MeanGreen61

Where has he applied? Who has he been repeatedly rejected by?

Nick Mosser / Aerie Yearbook NT President Norval Pohl waves to the crowds of students and Denton residents gathered on Hickory Street as his car travels East. NT DAILY ARTICLE http://www.ntdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART...2/4382b49c26284

Football: UNT’s Dickey last of original seven MTSU’s McCollum sacked, Mean Green’s field boss only SBC football coach leading same team 08:22 AM CST on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey officially became the last of a dying breed on Monday. Dickey was one of the original seven head coaches in the Sun Belt when the league was formed back in 2001. He is now the last one still in his original post after Middle Tennessee fired Andy McCollum with two years left on his contract. “I have great respect for Andy as a person and football coach,” Dickey said on Monday during the league’s weekly press call. “I was sorry to see that things didn’t work out.” UNT and MTSU developed one of the Sun Belt’s top rivalries during McCollum’s tenure, one the Mean Green dominated. UNT won all five games in the series, including a pair of victories that proved costly for McCollum. The Mean Green beat MTSU 30-20 in the 2001 season and went on to finish in a tie with the Blue Raiders for the Sun Belt title. UNT advanced to the New Orleans Bowl by virtue of its win over MTSU. The Mean Green also edged MTSU in both teams’ conference opener this year. The loss sent the Blue Raiders on a slide that has them sitting at 3-6 heading into the last two games of the season. McCollum will stay on to coach the Blue Raiders the remainder of the year. “Right now my only focus is on these last two games and our players,” McCollum said in a statement released by MTSU. “I will not comment on this situation until the season is complete. All of my energy and this staff’s energy will be spent trying to win these last two games.” Several of the league’s coaches expressed their admiration for McCollum. Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters echoed those sentiments. “I am very fond of Andy as a lot of people are,” Waters said. “I have a lot of respect for his professional abilities. He had a tough road at Middle. He was hired by one athletic director and has been through three ADs. That would have been tough under ideal circumstances. Andy’s legacy at Middle Tennessee will be fine. He guided them from I-AA to Division I.” MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro said in a statement that the school will begin a search for a new coach immediately. “Middle Tennessee has the right situation,” Waters said. “They can go out now and look for the person who can take them the next step.” Dickey and the Mean Green helped prevent the Blue Raiders from taking that step, leaving UNT as the last team in the league with its original coach. “We are all in tough jobs and are fighting to keep our heads above water,” Dickey said. “I just hope to keep mine above water.” Dickey: Pegram interested in UNT opening Former UNT running back Erric Pegram has expressed interest in the Mean Green’s opening for a running backs coach, head coach Darrell Dickey said Monday. Pegram led UNT in rushing in the 1989 and 1990 seasons and ranks 14th on the Mean Green’s career rushing leaders list with 1,613 yards. He went on to play in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. Current UNT running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Bruce Bell is retiring after national signing day in February. “He would be a good candidate, but we are going to research a lot of things,” Dickey said. Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas won national rushing titles under Bell’s direction in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, respectively. UNT to make decision on QB this week UNT will make a decision on whether to start Matt Phillips or Daniel Meager at quarterback during practice this week, head coach Darrell Dickey said Monday. Meager has started each of the Mean Green’s games, but has given way to Phillips the last two weeks. Phillips threw for 217 yards last week in a loss to Louisiana-Monroe, the top total for a freshman quarterback during Dickey’s tenure. Phillips also threw for 138 yards in the fourth quarter of a loss to Florida Atlantic two weeks ago. Meager has led UNT to its only two wins this season and leads the team with 789 passing yards. SBC to have bowl eligible team After a few nervous weeks of waiting, the Sun Belt Conference entered the final week of the regular season assured of having at least one bowl eligible team. Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette are all 5-5 on the year. ULM is 5-1 in league play, while ASU and ULL are both 4-2. ULM can secure the league title and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl with a win against ULL on Saturday. ASU would clinch the bowl bid with a win over UNT and a ULM loss, while ULL needs a win over ULM and a UNT win over ASU. No matter how the scenario plays out, the Sun Belt will have a six-win team that is bowl eligible. “It was critical that we not have to go back to the NCAA to ask for an exception,” Waters said. “The rules have sometimes changed on us as we have gone through it and we have had to ask for an exemption. We are a member of Division I-A and need to play by the same rulebook.”

UNC-Wilmington -12.5 v North Texas Tennessee -9 v UL-Lafayette Purdue -9.5 v South Alabama New Orleans -1 v Tulane Side note: Muts beat Utah State 60-59(Monday). USU had votes in both polls. 1 in AP, 2 in Coaches. Good Win !

