NT80

I'm starting to hate that term "mid-major". They now have mid-major rankings and mid-major upsets Big school U headlines. It's actually a put-down, like not 1-A enough to be talked about in the same sentence as BcS schools. Just watch, soon there will be 1-A, mid-major, and 1-AA. It's coming.

Engineering graduate$ are the key here. Soon, UNT will have some of those too!

That's like a double slap at Rice. First losing your head coach to Tulsa in what seems like a lateral move at best, then having your OC say not interested in your HC job. Wow.

From the official UNT site.... "The Ragin’ Cajuns outscored the Mean Green, 51-32, in the second half". Time for Slinker's retirement.

Dodge completes staff article: http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...p;ATCLID=746234

That adds a nice mix of College-experienced coaches to the HS hires. It's now time to start making the playbooks! Shelton Gandy photo and bio: http://www.latechsports.com/staff_detail.p...Running%20Backs

Sources: OU's Peterson to enter NFL Draft 08:55 PM CST on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 By BRIAN DAVIS and CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News Oklahoma junior running back Adrian Peterson will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, according to two sources close to the situation. An official announcement could come as early as Thursday. Peterson, who is projected in several mock drafts as a top 10 pick, met with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops on Wednesday to notify Stoops of his intention to turn pro, according to one source. Another source said Peterson has met with agents, including Eugene Parker, Drew Rosenhaus and the Creative Artists Agency, whose NFL division is headed by agents Ben Dogra and Tom Condon. The deadline for underclassmen to declare themselves eligible for the NFL Draft is Monday. Peterson, the 2004 Heisman Trophy runner-up from Palestine, Texas, battled shoulder and ankle injuries and a broken collarbone during his three seasons at OU. But he'll leave the school with 4,045 yards and 41 career touchdowns, putting him among the best running backs in school history.

Wow, here's some interesting Boise coaching news for you. ............................................................................... Harsin turns down Alabama, will stay at BSU 04:25 PM MST on Friday, January 5, 2007 KTVB Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin BOISE - The Boise State Broncos' amazing Fiesta Bowl win has captured the hearts of fans everywhere and that includes Alabama's new coach Nick Saban. He was so impressed with the Broncos’ performance that he personally called Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin Thursday night. I talked to Harsin today and he said that Saban called him to ask if he was interested in being his offensive coordinator at Alabama. After a 20 minute conversation, Harsin said thanks but no thanks, telling Saban he was flattered and appreciated the consideration but was not interested and preferred to stay at Boise State. ......................................... BTW, here's the views of Boise's new pressbox, club, and suite expansion....... http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.db...CRIBER_CONTENT=

They are just behind on changing the women's name. They were Lady Eagles a couple years ago, but now all UNT teams are the Mean Green. The ESPN.com men's page has it correct...... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/clubhouse?teamId=249

Agree. It seems the board-police is out in full force during this off season (moving threads). There is only so much UNT football news this time of year; lighten up Francis!

Could be a good weekend for UNT recruiting since the no-contact period will officially be over then....

Tulane's Toledo Announces Football Coaching Staff Toledo adds seven new assistants; retains two assistants from the previous staff Jan. 5, 2007 New Orleans - Tulane University newly appointed Head Football Coach Bob Toledo announced his coaching staff today. Toledo has added seven new assistant coaches, while retaining two assistant coaches from the previous staff. Defensive Coaching Staff Thom Kaumeyer, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, 1st year O'Neill Gilbert, Defensive Line, 1st year Greg Jackson, Defensive Backs, 1st year Fred Bleil, Linebackers/Special Teams, 1st year Fred Bleil Bleil, 57, joins the Green Wave staff after spending one season as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at the University of North Texas. Prior to the Mean Green, he spent eight seasons as the secondary coach at San Diego State. Bliel spent two terms as the director of the Mean Green defense after leading one of the Big West's top units in 1997 and 1998. Under Bleil, North Texas finished in the top three in the conference in scoring defense in both years, and ranked second in the league in pass defense in 96. Two-time NFL Pro Bowler Brian Waters was an All-Big West selection for Bliel's Mean Green defense, as were three other North Texas players in that two-year span. .................................................................... Also from Rivals: The latest: (3:55 p.m. ET, 1/8/07): After weeks of discussion, Florida State finally named Jimbo Fisher offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He will sign a three year-contact with a base salary of $215,000 Major Applewhite, OC at Rice, has been offered/hired as co-OC at Alabama....

