23 years of observations ...

[Pony in SA]

I don't post just to post like some, but with season tickets for 23 years plus numerous away games attended, Mustang Club trips to games, extra checks sent for funding programs when asked, bad football from Ownby, to Cotton Bowl, back to Ford, and now yesterday's disgrace here's a few observations:

1. Tom Rossley still best post DP coach - he did more with harder academic requirements, playing tougher competition then we are now, terrible facilities, etc. His undermatched teams played top 10 A & M team to tie in Alamodome, and tough at A & M. Yes, his record was bad at times but his teams were better prepared and at least there was a plan to what he was trying to do. Also, when Cavan won it was Rossley's guys primarily who got him there.

2. Jones will not get us much further then we are now, which is not much. We are in year 5 with seemingly no long term plan, no sense of urgency, no real pressure to win. Lack of accountability translates to the players. It is time for Jones to go.

3. We are at the point now losing long term supporters like me, not just the younger group of fans we have lost last 20 years. Where I sit there are 3 former players in my section who played for us in 70s and 80s. All of them discussed they are sick of Jones' show and throwing good money after bad. All discussed may be last year they will renew tickets unless something done. What is happening now is the core group of us who has stuck thru this mess of SMU football for the last years will finally say enough is enough.

4. NO 5 or 10 year plan to get ship on right track. Jones clearly won't be here in 5 years, and his lack of enthusiasm for the school, its traditions, the "regular" alumni is evident. School needs to think about replacement soon that has 5 or 10 year vision to take us to greener pastures.

5. New hot shot WR coach has not improved our production yet, and actually more dropped balls and out of position players.

6. UTSA is in much better shape than we are -- yes, go ahead and laugh and I know to those in north Texas think they have the monopoly on football but from football standpoint they are 3 and 0 this year, winning easily this weekend in the Georgia dome against Bill Curry's team, and are playing mostly freshman. They won 4 games last year in their first season and have Arizona, Tech, other big school in upcoming schedules. They run multiple offense (not run and shoot) and have already beat us out for 2 recruits. Larry Coker is constantly out in the community, does his live radio show, tells all how great UTSA is and actually wears school colors. He also always talks about the building of a program and that they have a 10 year plan.

On the business side, they set record for attendance for first year program and had 31,000 at their first game this year against a nobody team (about what we could get and we had A & M to draw from). They also have 15,000 or so season ticket holders, easily more than us, and some locked in for multiple years. They also have corporate support who has agreed to join in on their long term vision. We are not even close to this.

7. I still think 5 wins would be stretch with how our group is playing this year, and that we do not win both at UTEP and at Tulane back to back after TCU. TCU will be awful and Patterson apparently already circled that one for revenge. I was at Mustang Club trip to Sun Bowl years ago when we beat UTEP 30 to 0 partly because of special teams return TDs and I think that is our last win in El Paso. I also think winning Tulsa and Rice may be more challenging then thought, and if we are having down year and kids have not much to play for by then it will almost impossible.

I hope the new AD and Turner are developing a short list of replacement coaches to save this program. But I think we are at a crossroads and we need new young energetic coach who actually wants to be here, will RECRUIT and act like he wants to be here, and that has a 5 to 10 year vision to bring us back.

[SMU_Alumni11]

It's truly sad how true this post is. We are dying and it's like RGT doesn't even seem to care (no point mentioning JJ). If we want to look for a coach why not consider the UNT or UTSA coach... I mean heck do something to derail these programs and get people who can win with nothing... Just something other than this cocky SOB of a coach.

Ill post this little news on its own but interesting to see UNT ahead of us in DMN...

[Dairy Crampus]

Thanks for this well conceived post. Rick Hart needs to read it and take it to heart.

[CalallenStang]

Email to Hart

[sbsmith]

It's truly sad how true this post is. We are dying and it's like RGT doesn't even seem to care (no point mentioning JJ). If we want to look for a coach why not consider the UNT or UTSA coach... I mean heck do something to derail these programs and get people who can win with nothing... Just something other than this cocky SOB of a coach.

Ill post this little news on its own but interesting to see UNT ahead of us in DMN...

