How far have we come?

[mustangxc]

SMU is definitely not a step down from being a coordinator. If you really believe that then we really have regressed from 2001 when we hired PB from Kansas State.

Not just any coordinator, but a guy like Morris who just got a huge raise/extension and who I think will be targeting by several P5 programs if Clemson has a successful season. Again, I'd love to have Chad Morris, but I think he may have better exit options as soon as December rolls around

PB was a pretty big deal when he came here. CM is great but I don't see him as being special. Coordinators are unproven as head coaches.

[PonyTime]

The Brand Awareness of SMU and SMU football is light years ahead of where it was when Phil Bennett left. A lot has contributed to this:

1.) The Hiring of June Jones (pretty much the entire state of HI knows SMU. The hire itself created a splash when it happened because June was coming off a BCS appearance).

2.) Pony Excess - the exposure that this gave us (thank you Thad) was the best Marketing we have had since MustangMania - probably better. High Schoolers know what SMU is and was. This was not the case 6 years ago. Just about anyone who watches ESPN on a regular basis now knows a little bit about the history of SMU football.

3.) 4 consecutive bowl games - the average college football fan that might pay less attention to the reg season outside of their fav team may actually pay attention to the bowl games. If in a bowl pool they likely were not happy with last year's Hawaii Bowl result.

4.) SMU players in the NFL - like it or not, Jones has been light years ahead of Bennett on this front. We have as many in the NFL as TCU does now. I remember the days of having 1-2 SMU grads in the NFL. I know that Bennett was involved in recruiting a few of them (Sanders, Morestead), but players like Margus and Zach Line may not have been where they are now had it not been for Jones and his staff.

5.) Bush Library - Significant exposure for SMU internationally. This will impact the school for years and puts the Brand in front of many who would not know anything about SMU. How many other NCAA schools have a former Pres who shows up to games, chats with the team at practice? Kudos to Turner and Company on this one.

6.) The hiring of Larry Brown. The SMU name is now in the College Basketball arena. When we are in the NCAA tourney, we will see an increased impact on exposure. Can't wait to fill out my 2015 bracket.

7.) In general - if I look back at the last 15 years, just about every game that I enjoyed watching (outside of Bennett's one TCU win) was during Jones tenure: SMU>Nevada in HI, SMU>FSU in HI, SMU>ECU for Conf Champ game, SMU>TCU, SMU>Pitt in AL, SMU>UCF, SMU>UTEP for Bowl, SMU>Houston drubbing last year and I cannot think of a better college football atmosphere than in a couple of our losses - Army>SMU in AF Bowl, A&M>SMU, TT>SMU, TCU>SMU. It is a heck of a lot more fun to watch SMU football these days - and that is how I measure it:

Enjoyment level in 2006: 56.24
Enjoyment level in 2012: 82.32

SMU, SMU football and SMU athletics is so far ahead of where we were 6 years ago. Anyone trying to say otherwise is living in a bubble. Yes - we need to win 1-2 more games a year - But a quick look at some stats on who we beat tells just part of the story.

[Rebel10]

SMU is definitely not a step down from being a coordinator. If you really believe that then we really have regressed from 2001 when we hired PB from Kansas State.

Not just any coordinator, but a guy like Morris who just got a huge raise/extension and who I think will be targeting by several P5 programs if Clemson has a successful season. Again, I'd love to have Chad Morris, but I think he may have better exit options as soon as December rolls around

PB was a pretty big deal when he came here. CM is great but I don't see him as being special. Coordinators are unproven as head coaches.

Mason and Phillips are coordinators would you hire one of them? If not who would you hire? Sounds like we are doomed.

Aren't 0-4 every time W chats with the team. Just kidding. LOL.

[East Coast Mustang]

SMU is definitely not a step down from being a coordinator. If you really believe that then we really have regressed from 2001 when we hired PB from Kansas State.

Not just any coordinator, but a guy like Morris who just got a huge raise/extension and who I think will be targeting by several P5 programs if Clemson has a successful season. Again, I'd love to have Chad Morris, but I think he may have better exit options as soon as December rolls around

PB was a pretty big deal when he came here. CM is great but I don't see him as being special. Coordinators are unproven as head coaches.

Morris is a solid recruiter with a lot of Texas ties, but I guess the same could have been said about Bennett. Gary Patterson was pretty unproven as a HC when TCU hired him and he turned out alright. Same with Chris Peterson at Boise. Head coaches have to start somewhere.

[ponyboy]

Great analysis, PonyTime, but what is the formula for deriving those enjoyment numbers?

[mustangxc]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

[Rebel10]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

So you would hire a coordinator. Just not Phillips or Morris.

[East Coast Mustang]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

He makes $1.2 million at Clemson now as the OC

[StallionsModelT]

I'd have no problem whatsoever with Tom Mason as the next HC. I think Mason would ditch the outdated R&S and run a more modern offense. I also think he's capable of putting together a solid staff of recruiters that have ties to Texas. We could do worse than Tom Mason.

[mustangxc]

Not just any coordinator, but a guy like Morris who just got a huge raise/extension and who I think will be targeting by several P5 programs if Clemson has a successful season. Again, I'd love to have Chad Morris, but I think he may have better exit options as soon as December rolls around

PB was a pretty big deal when he came here. CM is great but I don't see him as being special. Coordinators are unproven as head coaches.

Morris is a solid recruiter with a lot of Texas ties, but I guess the same could have been said about Bennett. Gary Patterson was pretty unproven as a HC when TCU hired him and he turned out alright. Same with Chris Peterson at Boise. Head coaches have to start somewhere.

I agree that they have to start somewhere. My argument is simply that Head Coach at SMU is a better gig than OC at Clemson so I think we could get CM if we wanted him. He is no more special than PB was when we hired him.

[East Coast Mustang]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

So you would hire a coordinator. Just not Phillips or Morris.

He just said he would hire Morris. Has Phillips really done anything to prove himself worthy of a HC job at this point?

[mustangxc]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

He makes $1.2 million at Clemson now as the OC

[mustangxc]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

So you would hire a coordinator. Just not Phillips or Morris.

I never said I would not hire Morris or Phillips. Re-read my comments. Are you trying to pick a fight?

[East Coast Mustang]

I'd have no problem whatsoever with Tom Mason as the next HC. I think Mason would ditch the outdated R&S and run a more modern offense. I also think he's capable of putting together a solid staff of recruiters that have ties to Texas. We could do worse than Tom Mason.

At a time when he need to make a splash nationally, raise our profile, and compete at the highest level to work our way up the realignment ladder, hiring Tom Mason would be a step backwards in my opinion. I think he's a great DC for us, but I don't see him as the right guy to lead our program going forward.

[East Coast Mustang]

If Mason can surround himself with young aggressive recruiters I would give him a chance. Ideally I would pay him $600,000 and give him a $2million budget for his assistants.

He makes $1.2 million at Clemson now as the OC

My bad. Disagree about Mason though, think he would be a very vanilla hire at a very crucial time for the program's future