TheTastyGreek

One of the things that we generally don't do very well here is retread ground when people join the forum. Especially in circumstances where things are going poorly. So, I'll do my best to do as brief but thorough a response as I can. Apologies in advance if any of this comes across as personal, that's totally not the intent. 1) Shouldn't a coach get at least 2 (or 3, or 4, or 5) years to try and build a program? Yes! Most people wouldn't disagree with that. IF, that is, you're talking about a program that needs building. Some folks will always demand immediate results (just wait for October on the football forum). But, for the most part, I think a lot of people here are largely patient, reasonable fans. HOWEVER, this is not a situation where you needed a coach to shake things up, rebuild a broken program, turn around a bad situation. The reason a lot of folks have already said to compare JJ and Benford's respective situations is because JJ took over the program at it's lowest point (until our next coach), and Benford took it over on a high note, with excellent talent and a history of sustained recent success. We weren't rebuilding. We were growing. We needed someone who could be ready immediately and sustain or build from there. I don't expect us to make the tournament every year, or win 20 games every year... But I can give you some examples of other schools at our (non-BCS, non historical powerhouse) level were able to manage under a transition of similar circumstance. What we should have gotten here is something like what Utah State saw in the transitions from Eustachy to Stew Morrill to Tim Duryea. Or UTEP going from Haskins to Rabedeaux to Gillespie to Sadler to Barbee to Floyd. In both of those examples, there were down years and occasionally rough transition years (meaning, one or one and a half), but none of those coaching changes put the program in a 4 year crater. In short, a coach taking over for someone fired? Yes, they probably deserve 2-4 years to get a fair shake. But a coach taking over a successful program from someone hired away to a bigger job? If it's been 4 years of losing, you've already seen what you're going to get. 2) But, if we get a 5 star talent like Keith Frazier, shouldn't we give Benford another year just to see what he can accomplish with that type of player? Opinions can vary here. In my opinion... I already saw what Tony Benford could do with a 5 star talent already proven to be capable at the college level and a supporting roster of exceptionally talented other players. He lost 20 games and dropped one to a D-2 school. And that was with a 5 star center. I'd be delighted to get someone like Frazier here. But if I have to choose between Benford + anyone or moving on and getting the rebuild started, even if it means losing our entire lineup... Farewell, Benford. Feel free to let the door hit you, coach, because I don't much care if you get hurt on the way out. 3) #Patience? #Patience was waiting this thing out to the 4th year because we weren't willing to buy out the contract sooner. A program that was serious about basketball would have ended this thing two years ago. Frankly, the fact that a lot of people are still hanging around here hoping for a change is patience in action. Patience is all that's kept this entire sub-forum from turning into nothing but UNT90-style screeds and bomb threats against the Super Pit. 4) But why not wait one more year if we already think the next guy needs potentially 3 or 4 years to rebuild anyway? Because one more year won't do anything but move us further away from when we were good, and move us no closer to getting good again. If Combs, Brice, Frazier, or whoever decide to stick around and play for the new guy... Then maybe he can do something special in a year or two. But if Benford could do anything with 5 star talent, or a team of his own players in his own system... He would have figured out how by now. Benford is only moving further and further away from the advantages he was gifted, and every year he stays is just another round of digging, deepening the hole for our next coach. Also, and you weren't here for this... But "maybe he can turn it around next year" is what we've been hearing for the last 3 years, both on this forum from an ever shrinking group, and from our athletic director whenever he gets pinned down on when he's finally going to make the change.

Frankly, if we have to pull a UAB to get rid of Benford, I'd be fine with it. If Frazier comes, great. If he sticks around to play next year under a different coach, even better. Ditto for everyone else on the roster. But anyone we lose, so be it. If they're chained to Benford, they can go overboard with him. And yes, the next guy probably needs 3-4 years to get us back to something respectable.

This is our biggest failure of presidential leadership since Battaile took half of Dodge's team to that hookah bar.

"I don't know, Mr. Smatresk..." "Don't be a pussy, Darvin. Besides, you're going to hit them with your car, not your helmet. That's not even a 15 yard penalty!" "Well, if you say so."

Even money, at least. "Hey Darvin, wanna know what's a consequence free lark? People won't even hear about it for a month!"

I blame Smatresk.

Yes, and it isn't even going to be close. Last year was the worst, with CUSA 17th in the conference rankings. This year we're at 21, with few OOC wins that could boost us, and a lot of terrible losses that will likely keep us where we are, if not drop us behind the Ohio Valley Conference by the end of the year. For reference, the Sun Belt is, according to RPI, a superior conference to CUSA this year. They currently have 3 teams (out of 11) above .500 against D1 opponents.

I took my dad to lunch there once. They put a teacup saucer full of birdseed on the table and told us to eat it. I've never gone back.

Do you like this gig?

Look... Either way, they're doomed for this recruiting season. EVEN IF you get a guy hired next week... How long until he learns how to get the blend of 11 secret herbs and spices right? Until you can trust him not to burn the biscuits or mishandle the gravy? And then, you put him on the road in his headset and little paper hat to recruit with what, 4 or 5 days to get the job done? I know the motto for UTSA football is "fast and delicious", but I hope they realize you can't recruit a season in 30 minutes or less.

Take it from a guy who used to spend a lot of time with binoculars hanging around in the tree outside Billy Ocean's bedroom window... The man has reached a point where too much exposure is no longer an appealing concept. Eddy Grant, though? If you're looking for a Caribbean-themed English 80's musician who deserves more exposure... Let's just say that Mr. Grant still "Equals" a worthwhile tree climb!

Post midnight counterpoint: 2016 is the second year of the Littrell era, and he has yet to win a single game. I'm in for $10 if anyone is ready to get a banner flying.

Couldn't stand it. Subsequently left the kitchen.

You said "Mystery Men" was camp. I've never really forgiven you.

Snoke kills Dumbledore.

Buckle up, buckaroos.

Think bigger... That address is literally right around the corner from the Rudy's where they have the coach radio shows. Was December 10th a Benford Radio Show night? Maybe Neal was actually trying to mercy kill a 2-6 Benford, fresh off his 32 point loss to Southern Illinois?

You know what Texas State doesn't need? Transferers. Which is fortunate, because they're not likely to get much JUCO help with a coach leaving at this point on the calendar.

I'm going to have to wait until I've had a chance to review the film to make a final determination... But I'd say that when you look at it closely, our collective reactions are grading out at a very high level.

1896

It's a sad, sad situation... The kid used to play football, but Todd Dodge tried to coach him to cross a train track. Didn't go so well, sawed him completely in half, nothing left below the torso. Trauma forced him to transfer away to Cy Lakes. But... He's not dead! That's a moral victory! 2nd But... No genitals anymore. That's gonna make it hard to be a good husband and father.

I'd give it a 20-25% grade. He's got a steep, steep climb ahead of him. Not impossible, but definitely tougher than the incline he'd face almost anywhere else in the country.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/12/unt-police-fatally-shoot-ax-wielding-man.html/

I think, given the limited amount of time available and the fact that we're working short handed... Anyone already committed is probably not going to be a target of our new staff. So, my guess would be that anybody verballed elsewhere at this point who may end up signing with us is very likely to have initiated the process. We don't have enough time to try and be homewreckers. But I'm always willing to be a halfway house for a confused, talented player who decided for themselves that they needed a different option.