I would have tried for Boise's coach.

Boise and all one-loss teams have a reason to complain about any so-called "Champion" this year. This is exactly what playoffs are for and why polls should NOT be used to determine rankings. Their difference between #1 and #2 is 14 - 40 ???

I'm going with the underdog and wide open offense.....FLORIDA.

The DC, Mendoza, was also the wrestling coach at SLC. Perhaps knows some techniques from that to teach.

Link didn't work for me, so I posted the article. Notice the "cloud of dust" quote. Posted on Fri, Jan. 05, 2007 With the Spread Keeping Successful Offensive Scheme a Goal in Hiring Dodge’s Replacement By Zach Warner Staff Writer One look at a list of Todd Dodge’s feats over the past seven years as Carroll football coach makes it evident that he’ll be a tough act to follow. But Carroll Athletic Director Ronnie Tipps said that despite the seemingly unreachable bar set by Dodge, the new head football coach at the University of North Texas, the opportunity to take the helm of the Dragons football program is one that coaches should be drooling over. At least offensively, all the major pieces of the puzzle are still in place to make another run at a Class 5A state title next school year. And, if Tipps’ plans come to fruition, the Dragons will be going for it with the same style and approach Dodge’s teams took in capturing four championships over the past five seasons. “I’d like to stay with the spread concept,” Tipps said, ending speculation over whether Carroll would attempt to continue the offensive system that produced mammoth numbers for Dodge-led Dragons teams. “I think that’s what our kids run the best. “I wouldn’t want to get rid of that and go with a ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’ type system,” he said. “We want to do what we do best.” The search for the new Carroll coach officially began earlier this week, and Tipps said he expects to have a new coach in place by the end of the month. Having Dodge’s replacement named and in the field house with plenty of time to get to know the players before spring football begins would be ideal, Tipps said. Although he is likely to be flooded with applications during the first 10 calendar school days after returning from Christmas break, the minimum amount of time the job must be posted in order to gather potential candidates, Tipps said he will be looking for specific criteria in filling the position. “We want somebody that doesn’t mind being in a high-visibility job, and that’s willing to take that on,” Tipps said. “We’re not asking them to be another Coach Dodge, because that’s not something that can be done. But we would like them to continue some of the things he put in place.” The spread, namely, is at least near the top of that list. Dodge’s teams racked up jaw-dropping yardage in each of the five seasons Carroll reached the 5A state title game. The Dragons averaged 460 yards per game in 2002; 451.9 in 2003; 506.1 in 2004; 515.4 in 2005; and 504.2 in 2006. What makes it logical to continue in the same offense is the fact that Carroll’s athletes learn and compete in the system from seventh grade on up. Next year’s varsity offense will be chalked full of players with at least five years of experience running the spread. They’ve also experienced incredible success in the system. “The cupboard is not bare. We have plenty of talent that is returning,” said Tipps, mentioning 10 returning starters on varsity, as well as freshmen teams that were a combined 20-0 and junior varsity teams that were 17-3 this past season. “If you were a coach and needed to ask what we need to do to win, I’d have to say we have everything in place. “We don’t want to bring somebody in here that is going to bring big changes,” he said. “We have something good in place. We’re 79-1 over the last five years, so we don’t want to change the good thing we have going.” Assistants Follow Dodge Three Carroll football assistants tendered their resignations earlier this week, citing plans to serve on Todd Dodge’s coaching staff at North Texas. Dragons offensive coordinator Ron Mendoza, running backs coach Todd Ford and longtime defensive assistant Robert Drake resigned their positions, Tipps said. Mendoza was also the head coach of Carroll’s wrestling program and Drake also served as the head track coach. Tipps said he does not anticipate any other Carroll football assistants resigning to take a position on Dodge’s staff at North Texas or elsewhere. Former Haltom head coach Clayton George, an assistant under Dodge at Carroll and other stops prior to Carroll, joined the North Texas staff as wide receivers coach two weeks ago. George was a wide receiver at North Texas when Dodge was an assistant at the school in 1992-1993. Top Area Coaches that Run the Spread Offense: 1. Hal Wasson, Fossil Ridge – Wasson is a former Carroll assistant under Todd Dodge who has turned ’Ridge into a respected program since taking over the head coaching spot in 2003. He was named Coach of the Year in District 6-4A this season after leading the Panthers to the district title and a 10-2 overall record. 2. Tom Westerberg, Allen – Westerberg’s Eagles run the exact spread offense Dodge ran at Carroll, as the Allen coaching staff met with Dodge and the Dragon staff after Carroll won the 2002 state title. Westerberg’s team was 13-2 this season, as Allen fell to Carroll in the 5A Division I state semifinal. 3. Cody Vanderford, Flower Mound – The Jaguars made their first postseason appearance, as a Vanderford offense that has been gaining notice in previous years finally paid big dividends. Flower Mound averaged 330.5 yards per game on their way to an 8-3 record, their best in their young team history. 4. Mike Fuller, Coppell – The six-year coach for the Cowboys implemented a Texas Tech-style spread offense this season, and Coppell looked sharp. The Cowboys were 8-3 and sixth in the area in offense (419 yards per game) before losing to Colleyville Heritage in the first round of the playoffs. 5. Scott Smith, Rockwall – The District 10-5A Coach of the Year turned his team’s fortunes around after going 4-6 in 2005, his first as the program’s coach, to 8-3 and a playoff berth in 2006. Throwing out the Yellow Jackets’ humbling loss to Carroll in Week 3, Smith’s team averaged 37.3 points and 377.6 yards per game in its other 10 contests. 6. Chris Cunningham, Colleyville Heritage – District rival and neighbor to Southlake, Cunningham led his team the farthest it has ever gone in program history. The Panthers (10-4) lost to Carroll in the 5A Region I finals, as quarterback Casey Russell displayed some elite numbers by throwing for 3,769 yards and 44 touchdowns in 2006.

