MeanGreen61

You're right it isn't............The young man died in a tragic auto accident.

Where's the beef? Mean Green's shots are sizzling By TROY PHILLIPS Star-Telegram Staff Writer DENTON -- It was free burgers for everyone at North Texas again, but maybe something other than 3-pointers should trigger that fast-food giveaway. Say, maybe shooting 60 percent? UNT (11-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) made the required seven 3-pointers for the burger jackpot, but also shot 60 percent or better for the second time this season. UNT blew open a close game in the second half with a 91-79 victory over Denver (1-13, 0-4) at the Super Pit. UNT again lit it up from 3-point range and those free burger coupons were handed out for fourth time this season. But UNT also shot 70 percent in a half for the second time this season. Overall, UNT was 31-for-48 from inside the 3-point line, creating easy shots and fast-break chances. In the second half, the Mean Green made 14 shots in the lane and pushed a 54-51 lead to 86-66 in a little more than 10 minutes. Denver, which made 8 of its 14 3-pointers in the first half, led 48-45 at halftime. "The difference [in the second half] was our defense," UNT center Keith Wooden said. "We picked up the pressure, and the offense came. We want to be known as a defensive team first." Wooden and power forward Quincy Williams pummeled Denver inside. Williams had his third career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Wooden (20 points, 7 rebounds, four assists) had the jump-hook working and found several teammates cutting to the hoop. In the end, it was a matter of too many scorers for Denver to account for. In just his second game in a month after returning from hand surgery, guard Kendrick Davis scored 18 points. With so many options, UNT barely missed guard Calvin Watson (out with an ankle injury), its leading scorer while Davis was out. Sixth man Michael Sturns was instrumental in UNT's second-half surge. Twice he pushed UNT to double-digit leads, 69-58 on a steal and layup and 74-64 on a tip-in and subsequent free throw. Sturns, who led UNT with 22 points, maneuvered well in traffic and was one of five Mean Green players to score in double figures. "We did a tremendous job coming out in the second half," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "We're getting good post play, and the guards continue to play well. We lose a player, and someone keeps stepping in and playing well." The Pioneers, who shot 30 percent despite a game-high 27 points from DaShawn Walker, had trouble running their offense inside the 3-point line, going 12-for-50 inside the arc. NORTH TEXAS MEN 91, DENVER 79 In the know BREAKDOWN Why North Texas won: The Mean Green shot 70 percent in the second half and 62 percent for the game, blowing out Denver in the second half. Why Denver lost: The Pioneers couldn't make anything but 3-pointers or guard UNT's deep well of scorers. Notable UNT center Keith Wooden did not start but played 28 minutes. He was suspended for UNT's previous game against Belhaven for an undisclosed team violation. Saturday's UNT women's game at Western Kentucky was postponed. The Mean Green couldn't leave D/FW Airport on Friday, and the game will be rescheduled. Up next: UNT at Arkansas-Little Rock, 7:30 p.m., Thursday

Vito's job is to cover NT athletics for the DRC, not to financially support the program. A better question is HOW MUCH DO YOU DONATE & WILL YOU INCREASE YOUR CONTRIBUTION ?

