Bennett Extended through '08

[Dooby]

Deserving of its own thread.

UNIVERSITY PARK -- SMU officials, making a strong commitment to the football program, have decided to extend head coach Phil Bennett’s contract through the 2008 season.

“I’m very excited about it, and it comes at a time when we need it,” Bennett said Wednesday. “By no means are we where we need to be. It hasn’t happened as fast as we’d hoped it would happen. But the next few years are very critical.”

Bennett, 49, who signed a five-year deal when he was hired in December 2001, has agreed in principle to the extension. He had two years remaining on his original contract.

When he was hired, SMU officials said Bennett was the right choice to turn around a program that posted one winning season, in 1997, following the NCAA-mandated "death penalty" in 1989.

In three seasons, Bennett is 6-29, including 0-12 in 2003, the third winless season in school history.

Following last season, SMU athletic director Jim Copeland said progress needed to be made on the field, especially in conference play in 2004.

SMU started 0-3 and set a school record with 15 consecutive losses before ending that streak with a win over San Jose State on Sept. 25. Improvement began to show late in the season when the Mustangs won two of their last three games.

SMU finished the season with a 57-27 loss at UT-El Paso. But SMU president Gerald Turner and Copeland said Bennett deserved to return for another season because the program had shown improvement.

The last two recruiting classes were ranked among the best in the WAC, according to recruiting experts. During the 2004 season, several freshmen emerged as starters or received significant playing time. SMU had one of the youngest teams Division I teams, with 85 underclassmen on its 112-man roster.

[SWC2010]

From a recruiting prospective, it certainly is deserving. Any HS prospect who was leaning our way but has been wondering if Bennett will continue, can now come aboard without worry.

Despite the W-L record, continuity in the staff is good news, for now.

[BrianTinBigD]

He has a contract that has 2 more years on it. It is not like he is going anywhere in that time. I have never understood why anyone would want to extend a contract for an additional 2 years in a situation like this. If Phil does start to fianlly win and becomes the next Urban Meyer, it is not like the 2 year extension is going to keep him here. All it does is put us on the hook for additional money if we fire him for only winning 3 more games over the next 2 years.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Kool Aid anybody?

[Dooby]

We really don't know anything about this deal. In reality, it is a two year extension. It isn't that big of a deal. We don't know how much more is guaranteed.

We were going to have to make a decision with Bennett either way next year. You don't let a coach out on the recruiting trail with one year left on his deal. So we don't have to mess with it next year, and that is something.

Unlike ND, no one can say we don't give the head coach a chance to succeed.

I do kind of wonder what led to this.

[Dooby]

Press Release:

DALLAS (SMU) – SMU Head Football Coach Phil Bennett has been awarded a two-year contract extension, Athletic Director Jim Copeland announced today. Bennett, who has two years remaining under his current agreement, is now under contract to the university through the 2008 season.

“Our goal is to win championships at SMU,” said Copeland. “I am convinced that Phil Bennett is the man who will lead us to Conference USA titles and bowl games in the years to come and we are very happy to have him as our head football coach.”

SMU President Gerald Turner echoed Copeland’s sentiments, saying, “We believe that the improvement in the performance of our young team at the end of the year will continue under Coach Bennett's leadership as we begin play in Conference USA.”

Bennett led SMU to wins in two of its last three contests in 2004 despite fielding the youngest team in the nation and losing 14 starters to injury for portions of the season. Additionally, Bennett has dramatically upgraded the Mustangs’ talent since arriving on the Hilltop in December of 2001, landing some of the top recruiting classes in the conference each season. His work has earned him “Top Recruiter” honors in the league from various publications since his arrival at SMU.

“I have said from the beginning that we will win championships at SMU and that I’m in this for the long haul,” said Bennett. “I do want to thank the administration for their vote of confidence in what we’re doing as a football program. I also want to let them and our fans know that we will turn this program into a consistent winner.”

