Propose a Coach...

[LA_Mustang]

Once again, EastStang, why would Randy Ayers, Byron Scott, or any "name" coach want this job? The powers that be have made SMU one of the least desirable places to coach in the division I (no commitment to win from the admistration, no fan support, unlevel playing field in recruiting, a gym that badly needs renovating, ect, ect.). Basically, there is no chance to succeed here.

I hope I'm wrong, but I dont think we could ever attract a big name coach. We'll just have to get a hungry assistant and hope.

[Hoop Fan]

Thats the way I see it honestly LA. Forget about NBA coaches, NBA assistants make great cash and don't have to put up with other crap, so Randy Ayers will gladly take an assistant job. As for Matt Doherty, hes intriguing, but he ain't coming. What we are deciding between is Jimmy Tubbs or some other assistant at a major program somewhere that no one has ever heard of. That doesn't mean there arent good guys out there, it just is a flyer no matter what.

[EastStang]

Most of them have deals that pay them deferred cash and taking a college job only OFFSETS a portion of the deferred cash. Thus, they're still clipping coupons from the NBA for 2, 3, 4, 5 years and can work at a college for whatever the college can afford. Their agents aren't stupid. Then in three or four years they can re-establish their reputation in college ranks, and jump back to the NBA. It happens. Dallas is a much better place to be than Stillwater, Iowa City, or sitting around doing nothing. Good coaches know that they are only one good recruiting class away from the dance, and once you get to the dance, anything can happen. SMU will be in a decent conference with good media centers in it.

[Mike Damone]

Anybody else heard anything about the OU hoops program being far from the cleanest in the nation? Just asking.

[LA_Mustang]

East, do you really believe ANY coach can come into SMU, assuming all things remain as is, and be successful after 3 or 4 years?? The only coach that has a remote shot is one who can recruit Dallas immediately or one who will demand respect from all (admin, Copeland, players, and alums) the day he steps foot into Moody. Is that guy out there??? Maybe, but good luck....and if we do find him, it will take a lot to get him to sign on, with the exception of Tubbs.

[Pony_Fan]

Wow, so much doom and gloom. Why don't we revisit this thread when there is an opening

[OldPony]

EastStang- I disagree with your assessment of how it is better to be in Dallas than Stillwater etc. Stillwater has a basketball program that is admired by many and a gym that seats about 12,000 and sells out. They can also recruit any player that anyone else can. You will leave a Stillwater with a winning record. At SMU, you will disappear.
While I think Tubbs is as good of a chance as anyone, the part about getting along with players is easy as an assistant. That is an assistant's job. The HC must be the disciplinarian. If you don't think Bill Self is tough, you haven't been paying attention. He is as tough or tougher than Dement ever was on his players. The difference- KU has leadership among the players who knows what it takes. They also have 16,000 screaming fans at EVERY game to remind them whether they are playing Nobody U on Sunday morning or OU on Saturday night. This "new" generation of coaches don't necessarily get along better with their players. Pitino is tough as nails. So is Calipari. Is Bobby Knight a "new" generation coach? What about Coach K or Roy W? These guys have always been at schools who have had success in b'ball on at least a better than average level. None of these would have considered coming to SMU since the DP if they were informed as to how they would need to recruit, honor scholarships etc. People need to take a look at this job as if they were not SMU fans and then tell me why you would want the job. There aren't many reasons and don't start the wonderful Dallas cr*p. Dallas is a nice place. There are many cities just as nice. Dallas is a media center. There are many of them and SMU draws nothing from being in the media center except hope that someday if the product is good enough, maybe someone will come to see a game. In fact, SMU would draw as well if it were located in Greenville. Maybe even better with less diversions. You can lose in front of a bigger sports page in Dallas but that doesn't make anyone want you.

[Hoop Fan]

I'm an Illinois fan from birth, so I would say I definitely have paid attention to Bill Self. In fact, when Lon Kruger left Illinois for the Atlanta Hawks, I was pushing Self like nobodys business because I loved the way his Tulsa teams played. He is tough, no doubt about it. I'd debate with you whether he is a disciplinarian. His main strength is ability to relate to players. I don't judge him on what he is able to do at Kansas. I judge him by what he did at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and to some extent Illinois. I don't really think its worthwhile to look at the style of the coaches at Duke, UNC, Kansas and Louisville. Those jobs are basketball royalty. Like you say, its different at those places. I look at the Tier 2 major powers that sneak into national prominence for briefer periods depending on their coach, ie Oklahoma, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Texas etc..Bobby Knight is the ultimate special case, so lets throw him out of the mix. His style is working because of his past reputation for winning more than anything. This is a new generation. I don't necessarily like it because I like discplined basketball. I used to have coaches who were more like drill sargents than friends. But make no mistake, this isn't 1985 anymore and its certainly not 1955 when SMU had Jim Krebs hayday.

