FloMoGrad

Thanks Matt, your response gets to the heart of the matter. Expectations are raised due to improvements being made, both real and perceived. 6-6 is a huge turnaround and would have to be considered a real positive step, and again, anything 4 wins and above represents our best record in the past 5 years at least. But where's the bottom line drawn? Are we happy with 4 wins? Do the glasses of green kool-aid flow at 6 wins and a non-losing season. With the kick to the pants we've taken over the past 5 years, it makes it very difficult to raise expectations too high, but with the improvements made, both real and perceived, I think we can all agree, expectations will be and should be higher. Therein lies the crux of the issue: What are reasonable expectations for next year, what would you feel confident signing for if your rear was on the line. How high do we set the bar when we haven't even seen the bar for the past 5 years? And I know, past performance is not always an indicator of future success, but nonetheless, how high do we set the bar, knowing that if we fail, then for the first time potentially ever, it won't be because the University didn't do all it could. Coach Dan, welcome to your new position, firmly entrenched between this large geologic specimen and a place of unusually high hardness.

Brother, I hope you're right, and I'll be there to witness the start of a new era, regardless. But we haven't even come close to 30K before, with schools like Baylor, SMU, Army, Kansas State and Navy coming to town. And Houston/Rice couldn't sell out their home stadium with schools that are across town from each other, let alone 250 miles or so away. Again, I would absolutely love to see it, hope and pray I am wrong and eat every last word on this subject, but we will not sell out a home game this year. But that begs the question, is it reasonable to even assume we would? We've averaged right around 20K home attendance the last few years, do you see a 50% increase resulting from the moves we've made thus far? I don't... We're still a 3-9 team, with a brand new coach and in what everyone close to the program would define as a rebuilding year. Tough sell to anyone but the diehard fans, which we have far too few of to count on 30K attendance. I will agree that every game after Houston depends on our record as to attendance results, as I stated in an earlier post.

We can all agree that the job ahead of coach Dan is quite a large one. Our cupboards are bare in a few spots, a culture of losing permeates our program and he walks in being the highest paid coach in the history of the University and possibly the conference as well. My real question is this: Seeing a significant and appreciable commitment of time and resources by our Athletic Dept to fielding a quality staff to play in a quality venue, how long is Coach Dan's leash. We all thought Todd deserved at least 2 years, 1st year just to get his feet wet and recruit "his" type players. Then that turned to 3 years after yr 1 and 2 failed, because "he really inherited a bare cupboard." After 3 years we were all starting to see the handwriting on the wall and felt the time had come, some sooner than that for sure, but I don't think anyone was still on board with keeping Dodge thru the end of this year at the very least, let alone him finishing out his contract. So does Coach Dan get the same leniency or is he under the cross hairs form Day 1? I think next year, even with all Coach Dan brings to the table, will be a trial of our patience and determination. Obvious holes to fill, increased expectations, it would take a herculean effort to get us to winning football and a bowl game. While the development over the past 3 years has been noticable, went from hoping we're just competitive to actually expecting to win a few ball games, we seem to have still had a problem with closing out games and figuring out how to turn effort in to wins. I'm as excited and optimistic for next year as I've ever been, but have also been tempered by the reality of the past 5 yrs or so. So all that being said, what are your expectations for next year? What constitutes a positive season, what pacifies the masses, what is absolutely unacceptable. Personally, imho, 6-6 is a hugely successful season. Anything less than 4 wins is unacceptable, and anything more than 6 is cause for delirium. I open the floor for debate.

Agreed, but the recruiting coup has to start somewhere, and a quality TE goes a long way in helping a young offensive line in pass blocking and opening up holes for Lance. Ready to see some defensive signees, but will take any recruit we can get from AQ and top 25 non-aq schools.

Then start we have.. looked at the salaries from last year and we lead the belt, are strong in CUSA and strong in the MWC. Mark it down, our DC and OC will be the highest paid in the belt. So again my question is this: With this increased emphasis on spending more and making a serious commitment to our Athletics Department, but football in general, how long before our expectations also rise and we demand conference championships and winning seasons. .

Thank you. Some people just don't seem to get that you don't go 50+ yrs without a sellout and expect a new coach and new stadium to sell out. Will attendance be increased at the end of next year, absolutely. Will we sellout the stadium for any game in it's first year, probably not. And Indiana basketball is a tradition rich, way of life. Indiana football is nowhere close to the same passion or fan base. And yet again, no one is hoping and more excited to see us make the move across the street to a packed house stadium, but a little bit of perspective goes a long way. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will a rabid fan base of 30K strong.

I think we can all agree that losing games scoring 35 points or more has to stop. It's been painfully obvious for the past 2-4 years that our Defense has to be our priority. Bottomline, we went on our last great run because of a suffocating defense. The sooner we return to dominating that side of the ball, the sooner we'll turn this thing around and start posting some winning seasons.

