better.

In this case, if he goes to Notre Dame, he will have left the SMU job so much more appealing to other candidates that it's hard to describe. He has done some good things, to be sure -- specifically in terms of coaches he has hired -- and the mere presence of Coach Jones will make SMU seem more of a destination location to candidates for the job.

I'm grateful for what Steve-O has done, and will wish him well if he goes elsewhere. But to suggest that his departure will be in any way devastating is premature, at least until a replacement is named.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

"Hoping that we have a nice buyout for June's contract, not
that I am worried; but another 1-10 ND season and a SMU
bowl game could get me nervous"

I can't envision the run & shoot at Notre Dame.
Has there ever been a successful run & shoot team
that plays outside up in the cold Northern weather?
I dont think Orsini would attempt to hire June at ND.
June is a great fit here, I am not so sure he would be at ND

[Scoops]

June Jones isn't following him to ND (of course, he had absolutely zero interest in SMU, too - right? ). Plus, they have too much money invested in Weis. He's safe up there, too.