[OldPony]

I would say when a kid misses practice and you tell him not to bother coming back that that is a form of discipline. I didn't mean that he beat and kicked and choked like Knight. He runs his players as hard aas anyone getting them in shape. He has continually told the KU kids that they aren't tough enough in the press (sound familiar?)and has said that he will recruit people who will play tougher. He is a disciple of Eddie Sutton who plays a lot of zone and slows down basketball quite a bit. He certainly isn't a run and gun coach nnor does he want to get into scoring contests. His teams seem to loose when the other teams get hot from 3 point land. He definitely coaches D first. I would submit to you that his style is very much like Dement's. He has made better career choices though.

[Hoop Fan]

Self is good because he adapts to the talent he has. He is defensive minded, but not slow down by any means. He played that style at Illinois only because he inherited a team who didn't have the athletic ability he likes. And he didnt stay long enough to play his own recruits much. Tulsa got up and down the floor and shot 3s like crazy under Self, ie Donte Swanson. Being in his first year, Self has not put a stamp on that Kansas program yet. As for his style, I am not saying that players disrespect him and run wild. He doesn't take any crap. But one reason he can make the comments he does and get on players when he does is because he has a good relationship with them to begin with and they like him. If players like and respect a coach, they accept teaching and criticism much better. If you don't have the trust and foundation in the relationship, its doomed from the start. A good coach can criticize a kid without making it feel personal. Other coaches don't have that gift, frankly I've heard Dement doesn't.

[EastStang]

The question is who would be interested in a job in a top 8 media market. Georgetown has a student population about the same as ours. Georgetown was in similar straits as we were when John Thompson took over. It wasn't until he landed Patrick Ewing (after about 8 years) and the Big East was formed that Georgetown became a household name. Of course he had success before that at Georgetown (an NIT run and a couple of tournament invites). Sure we have some warts, but we have some assets too. A great school, fans who will show if things turn around, and Dallas. Sure Stillwater, Oklahoma packs them in for basketball games, but what other opportunities are there in Stillwater. After watching Dexter Manley's intereview the other night we know that kids leave there unable to read or write. We'll never get the Dexter's of the world at SMU, but there are some good kids out there. The NBA is now snatching up high schoolers. That really evens out the playing field for all the schools.

[Pony_Fan]

Georgetown also let in A.I. who was a jailbird.

[OldPony]

Has Dement lost hiks ability to communicate and criticize which he obviously had at Cornell and Greensboro? When?
To compare the requirements of recruiting at Georgetown vs SMU is ludicrous. Pat Ewing nor AI would have ever been let near an SMU campaus. Hell we wouldn't take Larry Johnson and he was a genius and/or angel compared to these two. Take a look at Georgetown. Their roster was full of people that wouldn't qualify at SMU for Thompson's entire career. He was the champion of how the SAT's were slanted against balck kids and letting these "poor young men" have a chance even though they had never made decent grades in HS etc. You really need a reality check if you think the 2 situations are comparable in any way other than they are both good private U's in large cities. There are no athletic comparisons.

[LA_Mustang]

You take that and add that we cant get any JUCOs, there is no chance for success. That's exactly why a "name" coach wont even look our way.

[OldPony]

Hoop- I found it interesting that you say that Self isn't slow down at all but adapted to that stlye because his inherited players were athletic enough. What do you think he would do with SMU's talent IF he thought Illinois wasn't athletic enough to run? As for Tulsa, do you see any 3 point shooters at SMU? Dement has tried that too. Only Miller and BHop have shown any 3 point ability this year and both of them are highly inconsistent. I also hear from some that BHop is too much of our offense dribbling around and trying to get open. Many coaches will tell you to get the ball in your best player's hands as often as possible. We just don't have the talent to be a Top 40 team. I had hoped that Isham would continue to shoot well but he hasn't. He isn't the player he was last year but I don't know why. I had hopes that Rack would develop enough to start this year but he is still a little short on technique although he has shown improvement. We had hopes but they didn't pan out for some reason but I have a hard time seeing how those reasons are all Dement's fault. I think we'll get a new coach next year. I'm just not very confident that he will be as good, let alone better unless the admin makes some serious changes. I don't see that happening when all the NCAA President's are talking about how to tighten up requirements etc. Any tightening of requirements on others though will help SMU.