SilverEagle

Here's my concern. At this point Coach Dickey is at risk of looking more like a disgruntled employee, than as a professional looking for his next challenge. He doesn't seem to be happy here, and hasn't been for some time. It doesn't appear that there's any way that his contract with be renewed in 08, so why wait around for the axe to fall? This is a very unhealthy (no pun intended) situation for Coach Dickey, and the school as well.

That's the main difference between us and UTEP. UTEP's fans are there, they just needed a little encouragement. I still believe that the new coach needs to completely understand the situation here, and be ready to provide a viable plan to turn it around when he gets interviewed. addendum: Under the "too weird to believe" catagory, here is a story about Florida State's problems. Bobby Bowden Defends Son, Team's Progress FSU coach backs his offensive coordinator and direction of team Oct. 23, 2006 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said Monday that team morale is high despite a disappointing season and that he doesn't regret making his youngest son, Jeff Bowden, the team's offensive coordinator. But fan impatience with the younger Bowden has increased after a half-dozen years of mounting losses and declining offensive production. "I don't think he'd get half the criticism if his name ain't Bowden," Bobby Bowden said Monday. "How can I have nine coaches and it's always one guy's fault?" the elder Bowden asked Monday. "We're a team. We win and we lose. We don't point fingers." Bowden called a meeting Monday of his unity council as well to take the pulse of morale among a half-dozen key players, including quarterback Drew Weatherford, after the Seminoles' 24-19 loss Saturday to Boston College. It was Florida State's seventh loss in its past dozen games dating to last November. Bowden created the unity council after the 2002 season, when the team split over whether Chris Rix or Adrian McPherson should be playing quarterback shortly before McPherson's removal from the team over gambling questions. Weatherford had words with quarterbacks coach Daryl Dickey during Saturday's game in the second half when he was warned he could be replaced by Xavier Lee. "I wasn't pleased," Weatherford said. "I just asked him what I should be doing out there ... probably not in such a moderate tone. I just wanted an answer."

Well, if you drink enough of this... http://www.sierrablancabrewery.com/our_beers.html and you can come up with all sorts of "interesting" ideas......... Geezzzz, better blocking, mid-range passing game, get the ball to other players......what was I thinking?

Here's an idea. Why don't we continue the improvement in blocking that I saw in the first drive last Saturday. Let's block like that the whole game! THEN, put in some mid-range (10-15 yrds over the middle) passing plays and give the QB (Meager or Wilson) time to throw. THEN, start trying to get the ball to Jackson, who is (potentially) just as big of a playmaker as JQ. If the TD pass that Mr. Collins (95) caught is any indication of his development as a TE, then we should try to get the ball to him more often as well.

Despite the good job that I think RV is doing, I totally agree with Deep. No more cronyism!

Excellent points. However, I'll add this observation. Our three most successful coaches (Mitchell, Fry and Nelson) were all from Texas. The last two, Fry and Nelson, were coaches who knew North Texas very well (Fry because he coached close by, and Nelson because he was the DL coach under Rod Rust) and knew EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO. There was little or no learning curve (football culture wise) for either of them, and they wasted little time in going about turning things around. In Nelson's case, he went about doing the best he could with the VERY LIMITED resources that were given to him.

Are you saying that we got out-coached? You could get into real trouble saying that.

“I usually know what coach Dickey is thinking anyway,” Unfortunately, so do all of the coaches of our opponents. And after viewing one or two series in any game, my wife knows what he's thinking too.

