Does Copeland Get \"Credit\" for This Decision

[Stallion]

let me see he hired Dement, hired Cavan, extended Cavan, hired Bennett, extended Bennett, hired Tubbs. Since I have been assured the COMMITMENT occurred over 3 years ago when can we expect to see the slightest sign of this man's greatness? I support Bennett having at least 2 more years but this extension seems reckless to me. Of course, I won't have to pay the buyout. I'm just wondering since we've been blaming all of the coaches Copeland has hired when can we start reviewing Copeland's performance-you know since we have made such a COMMITMENT and all.

[huntnfish]

don't forget he fired Rossley after he went 5-6 in his first year in the WAC

once again I would love to have a job where I can blame everyone else for my failures, not be held accountable and sit around and do nothing

Copeland should wear a mask when he goes to the bank to pick up his check

we need an SMU alumni in the AD position, not some outsider who does not really care about the program deep down, we need some who sweats and bleeds SMU, we need someone with skins on the wall

[GoRedGoBlue]

don't forget he fired Rossley after he went 5-6 in his first year in the WAC

once again I would love to have a job where I can blame everyone else for my failures, not be held accountable and sit around and do nothing

Copeland should wear a mask when he goes to the bank to pick up his check

we need an SMU alumni in the AD position, not some outsider who does not really care about the program deep down, we need some who sweats and bleeds SMU, we need someone with skins on the wall

Whatever. If you blame the administration, then you cannot blame Copeland.

[huntnfish]

Yeah, what was I thinking, I should not blame the Athletic Director for the failures of our athletic department over the past 10 years.

[PonySoprano]

we need an SMU alumni in the AD position, not some outsider who does not really care about the program deep down, we need some who sweats and bleeds SMU, we need someone with skins on the wall

Who do you suggest? Is there anybody who fits that description who has any AD experience?

[huntnfish]

Guys and Girls. We need to think out of the box here at SMU. Who says we need an AD from somewhere else. Why not go out and get us an SMU lifer who is young and passionate about SMU and can sell, b/c Copeland is neither. If the person happens to be in the business world, coaching, or whatever; who really cares if they have AD experience. We need someone who can SELL SMU and lives and breathes SMU. You can't tell me there aren't any of those guys or girls out there. You can hire an assistant AD to handle the little details, we need a salesman w/ passion!

[GoRedGoBlue]

Yeah, what was I thinking, I should not blame the Athletic Director for the failures of our athletic department over the past 10 years.

You like that Top30 Sears Cup though.

The admin rules that caused the precipitous decline in our abililities to recruit effectively occured YEARS ago, before Copeland. That's all I am saying. If you blame that, you cannot blame Copeland.

Now, if you are pissed because you THOUGHT they were rectified when Copeland came, and you somehow think he told you that, then you are simply mistaken.

The "COMMITMENT" was a plan that was initiated 3 years ago.

For some reason, alumni feel that once the commitment was anounced that all of a sudden we will have 2-deep Top10 talent on our football team. And since we don't, then there must not be any commitment.

It simply takes time to undo 10 years of strangling by our 'academic' administration.

Yes, Copeland hired Dement, yes, Copeland hired Cavan. But ultimately, they were all restricted by the Pye model.

You fire them to bring new blood in to spark some change...but in the end, if you don't have the facilities (Cavan at first), or the curriculum (just now have a few programs), or the agreeable admissions standards (just changed 3 years ago), you won't be very successful.

You can blame Copeland if you want, but you really need to go back in time to blame the Faculty Senate and Pye.

And, no, I don't think we are on an equal footing with aTm and all, we don't have 14 colleges with Aggie Econ, or PE, or Kinisiology, or Auburn's sociology program where 160 students in the entire campus take sociology as a major, and 90-100 of them are athletes.

[huntnfish]

see above. we need someone who is young, breathes SMU, and can sell.

Don't tell me how rocky the sea is, just bring in the d#@n ship.

He has had almost 10 years, excuses aren't good enough anymore.

The Sears Cup, let's not forget mens track and field was shut down without even giving the alumni a chance to go out and raise money. I think that team contributed to your Sears Cup not that it would have mattered, but at least give the a chance. Anyway, everyone knows that Men's Football and Basketball are what the alumni and students care about.

Maybe I should call OU or Miami and let them know we beat them in the Sears Cup, now there is clout.

[Stallion]

whiplashed by my own argument-and you - or I -am correct. My problem is that the COMMITMENT was a LIE! SMU was not placed on an even playimg field with its Texas counterparts by the COMMITMENT . I lost a lot of respect and patience with anybody and especially Copeland who was perpetrating that LIE! So I'm ready to start holding everybody and anybody perpetuating that LIE responsible all the way up the totem pole. BTW if you were ranking SMU ADs based on Sears Cup rankings alone, Copeland name would be bringing up the rear. The direction of the SMU program by simply analyzing Sears Cup Info is not positive-and quite frankly I'm tired of Copeland getting credit for aomething that is deteriorating not improving.

[PonySoprano]

I think what you are proposing is something similar to what we had over ten years ago, which makes a lot of sense.

We had a full-time executive director of the Mustang Club (Steve Wilinsky) who was responsible for "selling" the program and bringing in the donations. The AD handled all the admin stuff (scheduling, budgets, staffing, etc.).

However, with the budget cuts in the athletic department, we no longer have that luxury and the folks that are left have to wear several hats.

[PK]

So Stallion...why don't you bring a pro bono class action suit against the University for all us alums out here who are tired of the half [deleted] Commitment? Do we really have any standing to sue?

[GoRedGoBlue]

LIES and DAMN LIES, that's all it is

[davidsmu94]

Copeland's record speaks for itself. Revenue sports have consistently gone downward during his reign.

In the non revenue sports, he owes almost all his success to coaches he never hired.

He never hired the Soccer Coach
He never hired the Track Coach
He Never Hired Either Swim coach

In fact, he cut the track team. I've hard alot of excuses as to why, but the fact still remains that he made the decision, then intentially hid it from the alumni until the week he brought it before the Board of Trustees for a vote to prevent a "negative" image on the athletic program.

I've always believed that someone who has a vested interest in Dallas and the tradition of the athletic department as a whole, should be running the athletic department at SMU. Maybe I wouldn't agree with every decision, but I'd have an easier time accepting a decison from a Mustang.

Just my opinion

[EastStang]

I just saw this chain, lots of passion here. First the Committment was not a lie. We did make changes, but not all the changes that equalize us with other schools. We'll never have an animal husbandry major like A&M (thank goodness). I also think our administration is committed to keeping grad rates up which still means no dummies allowed. There is a trade off which I think is a conflict at the highest levels of our University. Do we want to win? Or do we want to keep academic standards where they are? And by the way, Tenured Professors can make life a living hell for an athletic department if unacceptable students are getting in. Do you cut the guy some slack and give him a C on a paper or due you hold him to high standards and flunk him? And by the way, as one who has taught college classes, you'd be amazed at the low scholarship on papers that crossed my desk.

[SWC2010]

...
I've always believed that someone who has a vested interest in Dallas and the tradition of the athletic department as a whole, should be running the athletic department at SMU. Maybe I wouldn't agree with every decision, but I'd have an easier time accepting a decison from a Mustang.

I would agree, except that narrows your prospective talent pool. As I recall, only Gerald Myers (Tech) would fit the bill. He played & coached there. Dodds (UT) played FB @ K-State, the guy at Baylor is from Canada, & TCU AD played FB at UNC.

There is a great article (from this summer) how Hyman turned TCU around. Ironically, it's in the Dallas Bus Journal:

http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/st ... tml?page=1