Paul McCoy is gone!

[PonyDoh]

And then there was the case of his tampering aau coach etc. So much you don't know, but pretend like you do. Why didn't they give McCoy his release to St Mary's, moody?

inquiring minds would like to know about these 2 issues!

hit me w/a pm, icon.

[ponyboy]

I'm sick of two things, haters dragging this program down worse then it is. Moody, you would honestly have people beleive we won 2 games last year, seriously. My second peave is someone so agenda-driven, that they don't take issues point for point. Way to throw a blanket over every situation, moody, sign of a creative mind. A good example would be that I'm not a DOh enthusiast or advocate. You see me saying he needs to come back, and you assume I must love the guy. That would be false, I'm just not a panic monkey, and know what it takes to make this next hire count. Jumping the gun is not the call. I'm also intrigued by the slow tempo system b/c we can't man up w/Memphis or FLoyd at UTEP in the short or long haul, no matter who is coach. You don't care who coaches, as long as its not Doh. Irrational hate makes for a one-dimensional poster, Moody. Talk to me about something other then Doh. Prove you have that skill level, and maybe I'll give a [deleted]. Until then, I'm pretty sure you don't care about SMU basketball, just hating Doh.

These are some strong comments that I hope Moody can deal with straight up without setting up straw men.

[FriscoPMG]

And then there was the case of his tampering aau coach etc. So much you don't know, but pretend like you do. Why didn't they give McCoy his release to St Mary's, moody?

inquiring minds would like to know about these 2 issues!

So is it safe to assume that all of these issues with McCoy and his AAU coach and everything else all happened during last season? It is just a complete 180 from Doh and Steve O flying out to Paul's home to beg him to stay last off season. I can imagine McCoy's attitude changing after they gave him the keys to the entire program, but if there were other issues that justify his release, were none of them recognizable after his first year?

[moodymadmen]

I'm sick of two things, haters dragging this program down worse then it is. Moody, you would honestly have people beleive we won 2 games last year, seriously. My second peave is someone so agenda-driven, that they don't take issues point for point. Way to throw a blanket over every situation, moody, sign of a creative mind. A good example would be that I'm not a DOh enthusiast or advocate. You see me saying he needs to come back, and you assume I must love the guy. That would be false, I'm just not a panic monkey, and know what it takes to make this next hire count. Jumping the gun is not the call. I'm also intrigued by the slow tempo system b/c we can't man up w/Memphis or FLoyd at UTEP in the short or long haul, no matter who is coach. You don't care who coaches, as long as its not Doh. Irrational hate makes for a one-dimensional poster, Moody. Talk to me about something other then Doh. Prove you have that skill level, and maybe I'll give a [deleted]. Until then, I'm pretty sure you don't care about SMU basketball, just hating Doh.

These are some strong comments that I hope Moody can deal with straight up without setting up straw men.

WannabeDoh is so busy beating his chest, roaring about his sweet marketing gig, giving me material to take to the john, and connecting with AAU coaches (that have channeled us exactly 0 Dallas players recently) that he doesn't realize that I don't hate Doherty at all. I hate the results. 4 years and $2mil for 0 winning seasons, 0 CUSA tourney wins, 28 games under .500 overall, and 30 games under .500 in conference is a complete and utter joke. I find spin to refute or excuse those numbers, or talk that it always was a 5-7 year rebuild, completely laughable and moronic. In fact, I like Doherty as a person...I've dined with him a few times, chat with him frequently at functions, and think he is a good man. I wish we would bump him upstairs so he can focus on what he is good at...glad-handing, kissing babies, raising money, and being the ultimate SMU spin-DOHctor (thank you, thank you very much...I will be here all week). Going on year 5 I think its clear he just doesn't have what it takes to win or recruit at SMU and as a result he is a very expensive failure. Statements that claim I don't care about SMU bball and just have "irrational hate" for Doherty are naive, immature, desperate, and dumbfounding. I believe I (and the vast majority of SMU bball fans) have compiled 4 years of evidence and information that has led to a very, very rational opinion of a good man that has failed miserably.

[PonyKai]

I'm sick of two things, haters dragging this program down worse then it is. Moody, you would honestly have people beleive we won 2 games last year, seriously. My second peave is someone so agenda-driven, that they don't take issues point for point. Way to throw a blanket over every situation, moody, sign of a creative mind. A good example would be that I'm not a DOh enthusiast or advocate. You see me saying he needs to come back, and you assume I must love the guy. That would be false, I'm just not a panic monkey, and know what it takes to make this next hire count. Jumping the gun is not the call. I'm also intrigued by the slow tempo system b/c we can't man up w/Memphis or FLoyd at UTEP in the short or long haul, no matter who is coach. You don't care who coaches, as long as its not Doh. Irrational hate makes for a one-dimensional poster, Moody. Talk to me about something other then Doh. Prove you have that skill level, and maybe I'll give a [deleted]. Until then, I'm pretty sure you don't care about SMU basketball, just hating Doh.

