untjim1995

I don't know that I agree with the statement that is in bold. If they did, that would mean winning in football becomes the expectation. I do agree on everything else you posted, but that point doesn't really seem that true, to me anyway. If it did, RV would be gone--for all of the losing, even with a new coach, new stadium, and a new conference with more bowl tie-ins. Mac's ridiculous extension would be the final nail in the nail in RV's AD coffin--just because he gave out an extension that is not reasonable to be bought out without a substantial change and/or hit to the budget. Your point on basketball is exactly right--and for the exact same reason as I listed above about RV and Mac. RV gave Benford a 5-year deal that was deemed too expensive to be bought out at any point before this season, despite three non-winning seasons, including one with the most talented team in our school's history that lost to a Division II team. In college sports, you have two ways to lead an athletic department--to expect winning or to expect a balanced budget. No one in the country will out value our leadership, which explains how we view athletics. To expect a bowl team with that mindset--not to spend more than budgeted, certainly not to buy out more than a year on the contract of an underperforming coach--seems like a contradiction.

This is what you will see...they don't care enough to cause change with RV. This is proven by the fact that the Super Pit is less than half full from where it was in 2011 under JJ. Say its all about football then--that last game of the season this year will not have 1000 butts in seats, even if they announce that 5000+ is the official attendance. These half dozen to dozen donors love having RV's cell phone number and getting preferred treatment, like its some big deal to brag about having close relationships with the AD at UNT, to flaunt that to their Aggie, Longhorn, and Red Raider buddies, even though if they weren't UNT alumni, they wouldn't even get to meet with the ADs at those places on any regular basis. Match that with a BOR that is full of non-UNT grads, of which they traditionally have not helped athletics anywhere near what other universities' boards of regents do, as well as a chancellor that wants to bolster UNT-Dallas, you get what we have. I know this much, even if Neal Smatresk cares enough about winning in revenue sports that he wants to make changes in the athletic department, he's still got a fierce battle ahead of him with the two groups above. To be honest, even with all my hope resting on the possibility that Smatreesk wants to win, at best those odds seem no better than 50/50 at this point--and that might be optimistic. It will be such a sad day to walk away from this place if it comes to that. Its why I am trying to learn more about the great music department we have, to find a way to feel connected still to my alma mater. But I admit its hard--I don't know much about music, nor has it ever been high on my list. But it is what we are great at--I want to be associated with that. It gets reinforced by my buddies from A&M, UT, OU, and Tech that always tell me that if they had to play us in a marching band concert, they would get crushed. Before, I always looked at this as a negative, but now, I want it to be a positive--because it is greatness and that needs to be celebrated. It may be where my support goes to if it comes down to Benford keeping his job after this next season ends without a berth in the NCAAs or NIT, most likely because RV gets him an extension.

If Resilience = stubbornness, then yes, this is dead-on, especially offensively...which he is resilient in sticking to, despite nobody worth a damn that wants to come play QB here.

At this point, #hitanythingabovezero would seem more appropriate. Its just amazing hoe bad we are right now, on both sides of the ball. I pointed it out yesterday, but for those of you who think recruiting rankings are overrated, they might be on the player level, but they usually tell a different story from a team perspective. You cannot have three classes in a row get ranked in the 100s, including the one in 2014 that was dead-ass last, and not think its gonna make a difference in your team's performance. You can only coach up unrated and 1* kids so much--and it usually takes years until those kids even have a chance at being contributors. I really thought Mac's positivity and motivating style would rub off on recruits and their coaches in this state faster than it has. Last year, the class ranked 90th out of 129, so that's a huge improvement and it might be that class that will help us to turn things around again, but that cannot be expected to happen until those kids have been in the program for at least two years. That's why I truly believe 2017 is the earliest we can expect to see any improvement in our record, which will also just perfectly coincide with Mac's make-it-or-break-it year on his current contract. After typing this, I think the best hashtag that I feel sums my feelings up perfectly is this: #hitmeintheface