Outstanding job, 10 words exactly and Haiku form. Raising the bar with this type of post.

I'm assuming as we get closer to the actual day and time, a log-in will appear and allow us to log-in and post questions... Just a guess.

Don't fret, he's like all the other UT fans out there, die hard, bleed orange, but never stepped foot on campus, never attended a home football game, a class, nothing. Just a hollow shell of a fan. Since moving to Florida this year, I see the same thing down here with Gator fans... My friend, let me explain it to you, UNT opened it's arms, took you in as a student, offers you the chance to earn a degree and relish the college experience. What's UT done for you lately? Dance with who brought you sir, dance with who brought you. Most of us on here bleed green. We may "like" other schools or root for other schools for a multitude of reasons, but first and foremost, we're UNT fans. But if UT is your school of choice, then that's fine, but pray tell, why not make the drive 200 miles south down 35 and enroll there? Only way it could be worse is if you said you were a SMU fan first and foremost.

Thanks Brett, looks like the kid is a player. This would be a nice get if we can steal him from an AQ school and a top 25 non-aq school.

Astute observation my friend. Panic button covered back up for another month or so...

I'm not at all trying to be that guy, and whole heartedly agree that perceptions, both internal and external, of our program are improving with each piece of the puzzle we add, but don't forget that season ticket sales actually did increase quite significantly when Dodge was announced. I added 2 more seats for my parents the week after he was announced. http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34967&st=0&p=284435&hl=+dodge%20+season%20+tickets&fromsearch=1&#entry284435 Just sayin...

I think I re-iterated thoroughly enough my hope and faith it will happen, but 30K is a big #, I hope I eat all my words, but if we open with Houston, make a good effort but lose, then go to Bama, 0-2 is very realistically possible. You all forget that our last great run started after a terrible ooc record and then a win out conference run, and voila, SBC championship and bowl game. Houston is no joke, they're a quality school, we'll have our hands full. I said we'd sell out Houston, but Indiana, not sure about, let's take a look at it in what, 9 months, and have a drink over it outside our beautiful new stadium. Eitherways, I'll be there, ready to roll.

Great News! I like this hire, think this guy is another piece to the puzzle... Thanks Harry

Houston yes, but Indiana, gonna depend on record at that point. Indiana fans aren't notorious for traveling well, especially not 800 miles or so, to come play a Sunbelt school, ooc, tough sell to all but the die hards. 25K should be a reasonable goal for IU game, even if we're 0-2 at that point with losses to Alabama and Houston. I desperately want to believe that we'll sell out the home opener, but not 100% convinced. Kind of one of those I'll believe it when I see it, and I'll be there, wife and 2 kids in tow, to witness it, should it happen, which I hope it does.

#1 in Sunbelt using the latest data available, 2009. (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2009-coaches-contracts-database.htm) MWC and CUSA have some high paid coaches, June Jones makes about 1.3 million a year... So we're better off than the MAC, the Belt and even some MWC, but nowhere close to AQ status... Nonetheless, huge step up from where we were last year

That's what happens when of your proudest alums just happens to be the founder of Nike, Phil Knight. Kind of like Washington State with Bill Gates or OSU with good old Boone... Ours is coming at some point...

Your update comes like salve on an open sore... Much needed. Panic button covered back up.

I think that's pretty fair and equitable. Players remaining eligible and graduating is kind of part of the job description. Incentives reward going above and beyond, and 5K toward academics is about right. Anybody see the Fresno State coach totally rework his contract and go from a bunch of guaranteed money to heavily incentive based? All in all a huge step forward in our commitment to competing on a BCS level. With the increased salaries and overall increased commitment levels, one would have to surmise that increased expectation levels will be attached.

Looks more and more like we're gonna have to do the best with what we got here. I'm all for grabbing a stud to plug this hole, but the more and more we read and hear, sounds like we're coming up empty on all of our fishing expeditions.

We were in a similar situation 3 yrs ago when we got Shavod and a couple other big DT's... But nonetheless, definitely an urgent situation, which I'm sure Dan is well aware of. I have faith that there will be at least 1 Juco signing, possibly 2, to remedy this scene and allow us a full year to go find a HS DT to develop for the long term.

We've got 3 coaches on our staff that could be the head coach at any other school in the Belt except maybe Troy. Wasn't even close, and let's hope this is the start of more, "we beat the rest of the belt in ____, and it wasn't even close." Still rather say we won the conference championship rather than we won the off-season head coaching hiring battle.

The Mesquite QB reminded me of Byron Leftwhich getting carried by his teamates down the field in between plays his senior season. I was at that game, my brother was a RS Sophomore at Marshall, one of the most courageous athletic endeavors I've ever witnessed first hand.

Is this confirmed?