How far have we come?

[ponyinNC]

chad morris.

don't outhink it.

Just say hell no to Baliff plz. Ugh

[lwjr]

How far have we come? Not far enough.

[ponyboy]

We've come from twenty years as the #113 team (of 117 teams) to #54 the last four years. That's a helluva long way in a short time period. But agreed not far enough.

[StallionsModelT]

We haven't spent a week in the Top 25 since Reagan was in office yet all we hear from our athletic department is how we want to be "Top 25" in everything. Well if that's the standard and we still haven't acheived that status now 6 years into this regime, what does that say about the athletic department? Hold people accountable. I agree that we deserve a program that is on the Top 25 bubble consistently. We haven't gotten there. Take action and find someone who can get the job done.

[PK]

We haven't spent a week in the Top 25 since Reagan was in office yet all we hear from our athletic department is how we want to be "Top 25" in everything. Well if that's the standard and we still haven't acheived that status now 6 years into this regime, what does that say about the athletic department? Hold people accountable. I agree that we deserve a program that is on the Top 25 bubble consistently. We haven't gotten there. Take action and find someone who can get the job done.

"Top 25" in everything was an Orsini mantra...not sure I have heard that phrase used by the Athletic Department since he left. Now it is more along the lines of "performing at the highest levels" (however that is defined) or something along those lines.

[ponyinNC]

You'd think Hart would want to make his own FB coaching hire - at least, if I were the AD, I would. Put my stamp on it.

[StallionsModelT]

So then I take it going 6-6 every year into perpetuity is "performing at the highest levels"? I was worried that Hart was gonna be an RGT yes man and so far I've seen nothing to suggest that he's anything other than exactly that.

[ponyinNC]

at some point Hart has to be his own man, doesn't he? His dad is an AD, and you'd think he would learn a lot from him about making the right hire.

but who knows.

[East Coast Mustang]

Keep in mind, Hart's hands are tied to some extent. Don't forgot who is signing the checks here: Sewell, Gerald Ford, and whoever else is on the Circle of Champions. If we flounder this year and they lose patience with JJ, perhaps they stroke the check to buy him out in 2014 and bring in someone new.

Does anyone more connected to the SMU inner workings than me know what the prevailing sense is among the CoC towards June?

[East Coast Mustang]

at some point Hart has to be his own man, doesn't he? His dad is an AD, and you'd think he would learn a lot from him about making the right hire.

but who knows.

His Dad had quite a circus of a coaching search in the offseason at Tennessee. Jon Gruden, Mike Gundy, and Charlie Strong all said no and people were calling for Dave Hart's head. Then he brought in Butch Jones who has quickly assembled a very impressive recruiting class

[CalallenStang]

Keep in mind, Hart's hands are tied to some extent. Don't forgot who is signing the checks here: Sewell, Gerald Ford, and whoever else is on the Circle of Champions. If we flounder this year and they lose patience with JJ, perhaps they stroke the check to buy him out in 2014 and bring in someone new.

Does anyone more connected to the SMU inner workings than me know what the prevailing sense is among the CoC towards June?

There is no additional buyout fee over his regularly scheduled salary. There's the difference between last year and this year.

[East Coast Mustang]

Keep in mind, Hart's hands are tied to some extent. Don't forgot who is signing the checks here: Sewell, Gerald Ford, and whoever else is on the Circle of Champions. If we flounder this year and they lose patience with JJ, perhaps they stroke the check to buy him out in 2014 and bring in someone new.

Does anyone more connected to the SMU inner workings than me know what the prevailing sense is among the CoC towards June?

There is no additional buyout fee over his regularly scheduled salary. There's the difference between last year and this year.

So we'd be buying him out at $2 million or so for 2014?

If this is another ho-hum 7-6 season with no signature wins to speak of, it might be worth it to cut ties and offer Chad Morris the gig.

[ponyinNC]

at some point Hart has to be his own man, doesn't he? His dad is an AD, and you'd think he would learn a lot from him about making the right hire.

but who knows.

His Dad had quite a circus of a coaching search in the offseason at Tennessee. Jon Gruden, Mike Gundy, and Charlie Strong all said no and people were calling for Dave Hart's head. Then he brought in Butch Jones who has quickly assembled a very impressive recruiting class

That's what I mean - his dad should know who wants to interview and for what salary, ec. Maybe an SEC coordinator like Kirby Smart?

[StallionsModelT]

Here is a really tricky question:

Would you rather us go 3-9 and make it obvious that Jones should be let go or would you rather get to 6 or 7 wins and Jones gets an extension?

I honestly don't know what I would say I prefer. I want the team to win every game we play, but can we honestly say that giving Jones 4 or 5 more years is the right thing to do for the program longterm?

[lwjr]

We haven't spent a week in the Top 25 since Reagan was in office yet all we hear from our athletic department is how we want to be "Top 25" in everything. Well if that's the standard and we still haven't acheived that status now 6 years into this regime, what does that say about the athletic department? Hold people accountable. I agree that we deserve a program that is on the Top 25 bubble consistently. We haven't gotten there. Take action and find someone who can get the job done.

"Top 25" in everything was an Orsini mantra...not sure I have heard that phrase used by the Athletic Department since he left. Now it is more along the lines of "performing at the highest levels" (however that is defined) or something along those lines.

"Performing at the highest level" sounds like something you would hear from Rice.