Fan support key element to Dodge success 10:07 PM CST on Saturday, December 30, 2006 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Maybe it was the dozens of cheering fans that packed his introductory press conference. Or it could have been the North Texas faithful who stopped him the last few days to share a word of encouragement. It's probably a little of both and more that had Todd Dodge talking in such glowing terms about UNT and its fans last week after he took over as the Mean Green's new head football coach. "The reception has been unbelievable," Dodge said shortly after moving into his new office. "I don't care what you do in life and what profession you are in, it's good to feel wanted and welcomed." Dodge should expect nothing less from the UNT community. A large portion of Mean Green fans wanted a coaching change for the last two years, begged for it, sometimes screamed for it, by cutting back their support for the program and leaving seats at games empty. Those fans got what they wanted with the departure of Darrell Dickey and the arrival of Dodge. The onus is now on those UNT fans to step forward and follow through on the vows they made when the Mean Green was not living up to expectations the last two years after a run of four Sun Belt Conference titles under Dickey. How many times have the following statements been uttered the last few years by UNT fans? "I would come to more games, if North Texas hired a new coach." "I would give more, if North Texas ran an exciting offense." "I would be more enthusiastic about the program, if we had a coach who was more positive." Those "ifs" are all out of the way now with Dodge on board. Dodge has spoken about UNT becoming a team anyone in the Metroplex can support and about the potential the Mean Green possesses as a program. He will bring an exciting passing offense with him from Southlake Carroll. Dodge's enthusiasm and his offense are big parts of the puzzle that could make him a success at UNT, but there is more to the picture. If the Mean Green is to reach the potential Dodge believes it has, the UNT community is going to have to jump on board. Dodge should be able to bring recruits to home games next season with more than the 15,650 fans in the stands UNT averaged last year. He should be able to tell the best high school players in the Dallas area that Fouts Field is on its way out and will be replaced by a new stadium in the next few years. He should be able to point to a rapidly increasing donor base that gives the athletic department the ability to provide its new coaching staff more amenities, better salaries and a higher budget. A more giving fan base is how UNT can get to that point. "When people talk about having a new football stadium and more flexibility in scheduling, the Mean Green Club and tickets is how we get there," Hank Dickenson, UNT's deputy athletic director and a 12-year veteran of the department said shortly after Dodge was hired. There have already been several fans that have answered the call since Dodge arrived. Local businessman Curtis Clinesmith was among the boosters who pledged to increase the amount of money he is giving to the Mean Green Club, a fundraising wing of the athletic department, because of Dodge's arrival. "People will come back that would not have contributed with Dickey there," Clinesmith said. "I think the hiring will resonate through the donor community." UNT officials have said in the last few weeks that the number of people calling to inquire about buying season tickets and giving to the program is increasing. UNT should expect nothing less. The Mean Green faithful called for a coaching change -- and the hiring of Dodge in particular. Those fans got what they wanted. Now is the time for those fans to give Dodge what he needs to make the Mean Green a winner again. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Hmmmmmm. Aren't some of these post starting to get a little far out ? TD doesn't have a staff, no schedule as yet, no recruiting yet, don't even have spring practice scheduled or have a clue who will start & how quickly the team will adapt, but...............

Maybe some of you knowledgeable posters know. 1. Any of our players come from high schools that ran a spread offense similar to SLC's ? 2. Nathan Tune. What type of offense did Celina use ? Was it a spread ?

