The hiring of Copeland was the downfall of SMU athletics- Rossley was turning the ship in 1996 with a 5-6 record against tougher competition, tougher recruiting restrictions and horrible facilities than Cavan or Bennett has faced, Cavan won with Rossleys players in 1997 and it has been all downhill since then.
Compare Rossley's staff- 5 are in the NFL, 1 is WR coach @ Miami, 1 is the Def Cord. @Georgia Tech
I am sure Stallion will bring up Rossley's record and dog him, but Rossley coached all but one year in the SWC against tough competition without having the recruiting standards eased (not so much under Cavan) and without the great facilities that Cavan and Bennett had. I am not saying Rossley was the greatest coach of all time but we were headed in the right direction at least. In addition, the 5-6 and 6-5 seasons in 1996 and 1997 season were against much tougher competition, even in the WAC. And, we did go 5-6 in the SWC in 1992.