Not sure if you're serious but the Denton High coach is something like 30 games under .500 for his career and the UTSA coach is universally known as the guy that killed "The U". At 2 million a year we should be aiming higher eh?

[SMU_Alumni11]

It's truly sad how true this post is. We are dying and it's like RGT doesn't even seem to care (no point mentioning JJ). If we want to look for a coach why not consider the UNT or UTSA coach... I mean heck do something to derail these programs and get people who can win with nothing... Just something other than this cocky SOB of a coach.

Ill post this little news on its own but interesting to see UNT ahead of us in DMN...

Not sure if you're serious but the Denton High coach is something like 30 games under .500 for his career and the UTSA coach is universally known as the guy that killed "The U". At 2 million a year we should be aiming higher eh?

It was slightly a joke more out of desperation.. And who says we have to pay 2 mil! I say we from nowd on make a performance contract 300k for 5 games or below, 800k for 6 or 7, 8+ up can get more close to 2 mil. Obviously these a rush numbers but more the principle behind it. But this would force a coach to be more passioniate and not just treat a game as a preason game

[Rebel10]

Well said Pony in SA.

[gostangs]

The idea of building in incentives for the results we want is perfect. Conference chaps? add 200k. BCS bowl? another 100k Top 5 finish. 500k National championship. a cool million.

One year comes off the contract term for every game under .600

how about average stars per rivals of the recruiting class. if you average 3.5 stars or better you get 100k. if you average under 2.5, automatic one year contract.

show up in traditional regalia from previous school? minus 500k.

Lets make sure the coach understands what we want.

[03Mustang]

I just tweeted to @RickHart. I recommend all do the same....excellent post, Pony in SA.

[mr. pony]

Yep.

[SoCal_Pony]

That was a very good post SA, I would add these comments:

1) People talk about how bad this current class is, I agree, but many fail to acknowledge the 2012 class was also abysmal. So if JJ stays around another year or two, we are absolutely talking about a complete redo, as it stands now, minimum 3 years to turn this around, the talent / depth simply isn’t there.

2) Much like our current President BO, JJ now has a record he has to stand on. The 3 bowl appearances are nice, but more revealing to me is his 4-20 record against teams with winning records. That’s 2-10 OOC and 2-10 vs C-USA so don’t blame tough OCC scheduling. By year end, this record will be worse.

3) Love the posters saying, ‘ASU fiasco will hopefully light a fire under him’, or losing Klemm, winning the Compass Bowl, losing Reinebold, gaining Phillips, membership into BE, seeing Orsini fired or new AD Hart hired, any or all of this will change JJ. NOTHING will change this man. Whether it is due to his age, life/death experience, ego, accomplishments (there are many), or that he became ‘Hawaiianized’, man is not changing, period.

4) Agree with earlier poster who said Orsini's legacy is impacted due to Doh / JJ and their contracts. Sure I am grateful for the 3 bowl appearances. JJ should be more grateful for the $10M+ he has banked. We overpaid.

5) I was there during the Pony Express days. I am considered a pretty pragmatic person. I now have doubts if I will ever see SMU play competitive FB against the TTech’s of the world.

6) Which leads to my biggest complaint. With all the uncertainties occurring in the college football world, we picked a heck of a time to suddenly become complacent.

[Richardsonsmu17]

You are right on. As a 4 seat season ticket holder I am done. This junior high football is a waste of time to watch. I don't know if there is a way out of this situation. But with us and Houston looking terrible the Big East has no credibility.

[03Mustang]

Got a basic "thank you" tweet back from @RickHart. Hope he actually read this and realizes how serious this situation is.

We are at a tipping point as a program, and we cannot afford to slip back to where we were before. Do we want to be a major program, or 2nd tier? I agree with SoCal, this is not the time to become complacent.

[JasonB]

All about not wanting to slip back, but this 2012 class wasn't abysmal. I know you are saying that because it wasn't ranked as high at the end as it was initially, and the offer level wasn't as high as earlier classes, but the talent is there when you go out to practice.

[LA_Mustang]

Good post. Unfortunately, I think the perfect guy for the job is now coaching at College Station. We need a Sumlin clone.