FIRE COPELAND! BRING BACK ROSSLEY!

[huntnfish]

Nuff Said!

[Higher Authority]

You want to fire the AD and bring back a second football coach?
Interesting.

[huntnfish]

Point is, Copeland has made many mistakes but he is never held responsible, he just fires the coaches; plus he has the personality of a snail.

Since he got rid of Rossley after the 1996 5-6 season everything has been downhill. 6-5 under Cavan was with Rossley's players and weaker competition.

Rossley did the most with horrible facilities, less talent and tighter recruiting restrictions. He had great assistants, note two are def cordinators in the NFL.

[Stallion]

That is inaccurate Tom Rossley's 5-6 season you referred to was in the WAC. The first 5-6 team under Gregg's players was largely due to 38 seniors that had about 100 combined letters among them-they excelled but that team did have an big experience advantage over other Division 1A teams.

[DallasDiehard]

That is inaccurate Tom Rossley's 5-6 season you referred to was in the WAC. The first 5-6 team under Gregg's players was largely due to 38 seniors that had about 100 combined letters among them-they excelled but that team did have an big experience advantage over other Division 1A teams.

Right on, Stallion. Good points.

And huntnfish is way off (or at least out of line) on Copeland - he's a really good guy if you get to know him.

[huntnfish]

Dallas DieHard:
Copeland being a good guy has nothing to do with the fact he has no personality and has made very questionable decisions. But I wish I could have his job where there is obviously no accountability.

Stallion:
You never give Rossley any credit. His 1996 team was 3 plays away from being 8-3 (Navy, Utah and Mizzou). The WAC teams SMU played against in 1996 and went 5-6 against contained two top 20 teams with 10 or more wins (BYU and Wyoming) and another bowl team in Utah. And you know the next season 6-5 was with with all of Rossley's players against an easier WAC.

[davidsmu94]

Sorry both Rossley and Copeland suck, IMHO

[PlanoStang]

That is inaccurate Tom Rossley's 5-6 season you referred to was in the WAC. The first 5-6 team under Gregg's players was largely due to 38 seniors that had about 100 combined letters among them-they excelled but that team did have an big experience advantage over other Division 1A teams.

Rossley had two 5-6 seasons. One in 92 where we beat SWC foes Houson, TCU, and Arkansas (former SWC). With some ifs, and buts in 96 Rossley is 8 - 3. Rossley wouldn't have benched Donte Womack for missing curfew for the TCU game in 97 so we'd have been 7-4. Possibly 8-4 with an Independence Bowl victory. He was a lot like Hayden Fry in making plusses out of minuses.

In other words, Copeland fired an experienced NFL caliber coach with NFL caliber assistants for a division 1AA, or II coach. Copeland was new in town, and just wanted to stir the pot a little to get his some of own hires in some coaching positions. Copeland was Copeland.

[LA_Mustang]

Copeland, Rossley, Cavan, Dement, Bennett......this sure to be growing list of scapegoats were fairly well thought of coming to SMU. Then after a few years on Hilltop they are considered inept? I wonder why that is????????????

It couldn't be that SMU puts it's coaches, it's fans, it's players and it's AD in a prime position to fail, could it?

[EastStang]

I agree that in the past they were put in position to fail. Now, we have a young team and Bennett inherited a pretty bare cupboard. Let's hope this team matures and will be better later this year and competitive next year. If we go winless this year, we all know that Bennett will be gone.