Per USA Today- SMU

[East Coast Mustang]

Yeah, all things considered, I have zero beef with the CoC. And unless you've got a check for a couple million dollars that you're prepared to stroke, neither should you.

[SMUer]

We should all be content to show up and watch their complacency work its wrath on our beloved school.

[East Coast Mustang]

We should all be content to show up and watch their complacency work its wrath on our beloved school.

Well then step up and write the check yourself. Yeah, they may have a different philosophy on the direction of the program than you do, but until you're writing checks your opinion (and mine) don't really matter. Money talks, [deleted] walks.

From what I understand some on the CoC were pretty pissed after the ASU fiasco and now there are even more that are becoming concerned with the direction of the football program two years later. With that being said, these are people who have chosen to make a generous financial investment in SMU athletics, and I'm certainly not going to denigrate them for that. Again, if not for them, we would likely be in a conference with Rice, UTEP, and UNT.

[CalallenStang]

RGT sees the caliber of our recruits. RGT sees the recruiting effort of lack thereof.

RGT has a university to run, so I seriously doubt he spends any time or energy on football recruiting. Heck, I'd be surprised if he even attends the Feb. event on campus.

wow - always easy to spend someone else's money, huh Calallen? Nobody is out of touch. They know exactly what they are doing - there just aren't many good options. Do you participate in the 4 million yearly pass the hat on our athletic dept deficiency? I didn't think so.

Agreed. If people seriously think attacking the CofC is the right course to take, then we are barely a step away from lunacy. SMU isn't big so once we start turning on each other, it won't take long before we reach the end.

I'm not attacking the CoC as a whole - I am attacking a few who are very generous but who have more dollars than football sense yet exert their power over other CoC members who are slightly less rich.

And I give what I can to SMU, contrary to gostang's accusation. I'm a Mustang Club member as well as a member of some other giving organizations. I don't have CoC money, but I've never believed that money should exclude one from criticism.

[CalallenStang]

And I think we need to get away from saying that it is their money and they can do as they see fit. As soon as that money is given to SMU, it's SMU's money. They ought to be able to direct the general use of that money (such as "paying a football coach") but not the specifics (such as "paying ________ to be the football coach"). The details should be handled by employees of the university (RGT/Hart), not by guys who made a lot of money in oil/banking/car dealerships, as the employees of the university are the ones charged with working for its best interest and are the ones who supposedly have the expertise to make the right decisions.

If I gave money to redo a reading room in the library, I wouldn't be allowed to dictate which brand of lightbulb to put in the lamps - yet, without light, reading is impossible. Heck, they wouldn't let me choose the architect/interior designer/whatever...they would use whichever vendor was best for the university.

Sports should not be any different. If you want to give money, then give your money and let the experts ensure that the right personnel is hired to achieve the correct result. Yes, express your opinion, but don't hold the administration hostage over the decision to keep/fire someone.

[East Coast Mustang]

And I think we need to get away from saying that it is their money and they can do as they see fit. As soon as that money is given to SMU, it's SMU's money. They ought to be able to direct the general use of that money (such as "paying a football coach") but not the specifics (such as "paying ________ to be the football coach"). The details should be handled by employees of the university (RGT/Hart), not by guys who made a lot of money in oil/banking/car dealerships, as the employees of the university are the ones charged with working for its best interest and are the ones who supposedly have the expertise to make the right decisions.

I get what you're saying to some extent, but part of that is the price of doing business in college athletics. If you give the cash, you have some say in where it goes. Otherwise the check might not clear.

Also, you want RGT having a substantial say in our next coaching hire? I'd rather Sewell, Hunt, Ford, etc. make the call, personally.

[CalallenStang]

I think it's ridiculous that gostangs chose to attack me instead of my opinion, by the way. By all means, attack someone who gives what they can to SMU, attends football and basketball games, etc., and give a free pass to a few rich folks who have been very generous with their money but too forceful with their control of the program.

Some on the CoC realize there is an issue with the select few that control this program. Talk to those on the CoC who want our program to be more than what it is and they will fill your ears with nothing but frustration that the powerful few did not allow RGT/Hart to fire June last year.

[CalallenStang]

And I think we need to get away from saying that it is their money and they can do as they see fit. As soon as that money is given to SMU, it's SMU's money. They ought to be able to direct the general use of that money (such as "paying a football coach") but not the specifics (such as "paying ________ to be the football coach"). The details should be handled by employees of the university (RGT/Hart), not by guys who made a lot of money in oil/banking/car dealerships, as the employees of the university are the ones charged with working for its best interest and are the ones who supposedly have the expertise to make the right decisions.

I get what you're saying to some extent, but part of that is the price of doing business in college athletics. If you give the cash, you have some say in where it goes. Otherwise the check might not clear.

Also, you want RGT having a substantial say in our next coaching hire? I'd rather Sewell, Hunt, Ford, etc. make the call, personally.

