Mike Jackson

Well I am not everyone. I thought hiring Dodge as first time FBS head coach straight from high school was stupid. Now if they had brought in someone like Jimbo Fisher and brought in Dodge as OC they would did it right. None these "hot young" candidates are going to be able to turn this around and that was no different that it was when Dodge was hired. Also people forget the evaluation of the Dodge hire was clouded by the expectation that a healthy Riley was coming with him. We all know now that wasn't the case. And the logic you use you original post is the same logic I am using we I suggest Mack Brown. Because people don't get I was not just suggesting Mack Brown I was suggesting a team of these "young hot" coaching prospect coaching under him and using Mack's clout wash away some the negative perception of UNT before these coaching/recruiting prospects work their magic. People don't want to hear that because they know the university isn't serious and won't pay of that kind of coaching team.

Apparently TastyGreek UNT's location is not an advantage. People have been basically telling that in another thread without realizing it. To them losing a Denton recruit down the street to SMU should be expected. Moreover when I said that I am only upset at losing Denton recruits to UTSA, UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, and Rice they argued to the contrary. It seems when you start talking about the details of recruiting and "UNT's advantages" disappear especially when talking about Denton and neighboring counties.

Well that isn't my experience because I am from Denton. That 3/4 statement kind of proves my point. UNT is the best school in the west division of CUSA unless you count Rice. SMU is not exactly expanding you cultural experience when you live 35 miles down the road from it. This commit when to SMU not Rice, Houston, or the P5 conference schools in the area. He probably went there because UNT's program sucks. So while we trumpet our location in other threads as advantage in this thread people are arguing proximity is a deterrent? So are you advising the new staff basically ignore most talent in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Wise Counties and spend most there recruiting time in East and South Texas? smh

As my quote stated i don't expect all Denton recruits to go to UNT just not to other non-P5 conference schools. Denton recruits should see UNT as one the best non-P5 conference school options they have if offered. Cobbs being a stud at UNT reflects well on him and not so much UNT. Sure they may respect him as coach but I don't think that has any impact on the respect they have for UNT. Well at least none of the one I have talked to in past did. If that were the case we would lose virtually 100% of Denton recruits with FBS options regardless of star rating. As for Gainsville Florida recruits not going to UF, I know that happens but I bet if they are coveted by other SEC schools they just end up there instead of Florida. Losing Denton recruits to P5 schools is acceptable but if they are FBS level talent and they are leaving Denton for UTSA, UTEP, Tulane, and Tulsa that is not acceptable. What makes a school desirable to a recruit is combination of location, facilities, coaching, history and recent success. We are sorely lacking in all the categories except facilities (average) and location (average).

So the Ryan HS kid may have vague impression of Cobbs as a player or maybe better if he has shown then his game tapes. And I bet the players at the other high schools barely have a vague impression of Cobbs as a player. I heard that Cobbs was a coach in the Denton area but quickly forgot because to be honest, it is still irrelevant to recruits. No 3 star recruit should be leaving Denton for a non-P5 school.

Hypothetically speaking if I win the lottery and have money to throw away I would buy a trailer and become a Platinum Eagle. And if monkeys flew out my but and took over the swamps of Florida we might have to rethink the theory of evolution. I think both hypothetical scenarios have just more probability of happening as RV hiring a coach to get this team to have back to back winning seasons. But hell I would even settle for not being a punchline to college football joke all over the country. And I near .500 record could at least get your there. SMH

Thank you for all your work coordinating these events. I have enjoyed the few that I have been able to attend. But at this point there is nothing to watch. I have voiced my concerns to the athletic department and the administration. With the current leadership, I highly doubt any coach, whether it be mens/womens basketball or football, will be successful at UNT. If you count slightly below .500 as success, that might be in reach with really talented coaches. Right now I would rather be completing weekend "honey-do" tasks than watching the debacle that is UNT football right now. And I won't be back until there is hope and with the current AD there is none. Sorry for the negativity but I am only acknowledging the truth of the situation at UNT. Please forward this e-mail up the chain in the Alumni Association. I want to stress again that I highly appreciate your effort and enjoy the rest of the season. Go Mean Green.

