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John L. Smith is an A-hole.

Here's an idea for Utah Universities....

STOP. HIRING. MERCENARIES.

Did anyone really expect this guy to stick around? Was he really in for the long haul?

Stop hiring these guys that only want to use you as prostitutes. Hire someone who is truly committed to the school.

Mendenhall, Whittingham, Rose, Anderson, and Merrill are guys that are truly committed to building something.

Meyer and Smith? Nah. Just using us as springboards for the promotion of their careers.

For the most part, I agree with you. However, I think Urban Meyer was the right hire for Utah even if it was a stepping stone job for him. Now that Utah is more established, it's certainly nice to have a "lifer" like Coach Whitt, but the program is better off to this day because of the 2 years Meyer spent there.
 
For the most part, I agree with you. However, I think Urban Meyer was the right hire for Utah even if it was a stepping stone job for him. Now that Utah is more established, it's certainly nice to have a "lifer" like Coach Whitt, but the program is better off to this day because of the 2 years Meyer spent there.

Absolutely agree.
 
Why do you view Smith as a mercenary hire? He's 60+ years old and didn't live up to expectations in his last two HC gigs. He was the special teams coach at Arkansas. Not exactly Urban Meyer in terms of job progression.

It's only ****ty in that he did it this late. The Cats should promote a coordinator to get through the upcoming season, or hire another old mercenary.

I wasn't comparing him exactly to Urban.

I do believe he was a mercenary hire. But more like Josh Howard was to the Jazz rather than Urban was to Utah.

He needed to use Weber St. to get back on his feet. Once he had a good season or two to get back on his feet, he was going to bail. I thought most Wildcat fans knew this.

Obviously, no one expected him to jump ship this fast.....

I think this speaks volumes about how classless the deep south and Arkansas. They ignore for years the horrible person they had as HC (you can't tell me that no one knew about his affairs until he had this motorcycle accident... Not to mention his other questionable things he has done). You'll never convince me that Cam Newton wasn't aware of what his good ol pop was doing. But in the fine Christian south, anything goes!

What an *** move by Arkansas. I hope this next season goes down in flames and Smith's contract is not renewed (wasn't he signed on for only10 months as an intern? Wow... His job is anything but secure). Hopefully Arkansas is caught with illegal recruiting or something and sees their program wiped out into oblivion by the NCAA.

Karma's a bitch
 
I wasn't comparing him exactly to Urban.

I do believe he was a mercenary hire. But more like Josh Howard was to the Jazz rather than Urban was to Utah.

He needed to use Weber St. to get back on his feet. Once he had a good season or two to get back on his feet, he was going to bail. I thought most Wildcat fans knew this.

Obviously, no one expected him to jump ship this fast.....

I think this speaks volumes about how classless the deep south and Arkansas. They ignore for years the horrible person they had as HC (you can't tell me that no one knew about his affairs until he had this motorcycle accident... Not to mention his other questionable things he has done). You'll never convince me that Cam Newton wasn't aware of what his good ol pop was doing. But in the fine Christian south, anything goes!

What an *** move by Arkansas. I hope this next season goes down in flames and Smith's contract is not renewed (wasn't he signed on for only10 months as an intern? Wow... His job is anything but secure). Hopefully Arkansas is caught with illegal recruiting or something and sees their program wiped out into oblivion by the NCAA.

Karma's a bitch

Word is Smith contacted Arkansas, not the other way around. I really harbor no ill will toward the program.
 
Meh, I don't blame him. That's kinda how it goes at Weber State or any small program. Not to mention maybe Johnny filters some of that money back to WSU.

Johnny comes out looking great either getting the job or looking good for the next job cuz Arkansas is stacked.
 
Word is Smith contacted Arkansas, not the other way around. I really harbor no ill will toward the program.

yeah, I already knew this.

The university wasn't forced to say, "yes." They fired one *** coach to hire another *** coach. Had I answered the phone in Arkansas I would have laughed and told Smith that he had a football team in Utah to prepare and to coach. At this stage, Ark should have either promoted from within or hired someone "unemployed" and "unproven" to give them a chance. What's to lose? They hired Smith on as an intern coach. Might as well should have hired someone classy and younger and given them a chance.
 
Meh, I don't blame him. That's kinda how it goes at Weber State or any small program. Not to mention maybe Johnny filters some of that money back to WSU.

Johnny comes out looking great either getting the job or looking good for the next job cuz Arkansas is stacked.

I can see your logic, but I still think it's a douche move for a few reasons:

-By all reports, Smith pretty much lobbied for the Arkansas gig. Not the sign of a decent person when he is in the midst of wrapping up year one of spring ball with WSU while quietly initiating his escape to greener pastures. I could almost forgive him if Arkansas came after him hard and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

-The fact that he was willing to leave for a mere "interim" tag at Arkansas. Maybe you're right. Since Arkansas is stacked, maybe it leads to a full time promotion for Smith or maybe he latches on to another BCS gig, but either way I still think it looks bad to bail on your new team for an interim gig.

-The fact that he spent the last few months singing the praises of Weber State and what can be accomplished at that program while all the while actively shopping his services elsewhere on the down low.

It's not a shock that he and Petrino have had a solid relationship over the years. Petrino bolting on the Atlanta Falcons mid season in order to take the Arkansas job seems very similar to what we are now seeing with Smith. I guess birds of a feather.....
 
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