Do the Frogs have their man?

[Coach Andy Mac]

As of this post, TCU has not announced the next head coach of the football program. Reading the tea leaves, though, it seems as if the search has narrowed to one.

Of course, the administration will still say that at least four candidates are still being considered: SMU’s Sonny Dykes, Louisiana’s Billy Napier, Clemson OC Tony Elliott, and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.

However, as Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote on Thursday, Sonny Dykes has been and seemingly continues to be the frontrunner.

Dykes has been offered a contract extension by SMU but he has not signed it, and when asked about it earlier this week, Dykes responded, “We’re just getting some details kind of, you know, finalized. See where it goes.”

read more:  https://www.frogsowar.com/2021/11/19/22791156/tcu-coaching-search-update-do-the-frogs-have-their-man

[MeanGreenTexan]

Looking at those other names...   and they're choosing Dykes.

[SMU2006]

I've had told a few times today that Sonny is going to TCU.  Its starting to leak out now but will be official on Sunday/Monday.  Probably goes national during the Cincinnati game tomorrow.

[MeanGreenTexan]

2 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

I've had told a few times today that Sonny is going to TCU.  Its starting to leak out now but will be official on Sunday/Monday.  Probably goes national during the Cincinnati game tomorrow.

What awful timing.   
If true, it will no-doubt torpedo SMUs competitiveness in what I was expecting to be a very good game.

[SMU2006]

Yeah I'm not expecting a great result tomorrow.  Dykes hasn't handled this well.  Not that there's an easy way to do it but he's been extremely cagey in interviews about whether or not him not signing the 7 year $28m extension offered a few weeks back was causing a distraction.

Hate it for the kids but its a business.

[All About UNT]

1 minute ago, SMU2006 said:

I've had told a few times today that Sonny is going to TCU.  Its starting to leak out now but will be official on Sunday/Monday.  Probably goes national during the Cincinnati game tomorrow.

Is there a preference for his replacement among your fanbase?

[SMU2006]

4 minutes ago, All About UNT said:

Is there a preference for his replacement among your fanbase?

Not necessarily among the fan base.  I go back to when Sonny was hired and it was truly an out of nowhere kind of move.  He was an unpaid analyst on TCU's staff after getting canned from CAL.  Part of the rationale on his hiring is that he was still being paid a ton of money by CAL and was willing to take a little less up front and bet on himself that he could leverage more $$$ down the line.  

I've heard Bob Stoops is a name to keep an eye on.  Rick Hart (SMU AD) worked at OU and knows Stoops well.  I'd also keep an eye on Tom Herman for some of the same reasons cited on Dykes.  Still being paid an insane amount of money by Texas and would put together a killer staff.  He gave Ra'Shaad Samples his first coaching gig at Texas before being hired away by Sonny at SMU.  I've heard he's a bit of a rick with a p to deal with and that might rub some of the SMU folks the wrong way but if you can give me the UH version of Tom Herman I'm all for it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

8 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

Not necessarily among the fan base.  I go back to when Sonny was hired and it was truly an out of nowhere kind of move.  He was an unpaid analyst on TCU's staff after getting canned from CAL.  Part of the rationale on his hiring is that he was still being paid a ton of money by CAL and was willing to take a little less up front and bet on himself that he could leverage more $$$ down the line.  

I've heard Bob Stoops is a name to keep an eye on.  Rick Hart (SMU AD) worked at OU and knows Stoops well.  I'd also keep an eye on Tom Herman for some of the same reasons cited on Dykes.  Still being paid an insane amount of money by Texas and would put together a killer staff.  He gave Ra'Shaad Samples his first coaching gig at Texas before being hired away by Sonny at SMU.  I've heard he's a bit of a rick with a p to deal with and that might rub some of the SMU folks the wrong way but if you can give me the UH version of Tom Herman I'm all for it.

Odd, I would kinda think that might endear him to a lot of those folks?
 

