Green Dozer

This game could be as exciting as TCU & Boise, so I won't miss it. I turned on the tube the other night a little late to watch TCU/Boise ST and Boise was ahead 13-0, so I switched over to the Mavs, which I now deeply regret. The Independence Bowl has had a history of exciting games, though they do not shake up the standings. No stellar records here, but it still could be a bowl game that you may read about and wished you had watched just from a football fan perspective. Northern Illinois (6-6) completed one of the best turnarounds in college football this season under first-year coach Jerry Kill, after winning just two games in 2007. The Bulldogs (7-5) played their way into their first bowl game since 2001 by winning five of their last seven games. Watching it could give all the Mean Green Nation some hope for our future. Hey Fake Lonnie Lynch, this game is right up your alley! Anybody going to the Armed Forces Bowl Wednesday?

Jerry Jones only needs to look in the mirror, and he will see who he should blame for not being able to win a playoff game. Until he hires a coach, tells the players that that person is in charge, then stays out of the way, the Cowboys will stay on this course. The Al Davis model has not worked in Oakland for years, and it isn't going to work here.

Does not take a rocket scientist to guess who the basketball coach was. Good post Lifer!

I think they play A&M in their stadium...not Dolphin Stadium. Stadium is suppose to be expanded to hold 45K by 2011, and they play A&M in 2013: "FIU Stadium underwent an expansion beginning in March 2007, and completed in September 2008, for the 2008 football season. Upon completion, seating capacity was increased to 20,000 seats, including 1,400 club seats. In addition, the stadium has a 6,500-square-foot (600 m2) Panther Club on the ground level, an upper concourse for additional fan seating and concessions, a new press box, new lighting, a jumbotron scoreboard, new coaches' offices, locker rooms, expansion of the weight room, and 19 suites. Seating includes chairback seats and bench seating, all with backrests for fan convenience. Additional phases of construction will include a student support complex and will bring the stadium’s seating capacity to approximately 45,000 by the 2011 football season."

Ford and George are the only ones with no college coaching experience. And George coached our lone All American candidate.

FFR probably knows this guy, John Lott, as they starred in the movie, "Necessary Roughness". Anyway, he and I went to high school together here in Denton, graduating in 1982. His playing history at UNT is mentioned below. Believe me, he did not possess a lot of natural athletic ability, and worked his ass to off to go as far as he did in his playing career, proof that 90% of a lot of things is attitude. His dad was Dr. Lott who taught biology for years at UNT. Anyway, many of you will know him if you watch NFL films coverage of the scouting combine in Indy. He is the one who screams at the players when they are doing the tests on weights. Anyway, maybe he knows some young strength coach who needs a place to build his reputation just like John did at the University of Houston: John Lott College: North Texas Hometown: Denton, TX DOB: May 9, 1964 Cardinal Season: 2nd NFL Season: 13th John Lott, a 12-year NFL assistant, enters his second season as the Cardinals strength and conditioning coach after being hired on 1/19/07. Previously with the Cleveland Browns prior to joining Arizona (2005-06), Lott served in the same capacity with the New York Jets for eight years (1997-2004) where he worked with current Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt in 2000. A native of Denton, TX, Lott has earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most demanding strength and conditioning coaches, consistently challenging the players with off-the-field preparation both during the season and off-season. A fixture at the NFL scouting combine each February in Indianapolis, Lott was also recognized by Power Magazine as the 2001 Powermag All-NFL Team Top Strength Coach. During his first season in Arizona, Lott was responsible for overseeing the redesign of the team’s weight room. The weight room was completely made over during a six-week span at the cost of several hundred thousand dollars to update equipment and the overall look. Lott’s programs stress Olympic movements, as well as strength and speed development, and he has also devised strict individual in-season programs to help the players increase their overall stamina and endurance. He is also responsible for working with injured players on secondary rehabilitation programs. He originally joined the Jets in 1997 after serving as the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Houston for six years (1991-96) where he supervised the strength and conditioning program for all 14 varsity sports with a primary focus on football, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field and the nationally ranked men’s golf team. During his tenure at Houston, Lott designed and oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art 17,000-square foot weight room (the largest in the country at the time of its completion). Prior to his work at Houston, Lott served two years (1989-90) in the same capacity at his alma mater, the University of North Texas, overseeing all 11 varsity sports programs. Lott has a strong track background, having worked as the strength and conditioning coach of the Santa Monica Track Club and trained Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell and Mike Marsh. Lott also worked with the 1992 and 1996 Indonesian National track teams, as well as with select members of the Japanese National track team in preparation for the Olympics in 1992 and 1996. Overall, the athletes he tutored garnered six world records and 12 Olympic medals. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1987 under head coach Chuck Noll and went to training camp with the New York Jets in 1988. Lott was a standout offensive lineman at North Texas where he earned four varsity letters and was named All-Conference twice and All-America his senior year. He was twice voted "Most Dedicated" and a team captain by his teammates and graduated as the strongest man in school history. Lott earned his bachelor’s degree in corporate fitness in 1988 with minors in biology and kinesiology and later earned his master's degree in physical education from Crescent City Christian College in 1990. He served as assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Texas in 1988. He also appeared in a minor role in the film Necessary Roughness, which was shot on the North Texas campus. Lott and his wife Kim have a son, Jasper Ryan, and a daughter, Kaitlyn Grace.

