Devil's Advocate - the June Jones Case

JasonB · Post by **JasonB** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:26 pm

Okay, so I am going to play a little Devil's Advocate and put forth the June Jones perspective...

I coach this team in Hawaii. I feel like we are almost "there". I have great fan support, we are winning. We even made it to the Sugar Bowl. But my facilities are awful. On top of that, i have a horrible recruiting budget. I can get anyone I want into school, but can't do much scouting, and can't take the team to the next level.

All of a sudden, I get a call from an old friend of mine, who introduces me to a school that is loaded. They are in a bad place now, but is willing to do whatever it takes to get to a high level, and pay me big money to do it. Easy money, done deal.

Now I am at SMU. I have fantastic facilities, and a great recruiting budget. They are working on removing a lot of the academic restrictions and getting the facilities in place to keep my kids in school, but they are not quite there yet.

IN my third year, I have taken the team to two straight bowl games, but had some issues getting some of my kids into school, because the academic changes are coming down a little slower than I expected. Plus, for this thing to really explode, I need attendance to ramp up, but it doesn't look like Dallas is extremely interested. I hear Maryland is looking around, so I am going to put a feeler out there and see if they are interest, maybe it will put the pressure on SMU.

Sure enough, it did. I have some of the academic changes speeding up. Now we are in year 4. We just beat a rival who is ranked, we have a great record. Why in the heck aren't people showing up? Why don't the students really care? At some point my promises of changing SMU are going to look empty because nobody seems to be noticing. That is going to be used against me in recruiting. Plus, the QB I thought was going to lead the team the past two years isn't what I hoped he would be, and I don't have anything ready in the pipeline for another year. We are going to take a step back next year with graduation, and then attendance is going to be miserable, so if the Big East for whatever reason falls apart, SMU is going to really have a hard time finding another AQ deal. Maybe I should look around. Huh, ASU is offering me and the staff more money, they are in a stronger conference, have a lot of good players coming back, and underperformed last year. That sounds like a great opportunity. Sure, I'll listen...

As much as I love SMU, that sounds pretty plausible to me. Maybe we need someone with a longer patience level for getting things going, but this attendance thing isn't going to turn around until we play big schools and have a massive season. The Frogs didn't see their bump from 20 to 30 until they went 10-1 with LT. That is just reality. Big East money and a bigger marketing budget that comes along with it will help, but it isn't the complete answer.

We have a lot of work to do to build up a horrible public image and reputation, and that includes the students. That is going to take time. Maybe we need a coach with a more patient attitude, but I can certainly see some of the frustration...

Just throwing it out there for demolition...

ponyinNC · Post by **ponyinNC** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:29 pm

prediction- our attendance has a huge bump when we get a great qb playing for us...Gilbert or Printz, or maybe even Preston or Burchum

Mitch McConnell · Post by **Mitch McConnell** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:30 pm

"As much as I love SMU" -- That's your first flaw with the argument.

Other than that, I can go along with it...

PhantomPhi · Post by **PhantomPhi** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:31 pm

Speaking of (Sun)Devils,
Here is what they have to say;

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=43&f=1679&t=8405555&p=2

CalallenStang · Post by **CalallenStang** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:34 pm

Don't you mean Sun Devil's Advocate?

Why in the heck aren't people showing up? Why don't the students really care?

Because SMU under Jones has a history of being inconsistent. People still hadn't bought in, and one of the reasons for that may be that you let TCU back into the game with stupid playcalling in the 4th quarter. Another reason could be that you have never embraced being at SMU, trying to change the mascot and colors to something that suits you instead of changing your attitude to show that you care about being at the school.

the QB I thought was going to lead the team the past two years isn't what I hoped he would be, and I don't have anything ready in the pipeline for another year.

June's fault. Year 4

We are going to take a step back next year with graduation

Loser talk. We should be taking a step forward because each successive recruiting class has been more talented than the one before it. It's June's fault that he hasn't developed an offensive line. He had the opportunity to get the young guys in some games and he didn't take it.

Maybe I should look around. Huh, ASU is offering me and the staff more money, they are in a stronger conference, have a lot of good players coming back, and underperformed last year. That sounds like a great opportunity. Sure, I'll listen...

...and convince players to switch from SMU to ASU even before I'm there. I will undermine all efforts at SMU because I have decided to try to ruin this school.

gostangs · Post by **gostangs** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:35 pm

Jason - is that Hawaiian for June?

Hogwash. Ego needs stroking equals time to move. It's an identifiable trend.

dbone · Post by **dbone** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:10 pm

Face it, June doesn't like us.

Further, he and his staff don't understand us. I had a meeting with one of the coaches who came from a State school background....he couldn't figure out why the SMU community just didn't show up to things they put on.

Notice any "annual" Golf and charity events with June lately? They all got cancelled because we didn't just "show up".

Puts out a bad priduct...and it's our fault. Sorry chief...I got options.

Entertain or bite me....pick em.

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:12 pm

The charity event are there just smaller and more costly...i will not be attending his upcoming event

SMU2007 · Post by **SMU2007** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:15 pm

no one faults him for looking at better opportunities, they fault him for the timing of everything which seemed to really be in an effort to damage SMU. That coupled with his aloof attitude from day 1 towards all things SMU, really give the impression that he has zero connection to this place. And that's why most ponyfans are angry. Not that he was interested in another job.

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:17 pm

He doesn't care about SMU, he thinks it's the [deleted] school in America....

He came for the checks...

Mitch McConnell · Post by **Mitch McConnell** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:19 pm

NickSMU17 wrote:The charity event are there just smaller and more costly...i will not be attending his upcoming event

Neither will a lot of the lettermen who played during the later Cavan and Bennett years.

Ask some of them why they won't.

dbone · Post by **dbone** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:21 pm

2008 SMU Legends Charity event....
2009?
2010?
2011?
2012?

Golf?...It's the Hawaii show....looks like 18 people made it.

Hoop Fan · Post by **Hoop Fan** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:22 pm

SMU2007 wrote:no one faults him for looking at better opportunities, they fault him for the timing of everything which seemed to really be in an effort to damage SMU. That coupled with his aloof attitude from day 1 towards all things SMU, really give the impression that he has zero connection to this place. And that's why most ponyfans are angry. Not that he was interested in another job.

as for timing, ASU was running the schedule I think. the only thing i really fault him for was letting this blow up on Big East day. He couldn't control when they wanted to talk to him over the weekend. the guy has ego. thats part of why we wanted him. I say give it a chance to heal. we could hire somebody decent but not an impact guy.

mustangxc · Post by **mustangxc** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:46 am

Truthfully, I fault him for being too honest. Sometimes in life it is better to lie. If the recruits asked him where he will be coaching he should have answered for now I am the coach at SMU, but if things change I will let you know. Instead he was very open and upfront about his desire to move to Arizona State and even got one of his recruits to commit to Arizona State even though they currently have no coach while another tweeted I guess I am an ASU commit now.

jtstang · Post by **jtstang** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:06 am

CalallenStang wrote:
Why in the heck aren't people showing up? Why don't the students really care?

Because SMU under Jones has a history of being inconsistent. People still hadn't bought in, and one of the reasons for that may be that you let TCU back into the game with stupid playcalling in the 4th quarter. Another reason could be that you have never embraced being at SMU, trying to change the mascot and colors to something that suits you instead of changing your attitude to show that you care about being at the school.

Okay, why haven't the students come out prior to Jones being here. We were very consistent for the prior 25 years.