Another updated version of original story: Football: Dodge nabs first recruit 11:29 PM CST on Saturday, January 6, 2007 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Todd Dodge didn’t have to go far to pick up his first recruit as the new head coach at North Texas. He just went down the road to the field house he left at Southlake Carroll a few weeks ago to talk to Justin Padron, a middle linebacker who was a starter on his last two state championship teams. Padron jumped at the chance to continue playing for his old high school coach at Carroll and orally committed to play for the Mean Green. Oral commitments are non-binding. “I wanted to stay close to my family and close to home,” Padron said. “You can’t get any closer than North Texas. Getting a chance to play for coach Dodge for another four to five years was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.” Padron was also recruited by SMU and TCU. Both asked the 6-0, 225-pound all-state selection to walk on. Padron’s production was far bigger than his size for Carroll. He was a first-team selection on the Dallas Morning-News’ All-Area team and finished with 240 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions as a senior. UNT recruited Padron as a middle linebacker, although he said he would be willing to move to another position. Padron said his options to continue his college career were limited because of his size, but he is confident he can play on the Division I-A level. Padron believes that while he is Dodge’s first recruit, he won’t be the last from Southlake or the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Dodge has said he and his staff will hit the Metroplex hard in recruiting. “I think a lot of local players will come to North Texas,” Padron said. “They will jump at a chance to play for coach Dodge.”

Check out some of the other 6-0 or less Linebackers listed in the DMN Area Top 100......... Rankings IndexProspect Ranking DMN Area Top 100 - 2007 2007 Rank Pos Ht/Wt Schools 5 Keenan Robinson Plano (TX) East LB 6-3/211 Texas 13 Jermaine Love Garland (TX) North Garland LB 5-11/220 Arkansas 31 Kenny Alexander McKinney (TX) North LB 6-1/215 Oklahoma State 34 Brandon Walls Irving (TX) Irving LB 6-0/205 Kansas State 44 Chris Sanders Corsicana (TX) Corsicana LB 6-0/200 Baylor 47 Chris Francis Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill LB 5-10/213 Baylor 70 Julian Herron Arlington (TX) Bowie LB 6-0/200 SMU 75 Anthony Bell Mansfield (TX) Summit LB 6-1/216 list 79 Jake Proctor Fort Worth (TX) Arlington Heights LB 6-2/210 Navy 89 Alvin Jordan Dallas (TX) Greenhill LB 6-2/228 list 94 Rashad Sanders Flower Mound (TX) Flower Mound LB 6-2/210 list 98 Richard Brooks Mesquite (TX) West Mesquite LB 6-0/200 Texas-El Paso

