mtrout wrote: Orsini was an aggressive athletics leader and businessman. Like him or hate him...bottom line is that he did NOT fit the SMU culture. So here we are...
You are completely right on that one. He refused to be RGT's lap boy so he was let go and now you see what we have.
I think TCU and Houston having successful programs is a positive. It should light a fire in our wealthy alums to do whatever it takes to match them and then beat them. If we don't move on in basketball to upgrade our staff it will be a clear indication that we like to do everything half way.
BTW redpony, Gerald Ford Stadium was built in Turner's first decade at SMU.
They are a top academic school with enrollment significantly lower than even SMU's (7k vs 12k), and we all know firsthand how that impacts attendance and support. Worse (from a FB perspective), their student body is only 1/3rd White. Asians and foreign students make up a larger number. And they absolutely stink at FB. Even in the watered down C-USA they have only won 4 conference games in the past 3 seasons.
I have advocated for decades that Rice would be better off shuttering their FB program and focusing all their resources on BB. Much easier optically to make academic exceptions for 10 students than 100 and more importantly, you could be good at something on the national stage. With an endowment of some $6B, they have the resources to become a 'Duke' like school in this region. That pathway is now more difficult with the emergence of Coog High.
I hope the higher-ups at SMU understand there is a window of opportunity for us as well. They need to fire jank and they can't go cheap on his replacement. Otherwise schools like UH, TCU and UT will become the powerbrokers in this area, not us.
SoCal_Pony wrote:To me, a big loser in all this is Rice. I hope the higher-ups at SMU understand there is a window of opportunity for us as well. They need to fire jank and they can't go cheap on his replacement.
Totally agree. We can't go with a walmart level replacement. Like you, I really hope the 'bball powers' realize this.
mtrout wrote: Orsini was an aggressive athletics leader and businessman. Like him or hate him...bottom line is that he did NOT fit the SMU culture. So here we are...
You are completely right on that one. He refused to be RGT's lap boy so he was let go and now you see what we have.
Or he didn't know anything about basketball or keeping his mouth shut about his employer.
He's been in such high demand since he left SMU it's clear SMU was the problem in that relationship.