I have football prospect in my family that would consider North Texas unless i forked over 5 figures to them. Denton recruits are the hardest to recruit here because the are well acquainting with the losing history of UNT. Mean Joe Green might have well played in the leather helmet era when it come today's recruits. And they don't know who Patrick Cobbs is or Darrell Dickey.

It took 2 established Coaching Legends in back to back tenures to get South Carolina to live up to its potential. South Carolina has a ton more positive FBS history to draw upon during its ascension to its potential. Why does any UNT fan think it is going to be easier here. If we can't get an established coaching legend then it is a total wash here. This is a coaching graveyard. If we luck upon a genius who can win with inferior talent for 3 years when the upgrade in recruits from his second season start seeing playing time that is a possibility. You have an empty palace in Denton in more ways than one.

I hope I am wrong. Impressive and promising if they weren't coming to a place where career's come to die. And because they are impressive and it appears that they would have options I would hold out for a different job. I still don't think you can recruit at UNT with dysfunctional athletic department that lack commitment to anything protection of the status quo.

Flyonthewall I don't care where you sit, where you park, when you start cooking, how much you donate, or who you are. This is about our university and not any individual including RV. My name is Mike Jackson I sit in section 208 row 1 seats 21 & 22 (because I rarely can get someone else to come watch this crappy product with me for free). This team is the laughing stock of FBS football and right now there are several FCS schools that local recruits would take offers to go over UNT right now. I wish I could be 1/2 as inept as Rick has been over the last 14 years, get raises and keep my job. My guess is that no one on this forum has that kind of job security luxury and values their time and money too much to pay to watch their school to get made fun of on the playing field every Saturday or Thursday. People forget banners but the record books will NEVER forget the most lopsided whipping EVER dished out on an FBS team by a FCS team. People old enough to remember Lake Lewisville freezing over because things like that happen ONCE in a lifetime. And they can describe it like it happened yesterday. Anything positive gained in perception about UNT Football in the Heart of Dallas Bowl was erased completely by this once in a lifetime debacle. So enjoy your weekly picnic in front of an empty palace [With a couple 1,000 students of which 50% will not go into to the stadium cause they know the product stinks also]. And when the program has to shut down for financial reasons (like UAB did) don't say nobody warned you. Because contrary to RV lies the Mac buyout does have an impact on the new head coach's salary range. (I don't think the budgeted 2 years ago for 25% to 50% decline in MGC contributions and gate receipts from the games) I will take my little appreciated but big sacrifice to me $ 700 (seats plus MGC membership) and find something else to do. And my guess is that is just the way you would like it too which is part of the UNT culture problem. There are cheaper prettier places to drink that won't charge you anything to tailgate and drink. How empty does a parking lot have to be before you realize this is a waste of time and money?

Read the quick summaries of the coaches background listed here. Long story short: None of these guys have the skins on the wall to make recruits take UNT more seriously than other CUSA level programs without the long history of being garbage. Get ready for a lot of undersized, slow, under recruited players maxing out their potential to get the Mean Green to 4-8 to 6-6. My friends that isn't even mediocre that is just poor. SMU, UTSA, Rice, Houston, and Tulsa will our recruit us. Worse yet the staff will have to fight Sun Belt schools for recruits. We are a mediocre Sun Belt team went it come to recruiting.

I think "mediocrity" is optimistic for this program now. We may end up being a feeder program for historically top ranked FCS schools.

The lack of post here demonstrates how big a failure this program is. We don't anyone in the coaching ranks with a link to UNT football success young/(or alive) to come back to UNT and lead it as Mean Green as head coach. Michigan got Harbaugh not only because they have deep pocket it was because his is a Michigan man. Maybe in 15 years Lance Dunbar can come back and coach rescue the program.