I'd rather Hart do what he was hired to do, than have the boosters make the call. Of course, they should have an opinion that should be taken into consideration...but in the end, Hart's job is the one on the line, not Sewell's.

If we don't trust the guys we hired to make the decision with the decisions we hired them to make, then maybe we should fire them.

[East Coast Mustang]

I'd rather Hart do what he was hired to do, than have the boosters make the call. Of course, they should have an opinion that should be taken into consideration...but in the end, Hart's job is the one on the line, not Sewell's.

If we don't trust the guys we hired to make the decision with the decisions we hired them to make, then maybe we should fire them.

I think we have a good person in charge in Rick Hart if there is a coaching search after the season. It's a fine line you have to walk as an AD anywhere (not just SMU) in terms of making the right choice for your program and keeping the big money donors happy. Ideally, Rick would find a great candidate and sell the CoC on paying his salary.

[ponyboy]

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[SMU_Alumni11]

Well at this point of the season with 3 games left my anger, bitterness, and disappointment has subsided. I'm just going to watch and enjoy for what it is: 1 less game with mediocre coaches and staff. If the CoC and company think JJ is the best we can do then I leave it in their hands like ECM said numerous times its their money. Until we are donating our life savings away or have enough money to throw at this program then we just sit and watch and comment.

I think its bogus to say we are the second worst even after this disappointing season. I think its a very small gap between in play (despite our game with them) TCU down to UTEP. I think the only teams that are true AQ quality is A&M, Baylor, UT (maybe), tech (not lately). Besides those teams everyone else has been somewhat sub par.

For the next couple game, I think we have the ability to beat each game. Simply by using the model: if Temple can give UCF a death scare and ucf was close with Houston and we beat temple then you would think these are winnable games. Heck we weren't even playing more than 2 Qs of solid football against temple. Thanks to the UCF and Temple game, I have some optimism left that we can squeak out a 7-5 season. Just my opinion and observation, to each their own.

[CA Mustang]

I'm not attacking the CoC as a whole - I am attacking a few who are very generous but who have more dollars than football sense yet exert their power over other CoC members who are slightly less rich.

How do you know this? Are you particpating in their meetings? Or are you hearing it 2nd (or 3rd) hand?

I don't have CoC money, but I've never believed that money should exclude one from criticism.

It doesn't, but you need a VERY persuasive argument if you want the folks coughing up millions of dollars to follow your directions.

If you want to give money, then give your money and let the experts ensure that the right personnel is hired to achieve the correct result. Yes, express your opinion, but don't hold the administration hostage over the decision to keep/fire someone.

That sounds nice, but it isn't the way of the world. Would you willingly hand over large sums with no say in the way the money is spent? "Give me money and shut the f--- up" may work for robbers but doesn't yield good results for non-profit organizations.

[CalallenStang]

1. No, I do not participate in their meetings. As I said, I am not CoC. But I do know people in the following groups: 1) CoC, 2) SMU Board of Trustees, 3) SMU Administration. When they all say the same thing in offhand comments, you can't discount it. If you don't believe me, just ask around.

2. Rick Hart's persuasive argument: You brought me here to do this job. Athletics is my area of expertise and I have proven that both with small schools (Chattanooga) and big schools (Oklahoma). Let me do my job.

3. This is a university, not a charity. It's run very differently. Even still, most charities bring in people with a specific expertise to handle the details. That is the function of a non-profit's board. That is what our board's function should be. You shouldn't get to overrule an expert because you and a few friends each gave a $500,000 pledge 5 years before. Advise them, sure. But everyone who gave that same amount should have the same access to advising the decision-maker(s).

[malonish]

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[shadowman]

It's a real good time to be a bitcher and moaner. Real good time. Conveniently ignore both where we've come from and the success we've had in the last four years (maybe even this year as the season's not over yet). Great time if you just like to hate. Jump on that opportunity real quick so that you can go silent when we start doing well again.

Back 3 years ago I was one of the few to [deleted] and moan about June's lack of recruiting, lack of respect or understanding of SMU traditions, stubbornness to continue to run an outdated offense that was long ago passed by....

I am not sure what your idea of success is, but going 6-6 and 7-5 against some of the worst teams in college football and going to the {insert cruddy bowl name that no one cares about here} bowl is not success, it is a reflection of the ridiculous number of bowl games that are available and the bottom feeders of college football that we got to play and beat. June just happened to stumble through the door at the right time in history, it was nothing he did particularly well than anyone else could have.

These teams are not as good as the teams Cavan had, June just has the good fortune of playing much worse competition and addition of about 20 bowls plus since the Cavan days.

Some of us saw this train wreck coming three years ago. I jumped off the June bandwagon in the offseason after the Hawaii Bowl when I saw how little he was doing to capitalize on the momentum.

/Cheers