This Day in History: 1996

[MrMustang1965]

Southern Methodist University fired head football coach Tom Rossley. The Mustangs won two straight games to end the season, but it wasn't enough to push them over the .500 mark, as they finished the year at 5-6.

[PlanoStang]

Dumb move by Copeland.

First, I don't think he had been at SMU long enough to understand our
situation, and realize what an accomplishment 5-6 was.

Second, I think he just wanted to shake things up, roll the dice, and
everybody would follow the new savior coach into the stands to increase
attendance. Not a very good reason to do anything.

Third. He was like a lot of new bosses and wanted to get his own
choices of people for coaches. Bad decision because your old coaches
can train you on whats going

Fourth. Everybody, and their dog was firing their head football coaches
that year reducing the number of candidates available.

[WildBillPony]

If just one extra point had been made in the Missouri game, Rossley would probably still be here today. You can wear out your welcome with many real quick when your football philosophy is "don't ever prepare on special teams". I'll never understand why, and he was recruiting so well.

[CA Mustang]

Extra point? SMU lost that game when a GW FG attempt glanced off the TOP of the upright as time expired. I was at that game and had never before (or since) seen a kick bounce off the top of the upright. It's crazy to think Rossley's time at SMU ended on the basis of an inch or two.

[Diehard Pony]

And to make matters worse, the players Rossley left behind were good enough for Cavin to go 6-5 the next season (should have been 7-4 without the TCU debacle). That's 11-11 over 2 seasons with no Ford Stadium and much more restrictive recruiting procedures and requirements.

Of all of Copeland's stupid decisions, and there are many to select from from, the firing of Rossley in my opinion take the absolute cake.

If he would have had somebody like Bob Stoops lined up to take his place that would have been different, but that was hardly the case.

And MM1965, I appreciate your consistent enthusiasm, but in reference to your tag line we hardly had a great season. It was better than being winless, but nothing approaching even good.

[MrMustang1965]

Diehard: I was at almost every home game last year and this year. I saw considerable improvement between the two teams. Yep, we won three games and were competitive in several others. You can say what you want but I grew up in an atmosphere where 'positive motivation' is crucial to building better things, be it character, teams, organizations, etc. My tag line remains for the players and coaches to see and know that I appreciate their efforts this year.

[WildBillPony]

Yes, CA, I was also at that game and the FG that glanced off the upright wouldn't have been such factor had only some of the other SO routine kicks been made. Just one, or two at the most How about the other FG's? What about the one that was run back for a touchdown? The firing of Rossley wasn't about a matter of inches from one last FG attempt. It was about a complete game-long failure of special teams. Incidentally, there were are couple other games lost over some missed field goals quite close to the goal line that season, but the Missou game was the one most convincingly won by SMU that wasn't reflected on the score board. Just a LITTLE special teams preparation, was that too much to ask?

[Diehard Pony]

Diehard: I was at almost every home game last year and this year. I saw considerable improvement between the two teams. Yep, we won three games and were competitive in several others. You can say what you want but I grew up in an atmosphere where 'positive motivation' is crucial to building better things, be it character, teams, organizations, etc. My tag line remains for the players and coaches to see and know that I appreciate their efforts this year.

I respect your point of view, however, the season was very much far removed from a "great season". I appreciate efforts as well, and I saw some this year, but at the end of the day it was a difficult season at best. When we start to delude ourselves into believing that 3-8 with losses such as 44-0 against TCU was a great season I believe we are being delusional. I want success as much, or more, than the next faithful Mustang fan, but this season was only an improvement because our base of reference was 0-12.

[MrMustang1965]

Diehard: ya gotta start somewhere, my friend. And I want the players and coaches and their families to know that I'm behind them if they read my posts.

[huntnfish]

first of several mistakes by Copeland. the list is still going and he is yet to be held repsonsible. what a great job!