Lewis who will coach DE's I don't know, I don't see DE or any mention of defense in that bio. Wonder if he has a connection to Dodge somehow?

Posted by Brett Vito at 01:00 AM Zero for Arkansas After the end of yet another North Texas loss on Saturday, I got to thinking -- Has there ever been a worse road trip for the Mean Green? I would hard-pressed to name one when it comes to the regular season after the UNT men and women combined to go 0-for-Arkansas this week. Both teams were swept in games at Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State. The UNT men came into the trip with an 11-3 record overall and a chance to make a run at the top of the conference standings after winning two of their first three league games. After two straight losses, UNT is now 2-3 and has some ground to make up. UNT head coach Johnny Jones said the Mean Green quit playing as a team during the road trip and had become selfish. That has to be one of the more disappointing aspects to the trip for UNT. ..................................................................................... The UNT women didn't fare any better, although they did play well at times in a loss to an ASU team that might be a close second to Middle Tennessee on the list of the top teams in the Sun Belt. UNT hung with the Lady Indians until late and might have been able to pull off the upset if it played a little better offensively. That seemed of little consolation after head coach Tina Slinker announced after the game that she had suspended shooting guard Sanetra Jackson indefinitely. Jackson is UNT's leading scorer and has the potential to be a 20-point-a-game scorer in the Sun Belt. She didn’t play against ASU. UNT will need Jackson to straighten out her off-the-court issues and get back into the fold soon if the Mean Green is to get back on track. All-in-all, it was a tough trip for the Mean Green, but it still is early in conference play. Both teams could turn their seasons around. There is little doubt it will be tougher to reach that goal after a disastrous trip to Arkansas. It will be easy to judge by attendance at UNT’s next home game, but I am curious to hear how many fans still believe this could be a special year for the Mean Green.