To many, the modern age of college football started in the 80s--more passing, more television, fewer scholarships, etc...when that was happening, we were playing games against Northwestern State and McNeese State at Fouts Field in the Southland Conference. I will never forget seeing what amount to about 150 people, including the band, for a November night game against Nicholls State in 1992--I've always felt that was the low point for our program. To host a game in front of 150 people (in a toilet of a stadium) that includes your band, as you are aiming to win your 3rd game of the season in mid November is all I have to look back at to realize that things in Denton are better. Granted, that was also 23 years ago, but to watch us play in CUSA with UTEP, Rice, La Tech, and Southern Miss and have Apogee as our stadium are both reminders of just how far we have come. To put that in perspective, if we made the same type of jump in the next 23 years, we would play in a P5 conference (or whatever it will be then) that includes even more SWC schools and have a stadium that seats about 50k.

At the beginning of the year, I thought we would go 4-8, with wins at SMU and over Portland State, UTSA, and UTEP at home. Today, I truly believe we are going to go 1-11, maybe 2-10 if UTEP just doesn't care in that last game at Apogee on the weekend after Thanksgiving, in front of about 500 people. But that is 50/50 at best. I full am prepared to continue watching UTSA make us their bitch and I have no reason to believe that we are going to beat Southern Miss on the road. Everyone else is basically like Rice--just flat out better than we are, in some cases by a lot. Iowa will kill us this weekend, but that was always to be expected. After that, we play at USM, where I see a loss like the one at SMU. We beat Portlandia on Homecoming in a thriller. Then get clobbered by WKU and Marshall. UTSA comes in and wins a close one, where we give it away in the second half. Then we get crushed at La Tech, Tennessee (epic loss), and MUTS. Then come home for that 50/50 game in front of hundreds of fans against the Miners. Thanks RV!! Lord knows this talented bunch didn't need a bye week during the season and only 5 games at home!! I am just so glad you opened up tailgating all those years ago!!

There is no way--none, zilch, nada--that we are paying over $2 million dollars to buy out McCarney after this year, even if he goes 0-12. I might be persuaded to believe that after a dismal 2016, he might could be bought out for $1.3 million, but even then that is extremely doubtful. And that doesn't matter if RV is gone or not. There is NO WAY the BOR is gonna ok a buyout of that magnitude. To believe anything otherwise is to place your faith in the Easter Bunny... If you think that was about RV getting bought out--he is owed three years at $375k. His best friends here are those who pay the big figures to the AD. They aren't ponying up for a buyout of a guy who has just transformed their world by --gasp!!--opening up tailgating!! Maybe in early 2017, but not before. In an acceptable world to me, considering our financial lack of commitment, I'd say that this is the best sequence of events: 2015--we hired an alum to turn around the abortion that is UNT Womens Hoops 2016--we dump RV and hire an AD from a place that has raised funds and won at a G5 university that has dealt with being in the shadows of P5s. Then we fire Benford and hire an actual experienced head coach to take over the Dumpster Fire that is our mens' hoops program 2017--The new AD fires McCarney and replaces him with a young up-and-comer in the coaching ranks

I am a financial advisor myself, so I don't recommend rash moves in the stock market. however, I do look at performance over a full business cycle or two, which is usually a 5-7 year term. I'm looking at two to three business cycles here for the AD--if he were a mutual fund, I'd have recommended a sell a long time ago...because this manager would have easily been in the bottom decile compared to his peers. You can recommend buying more 1-star holdings because you believe in the money manager. But most people are going to keep it in cash until they see the changes they want to see, or even worse (which is precisely what has happened), they walk away and give their funds to another money manager, usually one that is so big that they aren't even feeling any sort of personal connection, just because it isn't losing...

