Coach Bennett

[MustangMan]

All I know is that K-State had a great defense while he was there. I'm excited about the news.

Does anyone know if there was any effort to retain him at K-State? Did they think enough of him to try to keep him by increasing his compensation or anything? Or did they simply wish him well because of his chance to be a head coach?

[graypony]

From reading their forum, my guess is that they knew it was a matter of time before he was offered a head coaching job. It seemed like common knowledge among their fans that he was almost LSU's HC, but Sabin shocked everyone and bolted from Mighigan State. If he did well with the Mustangs, I think that he would be welcome back to take Snyder's place when he retired.

[ponytalk]

I am pumped about Bennett. I am one of the many that voted, Just what we need, on the PonyFans poll.

I just hope he will stay for a long time. I hope he doesn't have plan to leave to go to KSU, when Snyder leaves, or to A&M.

Way to go Copeland. GO SMU AND COACH B!

[PK]

I was out of town yesterday (wouldn't you know) so I missed a lot of the activity. I think Copeland and his search committee did a great job. Charlie was my favorite because I knew him best of the applicants and I liked his desire for the job, but the more I hear about Phil the more I know the right decision was made. Charlie was definitely in the running, as he had a second interview Tuesday before the final decision was made. If for some reason Schumann does not stay on as DC, I would like to see Charlie Waters get an opportunity for that position....if he would be interested. Anyway, welcome aboard Coach Bennett!!!

[RedRiverPony]

Uh oh. There are rumors John Blake might interview for the defensive coordinator job.

Don't I remember he was awful as a coach? There is NO WAY he should get the job over Schumann. Or Bennett.

[ponystudent]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by RedRiverPony:
<B>Uh oh. There are rumors John Blake might interview for the defensive coordinator job.

Don't I remember he was awful as a coach? There is NO WAY he should get the job over Schumann. Or Bennett.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who is John Blake? What is your source?

[PK]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by RedRiverPony:
<B>Uh oh. There are rumors John Blake might interview for the defensive coordinator job.

Don't I remember he was awful as a coach? There is NO WAY he should get the job over Schumann. Or Bennett.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

First of all Coach Bennett will be hiring his own staff and he has no intention of being the DC as well as HC. The fact someone may interview for a position does not mean they will be hired. He is also going to interview those current coaches who want to stay on. So RedRiverPony, don't get overly excited....yet. Bennett didn't sign on to be a loser. Have some faith here that he will hire good people.

[Impartial Observer]

Unless somethings changed, Bennett will hire John Blake as the Asst Head Coach, which is the perfect position for Blake's skills.

Blake is a great recruiter. As an asst he will have greater freedom to visit and interact with recruits than a head coach would have. Blake is very good in the home and a head coach can only visit the home once. Several of Blake's recruits to OU were instrumental in OU's NC. Roy Williams just won the Jim Thorpe award tonight and Rocky Calmus will probably win the Butkus tomorrow. Both are Blake recruits.

Blake wasn't ready to be a head coach, especially at a program like OU. He needed to spend a few years in a coordinator role. But he was a respected asst coach for Gary Gibbs at OU and then for Dave Rader at Tulsa. Jimmy Johnson hired Blake to coach with the Cowboys.

Bennett worked for Blake at OU in 98. Bennett was the secondary coach and Rex Ryan the DC. That 98 OU defense was a top 20 defense. Blake was not a total failure at OU.

[SMUPonyFan]

I don't know much about Blake so I did a little research. I could not find any recent articles but here are two from 1995 when he went to OU.

<A HREF="http://archive.sportserver.com/newsroom/ap/fbo/1995/col/bg8/feat/archive/123195/bg867963.html" TARGET=_blank>Blake hired as Oklahoma coach</A>


<A HREF="http://archive.sportserver.com/newsroom/sports/fbo/1995/col/bg8/feat/archive/010396/bg833092.html" TARGET=_blank>Blake was right man a year ago for Oklahoma</A>

[PerunaPunch]

First let me make very clear that I'm a huge, HUGE fan of coach Schumann for the job he's done on defense.

But getting John Blake as Asst. Head Coach, DC or whatever would be mammoth. For whatever reason, he didn't make the grade as Head Coach at OU. Granted. But as D-line coach of the Cowboys and as collegiate defensive coordinator he was wildly successful.

The prospect of playing for Bennett and Blake SHOULD immediately turn the heads of people like Darrin Johnson, Jamar Ransom and Corey Ford. Those guys would be unbelievably fortunate to play for coaches of that caliber. Heck, those guys probably would barely even get a look at the quality programs that Bennett and Blake come from. With those guys, every top defensive prospect in the nation should at least give SMU a cursory look.

[PK]

It would seem that perhaps the budget for coaches has been significantly revised upward if we are talking about assistant coaches of this caliber! But I have to agree with PerunaPunch about Schumann. He has done a great job with our defense without the benefit of recruiting a class full of top 100's. Get Blake in here to recruit and let Schumann do his magic.

[Mac]

Blake sounds like he might be a good choice. I don't know anything about him so I don't have a lot to base my opinion on. But, if Barry Switzer thinks he is a good coach he must have been doing something right. Does anyone know what he has been doing the last couple of years? Where has he been coaching?

[ClassOf81]

Mr. Punch: Was Blake "wildly successful" as the Cowboys' defensive line coach because he was a good coach or because he had Charles Haley, Leon Lett (pre-drugs), Tony Tolbert, etc., in their primes? I think a lot of people could be "wildly successful" with those guys - they're great players.

Where was Blake a college defensive coordinator? I thought he went from Dallas to OU as head coach. Has he ever been a coordinator?

[PerunaPunch]

Good point Classof81. Blake had a fella by the name of Russel Maryland on that D-line too as I remember. So certainly, much of that wild success should/could be attributed so the great personnel he had to work with.

And you're right, I don't think he was a defensive coordinator, just a D-line coach. Sorry for the confusion.

[Charleston Pony]

Great players make coaches great. The college game is all about recruiting. I don't think there is any question that his knowledge of Texas is what made Bennett the favorite for this job. Let's hope he can accomplish what nobody else has been able to since we went "clean" in recruiting! Don't think for a minute our competition is playing by the same rules.