[SMU2006]

10 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Odd, I would kinda think that might endear him to a lot of those folks?
 

Being a jerk to guys like Carl Sewell, David Miller, Gerald Ford, and Clark Hunt isn't going to get you very far.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Just now, SMU2006 said:

Being a jerk to guys like Carl Sewell, David Miller, Gerald Ford, and Clark Hunt isn't going to get you very far.

Busting your chops pal.   Usually type-A folks like that enjoy other type-A people's company... like Tom Herman.  I would think his abrasive personality will remind those guys of themselves.   Was Sonny a groveler to them?

[SMU2006]

4 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Busting your chops pal.   Usually type-A folks like that enjoy other type-A people's company... like Tom Herman.  I would think his abrasive personality will remind those guys of themselves.   Was Sonny a groveler to them?

Sonny was definitely a glad hander.  SMU gave him a shot at resurrecting his career as a HC when no one else would.  I think some of them probably feel a bit jilted right now and rightfully so.

Herman has a pretty notorious reputation for being an egomaniac and control freak.  It can work at places like UH where the microscope isn't on you every second of every day.  Can't work (and didn't) at Texas.  Maybe failure has taught him a bit about humility but I don't know if its enough.  Like I said if I get the UH version of Herman I think it could be a fantastic hire.  I just don't know if that guy still exists after the Texas flame out.

[Cr1028]

This would be a bad move for Sonny. SMU’s NIL program has been huge for him. Patterson was already complaining that Frog fans weren’t contributing enough to keep recruits.

[untjim1995]

2 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

This would be a bad move for Sonny. SMU’s NIL program has been huge for him. Patterson was already complaining that Frog fans weren’t contributing enough to keep recruits.

But at least for now, the Frogs are in the P5 and SMU isn't it, nor will be. The Big XII isn't going to take SMU. They'd get any number of bigger programs in other markets than invite SMU in, when they already have TCU and Baylor within 90 miles of Dallas.

[SMU2006]

1 minute ago, untjim1995 said:

But at least for now, the Frogs are in the P5 and SMU isn't it, nor will be. The Big XII isn't going to take SMU. They'd get any number of bigger programs in other markets than invite SMU in, when they already have TCU and Baylor within 90 miles of Dallas.

You're wrong on Big 12 expansion but I can see Sonny's reasons for taking TCU now.  Hard pill to swallow as an SMU fan but that's life in the G5.  

If we're truly committed to 3-4M a year for a HC and $100m plus football operations facility then we'll have plenty of quality candidates if the last two coaches at SMU both landed Power 5 gigs.

[Cr1028]

2 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

But at least for now, the Frogs are in the P5 and SMU isn't it, nor will be. The Big XII isn't going to take SMU. They'd get any number of bigger programs in other markets than invite SMU in, when they already have TCU and Baylor within 90 miles of Dallas.

Regardless, if Sonny gets this job, look for him on the unemployment line in 4-5 years. 

[untjim1995]

1 minute ago, Cr1028 said:

Regardless, if Sonny gets this job, look for him on the unemployment line in 4-5 years. 

Why?

[SMU2006]

Its leaking everywhere now.  lol.  I think Dykes has to say something tonight or tomorrow before the game.

New Scruggs just tweeted Dykes to TCU.  Someone (likely at TCU) is starting to leak it out.  I was told it wasn't going to really get out until after the game tomorrow but these things tend to take on a life of their own.

[UNTcrazy727]

9 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

You're wrong on Big 12 expansion but I can see Sonny's reasons for taking TCU now.  Hard pill to swallow as an SMU fan but that's life in the G5.  

If we're truly committed to 3-4M a year for a HC and $100m plus football operations facility then we'll have plenty of quality candidates if the last two coaches at SMU both landed Power 5 gigs.

