Smu's Next Coach

[SUMG]

According to Green Grenade II, who has some good sources at SMU......Dennis Franchione will be named the Mustangs' head coach next week. DF just stepped down at A & M, according to ESPN.

I think if this ends up happening, that it's a good hire for The Ponies.

[MeanGreenEagle]

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/11773351.html

[NT80]

......Dennis Franchione will be named the Mustangs' head coach next week.

That will be the end of his head coaching career. BTW, I heard NT alum and UT asst Bruce Chambers was on their long list.

[Quoner]

Fran's already visited SMU twice. Just a formality....

[NT03]

How can this guy honestly go into a recruit's home and say I'm 100% committed to this university and building a winning program here at SMu ???

He bolted TCU & Bama without ever even telling the players , now it looks like he has quit on his Aggie team and will not even coach in the bowl game.

Im glad he's SMu's next coach , more reason to disslike the university

Say he does have a winning season next year , do you really expect him to stick around long ??

[PlummMeanGreen]

How can this guy honestly go into a recruit's home and say I'm 100% committed to this university and building a winning program here at SMu ???

He bolted TCU & Bama without ever even telling the players , now it looks like he has quit on his Aggie team and will not even coach in the bowl game.

Im glad he's SMu's next coach , more reason to disslike the university

Say he does have a winning season next year , do you really expect him to stick around long ??

TAMU probably gave Coach Fran the choice to resign or get fired--just a guess.

'Twould be a good hire for SMU if this happens.

[NT91]

I think Coach Fran is a sorry individual, and should be at the 1-AA level.

He has no morels and is a creep!!!

[EagleMBA]

The SMUt job is an elephants' graveyard. I'm sure Fran has enough put away that he can retire when it doesn't work out.

[NT03]

TAMU probably gave Coach Fran the choice to resign or get fired--just a guess.

'Twould be a good hire for SMU if this happens.

It was a buyout agreement on both sides. I can't blame him for taking the money and leaving , but I guess If I were in his shoes , I would feel an obligation to my players to coach in the bowl game.

[NT91]

What are they saying on the poney forum?

[SUMG]

I just received an e-mail from one of the DMNews writers. He told me that he's at Texas Stadium, and that there were "rumblings" in the press box, about Fran going to SMU.

Sounding more and more like a real possibility.

[DeepGreen]

TAMU probably gave Coach Fran the choice to resign or get fired--just a guess.

Exactly how I believe it went down.

[the green rokemi]

I think Coach Fran is a sorry individual, and should be at the 1-AA level.

He has no morels and is a creep!!!

Your being nice, Fran is the devil of college football. Hold the rope = sell your soul

[Mean Green 93-98]

What are they saying on the poney forum?

They're pretty hyped about Fran over there, especially after the UT win.

But I especially appreciate the insightful words of this pony realist:

He aint coming to the hilltop to ruin his career. We better look at a JUCO HC with a winning record in Texas. That is our best bet. We have screwed this thing up long enough.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

If true, this is a HUGE hire for SMU.

[greenminer]

If true, this is a HUGE hire for SMU.

And quite possibly a fantastic hire for the continuation of our series.

[Green Crazy]

This could be good for NT recruiting. Not that we need more receivers, but Fran will bring his running based offense to SMU and I would think some of their receivers might jump ship.

[DallasGreen]

And quite possibly a fantastic hire for the continuation of our series.

Since we could not beat them in one of their worst seasons under a lame duck coach whose only win is against NT just why would we want to continue such a series? I hope we run from this series if Fran is there because the $$$$ will roll and Pony Express is reincarnated. We can never match SMU's payroll ----coaches or players. What we need are series with SFA and Texas State @ San Marcus since the SBC has now grown out of our league.

[ADLER]

Since we could not beat them in one of their worst seasons under a lame duck coach whose only win is against NT just why would we want to continue such a series? I hope we run from this series if Fran is there because the $$$$ will roll and Pony Express is reincarnated. We can never match SMU's payroll ----coaches or players. What we need are series with SFA and Texas State @ San Marcus since the SBC has now grown out of our league.

Please put down the hemlock.

This was a total rebuilding year in every aspect. The team will be much better in coming years.

[dodgefan]

Anyone that thinks that SMU isn't about to load their wagons, and do what needs to be done to get rolling again, is fooling themselves. Without green tinted glasses, look at what their resources are, not to mention their football history. We tend to rationalize they won big in the 80's ONLY because they cheated, if you don't realize that almost EVERY team in the SWC was put on probation in the 80's, you must be a naive, or too young to remember......that's the way it was done then. With that said, I still hope we keep playing SMU, it seems to mean alot to our fans, and it's good to get excited, whatever the reason may be.

[good_ken]

Since we could not beat them in one of their worst seasons under a lame duck coach whose only win is against NT just why would we want to continue such a series? I hope we run from this series if Fran is there because the $$$$ will roll and Pony Express is reincarnated. We can never match SMU's payroll ----coaches or players. What we need are series with SFA and Texas State @ San Marcus since the SBC has now grown out of our league.

To play a team coached by a knuckle headed coach whose teams traditionally don't show up on gameday? yeah, I'll take that series. Fran is a great recruiter, and without Gary Patterson and LT, nothing more.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

Anyone that thinks that SMU isn't about to load their wagons, and do what needs to be done to get rolling again, is fooling themselves. Without green tinted glasses, look at what their resources are, not to mention their football history. We tend to rationalize they won big in the 80's ONLY because they cheated, if you don't realize that almost EVERY team in the SWC was put on probation in the 80's, you must be a naive, or too young to remember......that's the way it was done then. With that said, I still hope we keep playing SMU, it seems to mean alot to our fans, and it's good to get excited, whatever the reason may be.

If they have so much money and will do everything it takes to become a winner again, why have they waited 20 years to do so? SMU was a below average football team for the majority of their time in the SWC. The only time they were more was with Doak Walker and then the Pony Express.

The problem SMU has, is the same problem a lot of schools similar to them have, Name me another private church school that competes year in and year out other then Notre Dame? TCU? Baylor? BYU? etc... The best SMU can hope for IMO is TCU, witch isnt bad, but I just dont see it happing until they (meaning their alumni and fan base) realize the glory years of the SWC are over and they get to reality and except the fact that they are just a has been mid-major with a long road ahead of them to get back to being well-thought of again.

[dodgefan]

TCU? are you kidding me? NT or SMU would love to be like them! What is it, something like 7 bowls out of the last 8 years, with several top 25 rankings. Wake up junior.

[MeanMag]

Since we could not beat them in one of their worst seasons under a lame duck coach whose only win is against NT just why would we want to continue such a series? I hope we run from this series if Fran is there because the $$$$ will roll and Pony Express is reincarnated. We can never match SMU's payroll ----coaches or players. What we need are series with SFA and Texas State @ San Marcus since the SBC has now grown out of our league.

We lost to every team but one so far this year. Using your rationalization we should just give up football. Don't play if you can't win. That's a good thing to tell your kids.

[gangrene]

What are they saying on the poney forum?

There seems to be a fair amount of posters that want and think they can steal Todge and Rodge away from us. There's a five-page thread about the possibility of hiring Todge (looks like about half want it and half don't).