I must apologize to you in advance for selecting you to voice my grievances to because you may not be in any position to do anything about them. In my humble opinion there is no accountability at the top levels of the athletic department. Rick Villarreal in public statements takes no accountability for the failures of the athletic program. His continued service as AD is a liability to the program and not an asset. It is my belief that any head coach in revenue sports with career good options would select a UNT position offers made by schools similar in size to UNT. Rick Villarreal presence make the position less desirable with losing history here at UNT. Currently I am a Mean Green Club member at the Green and White Level and I am near the max contribution for that level. I was planning to step up to the Victory Circle or Bronze Eagle next year by starting to pay on my 2016-2017 membership now. However in good conscious I cannot follow through with my plans. As an alumni who has had opportunities to travel all over the country it I have talked to many people with no connections with DFW area. During my travels I discovered horrible the effects that the bad Mean Green teams one the perception of our academic institution. Many knowledgeable college educated (outside the state of Texas) people think that UNT is satellite school of the UT Austin system or a FCS school like Praire View, Lamar, Texas A&M Commerce or Stephen F. Austin. Rick Villarreal continued leadership will ensure young alumni like me will not support the program. And I am also aware the existing MGC membership is on the decline also. They want to see a team on the field that doesn’t embarrass them before the take money out their young family’s budget to support the Mean Green Club. Mr. Villarreal’s effort to reach out the community and build support among a population 150k + alumni who live within a 60 mile radius has been lack luster. Also the fact that the only local media member who covers UNT athletics regularly doesn’t have a parking pass is so unacceptable it borders on comical. All these factors play a role in the fact Apogee has never had a sellout or any game in which the stadium was 95% full. It so sad there that at times I miss the homy atmosphere and independent cart vendors at Fouts Field. At least there at Fouts it made since that we could not schedule a good out of conference match up with local interest to drive up attendance. I could go on and on about how much I love the university and how things have gone wrong in the athletic department but the primary focus of this letter is this: Until Rick Villarreal is relieved of his duties, I will no longer donate to the Mean Green Club. In addition to that, I pledge that will donate at least $750 for the first full season without Rick Villarreal at the helm. I will be watching and I believe many other will be watching to make sure that the new AD is given a chance to put his stamp on the program starting with the football program. Therefore if the new AD is forced to accept a mediocre coach put in place by the RV regime I will withdraw my support again as soon at it becomes clear that Rick Villarreal’s last hire is a failure also. It has been very painful to write this letter. No compassionate person relishes in the prospect of someone who actually putting forth effort getting fired. But sometimes it just has to be done for the good of the organization. As always go Mean Green.

I think this could be good news. Especially if he knows how losing reputation of the football team has been a drag on UNT's national reputation.

An empty stadium and a losing product that makes many student ashamed to wear UNT when they go home for the summer speaks for itself. So until the pockets of the 17 get deep enough to pay 10k people to come to a game I really don't see the value in this debate. The university isn't serious about winning and anyone who is objective should know that by now.

Did any else notice they mentioned dorms instead of (or in addition to) Apogee stadium when they talk about North Texas Blvd?....... I wonder

Someone said "how the banner look to a new potential HC at UNT" are you freaking kidding me? No young up and coming coach with options is going to come here unless we over pay and outbid those other options. And it isn't pressure from the fans, it is knowing that you are entering toxic situation in the athletic department. If you get a coach who had worked in Texas a while he knows UNT and steers clear unless a huge paycheck is offered. But again let look at the UNT position 1. Last 3 head coaches were fired and their careers took a step backwards 2. Great University with a back water "sister's of the poor" FBS reputation 3. An AD (your potential boss) that may be out the door and has reputation for taking coaches down. 4. Apathetic students 5. A history of poor relations with the Denton Community. It is not pressure it is a challenging situation that if you fail kills your career. You would really be better off at SMU. Coaches are people not heroes.

Again, I stress we aren't talking about 5 star recruits being recruited by power house P5 programs. We are talking about recruits with offers from low P5 conference schools and other G5 schools that they may know little to nothing about. Mack Brown make a recruit not want to hang up on the head coach of floundering program with a losing culture. How many 4 or 3 star recruits were on that Heart of Dallas Bowl team. That team probably should have won the CUSA west division and they certainly weren't far from it. No one expecting any coach to come in here and win the "revenue" out conference games we schedule now. But if you think that Mack Brown's "half ass" recruiting would not probably yield better results than a young coach (few recruits or parents have heard of) "busting his ass" I think you are sorely mistaken. We have probably like 15k student living in Denton and have never filled that stadium, even after the Heart of Dallas Bowl. I talk to students and at 2/3 of them think are athletic program sucks and they go when it is convenient for them to "hang out". It is apparent to them by what they have seen and heard about the program that University is not serious about putting a competitive product on the field. And RV's continued employment is symbolic of that. Hiring Mack Brown would be something to counteract that perception. So it not just about Mack Brown it about the statement the university makes by hiring someone that everyone knows for being successful in a huge way at P5 school. It says UNT is serious about winning.

