SMU Fans Should Hope Internet Stalkers Finally Right for Once

Slip-up by Liberty coach has college football crazies thinking one school with Lashlee on its list may being going different direction

DALLAS – It would be great news for SMU football fans if the crazies who crawl the internet tracking planes and stalking coaches in every way short of slipping an Apple Air Tag into their pockets are actually right for once.

Monday night, the internet, especially in Virginia and Mississippi, started buzzing about a post put out by Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell. While it raises speculation regardless, based on the first several reactions to the tweet, Chadwell, who made his name as the coach who made the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers a household name, apparently had his location settings turned on and it showed Starkville, Mississippi.

Programming note! The @LibertyFootball show with @CoachChadwell presented by @FreedomFirstCU will be Wednesday this week 7-8p at @MellowMushroom. pic.twitter.com/WH4WPYL4et

— Liberty Flames Sports Network from Van Wagner🎙📻 (@LFSNRadio) November 13, 2023

Now, it's not hard to do the math here. Chadwell is on a short list of hot names that includes SMU football coach Rhett Lashlee for a few jobs out there, including Mississippi State, which most college football fans know is in Starkville. Both also part of a wish list for a segment of the Arkansas fan base should that job come open in the next few weeks.

Chadwell going to Mississippi State would be welcome news for Mustangs fans because it takes a school off the board in pursuit of a coach they hope will soon bring SMU its first conference championship in 40 years. Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely this means Chadwell will be the next coach at Mississippi State. Instead, his location showing Starkville makes it less likely.

It appears some people think this works like trying to get a job down at JD's Chippery where you have to show up in person and do an interview. Anyone who follows football coaching searches knows the first time a coach actually steps foot in the town where he's hired is usually within hours at most of being announced.

All that garbage you see online from the wife of your best friend Jeff's cousin who handles real estate sales in Austin and has a friend who was showing Nick Saban homes on off of FM 2222 is exactly that. Total garbage. Coaches aren't parading around a town where they might get a job one day.

If Chadwell were to actually interview for the job, he'd rent a mom-mobile and make a big deal about driving around West Alabama filling it up with elite recruits to haul back to Liberty. Then he'd make a showing with a photo or two outside of area high schools before high-tailing it to some Mississippi State booster's house to meet discreetly with Zac Selmon, and then, say he'll think about it before checking into a hotel room with an adjoining room where he meets with a representative of another university. Mustang fans just have to hope both schools in that scenario are among a handful drooling over Lashlee.

The most likely explanation is Chadwell was using one of his recruiting days to see if he can scoop up a couple of guys out of the inexplicably deep well of talent that seems to develop over in Mississippi. Did he possibly go out of his way to drive by the stadium and see how the facilities are looking?

If he was, indeed, in Starkville, then that wouldn't be the worst idea in the world considering there is some level of interest from people tied to the Bulldogs. However, the odds he walked around that small of a town in the midst of a coaching search and met with school officials without word or photos getting out that it took place is not only borderline impossible these days, it would be considered malpractice on the part of both Selmon and Chadwell.

Odds would be greater he's meeting with a different team, if anyone at all, while in Starkville. The momentary location slip-up would be great cover if that were the case. However, that's a level of thought and brilliance that is rare when it comes to coaching searches that would require its own documentary if something like that ever went down.

So, if there are SMU fans hoping Chadwell ends up at Mississippi State, there's still technically a chance. It just doesn't seem as likely if things played out as the evidence indicates. And even so, the depth of interest in making a run at Lashlee by multiple schools appears to be growing with each win.

PONY EXPRESS:

SMU WILL NEED TO STEP UP THIS HIRING SEASON, FEND OFF POTENTIAL SUITORS FOR LASHLEE

MUSTANGS' BASKETBALL TEAM THAT HASN'T LOST TOGETHER IN EIGHT TRIES WILL FACE ITS MEASURING STICK TUESDAY AGAINST NO. 13 TEXAS A&M

NAILING KEYS ALLOWS SMU TO AVOID SIGNATURE UNT SECOND HALF COMEBACK, KEEPS AAC TITLE HOPES ALIVE

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