Buckeyes and Gators wonder if they deserve a cut of BCS cash By ANDREW BAGNATO, AP Sports Writer January 5, 2007 GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Playing in a bowl is no longer reward enough for some college football players: Some Buckeyes and Gators want a cut of the millions being generated by the championship game. "We all deserve more money," Ohio State senior guard T.J. Downing said. "We're the reason this money's coming in. We're the guys out there sacrificing our bodies. We're taking years off our lives out here hitting each other, and we're not being compensated for it." Instead, players from top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Florida received portable satellite radios and commemorative wristwatches, first-class meals and VIP treatment at posh resorts. "I've got to admit, sometimes I look in my hand and look in their hand," Florida defensive tackle Joe Cohen said, referring to the Bowl Championship Series. "I believe players should get a little bit more than what they're getting. I don't want to sound like I'm greedy. It's just reality. "I believe players should be paid, because I'm broke." Cohen chuckled when he said it, but it's no laughing matter for the NCAA, which has steadfastly maintained that players -- or student-athletes, as the association refers to them -- are amateurs and cannot be paid. It's right there in Bylaw 2.9 of the NCAA Manual: "Student participation in intercollegiate athletics is an avocation, and student-athletes should be protected from exploitation by professional and commercial enterprises." But bowls have become increasingly commercial. Fourteen different commercial logos appeared Friday inside University of Phoenix Stadium, where media day was held. Bowl payouts have been mushrooming, too. According to the Football Bowl Association, this year's 31 bowl games will generate $210 million for NCAA schools. Over the last six years, bowls have paid schools $900 million, the association said, and it estimates bowl payouts will grow to $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the Phoenix area expects to reap $350 million in tourism revenue from its three bowl games this year -- the Insight, the Fiesta and the BCS title game. Plus, Fox is in the first year of a four-year deal that will pay the BCS $320 million for the broadcast rights to the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls from 2007-10 and the national title game from 2007-09. Little of this money trickles down to the players. The NCAA has set a $500 limit on gifts they can receive from bowl hosts. Some players shrugged when asked about the money they help generate. Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy, said he doesn't mind that others profit from sales of his No. 10 jersey, the garment of choice among Buckeyes fans. "I think what you get is what you deserve," he said. "Thinking about getting revenue off jerseys right now, for me, is definitely not my thinking. That doesn't bother me at all." Officials and coaches from Florida and Ohio State said paying players would not be practical. According to 2005-06 U.S. Department of Education figures, Florida reported a total of 538 male and female athletes and said it spent $5.3 million on athletic scholarships. Ohio State reported a total of 996 athletes and said it spent $11.3 million on athletic scholarships. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said he heard questions about pay-for-play at the men's basketball Final Four in Indianapolis last spring, where the Gators won the national title. "There's a philosophical side of the conversation," Foley said. "But there's a realistic side. I don't see how you have a system in place that just pays men's basketball and football players. Then it becomes just a pure dollars-and-cents issue." Ohio State coach Jim Tressel agreed. "Down the road, for the revenue-generating kids, there are careers out there," he said. "If you become one of the great ones, you can maybe generate some income for yourself." Count Tressel among those experiencing a BCS windfall. He received a $200,000 bonus for leading the Buckeyes into the title game. If Ohio State wins, his current contract specifies he can negotiate a new agreement just six months after signing one that will pay him more than $2.6 million this season. As the money pours in, the debate isn't likely to end soon. "I can't sit here and say, 'Hey, I need more money,' because the money they're giving us for college, and money they're giving us for rent, the money we're getting for food is plenty enough for me," Ohio State sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman said. "But you see people at the next level (the NFL) doing the same thing, and then you hear how many millions that the school is getting for playing in a game like this, and you're saying to yourself, 'Man, give us just a little bit more.' "

January 6, 2007 Carroll LB Padron commits to UNT After being hired at North Texas, former Southlake Carroll coach Todd Dodge said he wanted to turn UNT into a school filled with area talent. He'll have one of his own on defense next year. Carroll middle linebacker Justin Padron orally committed to play for Dodge and UNT. Oral commitments are nonbinding, and Padron can't sign until Feb. 7. Padron wasn't the biggest linebacker (6-0, 225), but his technique has been as good as it gets. He and DE Kyle Russo were two main keys in Carroll's stingy defense, one that held nine opponents to seven points or less during its run for a third-consecutive 5A state title. Still, Padron had 240 tackles, three interceptions, three sacks and three forced fumbles. "I felt really comfortable with my decision," said Padron, who added he'd been wearing a UNT baseball cap on Saturday. "Coach Dodge is a phenomenal coach. I said if I got that opportunity, I'd jump all over it." Padron wanted to play college football close to home, but he added that SMU and TCU only were willing to take him as a walk-on. "I think it was just designed for me to be at UNT. It was a sign from God that I was supposed to end up four more years with Coach Dodge," Padron said.

Sunbelt Standings (Main Board) posted by WKU Slam Dunk, 01-05-2007, 20:27, from 207.69.137.26 With the new format for the Sunbelt tourney I suppose that the East/West divisions don't really mean anything except for scheduling purposes do they? The top three teams (regardless of division) get the first round bye and the next five get a home game against the bottom five (regardless of division.) Is that correct? So here are the current standings: 1. Louisiana Monroe 4-0 (Wow. I know its early but who would have thought?) 2. WKU 4-1 3. FAU 3-1 4. UNO 3-1 5. UALR 3-2 6. UNT 7. S. Alabama 8. stAte 9. MTSU 10. FIU 11. Troy 12. Louisiana Layfayette 1-4 13. Denver 0-5

Dodge cannot coach in the game (he was to be the West head coach) since he took the NT job, and Mendoza was to be an assistant. There is a coaching convention going on in San Antonio this weekend too and it was posted Dodge may be there looking to fill some assistants positions remaining.