So I'm pretty much going all in on the idea that Neal Smatresk is our only hope to get things changed at the athletic department, from the AD on down. So my question is this: What if the BOR won't pay to get rid of RV, even if Smatresk wants him gone? That means RV gets to choose if Benford stays or goes, as well as who his replacement will be. It also means that McCarney's seat doesn't get hot until the end of 2016. What will your line in the sand be for stepping back from following the program as closely as you do right now? I'm gonna draw this line in the sand. There is not much that can be done about Mac's situation because of that ridiculous extension that runs thru 2018. But if Tony Benford gets to coach one day at the Super Pit after this upcoming season, assuming that we don't end up in the NCAAs or NIT, I am out until RV is gone. The man may get rave reviews from the half dozen big monied donors around here, as well as the BOR, but his hires have been just atrocious in the three revenue sports. How you can be this bad in basketball and football, while sitting in the freaking Metroplex and playing in the Super Pit and Apogee just defies logic...

We will get paid...

I don't live in SA, but the Alamo seems appropriate...

In Mac's mind, he doesn't have to focus on any of this--he knows he isn't going anywhere soon.

This was so clear at the end of last year, during the spring, and during fall camp. Nothing about McNulty being named the starter, being compared to Derek Thompson, and having unwavering support from Mac surprises me at all. I felt sorry for all of you who believed otherwise, especially those of you who convinced yourself that Damarcus Smith was gonna come save the day. Instead, he is buried behind Greer on the depth chart. Once Smith couldn't get eligibility in the spring, his chances were done to become the starter here, barring injury. McCarney wants the busdriver, especially one that has been loyal to him. And Mac knows that there's absolutely nothing that will be done about it. The knee-jerk 5-year extension from the #UNTADforlife made it this way...

We really need to consider if FBS is the level we should compete at if this is where we stand right now. There cannot be another FBS team in the country that is asking this question.

Great bump--this shows how starved our fanbase is for success...a lifetime contract? After a 9-4 season? The only lifetime contracts we give out aren't on paper--they are given by the BOR to our AD. ANd I'll believe he is gone only when he is officially walking out of the AD's office for the last time. Here's a hint--it ain't gonna be anytime soon. Flyonthewall and his wealthy buddies adore RV--so does the BOR, since he keeps us in budget.

After the 2017 season, I'd imagine that we would be best served by hiring a head coach from the head coach at Sam Houston or at another strong program at that level in the state. You're going to need a guy who has shown he can win as a head coach at a level above high school, is motivated to move upward in the coaching ranks, and sees UNT as a place to step up and get FBS experience. Major Applewhite, Kendal Briles, or Sonny Cumbie are all coaching at schools with great budgets and stadiums that get great opponents to recruit to. The jump down from their current or past schools to UNT would be a shock--just as it has been for McCarney. I am still 100% convinced that Mac thought he was getting a USF starter kit at UNT--instead he's learned that the advantages those other places have in place aren't here. I'd look at the head coaches at FCS schools or SBC schools that have recruited well in Texas and would like a raise, both in conference/division levels and in talent to recruit. I'll say this, if its an SBC coach, you had better be prepared to pay better than powerhouses ULL and Arky State currently pay. If you can't or won't do that, you might as well just fold up shop an drop down to FCS again.

I disagree. This team is made up of players that were from mostly recruiting classes from 2012-2014. We ranked 100th out of 126th in 2012, 118th out of 123 schools in 2013, and 123rd out of 123 in 2014. Granted, recruiting rankings aren't perfect, but as a whole, it tells you a lot about the entirety of the program. Sure, we have some talented kids. But the whole is very poor, which is why the results speak for themselves. The best you can hope for is that the class of 2015 that was ranked 90th out of 129, will have some more playmakers in it and we can see that experience pay off by 2017. That's all you can really see for any improved talent coming forward in the future, especially when you consider that the 2016 class will probably be just putrid now that the HoD Bowl season will be a distant memory.