YTD Sun Belt home attendance averages: 20,030 Troy 18.635 North Texas 17,591 ULL 15,475 Arkansas State 14,778 FIU 14,525 Muts 14,395 ULM 11,476 FAU

Middle Tennessee fires McCollum By Adam Sparks DNJ staff writer MTSU head football coach Andy McCollum has been fired from the position effective immediately, the Daily News Journal has learned. He was notified of the coaching change by MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro today. The Blue Raiders, who lost 24-3 at North Carolina State Saturday, have two games remaining on their schedule. According to sources close to the program, McCollum was given the option by Massaro to coach the final two games of the season and accepted. MTSU plays at Troy Saturday before closing the season at Florida International on Dec. 3. McCollum, who is amid a fourth straight losing season in his seven-year tenure, is set to meet with the MTSU football team tonight to address his firing. Massaro declined comment pending an official statement from the athletic department Monday. McCollum, who has one year remaining on his contract, has an overall record of 33-44. After MTSU jumped to Division I-A in 1999, McCollum had back-to-back winning seasons in 2000 (6-5) and 2001 (8-3), claiming a share of the Sun Belt championship in the latter year. Each winning season also earned him the TSWA Coach of the Year award. However, the Blue Raiders went 16-28 over the last four seasons, including a 12-14 conference mark. MTSU is 3-6 this season and 2-3 in the Sun Belt. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders have lost four straight home openers in front of large crowds, leading to a slump in home attendance. McCollum was hired as MTSU’s 13th head football coach on Dec. 8, 1998. He was an assistant at MTSU from 1982-88 under former head coach and athletic director Boots Donnelly. He also was an assistant at UTEP (1989-93), Baylor (1989-93) and Tennessee (1995, seven weeks).

Chuck Cox: Mean Green face irony of losing Sun Belt title to Indians 08:43 AM CST on Sunday, November 20, 2005 As Louisiana-Monroe assured itself of becoming at least one of the only Sun Belt Conference champions other than North Texas by beating the Mean Green, 24-19, the irony of UNT’s lost season hung like a cloud over Fouts Field. Once proud owners of a 26-game conference winning streak that fell by the wayside earlier this season, UNT remained winless at home and dropped to 2-8 overall and 2-4 in the SBC on Saturday after winning every conference title since the conference’s inception in 2001. It was a fact the Indians had to have reminded the Mean Green of, considering ULM was the last team to beat UNT before its conference domination began four years ago. ULM clinched a share of the conference title with the win, but the Indians have not yet clinched a berth in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. The Indians face Louisiana-Lafayette next week. For UNT, the season will come to an end next Saturday when Arkansas State, which is also still in the hunt for a share of the SBC championship, comes to town. The crazy thing is this was the year the Mean Green finally received all kinds of national attention and adulation, primarily because of the return of Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, the last two NCAA national rushing champions. The duo made appearances in ESPN The Magazine and on the cover of USA Today, among other publications, giving head coach Darrell Dickey and the program some valuable publicity and some serious build-up to the season. This was supposed to be the year the Mean Green were going to have perhaps the most dangerous backfield in the country and make it five straight SBC titles while running wild over their conference foes. But a nagging hamstring injury to Thomas and an offense that has struggled mightily to put points on the board all season has helped bring the Mean Green’s conference dynasty to a screeching halt. Perhaps even more ironic is the fact Kansas State coach Bill Snyder recently announced his retirement. Dickey, who led the Wildcats to the first bowl appearance in school history as their starting quarterback in 1982, would probably love to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim, a former K-State head coach. Had Snyder decided to retire last season, there’s little doubt Dickey would have been a prime candidate to land the job with his team collecting conference titles on a yearly basis. That’s not to say Dickey won’t be considered to take over for Snyder now, but it would have seemingly been a lot more likely to happen last year, or even the year before. If Dickey doesn’t get the job, maybe that will be something good to come out of an otherwise forgettable season. If Dickey stays at UNT, he will get the program back on its feet. Despite the grumblings from a small group of Mean Green fans who think the program would be better off with a new coach, nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s amazing how quickly people forget. After three tough seasons to begin his tenure at UNT, Dickey turned the program around and led it to its first bowl game since 1948. What he has accomplished as head coach of the Mean Green is nothing short of amazing. This coming offseason will be perhaps the most intriguing ever for UNT, just one year after an offseason in which the hype and national spotlight were blinding. And even though things didn’t turn out the way UNT would have like them to, you can bet they won’t soon forget this season. Even if it’s not for the reasons they had hoped for.

