Fran To Smu

[H-towngreen]

How interesting this would be.....

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/

[UNTflyer]

Speculation and rumor....

[Eagle1855]

Im not sure I understand why Fran would want/need Dickey. I don't mean this as a jab, but didn't USU have a fairly awful season and offensive this past year?

[MeanGreen61]

The very last sentence is the most interesting part of the article.

The schools won't play next season, but I'm told that a long-term home-and-home deal that would begin in 2009 is in the works. (referring to UNT & Smoo).

[NTPhiKap99]

This idea kinda scares me after what navy did to us on the ground are we sure we can stop the Dickey draw.

[medpilot21]

I guess the "I told you so" thing just doesnt quite cover it here. In all fairness, Francione loves the run offense, and DD has won four conference titles doing just that. When I posted this last week, some of you thought I was crazy... now I think we can agree that the only really crazy people wear the initials SMU. I got the info from a friend/player at SMU, and he said they would be very happy to get Coach Fran. They were'nt as enthusiastic about the posibility of Coach Dickey being the OC. How great would it be if this happened and we played them this year at Fouts? What could have been.....

The exact statement he made to me was this .."Coach Francione would bring credibility to our team and our school. He would also help us recruit against guys like Todd Dodge." Whethet you like Coach Dodge or not, you gotta LOVE that!!!!

GMG!!!

[Stan R]

That is GREAT news if true. Win or lose, a series with NT v SMU is great for both schools.

[trud1966]

Im not sure I understand why Fran would want/need Dickey. I don't mean this as a jab, but didn't USU have a fairly awful season and offensive this past year?

It's not a jab if it's a fact.

[NTPhiKap99]

Why wouldn't Fran want DD with that high powered offense and his great recruiting connections in the area?

Wait ignore that I just saw the problem with my question.

[BubbaGreen]

They can have Dickey

[NTPhiKap99]

They can have Dickey

I'm sure after this past year Utah State would let him go.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I still say if SMU can hire Fran, that is a great hire for them. Now for DD as the OC - not sure why he would want to do that.

[ShopMeanGreen]

OK, what am I missing. How are Fran and DD connected? That makes no sense to me at all, there must be some connection I don't know about.

[drex]

Franc n'dick are old buddies....they used to visit on the phone once a week when Franc was at TCU.

[SUMG]

OK, what am I missing. How are Fran and DD connected? That makes no sense to me at all, there must be some connection I don't know about.

I think Dickey's dad (Jim Dickey) gave Fran his start in college coaching (at Kansas State).

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

OK, what am I missing. How are Fran and DD connected? That makes no sense to me at all, there must be some connection I don't know about.

From an October 26, 2007 Topeka Capital Journal article about Franchione, Jim Dickey, Darrell's dad, is qouted extensively:

Jim Dickey, the former Kansas State head coach who brought Franchione from a championship-contending program at tiny Peabody High to a three-year tenure as a Division I assistant at Manhattan (1978-80), says the flap about the newsletter is much ado about nothing.

At the same time, Dickey knows it often takes very little spark to start a fire around a coach who isn't winning as much as his booster base wants.

"It was intended as a private newsletter to keep people informed on a day-to-day basis,'' said Dickey, now a resident of Houston who works with A&M as a liaison to NFL scouts.

"I stayed up with him almost all night after this came out, and it hit him hard,'' Dickey said. "He'd had newsletters like this everywhere he's been, but he never charged for it. But this surely wasn't about Dennis trying to make money. I promise you, he's not a money-hungry guy. He already put a lot of his own money into this new indoor practice facility, but no one talks about that.''

Dickey said Franchione also admits he didn't pay enough attention to what was going in the newsletter written by former Kansas City columnist and Sports Illustrated writer Mike McKenzie.

...

How long can Franchione survive at A&M? Even close friend Dickey can only guess.

"He might be in trouble. He might need to win two of these last four games and finishing 8-4 would be important,'' Dickey said. "I know we've had losses in which we didn't play well, but good Lord, who in college football today hasn't had those?

"But I think he'll survive. I don't say that because he's my boy, but he's an organizer and a good football man. I think a lot more Aggies like him than don't. But then, you always hear from the gripers.''

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

What Fran looked like when Dickey hired him to KSU. Nice pants. Classic mesh-back cap, too. Very 70s.

[ShopMeanGreen]

Thanks for the connection. Interesting how things are tied together.