Padron to UNT ? http://texasprepxtra.rivals.com/showmsg.as...984&style=2

Football: Dodge has had hectic last two weeks New head coach thrilled with reception at UNT 12:22 AM CST on Saturday, December 30, 2006 By Brett Vito/Staff Writer New North Texas coach Todd Dodge couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed over the last couple of weeks. Dodge entered his introductory press conference at the Mean Green Athletic Center on Dec. 12 to the thundering cheers of several dozen fans that packed a room filled with reporters. He has appeared on seemingly every radio and television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since and has been widely acclaimed as the hire that will put the UNT athletic department over the top. And that doesn't even take into account capping his career as a high school coach at Southlake Carroll by winning the Class 5A Division I state championship on Dec. 23 in San Antonio. It's been a wild ride for sure, one filled with a few restless nights, tough decisions and ultimately a hectic series of days before Dodge finally settled into his office this week. Dodge described the last few weeks as a whirlwind, one that was easier to navigate because of the wave of support he has received at UNT. "The reception has been unbelievable," Dodge said. "I don't care what you do in life and what profession you are in, it's good to feel wanted and welcomed. That is the most important thing I can say about this staff, the alumni, the fan base and the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex — it has been a tremendous welcome." That welcome helped convince Dodge that his decision to come to UNT, one he spent a lot of time pondering, was the right one to make. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal first contacted Dodge about the job in mid-November. Dodge interviewed with Villarreal and then had a follow-up interview with Villarreal and university president Gretchen Bataille. UNT offered Dodge its head-coaching job on Dec. 10. "Two weeks ago, when I was offered the job, it wasn't a one-night deal," Dodge said. "I started discussing it with my family once coach Villarreal made contact with me. We talked about what we were going to do if the job was offered. … It was not a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants decision. It was well thought out and done in the best interest of our family." Dodge was introduced as UNT's new head coach two days later, when he said he still had some unfinished business at Carroll. The Dragons were in the middle of their playoff run when Villarreal introduced Dodge as UNT's new head coach. "When we talked to players who played for coach Dodge, they talked about not only growing as a player but as a person," Villarreal said. "The enthusiasm the players who were here with coach Dodge have is unbelievable." Dodge was an assistant coach at UNT from 1992-93 and decided to return because he believed he could make the Mean Green a winning program quickly. "I always make decisions based on my family, but as a coach you have to look yourself in the mirror and ask, 'Can we win?'" Dodge said. "My answer was 100 percent yes. I wouldn't go take a college job just to say I am a college coach. I had to go somewhere I can make a difference and be successful. I believe we can do that here." Dodge informed his players at Carroll he was leaving the program before his press conference at UNT and proceeded to lead the Dragons to a win over Allen in the state semifinals and a victory over Austin Westlake in the state finals. It was Dodge's fourth Class 5A state title in his tenure at Carroll. "The way that everything ended at Carroll sends me into this job with a better feeling," Dodge said. "We spent seven years there and left the program in better shape than when we got there." The days following Carroll's win in the state finals have been hectic for Dodge. "I got on the charter bus, got back home at 7 in the morning, slept until about noon and then went Christmas shopping," Dodge said. "My son and I went to Austin to spend Christmas with family. I didn't come back until 6 in the morning on Tuesday, got here and at about 10:30 started my new job." Dodge hasn't taken much of a break since while trying to hire a new staff and catch up in recruiting. It's been a frantic few weeks for Dodge, but he isn't about to take a break now. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. Print E-mail this article Forums

My long departed father-in-law was a District Manager for Bordens ('50's,60's,70's)

Dropout & beachcomer (retired corporate Sr. VP-Operations)

93-66

Coach Dodd may be a tad too busy to think about a basketball game tonite. I hope he's putting his staff together & evaluating a list of potential recruit. That comes first !

December 26, 2006 Davis to return Thursday The North Texas men's basketball team received some good news on Tuesday. Unfortunately for the Mean Green, it also got some bad news. Senior shooting guard Kendrick Davis will return Thursday for a game against Belhaven after recovering from a wrist injury that has kept him out since the first week of the season. UNT won't need Davis for a game against Belhaven, but the Mean Green will fare better in Sun Belt play after the first of the year now that he is back. Davis leads the team with an average of 18.7 points a game. The bad news is Keith Wooden won't start against Belhaven after violating team rules. UNT was already short a frontcourt player after sophomore forward Harold Stewart left the Mean Green's lineup to attend to some off-the-court issues. Wooden is expected to play against Belhaven. What do you think? Will Davis' return put the Mean Green over the top in the Sun Belt's West Division?

