Fire in the Belly

[MrMustang1965]

So Phil Bennett's been given a contract extension. But the terms of it aren't being released because SMU is a 'private institution'. Is there an 'incentive clause'? We may never know.

It amazes me that so many people who are posting their disastisfaction with this move may have similar clauses in their contracts and 'golden parachutes', too. As someone who used to evaluate employees as part of my job, I am sure there was a serious evaluation of Coach Phil's performance over the past three years.

College sports (primarily football in Texas) is a BUSINESS! From a 'business perspective', how do you think the professors at the Cox School of Business perceive this move?

The SMU administration has given its 'vote of confidence' to Coach Phil to bring SMU up to a higher level thru 2008. I, for one, believe he can do it. Many of you do not and you're entitled to your opinion.

Many of you have said that SMU needed to show improvement over the 2003 season. The Mustangs did.

Coach Phil has instilled a 'fire in the belly' attitude in the team in 2004. I saw it at each game I attended. I don't believe the Mustangs ever gave up during a game, no matter what the score was against them. I look for the same attitude to continue next year during the premiere season in Conference USA.

The main thing we all need to focus on now is next season. Forget about what might or might not happen after that.

When's the spring game (Red v. Blue)????????

[anurep]

We'll be lucky to win 3 games next year and the next and the next and the next.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Once again just like I said for the Tulsa and Nevada game. Ill be there to laugh in your face when he proves you wrong.

Atleast Bennett knows MrMustang1965 and myself are behind him!

[EastStang]

anurep wants Bennett gone and has done nothing but come on here and slam him with either innuendos or negative opinions. I am sure like many we are all waiting for Bennett to show us that he can succeed as a head coach. So far, his record is pretty bad. But this year will tell us what we need to know. We don't know if the extension is guaranteed or just kind of an option. It may have been done to assure parents of recruits or recruits themselves. Any players announce their departures upon hearing of the extension, I thought not.

[jtstang]

So far, his record is pretty bad. But this year will tell us what we need to know.

What's different about this coming year as opposed to the first three under Bennett that will tell us "what we need to know?"

[ponyboy]

That's not very subtle thinking, jt. As always, the truth is a lot more complicated than we'd like for it to be.

What has Bennett had to work with? The answer is that he had the remains of Cavan's last good class two years ago and the absolutely dreadful two classes after that to back it up. (There were perhaps three or four recruits from those last Cavan years that even sniffed another Division I offer because the Malin thing had cast such a pall over our program. Look it up.)

So those post Malin classes are the reason we went winless last year. Not poor coaching. I mean, you can't teach a blind man to see any more than you can teach a ham-handed, second rate wide receiver to catch a ball.

Truth is, Bennett's recruits are the reason we came on late in '04. And why we're on our way up. Everyone who subscribes to the theory that talent matters has to acknowlege this.

[GoRedGoBlue]

That's not very subtle thinking, jt. As always, the truth is a lot more complicated than we'd like for it to be.

What has Bennett had to work with? The answer is that he had the remains of Cavan's last good class two years ago and the absolutely dreadful two classes after that to back it up. (There were perhaps three or four recruits from those last Cavan years that even sniffed another Division I offer because the Malin thing had cast such a pall over our program. Look it up.)

So those post Malin classes are the reason we went winless last year. Not poor coaching. I mean, you can't teach a blind man to see any more than you can teach a ham-handed, second rate wide receiver to catch a ball.

Truth is, Bennett's recruits are the reason we came on late in '04. And why we're on our way up. Everyone who subscribes to the theory that talent matters has to acknowlege this.

Having said that, there are a few calls that are highly questionable ... Bennett appears to be a coach that is trying to recruit players to his scheme and play current players in that scheme, rather than modifying his scheme for the players he has until he gets his players for the schemes he wants to implement.

Counter that with Fran or Stoops (OU wasn't even Top10 talent when they won the Champ in 2000). Fran's way will let you wins some with some ingenuity that you would have ordinarily lost.