I like this commentary about the incident. At Miami, stupidity now has tenure By Gil LeBreton Star-Telegram Staff Writer The thing about Miami is it's not the heat -- it's the stupidity. The football teams from Florida International and the University of Miami displayed ample doses of it during their televised third-quarter brawl last Saturday night. There was holder-tackling. Helmet-swinging. Cleat-kicking. And even a medical breakthrough -- crutch-clubbing. It was an ugly incident, even for a school that has a long police-blotter history of such incidents. At the minimum, several lengthy suspensions appeared to be in order for the brawling Hurricanes. Some dismissals from the team, perhaps. And revoking of scholarships. But no, not at Miami. University president Donna Shalala said Tuesday that the wrist slaps already imposed on 13 Miami players were punishment enough. "This university will be firm and punish people who do bad things," Shalala said. "But we will not throw any student under the bus for instant restoration of our image or our reputation. "I will not hang them in a public square. I will not eliminate their participation at the university. I will not take away their scholarships." Amazing. Effective immediately, the school president added, Miami will institute a "zero tolerance" policy for football players who fight. From now on, it appears, swat somebody with your crutches during a midfield melee, and you're gone. I get it. Rant and rescue. The mark of another bad parent. A day before, Miami coach Larry Coker stood before the media and assured, "I do have a grip on this program. Don't ever doubt that." But Coker barely has a grip on his job, let alone his football team. A shouting and shoving match broke out in Louisville earlier this season, when Miami players decided to dance on the Cardinals' midfield logo before the opening kickoff. After quitting and embarrassing themselves at the Peach Bowl last season, losing 40-3, Miami players started a fight with LSU in the post-game tunnel. Miami didn't write the book on college athletes in trouble. But history tells us that the Hurricanes are in plenty of the mugshots. Shalala can issue whatever decrees she wants, but Miami's unofficial public probation isn't over. And Coker should know that. Miami, of all schools, should have already had a "zero tolerance" policy for on-field fighting. All schools should, come to think of it. If, let's say, a chemistry major, while representing the university, starts a room-clearing brawl on national TV, wouldn't he be more severely reprimanded than made to empty a few hospital bed pans? Wouldn't a normal student have his scholarship taken away or be kicked out of school? Football players at Miami are on full scholarship. According to the school's Web site, tuition, room and board at Miami is worth $45,343 per year. And Shalala wants to "honor" these thugs' scholarships? At crosstown Florida International, nine miles from the Miami campus, punishment for the Saturday incident came swiftly. Two FIU players were dismissed from the team. Sixteen other players were suspended indefinitely. But Shalala doesn't want her school's punks thrown "under the bus?" One of the wry sidebars to Saturday night's brawl is that it was "Salute to Florida High School Football" night at the Orange Bowl, and hundreds of South Florida prep teams reportedly were in attendance. But when The Miami Herald asked one of them about the fight, safety Major Wright of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, who's being recruited by the Hurricanes, said, "It doesn't make me look at Miami any differently. Miami is Miami." Miami is Miami. Truer words were never spoken. The irony is that Shalala, a former member of President Bill Clinton's Cabinet, was brought to Miami in 2001, in part, to oversee the advancement of the university's academic profile. Coker reportedly is graduating more football players than Dennis Erickson ever did, but Miami has failed so far in its mission to become a palm-tree Harvard. It may have five national championships in football, but Miami still ranks no higher than 50th (according to one respected ranking) among the nation's private universities. How many of those coveted A-students are going to see Saturday's brawl at the Orange Bowl and want to race to enroll at Miami? How many parents would allow them? Instead of ranting and rescuing, Miami should be scouring and showing them the door. Until then, Miami is Miami.

Since I'm not a "stat" guy, here's a question. Win or lose, does this game go on Dickey's official record as the head coach at NT?

Excellent point. As I observed in the spring, Woody Wilson is probably the fastest QB we've ever had at NT. But even the most talented running QB needs at least a crease in order to "make something happen".

We can always hope......and dream.

I believe that a stint is placed in one (or more) of the main arteries going into the heart to relieve blockage. My step-father had that proceedure after suffering a mild heart attack. Like Coach Dickey, he also suffered from diabetes. I don't see how Coach Dickey can continue in the high stress job of being a head coach, with so many health concerns. No coaching job is worth risking your life over. I'm very concerned for his long term health, and for the emotional well-being of his wife and daughter. I wish Coach Dickey a full recovery.

Four years of domination? We lucked out in several of those games....including the game (NMSU) that clinched our first SunBelt championship. Plus, our only win in the NO bowl was mainly due to 6 turn overs....and we didn't win by that much. Colorado St., Memphis, and especially Southen Miss showed our coaching for what it really is.

I don't know if anyone has said it or not, but the reason that North Texas has not beaten (or upset) some name schools is because our administrators don't want a coach with that sort of attitude. Or at least they've conveyed that message by the coaches that they've hired since Corky Nelson left. Corky was the last coach that we've had here that believed that he could coach with anyone, and that his teams could play with anyone. There, I hope that answers your question.

It's a good thing NT didn't play today. We might have found a way to be more inept.

I'll get more basic than that. I wouldn't want to play the SMU game over again.

I've never had any problems joining (or renewing) the MGC. Just pick up the phone and call them. The person who answered the phone at the AD when I called was very helpful. My only request of the young man that I talked to was that I didn't want Mandy to get any credit for my joining. He said that he thought that that could be arranged. He also didn't seemed to be the least bit surprised at my request. I usually avoid talking to Mandy if I can.

You must be talking about "The Story of North Texas", by Dr. James Rogers. It was originally published in 1965 on NT's 75th anniversary, and was updated in 1990 as part of our centenial celebration. I have a copy of the original version.

When I first started going to North Texas, one of my mothers old friends was over visiting at my mothers house. When I mentioned that I was going to North Texas she said that she had graduated in the early or mid 20's from North Texas. She told me that while she was a student there, she was involved in what was then a big scandal/mystery of the time. She said that as a prank, some young men at school that she knew stole Hardin Simmons' school flag (according to her a big rival of ours back then) prior to our game with them. They brought it to her to hide, which she reluctantly agreed to do. She said that Dr. Bruce was furious about the prank, and called an all school assembly. She said that he got up in front of the assembled students and, like some fire and brimstone Baptist minister, preached a very fiery sermon about the reprehensible behavior of stealing another schools property. She said that she was just sure that Dr. Bruce knew it was her, and that he was directing the sermon at her. She said that she had the young men involved take the flag back, and no one ever knew (other than the culprits who stole it) that she had been involved in this huge scandal. Pretty tame stuff by our standards, but a big deal back then.

He'd be better off giving during practice, recruiting, and especially at game time.

I wouldn't even want to speculate on the headlines if Ball State were to....well.....have their way with us.

Yes.....many times.

The last coach before Dodge was I believe a guy named Ledbetter. And you're right, they were very successful before Dodge took over. Dodge kept the momentum going, and made them successful in 4-A and 5-A.