These are some strong comments that I hope Moody can deal with straight up without setting up straw men.

WannabeDoh is so busy beating his chest, roaring about his sweet marketing gig, giving me material to take to the john, and connecting with AAU coaches (that have channeled us exactly 0 Dallas players recently) that he doesn't realize that I don't hate Doherty at all. I hate the results. 4 years and $2mil for 0 winning seasons, 0 CUSA tourney wins, 28 games under .500 overall, and 30 games under .500 in conference is a complete and utter joke. I find spin to refute or excuse those numbers, or talk that it always was a 5-7 year rebuild, completely laughable and moronic. In fact, I like Doherty as a person...I've dined with him a few times, chat with him frequently at functions, and think he is a good man. I wish we would bump him upstairs so he can focus on what he is good at...glad-handing, kissing babies, raising money, and being the ultimate SMU spin-DOHctor (thank you, thank you very much...I will be here all week). Going on year 5 I think its clear he just doesn't have what it takes to win or recruit at SMU and as a result he is a very expensive failure. Statements that claim I don't care about SMU bball and just have "irrational hate" for Doherty are naive, immature, desperate, and dumbfounding. I believe I (and the vast majority of SMU bball fans) have compiled 4 years of evidence and information that has led to a very, very rational opinion of a good man that has failed miserably.

This is very, very simple. Firing Doherty, even with the results that he has had on the court, is not the right way to treat this situation right after you canned your previous coach of only two seasons for very minor "infractions" that may or may not have happened, when you really just thought he couldn't hack it as a D1 head man. You would make this job even more toxic and difficult to attract a quality candidate for. Furthermore, it's been pretty well chronicled that when Doherty took over, he did a complete roster rebuild with the AD's blessing and the understanding that it would take 5-7 years. Firing Doherty before he has met the minimum end of his stated and approved time frame is not good business for this program. It would give Doherty more ammunition to use against SMU in the event that he were let go and both sides didn't understand that a change was needed. Doherty is a charismatic guy and loves getting in front of the camera, and it would behoove SMU to think beyond the next ten to twelve months when evaluating the state of the basketball program and the leadership running it. Now if the 5-7 year time frame really, truly is all bunk, then that changes things considerably.

Furthermore, it would signal to potential head coaching candidates that if the AD approves YOUR specific plan to rebuild the basketball team and then sh*t cans you before you've arrived at the low end of the predetermined time frame, what would that say to someone potentially interviewing for the position? Doherty has not had the kind of catastrophic on or off court failings that call for immediate dismissal. Yes, performance has been bad, yes, the record is sub par, yes the coaching staff turnover has been far too frequent, and yes, the staff has missed on not developed talent on the roster. These are all strong points to call for Doherty's dismissal, and that may very well come to fruition next season, but the current situation calls for granting him a fifth year.

Doherty has had sub par performance while here, showing some 'modest progress', perhaps even rising to the level of poor man's mediocrity in year four going 7-9 in conference and 14-17 overall. Nobody is happy with the current state of the program, Doherty, the AD, the fans included. Having said that, as far as I know he is running a clean program, graduating kids, attempting to build a solid program the right way, and has stayed clear of the NCAA. It is in SMU's best interest to keep Doherty around for one more season, assess the progress of the program over the next ten months, secure private donations for any potential new hire, construct a quality list of potential replacements to avoid the pathetic showings our conference mates had, and allow Doherty to thoroughly prove to the world that he was unable to achieve a high enough level of success here, and see how the staff can recruit for 2011. Many would argue that he has proved in years 1-4 that he cannot do it, and they may very well be right, but if the established, endorsed, and accepted time table was 5-7 year rebuild with a complete roster overhaul, then it is in the school's best interest to grant him that year five, barring catastrophic failings on or off the court. In the grand scheme of things, this is the right plan of action to take. In less than 365 days, we can all very well be sitting here discussing the new basketball coach that SMU has hired.

However, having said all of that, and having no inside knowledge of conference expansion/realignment, if the basketball program as it currently stands is a great hindrance to our attractiveness to a potential AQ conference, and a change in the head man would markedly improve our stock, than I would be for making a change in leadership. I do believe that if that were the case, and SMU were serious about making a jump, which they are, then the powers that be and the private checkbooks would have made that happen. Total speculation though.

[CalallenStang]

Anyone besides me think moodymadmen might be Billy Clyde Gillispie still looking for a job?