[EastStang]

He changed his offensive scheme this year from a run oriented offense to a pass oriented offense with three decent QB's. And who says he didn't tailor his offense to his players. Remember we had KK for two years and no QB or offensive line to speak of. I'd run the ball 1000 times a game too. His defense has used the same scheme all along. But that scheme worked for A&M, TCU and K State. It worked adequately here his first and second years (except against option teams like Navy and Rice) when we had the top defense in the WAC. And by the way, Bear Bryant pretty much ran things the same way for 40 years. So did Woody Hayes. Darryl Royal stuck with whatever offense he liked. Steve Spurrier ran the fun and gun and only tweaked things a little when he had Emmitt Smith. Notice he couldn't adapt that offense to the NFL. June Jones has run the same offense at Hawaii that he ran in the NFL even when Chang got hurt.

[Hilltopper]

Coach Bennett will continue to collect better players, and as he does, and as they mature enough to get on the field, he suddenly will be a "better coach." What scares me is that there are absolutely no cupcakes on the 2005 schedule (I know, we could beat Tulsa again, and we could beat some combination of Baylor, Houston, Tulane -- who knows at this point). So while we might be better (bigger or faster or more mature or all of the above) at just about every position, will the record reflect the improvement? God, I hope so. Next year we'll be playing mostly sophomores and juniors. The building continues, and I'm glad the architect (Coach B.) will be around to see the results of his labor. He deserves it.

[jtstang]

That's not very subtle thinking, jt. As always, the truth is a lot more complicated than we'd like for it to be.

I still wonder why next season will be the one that tells us "what we need to know" about Bennett. And if that's the case, shouldn't they have waited until after next season to address his contract?

[anurep]

Let see ponyboy, based on your post, Rice must have had a top 25 recruiting class to beat SMU by 40 points every year.

You need to understand that I want Bennett to succeed, but he hasn't shown me anything to indicate that he can. Has he been able to get the most out of his players consistently? Even if we get better recruiting classes, I think he will be out coached, and we will suffer more frustating years.

As Parcells stated, I don't care how much "potential" a team or guy may have, I want results.

Oh yeah, we won towards the end of the year because that was the easiest part of the schedule (with the exception of UTEP, who killed us), not because of anything else.

[EastStang]

College Football is 75% talent, 15% desire and 10% coaching. If you don't have the talent you don't win. The same goes for pro football. The Giants, Redskins and Cowboys stink this year all with excellent coaches. Why is that? Because their talent is inferior to opposing teams. That's why I said the jury is out on Bennett. Let's see what his fourth year brings. If it is a repeat of 2004, then I'll help sharpen the blade. If there is marked improvement on the field in wins and margins, then he should stay. We'll see if the players he has recruited has the talent and desire to stay on the field with CUSA teams, Baylor, A&M and TCU.

[ponyboy]

I still wonder why next season will be the one that tells us "what we need to know" about Bennett. And if that's the case, shouldn't they have waited until after next season to address his contract?

That makes sense to me. Not sure why they extended now. I'd be interested in more information on that.

Let see ponyboy, based on your post, Rice must have had a top 25 recruiting class to beat SMU by 40 points every year.

It's certainly clear that Rice has had better talent than we have in the last two or three years. Look, I never said coaching doesn't matter. Quite the contrary, any long time poster on this board can tell you. But coaching isn't the problem here. The problem's been the lack of talent. And that's being corrected.

[anurep]

I hope you're right.

[jtstang]

College Football is 75% talent, 15% desire and 10% coaching. If you don't have the talent you don't win. The same goes for pro football. The Giants, Redskins and Cowboys stink this year all with excellent coaches. Why is that? Because their talent is inferior to opposing teams. That's why I said the jury is out on Bennett. Let's see what his fourth year brings. If it is a repeat of 2004, then I'll help sharpen the blade. If there is marked improvement on the field in wins and margins, then he should stay. We'll see if the players he has recruited has the talent and desire to stay on the field with CUSA teams, Baylor, A&M and TCU.

But if we're the youngest team in football, and that means most everybody will be back, can you not see the talent discrepancy will still exist next year? Even if he has no improvement, he should stay until the talent discrepancy is removed, however long that takes.