You’ve been saying SMU to Big 12 since the AAC expansion, but I’m still struggling to understand how expanding with 2-4 more G5 programs is going to help the Big 12’s reputation or bottom line. 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

1 hour ago, SMU2006 said:

Yeah I'm not expecting a great result tomorrow.  Dykes hasn't handled this well.  Not that there's an easy way to do it but he's been extremely cagey in interviews about whether or not him not signing the 7 year $28m extension offered a few weeks back was causing a distraction.

Hate it for the kids but its a business.

Spot on. Dykes has barely denied anything, and has been saying some very suspicious comments on the job. 
I hate SMU and will always absolutely loathe that school, but I can’t help but feel a tiny bit of frustration. This is what kills the G5, and yeah most of the time it’s a stepping stone, but SMU has the right trajectory. 
 

It’s safe to say, this isn’t the best of years for SMU. Quite possibly the worst!!😉

[MeanGreenTexan]

12 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

But at least for now, the Frogs are in the P5 and SMU isn't it, nor will be. The Big XII isn't going to take SMU. They'd get any number of bigger programs in other markets than invite SMU in, when they already have TCU and Baylor within 90 miles of Dallas.

Yeah, not for very long.   The winds are blowing towards 4 16-team conferences. 
SEC has their 16. 
B1G lacks 2 (Kansas & IASt/Cincy?).
ACC lacks 1 (WVU/Cincy/UCF?).
PAC12 lacks 4 (SDSU, TXTech, OKSt, IASt/Houston?)

The Big12 will lose their "Power 5" standing, and become a preeminent G6.   
Ideally, by the time this happens, both SMU & UNT will be in a good position to join that league.

[Cr1028]

21 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Why?

Because he won’t get the same quality of transfer at TCU.

[untjim1995]

7 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Yeah, not for very long.   The winds are blowing towards 4 16-team conferences. 
SEC has their 16. 
B1G lacks 2 (Kansas & IASt/Cincy?).
ACC lacks 1 (WVU/Cincy/UCF?).
PAC12 lacks 4 (SDSU, TXTech, OKSt, IASt/Houston?)

The Big12 will lose their "Power 5" standing, and become a preeminent G6.   
Ideally, by the time this happens, both SMU & UNT will be in a good position to join that league.

I agree with you completely on the Big XII part. But I do think the Big XII has 4-5 years of remaining "power" level and TCU has an even better shot of winning that league now that OU is gone (notice I didn't even mention Texas...)

I think that Sonny knows that he will have a full backing from  Ft. Worth to get a good following if they win. He knows he can't get that in Dallas, as the city doesn't accept SMU anywhere near as FW does TCU, nor does SMU play the caliber of conference opponent that TCU does (even without Texas and OU).

Now, the downside to Sonny leaving is taking over for a legend. You never want to be the guy taking over for a legend, but the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the legend. When the previous coach has a statue outside the stadium, that's a lot of pressure. He'd never face anything like that on the Hilltop.

[SMU2006]

22 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Spot on. Dykes has barely denied anything, and has been saying some very suspicious comments on the job. 
I hate SMU and will always absolutely loathe that school, but I can’t help but feel a tiny bit of frustration. This is what kills the G5, and yeah most of the time it’s a stepping stone, but SMU has the right trajectory. 
 

It’s safe to say, this isn’t the best of years for SMU. Quite possibly the worst!!😉

I'll take a year with multiple weeks in the Top 25 and another shot at double digit wins every year.  

It stinks that we're losing Dykes to the Frogs but the blueprint is there for winning at SMU.  Go find the next guy that wants 3.5M to live in the Park Cities and inherit a Top 40 roster.

[MeanGreenTexan]

11 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

I'll take a year with multiple weeks in the Top 25 and another shot at double digit wins every year.  

It stinks that we're losing Dykes to the Frogs but the blueprint is there for winning at SMU.  Go find the next guy that wants 3.5M to live in the Park Cities and inherit a Top 40 roster.

Hmm.  We might know somebody!

[SMU2006]

1 minute ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Hmm.  We might know somebody!

"Thank you sir for your application.  Don't call us we'll call you."