[NickSMU17]

I'd take BCG right now....despite the fear from everyone else...

[RE Tycoon]

and allow Doherty to thoroughly prove to the world that he was unable to achieve ANY level of success here, and see how the staff can recruit for 2011.

Fixed that for you.

[WSGJ]

As an avid reader of this site for years now, I have to say that this has got to be one of the best arguments since the football coaching search. I just wish bagice and the General would jump in on it.

[ponyscott]

Damn...Let it all rest..Doh is not going to be fired until he makes it happen, or NOT this next year. All else is chasin a fools errand.
And by the way....word is McCoy had med issues. Not illegal, but stuff that some kids have these days...they never could get the meds correct for him to settle down...I have a daughter like that. Sometimes is just won't happen the way you want it....
Wish him well. But he is also a member of the current .....ENTITLED GENERATION!!! Its all laid upon your feet.....you don't have to really earn it.....or do you???

[ClassOf81]

That's true, starting with the fact that Coach D isn't going anywhere, so stop the whining over who knows more, etc. If you want to scream at each other, do it through PMs.

[PonyDoh]

I'm all for talking SMU hoops w/anyone, at any time, but I'm not discussing the coaching situation until mid-late next season. It's just counterproductive, and the team DID improve this past year. WIn 4 or 5 more, and the program has officially turned the corner. We're as close to that, as we are to falling on our face, so I really don't see what there is to debate.

Addressing Frisco & ponyscott for closure;

1) Frisco asked if these issues were clear to the staff before Orsini/Doh flew up there last summer. The short answer is that they've been around since well before that, but it was thought they could be medically managed. A kid w/those types of problems is going to threaten all sorts of things from transfer to quitting, all the way to hurting himself in particular episodes. As ponyscott mentions, there is an element of what's real, vs what is an entitled kid trying to get away with, or think he deserves. They didn't know while recruiting him, though.

Also, it's strong to say they handed the keys to the kid. They knew he was a good player, coming off a great frosh year, but according to several he was never going to run the point. The reason they pursued Will & Dubois that same recruit cycle is b/c McCoy was a combo, WIll a point, and Dubois a college 2. So, they did want him to come back, w/o question, cause he was very good as a frosh. It wasn't to make him the focal point of the program or give him unlimited shots. Remember, they recruited Pats as a PG, but he had bad hips this past year and dealt w/alignment issues almost daily. Between that, and the fact that CCCC had Autry as well, they moved him off the ball slightly. He didn't really play 2, but he wasn't a full time PG either. Bc of the hips, and the fact he'd be rusty at PG, they started a spring search for a PG. McCoy tanking last year, and his injury, didn't help his cause for the starting PG position either. When Will sat, and other squads pressed, Paul went deer in headlights.

They also treked to Portland b/c McCoy had just visited the islands and at least one of his grandparents was quite ill. The kid hadn't played ball in months, which is really concerning, and came back from visiting dying relatives completely downtrodden. Paul has a Portland based girlfriend he was leaning on, whose Dad is about as big a whig as you can get at Nike. Paul's AAU handlers were always very involved, b/c their sponsorship dollars are contingent on delivery. SMU is Adidas in name value only. We get no help from grassroot 3 stripes. The people attempting to move McCoy around, are doing so for personal gain that has very little to do w/Paul, understand that. SMU knows this, so St Mary's has not, and probably will not be given his release. He's also asked for a release to be sent to Arizona..lol. Good luck breaking that line-up.

Lastly, to those questioning our chemistry improvement minus Paul, I would just say ask around. It wasn't just the staff that grew tired of his antics, and the special treatment he demanded just to keep an even keel. The players felt it too. You can't understate the importance of how the team didn't fall off when Faye & McCoy weren't playing.

Anyone that pines for Paul, I'll send you a copy of the CoC game on Hawaii last year. McCoy gets the right place right time put back, after doing nothing all game, then proceeds to play matador D on the game winner. You couldn't have a less interested close out on a shooter, in situation that important. He might as well have not been there.

[Hoop Fan]

you know the program is on the rocks when there are threads like this with our small core of basketball fans at each others throats. I'll just say its at least clear that the Doh has not rallied the base. next year will be interesting, especially the home opener.

[PonyDoh]

you know the program is on the rocks when there are threads like this with our small core of basketball fans at each others throats. I'll just say its at least clear that the Doh has not rallied the base. next year will be interesting, especially the home opener.

who's the home opener?

[CalallenStang]

you know the program is on the rocks when there are threads like this with our small core of basketball fans at each others throats. I'll just say its at least clear that the Doh has not rallied the base. next year will be interesting, especially the home opener.

who's the home opener?

My guess is Billy Gillispie (moodymadmen) vs. Doh.

Cage fight.