Are you talk about HIGH SCHOOL head coach Todd Dodge. When a recruit is thinking about selecting a next level program he isn't dazzled by a first time college head coach. And Todd recruited the talent that won the Heart of Dallas Bowl. It is insulting to Mack to even compare him to Todd Dodge and it insulting to everyone's intelligence to get them to make the comparison. By the way Dodge lost his best QB prospect (his son) to injury also else things might have been a little different.

And Larry Coker did not win a ring in TEXAS as a head coach. Never coached at a program in the state of Texas either. "UTSA went out and got a name coach with a national championship in Larry Coker. Hows that going for them? I don't want someone to come in here and use us as a retirement community." It got them from zero in 2007(no football program) to kicking our ass every time we play them. I believe that someone signature/tagline here is "it sucks being UTSA's bitch" that is because it does. SMH Who the hell has UNT ever hired with the stature in the same solar system as Mack Brown? Name a G5 program that hired a National Championship winning head coach from an FBS program from in the same state? Mack Brown calls a recruit he or his parents jump to take the call. He may not get 5 stars like he did at Texas and UNC but he sure hell could load up 3 stars to dominate CUSA.

Houston Nutt may be somewhat like Dan Mac with experience in a location closer to UNT. Mack Brown head coached in 2 national championship games and should have been in a 3rd if garbage tie breaking Big 12 rules and the BCS didn't screw the Longhorns. Dan Mac doesn't have NFL experience like Turner Gill either. But is all pointless to debate seriously with RV here. Only desperate coaches with no options are going to come here now with RV as AD. Any agent for a coach or a coach that does research himself will find out what is going on here and pass. UNT is going to have to overpay a coach that doesn't really want to come here. With so many jobs open right now; will be about 20+ Coordinator positions coaches would take over HC position at UNT not even to mention HC positions at other FBS and FCS schools. If RV is next year I am done. Not only with that but with gomeangreen.com cause it become a pointless exercise at that point. No magical perfect young coach is coming here. No matter how hard they work they are probably going have a walk-on 5' 9" Wide Receivers (with a lot of heart) being the best big play weapons on their teams. Sorry but that is not going to cut in CUSA. Maybe eek out west division title every 15 years or so maybe.

Hope the 17 enjoy their empty stadium Apogee private sports bar. Because if he hires another coach that turns into a failure that is what they will have. They will be longing for the days on 15k at Fouts Field. Maybe CUSA will eventually step in and put some pressure on them. North Texas is suppose to get them a few 1000 local DFW viewers, good luck with that with Rice or UTEP kicking our ass in an empty Apogee stadium on a Thursday or Saturday evening. The interview reminds me of vintage Jerry Jones talking about his GM skills in the late 1990s.

Turning our nose up at Mack Brown? How the hell is an up and coming coach going to be able to recruit here? You need a coach whose NAME can recruit in spite of where he is coaching. If Mack Brown is here good recruits take UNT seriously there is NO other name I have seen on gomeangreen.com that could do that. Recruits watch college football and Mack is on every week on pregame and halftime shows. It is silly I know but you have to think like a 16-17 year old. Get a grip people recruits with choices of any other Texas school right now other than maybe UTEP aren't coming here for any of these "up and coming coaches". A lot of them think that UNT is a backwater school hiring Mack Brown changes that perception (for some) instantly and it sure as hell does for their parents. i think turning our nose up at Mack Brown is ridiculously stupid. Hiring Mack Brown as head coach paves the way for an easy transition from RV as AD when RV's contract is up. You could move Mack Brown to AD and hire someone from his coaching tree. And then you could keep that up and coming coach for maybe more than 3 good years. You know what a mediocre last 20 year FBS history and a hard working "up and coming" coach gets you? It gets you the 102 ranked recruiting class and a tired frustrated "up and coming" coach that as soon he as put together a winning season is out the door. Dan Mac and Darrell Dickey were right it is hard as hell to recruit here. Their mistake was saying it publicly. i did not like hearing it but that does change the fact that is true. This year's recruiting class is an absolute lost cause unless you hire someone with Mack stature in Texas. Goodness how dense can we be?