John L. Smith fired?

[Pringle]

Michigan radio reports an afternoon press conference for a "an announcement concerning the football program."

 

[Bubbler]

Bring back Bobby Williams!

 

[SoSueMe]

God, what is wrong with that program. It seems no matter is at the helm it continues to sink.

 

[SixToedMonroe]

Firing now?

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but then again, letting your hiring leak at the halftime of a bowl your next coach is coaching doesn't either.

You stay classy, East Lansing.

 

[slappy4428]

Setting the stage a week before election day for Fat George to take control of the atheltic department through his position as regent...

 

[Ace]

Halftime of the IU game would have been a better time.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

From mlive.com and Steve Grinczel's blog. Grinczel covers MSU for Booth News Service, which has seven Michigan papers.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

JLS Press Conference at 1:30
EAST LANSING -- Michigan State has called a press conference regarding the football program for 1:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium. It will be attended by president Lou Anna K. Simon, athletic director Ron Mason and board of trustee chairman David Porteous.

It will mark an end to the four-year John L. Smith head-coaching era, according to my sources. Details on whether it will be a firing or a negotiated resignation are not readily available.

Regardless, "it's not good (for Smith)," is how one source close to the situation termed things.

Unsubstantiated rumors are that defensive coordinator Chris Smeland will finish out the season as interim head coach, which is interesting since offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin had previous collegiated head-coaching experience at San Jose State.

The timing of this move is also peculiar since Smith feasibly could still have righted the ship with four straight wins, including a bowl game, not a gross impossibility.

This is speculation, but it would not be surprising is Smith was simply worn down by the constant negativity that was building against the program, and given his wife's delicate condition, just figured he has had enough.

This also gets word out to prospective replacements as soon as possible.

More details as they become available.

 

[Ledbetter]

Did UNC set this in motion by canning Bunting? Since the Heels have started their search, does that force other schools to go ahead and get rid of someone so they have a shot at the same top people Carolina is after?

 

[ondeadline]

Will John L. Smith hold a separate presser in which he slaps himself in the face again?

 

[Pringle]

Did UNC set this in motion by canning Bunting? Since the Heels have started their search, does that force other schools to go ahead and get rid of someone so they have a shot at the same top people Carolina is after?

Actually, Florida set it in motion when it fired Ron Zook a few years ago midseason, thereby undercutting everyone in the Urban Meyer Derby. Pete Thamel wrote about that recently, and I'm sure Michigan State took notice when North Carolina fired Bunting.

Though I don't think UNC will pursue Steve Mariucci and I don't think MSU will be after Paul Johnson.

 

[Freelance Hack]

Will John L. Smith hold a separate presser in which he slaps himself in the face again?

Just make sure you set your cell phones to vibrate for John L.'s presser.

 

[KJIM]

Booth News Service, which has seven Michigan papers.

Eight. You forgot Bay City.

 

[Idaho]

JLS will take a year off, do some TV work and then resurface for a few years to do a reclamation project at a small school such as his alma mater Weber State.

/my wild guess theory from the first week of the season

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Booth News Service, which has seven Michigan papers.

Eight. You forgot Bay City.

Nah, I remembered Bay City. It was Muskegon I missed.

 

[Freelance Hack]

JLS will take a year off, do some TV work and then resurface for a few years to do a reclamation project at a small school such as his alma mater Weber State.

/my wild guess theory from the first week of the season

Only after he decides to do something manly, like kill a bear with his bare hands.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Mooch would be the perfect hire for MSU.

 

[Idaho]

JLS will take a year off, do some TV work and then resurface for a few years to do a reclamation project at a small school such as his alma mater Weber State.

/my wild guess theory from the first week of the season

Only after he decides to do something manly, like kill a bear with his bare hands.

We did that together this summer in Park City. Then we went mountain biking.

BTW, the L stands for Lucifer.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

From CollegeFootballTalk.com's rumor mill: It's about five or six items down.

http://www.collegefootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

Revolt About To Happen At Michigan State?

Word out of MSU is that the players want backup QB Brian Hoyer to be the new starting QB -- and Coach John L. Smith still wants starter Drew Stanton running the first team.

Stanton was yanked in the fourth quarter Saturday in Michigan State's loss to Indiana -- and Hoyer came in and directed two scoring drives.

We hear that the team's morale is really bad ... and most players figure that Smith is gone after '06 anyway. The end result: they have started playing for themselves ... and in the process are giving the ass to Smith and the rest of his staff.

 

[Chef]

Mooch would be the perfect hire for MSU.

dead on.

 

[BigRed]

From mlive.com and Steve Grinczel's blog. Grinczel covers MSU for Booth News Service, which has seven Michigan papers.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

JLS Press Conference at 1:30
EAST LANSING -- Michigan State has called a press conference regarding the football program for 1:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium. It will be attended by president Lou Anna K. Simon, athletic director Ron Mason and board of trustee chairman David Porteous.

It will mark an end to the four-year John L. Smith head-coaching era, according to my sources. Details on whether it will be a firing or a negotiated resignation are not readily available.

Regardless, "it's not good (for Smith)," is how one source close to the situation termed things.

Unsubstantiated rumors are that defensive coordinator Chris Smeland will finish out the season as interim head coach, which is interesting since offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin had previous collegiated head-coaching experience at San Jose State.

The timing of this move is also peculiar since Smith feasibly could still have righted the ship with four straight wins, including a bowl game, not a gross impossibility.

This is speculation, but it would not be surprising is Smith was simply worn down by the constant negativity that was building against the program, and given his wife's delicate condition, just figured he has had enough.

This also gets word out to prospective replacements as soon as possible.

More details as they become available.

"Wife's delicate condition".... has she been/is she sick?