Hmmmmmm. Not really a lot at stake 1. Last game of the season. 2. 4-6 record. Losing season, even with win. 3. Give younger players game time? Looks good, but not a lot of true impact.

Troy suspends seven players Associated Press TROY, Ala. - Troy coach Larry Blakeney suspended seven players Tuesday for the season finale Nov. 26 against Middle Tennessee for violation of team rules, including freshman quarterback Julian Foster. The other players suspended were receivers Darius Williams and James Early Cray, tight end Rob Austin, placekicker Greg Whibbs, tight end Ben Ramsey and punter Jason Wright. FULL ARTICLEhttp://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/13175427.htm TROY BOARD THREAD http://www.gotroytrojans.com/forum/viewtop...der=asc&start=0

North Texas … The offense ran much better with Matt Phillips at quarterback, who stepped in against Florida Atlantic for an injured Daniel Meager, while Patrick Cobbs had another great rushing day. The defense was way too soft against the Owl running game, and it couldn't come up with a big stop on FAU's final field goal drive. This officially signaled the end of UNT's hopes for a winning season; how it can only play the spoiler role against UL Monroe and Arkansas State. … SUN BELT ROUNDUP http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sun_belt/Sun%20Belt.htm

Howell had the Big West rated ahead of the MAC in '98 & '99. Big West Conference teams season W/L totals (per Howell) 96 - 29W 39L 97 - 26W 41L 98- 30W 37L 99- 36W 43L 00- 27W 40L 96 Big West had 3 bowl eligible teams. Nevada won Las Vegas Bowl over Ball State 98 Big West had 3 bowl eligible teams. Idaho beat S. Miss in H. Bowl 99 Big West had 3 bowl eligible teams. Boise beat Louisville in the H. Bowl 1 bowl eligible team in '97 (USU lost to Cincy in the H Bowl) 1 bowl eligible team in 2000 (Boise beat UTEP in the H Bowl) As Rob says, the Big West was better across the board than the Sun Belt.

We'd be in C-USA running the draw on 3rd and long

Buffalo Bulls message board thread. New Coach http://www.ubfan.com/install/ftopict-3142.html

Flanigan NOT mentioned here. The list of potential candidates includes Charlie Strong, assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Florida, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Rick Minter, Miami (Fla.) defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, TCU defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas, Michigan associate head coach Fred Jackson, South Florida offensive coordinator Rod Smith and Connecticut offensive coordinator Norries Wilson. Others who could surface include Erie Community College coach Dennis Greene, Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis and Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar. Manuel didn't give a timetable on the new hire but mid-December is a likely target. FULL ARTICLE http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20051109/1064352.asp

Buffalo AD can't afford a mistake in selecting new football coach. Doubtless Manuel has replacements in mind, as hopefully would any AD who hails from the football factory that is the University of Michigan. Fred Jackson, the Wolverines' associate head coach and running backs coach, is a logical candidate if he aspires to his own program. So is offensive line coach Andy Moeller, son of former Michigan coach Gary Moeller. That'll be another sales job for Manuel, convincing someone of repute that UB truly plans to get serious about establishing football. What's clear is that Manuel hasn't the luxury of a misstep. This hiring had best produce results, must move the program substantially forward, because without football UB is unwelcome in the MAC, and without results there's no justification in the financial fuel it'll burn. ARTICLE http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20051109/1051055.asp

Buffalo News article on coaches ouster. UB dismisses Hofher Coach of winless football team will leave at end of current season By RODNEY MCKISSIC News Sports Reporter 11/8/2005 Jim Hofher, whose University at Buffalo football team is one of four winless teams in the nation this season, was fired Monday after five consecutive losing seasons. UB has scheduled a news conference for this morning to officially announce the firing. Hofher had a season remaining on his contract, which pays him $149,000 annually in salary and compensation. FULL ARTICLE http://www.ubfan.com/install/ftopict-3096.html

