PonyFans.com

Come on guys - live a little - a gamble is exactly what this program needs. What do we have to lose? Not saying Ro is the choice - don't think today's high schooler knows squat about him or cares - but the recruits parents will know - and that matters - BIG gamble on recruiting/organization/player dev/ etc.... but why not? the unknown assistant route has not worked already - lets try something new. Worst case we lose half our games and draw 2000 average - opps , thats now isn't it?.

If [deleted] Motta will really be an assistant to Ro Blackmon for two years as the DMN quoted him as saying today, then I say go for it. Huge local media attention and instant attendance boost. Ro on his own sounds way too risky to me.

DickerJames wrote:If [deleted] Motta will really be an assistant to Ro Blackmon for two years as the DMN quoted him as saying today, then I say go for it. Huge local media attention and instant attendance boost. Ro on his own sounds way too risky to me.

Where does it say that?

From article in todays DMN:

Blackman admits, however, that he has thought in the past about being a college head coach. He even sought advice from [deleted] Motta, his coach with the Mavericks for six years, and guess what Motta told him?

"He said that he would help me get any college job I went after," Blackman said. "And he also said that he would sit on the bench with me two years to help me be successful."

[deleted] Motta, winner of 935 NBA games and one NBA title, said he would be your assistant coach?

"For two years," Blackman said. "I already have a lot of confidence in myself as a coach. I've worked hard, and I know what I'm doing. But there is no doubt that having a guy like [deleted] next to you would be fantastic."

Great post about the DMN article. That is another reason Ro would be a great fit, he is smart enough to realize that he would need to hire a veteran head coach like [deleted] motta as an assistant to help the program succeed and to help him grow. Ro would have so many connections from his playing days and coaching days that I am sure [deleted] Motta would not be the only savvy basketball mind he would bring in to help the program. Plus, imagine the possibilities when Ro could call Dirk in to work with SMU big men one day at practice or call up Nash and have him tutor the guards. And, in contrast to some other opinions, I think todays high school kids do know about Ro...they see people wearing his retro NBA jersey and they see his jersey hanging from the rafters of the AAC. But more importantly, as pointed our earlier, parents and high school coaches would know him and his accomplishments...as opposed to an obscure assistant coach looking for a promotion or a small college head coach looking for a raise. Blackman's consideration for the job gains more credibility when you consider the ability he would have to bring in veteran and proven basketball minds that he has worked with for the past 20 years.

I still think this is a terrible idea. People were saying the same positive things about Drexler in Houston (I lived there at the time), and Drexler took a program that was having a down year and found a way to run it into the ground. The star quality of former NBA players is overrated when it comes to recruiting. At least Blackman has been on a coaching staff, which is a positive. But he still doesn't know a darn thing about recruiting.

Dooby, your right and the Drexler example is a good point. I was thinking about that as well. If he didnt have the experience on the Mavs staff I would be more leery. Either way, it would be a huge risk. In no way is he my first choice (Tubbs), or second (Sutton), but it would be worth it to interview him.

The problem with Drexler is that he underestimated the hours that a college head coach has to put in and he simply didn't want to put in those kind of hours. He had Reid Gettys do virtually all of his recruiting...I don't think there's any doubt about Ro's work ethic.

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Drexler take over with no experience? Blackman has been on Nelson's staff for a few years now.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DOOBY, CHANGE YOUR PICTURE, I BEG YOU!!!

My only point about Drexler is that the same positives are being brought up. Those positives did not help Drexler. There is no guarantee they will help Blackman who has even less star quality. Blackman should be judged solely on his coaching resume, which I presonally don't find that impressive.

And no, the avatar won't change.

I will make you a deal: When (not if) SMU gets votes in the top 25 polls in both basketball and football in the same year, I will change my avatar.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... ac041.html

Because Ro seems to have better options then coaching at SMU I will ease up on my campaign to hire him. But the article illustrates my points exactly. Accomplished NBA Assistant Coach, accomplished Director of Player Development, distinguished NBA career, German National Team Assistant Coach, Chinese National Team Assistant Coach, roots in Dallas, amazing contacts within the basketball community, and amazing contacts within the Mavericks (Don Nelson, Del Harris, Donnie Nelson, the players, and Cuban) that WOULD aide the SMU program because they would want to help Blackman. Blackman seems to have better options than the SMU job, but still, Copeland would be more of a fool than he already is if he fails to get Blackman in for an interview.

[deleted] Motta, boy if he comes to SMU, I can pull out my old Bullet's T-shirt which reads, "the Opera ain't over till the fat lady sings."