The change that will occur at some point this season is to remove Chico from OC duties, then let him go at the end of the season, since his contract will be up. He will be used as the sacrificial scapegoat--blamed for our QB woes, as well as the offense's lack of production. Don't buy it--he's trying to recruit QBs to play an offense that most recruits' granddads played. He's a hand in poor development and his off-the-field tests are just stupid if McNulty is the only one that gets a good grade on them. But make no mistake, this is all about Mac's archaic view of offensive football. After 2016, the change will be at DC, where we will say that we need a new coordinator to come in and make the defense aggressive again. That will be your 2016 change. Then, in 2017 at some point, we will fire Mac...and RV will hire yet another revenue sport head coach to a 5-year contract. Rinse and repeat...to expect anything different is not to understand how things work around here. Dickey, Dodge, Mac, Benford, Shanice Stephens, and Mike Petersen...and the same guy who hired them or extended them is still in charge. Its just so typical North Texas logic toward sports, its not even funny...

Who the eff are we gonna beat to get to three wins on this schedule? Seriously, we are going to be doing great to win more than a game the rest of the season...

Just pray the check doesn't bounce...as long as the funds get received and they clear, this game has served its purpose for RV and the BOR.

RV thought that it was imperative to extend Mac five years after that HoD Bowl, when an extension of 2 years would have been just fine. He did this to show everyone that he finally got one right in his opinion--except that has backfired completely. Just as he was ready to give Benford an extension if could get to that high hurdle of .500 again last season--just to show everyone that one of his hires hadn't completely failed--RV is desperate to not have two major whiffs in the two main sports again. At this point, though, it isn't looking good for Benford at all, and he will be probably get replaced at some point in 2016.

The real problem is that no QB that can throw a ball more than 10 times a game will ever want to play here. This guy, as well as Bogenshutz at UTSA both play in offenses that allow them to throw the ball downfield more in one game than they would in a season here. They would throw lots of bubble screens and less than 5 yard passes, but that would be it. Seeing how 95% of Texas High Schools run the spread offense these days, where the QB make several throws and rarely gets hit hard, makes our offense look archaic--which it is. And now for the really depressing news--its gonna be this way thru 2016 at a minimum, but even more likely thru 2017, when Mac will just have one year left to be bought out. And, then at that point, he gets replaced by another coach hired by #UNTADforlife... Its just freaking depressing. Its like being here in 2008, after Rice crushed us 77-20, where they took off the entire 4th quarter. We were on our way to a miraculous 1 win season, and it was clear that Dodge was in over his head, but still would have 2 plus seasons left to go because we wouldn't buy out his $300k per year contract any earlier than with one season left to pay for. And that AD who hired Dodge and fired him was allowed to hire the next guy and as soon as Mac showed any decent sign of improvement, the AD extended him for the same amount of time that we hired him originally, just to look like he finally got a hire right in a revenue sport. Now, today, we are stuck--with a terrible offense, a terrible recruiting staff, and a terrible QB situation--and its here to stay for probably two more seasons beyond this one.

waiting on the. BOR to totally reverse their views on all of this might take a while--like a lifetime. At least we get to see if winning at revenue sports means anything to Smatresk. If it does, we will see what the BOR says. That's the only hope...

Realistic expectations for the rest of this year are pretty simple at this point--just develop talent for strength and experience. We might win a game or two, but the whole goal for the rest of this year should be to build up the lines and find a running back. The QB situation is hopeless here, so it is not getting fixed anytime soon. Next year, the depth and experience on the lines should help you get to 3-4 wins, which again, given the talent, is all that should be realistically expected. You cannot look at this as the head coach's 6th year with such expectations--this is what happens when your recruiting class for 2014 was dead-ass last by rivals. The talent from 2015's class was much better, but it's getting redshirted now or just a little playing time. By 2017, they should be able to be at a point to get to 5+ wins. Again, the expectations being asked are to be realistic--with Mac as the head coach, running an offense that nobody wants to play in, being owed three years more on the largest contract ever given by the university, this is all you should expect.

The only hope is Smatresk at this point