Football: Dickey, UNT face uncharted territory 08:47 AM CST on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer When North Texas walked back onto the practice field Monday, Darrell Dickey faced a new and unwelcome scenario. UNT won at least a share of the last four Sun Belt Conference titles under Dickey, but was officially eliminated from the league title race after a loss to Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Dickey now has two games left to try and develop young players while also allowing a few key seniors a chance to end their careers on a positive note. “We have some young guys who have really come on and look like can be good players in the future, but we have some seniors who have accomplished great things in their careers,” Dickey said. “We think it’s important for them to finish on as positive a note as possible.” Senior running back Patrick Cobbs extends his UNT career rushing record practically every time he touches the ball. Defensive back Ja’Mel Branch has been a solid player for four years and helped the Mean Green post a 26-game winning streak in Sun Belt play. That steak ranked among the nation’s longest in conference play until Troy ended UNT’s run by winning a game at Fouts Field earlier this year. The Mean Green haven’t won a game in front of their home fans this season and felt like they still had something to play for after their loss to FAU. “I am not giving up,” UNT linebacker Phillip Graves. “We still have two games left. They are home games, and we have to show our fans that we are still a good Division I football team.” The question is whether UNT can reach that goal while preparing for the future. The Mean Green are already playing a host of young players, including quarterback Daniel Meager and safety Steve Warren. Both Meager and Warren have started multiple games in their freshman seasons. There are several other freshmen on UNT’s roster who have burned redshirt years, but have not played a significant number of plays Defensive end/tight end Eddrick Gilmore was among UNT’s top-rated recruits last year and found his way into the Mean Green’s lineup as a deep snapper and backup defensive lineman. The last few weeks of the season could allow UNT’s coaches to get a better idea of how Gilmore and several other players might develop in the future. There is also matter of the upcoming recruiting season. UNT could have a better idea of what its needs are after taking a longer look at some of its younger players. Developing younger players isn’t exactly a new task for the Mean Green. UNT has spent a significant part of the season trying to bring players like Meager and Warren along. “We have been playing a lot of young guys anyway,” Dickey said. “We have had some tough close losses. We have made some progress, but not near enough to win.” UNT had high expectations coming into the season because of the return of Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, a pair of former national rushing champions. The Mean Green knew they would need a few players to develop to complement those players. UNT has yet to find the right combination. “It’s been frustrating for all of the seniors that have been here,” senior kicker Nick Bazaldua said. “It hasn’t materialized like we all hoped.” The question UNT faces now is how to take the first step toward rebuilding while finishing off with a flurry for a senior class that helped the Mean Green win four straight conference titles. Health will be factor in QB rotation UNT coach Darrell Dickey said Monday that he will continue to evaluate quarterbacks Daniel Meager and Matt Phillips in practice this week and has not determined how much either will play against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. Meager has started every game this year, but was knocked out of the Mean Green’s game against Florida Atlantic on Saturday with a concussion. Phillips came in for Meager and led UNT on three fourth quarter scoring drives. Phillips threw for 138 yards in the final period, surpassing UNT’s previous season-high for passing of 129 yards set by Meager in a loss to Troy. Briefly … Running back Jamario Thomas is day-to-day with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the FAU game. The sophomore won the national rushing title with an average of 180.1 yards a game last year, but is averaging just 45.1 yards a game this season. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

You trying to get a free outfit from Deep?

If the get destroyed by ULL it will be at Monroe, because it's a ULM home game PS They've taken 4 in a row from ULL.

They may be in the cellar, but we've sure got 'um outnumbered

I'm also a long time Cubs fan.

Posted by Space Raider on the Sun Belt Delphi board. Sun Belt title and bowl scenarios Only three teams - Arkansas State, UL Monroe and Louisiana - remain in contention for the Sun Belt Conference football title. The league's berth in the New Orleans Bowl is a more complicated situation. The scenarios by which each team can earn one or the other: To Win Sun Belt Title Arkansas State - Cannot win the title outright, but clinches a share of the title with a Nov. 26 win at North Texas and a UL Monroe loss in either of its last two games. UL Monroe - Can win the title outright with wins in each of its last two games, or with a Nov. 26 win over Louisiana and an ASU loss at North Texas. Can win a share of the title with a victory in either of its last two games. Louisiana - Can win the title outright with a Nov. 26 win over ULM, a ULM loss at North Texas and a Nov. 26 ASU loss at North Texas. Can win a share of the title with a Nov. 26 win over ULM. To Earn New Orleans Bowl berth Arkansas State - Gets bowl berth with Nov. 26 win over North Texas and a ULM loss in either of its last two games. UL Monroe - Gets bowl berth with wins in both of its last two games (ULM needs two wins in order to get to six wins and become bowl eligible). Louisiana - Gets bowl berth with Nov. 26 win over ULM and ASU loss to North Texas. Middle Tennessee - Gets bowl berth by winning its last three games and with a ULM loss at North Texas, a UL loss at ULM Nov. 26 and ASU losses in each of its last two games. CLARIFICATIONS: If ULM wins at North Texas on Saturday, and ASU beats North Texas and UL beats ULM on Nov. 26, the three teams would be tied for first at 5-2. However, ULM would be eliminated from the tiebreaker system because it would not have six wins. ASU and UL would be in a two-team tiebreaker, with ASU earning the bowl berth due to a head-up victory. If ULM loses at North Texas on Saturday and then beats UL, and ASU loses at North Texas on Nov. 26, ULM would win the league title but would not be bowl eligible with six wins. Either three or four teams would be tied with 4-3 marks, but only ASU and Middle Tennessee could be picked for the bowl (and then, only if ASU beats Army or MTSU beats North Carolina State in non-league games this weekend). If only one team in the league is bowl eligible, that team will represent the league in the New Orleans Bowl. If none are eligible, the league would petition the NCAA for an exemption of the six-win rule on behalf of the conference champion, whether outright or as determined by the tiebreaker procedure.