Analysis by Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY Southlake (Texas) Carroll claimed the top spot in USA TODAY's Super 25 final high school football rankings with its victory Saturday and its third consecutive state title. Southlake Carroll defeated Westlake (Austin) 43-29 in the Class 5A, Division I final. The school's strength and length of schedule in the state's highest classification jumped it ahead of No. 2 John Curtis, River Ridge, La. John Curtis finished its season Dec. 8 and is in the second-lowest division in Louisiana. Southlake, which played two more games than Curtis, would have had to have lost for Curtis to move to No. 1. It was the last game for Southlake coach Todd Dodge, who's becoming head coach at North Texas. Previous No. 1 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) was upset in the Division I CIF Championship Bowl final on Dec. 16. Ten teams appeared in all 15 rankings this season, including eight of the top 10. Hoover, Ala. (13-2), which started the season No. 1, dropped out. Complete poll: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/footb...006-super25.htm

http://meangreen.beloblog.com/ Dodge finishes in style on Saturday -- no big surprise there. The Dragons beat Austin Westlake for their fourth state title in the last five years. And now the Dodge era at UNT can really begin. Dodge will hire his staff in the next few days and begin recruiting. I would be interested to hear what the expectations are among the UNT faithful for the next few months. Is it realistic for Dodge to land three players ranked among the top 100 in the area? Could he land five? And what about state-ranked recruits? How Dodge forms his staff will also be interesting. Former UNT wide receiver Clayton George is on the way, and I would be willing to bet some Carroll assistants will also join the UNT staff. It will be intriguing to see if any current UNT assistants will be retained. Head coaches on the college level often keep an assistant or two from the old staff that knows the school and the players, which can help smooth the transition. It could also help to have someone who has been on the road recruiting the last few years. I can't imagine Dodge hiring a staff made entirely of current high school coaches. Feel free to weigh in. Who would you keep off of the current UNT staff and what are your expectations in recruiting?

http://meangreen.beloblog.com/ December 24, 2006 Is Riley a perfect fit for UNT? Since the announcement that Todd Dodge is taking over as North Texas' head coach earlier this month, there has been a lot of talk about how his son Riley, a junior at Southlake Carroll, will fit into the picture. Riley isn't the biggest quarterback out there, which will likely chase off some of the bigger programs when it comes to college recruiting. Count me among those who think the Riley is more than worth taking a chance on any way, especially after he led Carroll to a state title with a win over Austin Westlake on Saturday. UNT has had a few guys who were supposed to be too small or too slow to play on the college level. One was running back Patrick Cobbs, who is with the Miami Dolphins. Another was wide receiver Johnny Quinn, who has a chance to follow his old friend to the next level. UNT took plenty of chances on players who were overlooked by other programs despite being productive under its old coaching staff. In Riley Dodge's case, UNT would be well served to carry on that tradition next season. The only problem is there will likely be more than a few teams out there willing to take a similar risk on Riley. The guy can flat play. Something tells me playing for his father will be too much for Riley to pass up, though. And he could still wear a green jersey. Somehow I bet most UNT fans are also hoping Riley comes to UNT. What's your take?

It's Troy's second bowl game since being in the Sun Belt. They played NIU in the Silicon Valley Bowl in '04.

It takes $$$ and a committment by fans/backers to build a program and a NEW STADIUM.

"Dodge drive to the Dome" preceding the 7PM championship game

Nice, but am I the only one who sees the ball as being too round ? Looks kinda like a basketball with strips

Great news ! Thanks

DRC - Mean Green Blog December 18, 2006 UNT and recruiting The consensus among national recruiting experts and a few high school coaches I talked to last week was North Texas would receive a huge boost in recruiting when Todd Dodge takes over as the Mean Green's head coach in a few days. Dodge has a solid reputation in the area and a great relationship with several coaches in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dodge will get a late start in recruiting, but one factor that will make the process easier is UNT returning the majority of its players. Dodge will only have a handful of scholarships to give out, which will allow UNT's new staff to focus in on the team's needs. UNT must find a few wide receivers with the departure of Johnny Quinn and Joel Nwigwe, but could also use some help on its offensive and defensive lines. For a look at what Jeremy Crabtree of Rivals.com and a few other high school coaches had to say, see www.dentonrc.com. As for the blog, feel free to weigh in on what UNT's biggest need is this recruiting season.