[jtstang]

Yawn. This was not worth three days of hype from the ones who knew but would not tell, only tease. Get some real news to hype next time.

[DallasDiehard]

Many of you know that I'm as loyal a Bennett supporter as there is. I support SMU without question -- not that I don't question or criticize when deserved, but I go to every possible competition, my home and office are shrines to the university and its teams, and I live and die with the Ponies. With that said, this move strikes me as a curious move by the university. Don't get me wrong -- I'm glad he's going to be around for a long, and I think this is a good decision. Could it be that this is done now simply to reassure recruits that if he's the reason they want to play for the Ponies, he'll be here?

Whatever the reason -- congratulations, Coach!

[Treadway21]

now the long build up is over, will you take down Kathy Bates or will we have to wait all off season?

We should all hope that Coach Bennett puts SMU in a position to have to work to keep him here past 2008. Now if the administration will get to work on some of the lingering admissions issues often mentioned on this board, we can get some positive momentum for the program.

[Ponymon]

I thought the great news was that the Mustang Club was only asking that I increase my donation 10% this year instead of 20%!

[Hoop Fan]

what was the big secret about that? Sure it will help him recruit better, but its not really big news. Most fans don't really care about the coach's contract. I'd rather we give the guy all the tools he needs to succeed instead of a longer contract. Truth be told, having the tools he needs would probably be better for him personally and professionally, than just having a longer contract.

[HFvictory]

He has a contract that has 2 more years on it. It is not like he is going anywhere in that time. I have never understood why anyone would want to extend a contract for an additional 2 years in a situation like this. If Phil does start to fianlly win and becomes the next Urban Meyer, it is not like the 2 year extension is going to keep him here. All it does is put us on the hook for additional money if we fire him for only winning 3 more games over the next 2 years.

Exactly. About the dumbest move I have heard since ND fired Ty Willingham. Were they afraid Illinois was going to hire Bennett away. One name you will never hear pop up for any of the coaching positions now open is Phil Bennett. Recruiting is OK but not that great. Its not like SMU will have a winning season next year.

I said 3 wins and he keeps his job back in July. Who would have thought 3 wins gets him an extension.

[Sic_em]

I don't mean to sound negative, but this is very similar to what Baylor did with Kevin Steele a couple of years ago. Steele had won 6 games in 3 seasons at BU (identical to Bennett). Basically, Steele was getting down toward the end of his contract and had done nothing to merit an extension. Opposing coaches on the recruiting trail were telling BU targets that Steele & the BU staff recruiting them wouldn't be around to coach them.

So, Baylor announces an extension of Steele's contract, but the exact terms were never released since BU is private (I'm guessing the exact terms of Bennett's deal don't get released any time soon, either). The effect of the extension gave the perception that Steele would be around for the future.

Then Steele gets blown away by Jeff Tedford and Cal in the season opener and is basically a lame duck from that point on and is officially fired three weeks before season's end. Contract extension or not, Bennett needs to show dramatic improvement next season or I imagine he'll be shown the door just like Steele.

[Charleston Pony]

it's good to have any coach that is out recruiting players signed to a 4 or 5 year contract that suggests he will be their coach the entire time they are at the school. The real question is how much is guaranteed. With everything that has gone on in recent years, surely not much more than the the current year is guaranteed and then there would presumably be some type of buyout (severance) if Copeland/Turner change their minds.

I'm O.K. with this. Although we haven't seen the results on the field yet, I like the recruiting classes Bennett and his staff have been bringing in and they seem to be doing a good job addressing key needs every year. I still think that we will see a dramatically improved program by 2006.

[The Q]

You're right - it is important to some recruits to know that the coach who they're going to play for will be there. More than what we've seen on the field (obviously), Coach Bennett's biggest contributions have been behind the scenes: vastly improving recruiting, adjustments to the recruiting/admissions process, pushing to add more athlete-friendly majors, etc. It's this kind of work that often goes unseen but ends up paying off big later on. Congratulations, Coach B!