Brett Vito: Phillips gives UNT offense some spark 08:25 AM CST on Monday, November 14, 2005 Brett Vito North Texas quarterback Matt Phillips did his share of pacing the sideline Saturday afternoon during the Mean Green’s game against Florida Atlantic. Mostly, though, he just sat and watched until the fourth quarter. What he did from then on made one wonder if he shouldn’t be doing a little more. Phillips came off of the bench ice cold in the Mean Green’s game against the Owls but looked like he had been playing on a regular basis all season. The former San Angelo Lake View standout threw for 138 yards and a touchdown in the final period, led the Mean Green on three scoring drives and nearly rallied a floundering UNT squad to victory. Phillips’ outing ranks as one of the most impressive performances by a UNT player in a season filled with inept offensive showings. “That is tough to do when you come in cold and haven’t played a whole lot during the season,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said of Phillips’ performance. “We needed someone to make plays throwing the ball. He did a very nice job.” Phillips only had the opportunity because redshirt freshman Daniel Meager was knocked out of the game with a concussion late in the third quarter. At that point, UNT was down 17-6 and scored its only touchdown on a blocked punt. Phillips didn’t complete a pass on his first drive, but was on fire from then on out. The freshman went 3 for 5 for 50 yards on his second series and scored on a 5-yard run. Two plays later, he zinged a pass down the middle of the field for a 53-yard touchdown to Joel Nwigwe. Phillips was also on the field for a 45-yard drive that resulted in a game-tying field goal and a 30-yard drive in the final 1:38 that set kicker Nick Bazaldua for a 47-yard field goal that could have tied the game. That fact Bazaldua missed the kick shouldn’t detract from what Phillips accomplished. UNT entered the game averaging just 96.9 passing yards a game. Phillips surpassed that total in a quarter. “It gave me confidence,” Phillips said of his performance. “It’s a little different from going in when it’s a blowout. The confidence level was awesome. I enjoyed being out there.” The blame for what went on in the first few games of the season shouldn’t all go to Meager. UNT’s offensive line hasn’t given him a lot of time to throw and its receivers have dropped a few key passes. Meager showed signs of improvement when he threw for 112 yards in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette last week. Despite that progress, UNT seems unsettled on a quarterback heading into next season. Dickey said in the week leading up to Saturday’s game that Meager needed to continue to improve and make plays if he wants to be the Mean Green’s quarterback of the future. Meager finished with 49 yards passing on 18 attempts and didn’t make many of the plays UNT needs against FAU. Phillips did and deserves to have a chance to enter what could turn into an interesting race for the starting quarterback job next season. Meager has impressed the Mean Green’s coaches at times and will have his opportunities to rebound after a tough outing against FAU. Joey Byerly could also return next season. He was expected to start this year, but is out for the year with academic problems. Carson Coffman, a senior from Peculiar, Mo., has ties with Dickey and has already visited UNT’s campus. Rivals.com ranks Coffman No. 25 among players in Missouri. He could also be in the mix if he decides to play for the Mean Green. All three of those players have greater high school credentials than Phillips, a player UNT signed late from a small West Texas school. For a while, it looked like Phillips would fade into the background after a quick start in two-a-day practices at the beginning of the season. Meager won the starting job after Phillips tailed off. If Saturday’s game is any indication, Phillips has come a long way since then. “I believe in the team and they believe in me,” Phillips said. “I know my role with the team. Daniel is the starter. I am just doing his duties right now while he is recovering.” Phillips couldn’t have picked a classier thing to say after the game. He looked confident and competent after spending less than a year at UNT and receiving minimal practice time as a backup. Phillips’ performances makes one wonder what he could do with additional time on the field, not to mention time to settle in during spring practice. Could Phillips build on his performance against FAU and translate a solid fourth quarter against an Owls defense in prevent mode into a solid career under center for the Mean Green? There is only one way to find out and that is to play him. UNT has two games left to find out what it has in Phillips. The opportunity is one the Mean Green can’t let slip away. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .

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