Missing the Point

[Dwan]

Why the hate for new posters? Given the last 15+ years, I think that it is a positive sign that there are people who still support this program and want to join ponyfans to discuss the issuses? I mean, what are we 1-17 in our last 18 games. I think given this and the fact that more people are joining this website could be one of the few positives of the season.

[ponyte]

Fire Copeland and Bennett and hire a new, wonder AD and coach. And I am sure the level of talent will improve dramatically with the same admission standards, lack of transferable hours and woefully inadequate majors that attract athletes. After then after the next 3 years of getting our tails kicked we will fire the next coach and AD and start the same failure again.

It is the system! If it were the coach then one out of the last four would have done something more positive. We ask a coach to perform with handcuffs on. We do not allow the coach to recruit the type athletes needed to be competitive at a D1 level. We do not provide the tools for successful recruiting.

But instead of changing the system, we will fire the coach, keep the same system in place and wonder why we can't win.

It isn't the coach, it isn't the players and it isn't the AD. It is a system DESIGNED TO FAIL that our beloved administration has put in place. The system is delivering just what it is designed to produce.... FAILURE.

[anurep]

You're still missing the point! Despite our restrictions we should not be as bad as we are. Rossley and Cavan had more success than Bennett and with more restrictions and arguable in better conferences. Fix both - fire Bennett and get the admin to make changes requested by the new coach.

[DiamondM75]

anurep,

Don't get the cart before the horse again. Firing the coach and AD will do no good, as other posters have said.

FIX THE SYSTEM. (horse)

FIRE THE PYE MODEL. (horse)

FIRE THE PLAN. (horse)

Then if it isn't working, fire the coach and AD. (cart)

[EastStang]

As we've discussed ad nauseum over the last three years it was easier to recruit players to play in the SWC than in the WAC.

[BRStang]

DiamondM75 wrote:

FIX THE SYSTEM. (horse)

FIRE THE PYE MODEL. (horse)

FIRE THE PLAN. (horse)

Then if it isn't working, fire the coach and AD. (cart)

I think our new friend from Ohio (Hill) and others brought up credible arguments that "the system" is not the proverbial "horse." Sure, looser recruiting standards would help, but the Rice's and Navy's of Div. 1-A have standards that are JUST AS RIGOROUS as SMU, but are kicking our butts...not just this year, but EVERY year!

The true problem is that we have a coach who cannot walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. We need a coach who can (1) sell a school like SMU to GOOD players; and (2) Coach the team on game day to a win--bob, weave, duck, REACH DOWN DEEP to get a win. Those characteristics are what set a good coach apart from the mediocre.

My gosh, SMU has a rich football tradition, an awesome city and state as its backdrop, a great TV market, one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, the promise of a top-notch and respected degree, and (now) a great new conference to allow players' families to actually travel easily to the games. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY NOT EDGE OUT the Baylors, the UTEPs, the Louisiana Techs, the TCUs in picking up recruits?

Secondly, the mark of a good coach is turning lemons into lemonade at some point. You can't keep constantly blaming the youth of the team or the skill of the team. IT CAN BE DONE (Cal, UTEP, Navy, Boise St), and BENNETT IS NOT DOING IT!!!

Bennett has even admitted he has made NUMEROUS errors during the games. The guy just doesn't seem to be cut out for the head coach role. Sorry. I REALLY liked Bennett when he came on board and have believed in him until these last 3 games. Sometimes, though, reality must set in...guys, it's staring you in the face like 300 lb gorilla.

It's unfortunate, but Bennett was not the answer! Let's move on before it's too late.

[anurep]

amen! my point exactly.

[DiamondM75]

It doesn't work to fire the coach. We tried that - Rossley and Cavan. So let's just repeat history. FIRE THE COACH, like that will fix everything.

Keep your blinders on and just don't address the real problem. We have academians trying to control the athletics at SMU. This will not work, we have 15 years of history to prove it.

WAKE UP PONYFANS - FIRE THE SYSTEM.

[Stallion]

The fact is that TCU has outrecruited SMU at least 13 out of 15 years and arguably all 15 years. And Baylor has outrecruited SMU at least 12 out of 15 years and generally by a landslide. Final fact is that the last two Senior Classes have been EXTREMELY low rated classes. And guess what I posted that fact on these board on signing date 4 and 5 years ago. I was attacked then and told you dark days were ahead. And yes we did get outrecruited by some of the dregs of society. Its too bad you are uninformed on how other schools skirt SMU admission standards to beat us on the field. But you are clearly uninformed.

[FloridaMustang]

Sure its the system.. but please, you all really think Cavan and Bennett are good HC's?

Jim Copeland.. is a great administrator.. but if youre going to sit here and defend his hires, youre crazy. Cossaboon was a good one.. maybe? We'll see. Hyndman? He was here already. Rhonda? Dement? Cavan, and now Bennett? Please.

Admissions standards my [deleted]. Yale would run us off the field. There is no easy fix... its a mess, and until we get a university president with balls... good riddance.

For once, why cant Turner stop using band aids.. this program clearly needs major reconstructive surgery, and the longer this goes on, the more older alumni will tire of it. And I think its safe to say we're losing more alumni than we're gaining young fans.

SMU will drop a "revenue" sport in the next decade at this rate.

[Stallion]

here's some examples from some of the worst programs listed above who have gained significant advantages over our program based on our school's policies- Lousiana Tech gets All-American candidate Ryan Mouts who was a late qualifier, NTSU gets 4 star National Recruit and Freshman All-American Jemario Thomas(late qualifier) who has over 1200 yards in about 6 games., UTEP has signed two Parade All-Americans one a Division 1A transfer from UCLA and another who didn't qualify until late last year. You people do realize that UTEP will be lining up two Parade All-Americans at RB next year.

[Dwan]

Who are their two parade all americans? I'm pretty sure Ebell who was a 5-8 running back out of California was not, but I could be wrong. Also, he had the grades to go anywhere, he transfered to UTEP after Drew beat him out because of Mike Price. Is the other guy that kid from Arizona who signed with Arizona out of HS and then went to JC? I think he was a parade all american. Yeah, he could have never got into SMU in a million but decided to go to UTEP after going to a JC because of price. Oddly enough, I think Massey with an offer from Miami was more widely recruited than both of these guys and he is our second string fullback on one of the worst rushing teams in the nation.

[anurep]

This is getting so tiresome. If I understand this correctly Stallion and others believe that: 1) our athletes are so incredibly bad that not even Bill Parcells could get this team turned around with the current talent (turned around meaning winning 3/4/5 times); 2) that Rice's talent is so superior to ours that is warrants the annual pummeling we get every year and has nothing to do with coaching; 3) if it were not for Bennett, we would be losing by even greater margins; and 4) because of Bennett's offensive and defensive genius we were able to beat SJS and break the second longest losing streak in the country (hasn't army won more than once this year?)

You can't tell me you believe those statements.

[BRStang]

One more thing:

NO ONE as of yet has come back with a decent argument in support of Bennett about the fact that Cavan did MORE with LESS TALENT than Bennett.

Anyone? Anyone?

(And please don't cite the "youth" excuse.) Cavan won 15 games in his first 3 seasons.

[ponyboy]

Cavan didn't have less talent. He had two classes in 97 and 98 which were equal to what Bennett has done. And when those two classes matured, we won.