UNT gains name brand with Dodge By TRAE THOMPSON STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER South Grand Prairie wide receiver Trae Johnson has drawn interest from nine colleges but has no offers. When he heard that Carroll High School coach Todd Dodge was named head coach at North Texas on Tuesday, it became a school to consider. "Now that he's there, yes, I would," said Johnson, a Star-Telegram Area 50 recruit who caught 34 passes for 729 yards and 11 touchdowns. "That offense is based around receivers, and, whew, that's big." The recruiting buzz has now begun for UNT, thanks to Dodge. His experience as a former University of Texas quarterback and UNT assistant, coupled with his three state titles and 97-11 record at Carroll, has created a brand name that should lure prospective recruits. "Todd's reputation of being a great quarterback and producing great quarterbacks will attract some quality skill kids," Denton Ryan coach Joey Florence said. "His rapport and network with high school coaches will be huge. His name recognition will be huge. He has a lot of things working for him. It's great for North Texas." Right now, receiver Bradley Haynes at Summit is the only player on the Star-Telegram's Area 50 list who has received interest from the Mean Green. Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com, said Dodge's effect on recruiting will be immediate, especially on offense. Dodge's no-huddle spread offense has made Carroll the area's top offense dating to 2002. This year, Carroll finished the regular season averaging 51 points and 555 yards per game. "If you're a recruit, and you play offense, you want to go somewhere where you can put points on the board," Crabtree said. The easiest pipeline for Dodge could come at Carroll. Curtis Hill's son Robert is a Dragons offensive lineman and co-captain who has drawn interest from seven colleges, including the Ivy League. North Texas expressed interest until then-coach Darrell Dickey was fired Nov. 8. Curtis said they would be happy if Dodge made a push for Robert, since a player-coach relationship already exists. "Todd Dodge is a high school football phenomenon in Texas," Curtis Hill said. "Tell me which high school football player would turn him down." Area high school coaches agreed that success will follow. "In [a recruit's] mind, you want to go to a place where there's a winner. I think he'll be real successful," Nolan Catholic coach Joe Prud'homme said. "I have a lot of respect for what he did [at Carroll]. He's the kind of coach you want your kids to play for." While Dodge may not be able to compete for the blue-chip athletes who are being recruited by Texas and Texas A&M, Crabtree predicted that Dodge could lure away recruits that would go to other Big 12 schools. "I think if they're able to compete with the lower-level Big 12, that's a good sign of success," Crabtree said. "It might not happen right now, but he could keep kids from schools like Kansas and Missouri that come in to recruit the Metroplex." ONLINE: meangreen.com IN THE KNOW Keys to success Five critical factors that could help North Texas as new coach Todd Dodge begins recruiting: 1. The reputation He is beloved by Dragons fans and parents, but several parents from other schools have praised Dodge for his character and the values he's instilled with the Dragons. 2. Relationships Former and current players for Dodge respect him like a father. Expect those bonds to continue. 3. The résumé No one can argue with Dodge's credentials. That will be enough for some recruits right there. 4. The spotlight Dodge is used to the media spotlight and won't have any problems promoting UNT when the opportunity arises. 5. Teaching time This won't be Southlake, where players grew up knowing the spread offense in middle school, but Dodge will need time to get the players who fit perfectly in it. Go grab 'em Sure, Carroll players will receive interest, but here are other notable recruits Dodge could snatch up: WR Marcus King, Trinity Not committed; the Star-Telegram Area 50 and State 100 player would be a huge steal. WR Dez Bryant, Lufkin Not committed; no easy task to get, but Dodge is friends with Panthers coach John Outlaw. LB Austin Harrington, Grapevine Not committed; Area 50 player whom Dodge has seen up close in District 5-5A. WR Jason Martinson, Birdville Not committed; Area 50, State 100 player also being recruited for baseball. WR Trae Johnson, SGP Not committed; TCU, Baylor, Kansas, Washington State have been among schools interested. QB Cal Farley, Keller Not committed; another District 5-5A player who put up big numbers in the spread offense. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------