The lesson of Hayden Fry at SMU

[Sam I Am]

Hayden Fry was fired after a winning season at SMU because he had so few winning season during his tenure. This was back in the 1960's in the SWC. Fry went to UNT and succeeded enough that he was hired at Iowa, won the Big 10, and went to the Rose Bowl. He was a coach who did better at other schools than he did at SMU where his claim to fame was one conference title and a win over the Roger Staubach Navy team in 1963. There were many down years after Fry before the pony express and the DP. Now, SMU is debating about another change of a coach who has done better at another school and who has had a modicum of success with the ponies. Except more is wanted and more is needed. But more is hard to come by sometimes. If it wasn't for JJ having already tried to take himself out of the job, I would be only luke warm about getting someone else with hopes of doing better. The money boys will decide this for us anyway, so why bother. The bigger problem is game attendance. Bring back Potts and Mustang Mania and maybe that could be fixed a bit.

[NavyCrimson]

Heres a little trivia for u. Frank Broyles was in the running when Fry was hired. The rest is history.

[redpony]

I always liked Hay-boy but many of the $ alumni didn't -hence he was history.

[mrydel]

There was a lot more to it than that. It was time for him to go and it was in the best interest of SMU and definitely the best thing that ever happened to Hayden.

[NavyCrimson]

That is true.

[Junior]

that was a lot different time that we live in today.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

that was a lot different time that we live in today.

Those were simple times.

[couch 'em]

Anyone paying attention to WHY Jones had so many wins in Hawaii vs here can see that this comparison is meaningless.

[Rayburn]

A little divergence from the topic: Sometime before Bill Meek left and Fry arrived, my father, who was coaching high school ball, received a call from Warren Woodson who was the HC at New Mexico State. Woodson told dad some SMU boosters had contacted him about taking the Mustang job after Meek was cut loose and asked him if dad would be interested in a place on the staff. A week or so later Woodson called dad to tell him that the whole thing was scuttled. The SMU people, Woodson said, thought he was "too old and too Baptist."

Warren Woodson coached to 1973 winning 200 games (coaching record: 203-95-14) and is the only coach NMSU ever had who was worth a damn. Although dad thought Fry was a good coach (and a good man) he always wondered what Woodson might have done on the Hilltop.

Notice that Fry did very well at state schools and had an up and down success at private SMU. There are many advantages in coaching at state institutions over small, private schools.

[NavyCrimson]

Great story Rayburn.

[Rayburn]

Thanks, Navy.

Navy, do you recall that SMU could have had Hank Stram as head coach before the Dallas Texans/KC Chiefs got him instead of Meek?

[Oldmins]

that was a lot different time that we live in today.

Wow! Profound!

[NavyCrimson]

You're right about Stram. I do remember that story as well.

I have to admit that our school has made some horrendous hires compared to what they could have. I remember hearing something to the fact that they, like many schools, got the alums involved in the hiring process but unfortunately, they got TOO involved with their emotions. I think Aggie-land is another example on that one. LOL!!!

The irony about the Frank Broyles 'non-hire' was that he's a Methodist & he really wanted the job! LOL!!!

[rich59]

Broyles was not in the running when Fry was hired. Broyles was on the staff at Georgia Tech when Meek was hired. When Meek was hired Darrel Royal was also considered but showed little interest. Fry was an assistant under Broyles at Arkansas when Fry was hired. The story is that Mattie Bell wanted Broyles but the Alums. with the money chose Meek because he was a "proven" head coach at Houston.

Some believe that Broyles pushed Fry for the SMU job because he was a nuisance on the staff at UA and because he knew that with Fry coaching at SMU it would always be a sure win for Broyles.

[West Coast Johnny]

What's the point? Good coaches can't win at SMU?