Questioning is bashing, give me a break. Besides, last I checked this is the UNT football team. And if you had read my post completely, I asked "Is this correct?" to bigntex. But, you did not see that because you couldn't wait to tell me how many players are gone. How many of Arkansas' players have left since Petrino took over for Nutt? Not all recruits complete their eligibility at any school. Also, to come to a program that has had the pains that this one has gone through over the past 3 years makes it hard for a kid to want to help build it when he is used to winning, and also when there are a lot more fun things to do on a Saturday than get your chin strap handed to you. And you know what the sad part is, if we had won 12 or so games over these past two seasons, nobody would care about any of these players. Many, and I think including you, would say that is just part of the process when there is a coaching change.

We only have two coaches on our staff with no college experience.

90, Any sportswriter at the Record Chronicle is safe. They do not give a damned about anything sports related there.

Have to agree with Video Eagle's post. Nothing you or a couple of drones like you have said was going to happen has taken place. No mass exit of players, no parents riot at the athletic office, no big scandals. My understanding was that the 15 players that tested positive for the drugs were all juniors and seniors. Is that correct? That means it was none of the SLC boys. These SLC boys can afford to move on, so why haven't they? One more thing, who lives with who's girlfriend does not have squat to do with wins and losses on the football field. Can't you come up with anything other than this college social soap opera? Back up some of these vague hints with some verifiable facts before you jump out somebody like Video.

I believe Dodge is loyal to his assistants to a fault. I do not think Dodge would have let Mendoza go if not told to, nor would Deloach have been his choice at def. coordinator. I also do not think he was going to fire Drake. That said, I appreciate the efforts Drake made here, and it takes a real man to admit that a job is not for him. I applaud his principles when it comes to his family. I am sure he did not show up every day here wanting to make a mess of the special teams that it had become. As for a dedicated strength coach, it is the best move for this team to make. I was thinking last night about why the Cowboys have not made won a playoff game in 12 years. There are a lot of reasons, but in the 90's, Johnson made sure they were the best conditioned team in the NFL. Remember the training camps in the Texas heat of Austin, and then Wichita Falls. The superstars of his teams were not missing games due to nagging injuries. I hope that we get a coach so good that we set the standard for our offseason program at least in our conference, and hopefully at the mid major level. I do not care if it is a Dodge homey, as BigNtex said about somebody, if it translates into wins!

Well, no, I was not going for anything, really. Just glancing over the coaches, and noticed that we did not have as much as a high school staff as has been brought up so much. But since you said something, fact is neither of us can say what Fitzy would have done under Dickey. Did you see him in Dickey's offense? He flourished under this system, that is where his #'s came from. The offense was not installed here because he had ran up some big numbers before Dodge got here, so Dodge installed the spread because he was the next Crabtree.. And again, the ones who left, it happens. But to call the freshmen and sophmores that are still here busts at this point is not fare. I was not waiting for any of this, by the way. My post was just pointing out that the level of experience by the staff was not as is sometimes perceived, plain and simple.

Found this interesting. Our lone All American candidate, Casey Fitzgerald, was coached by a "high school" coach. Only 3 coaches on this coaching staff came from the high school level, the other 6 have coached at the college level: 1) David Rausch: Rausch coached two seasons at Hardin-Simmons University before coming to North Texas. 2) Chuck Petersen: Prior to North Texas, Petersen spent 17 years at Air Force. While with the Falcons, Petersen served as offensive coordinator for seven seasons and quarterbacks coach for 10 seasons. He also coached wide receivers from 1991-1996. 3) Spencer Leftwich: Prior to his return to North Texas, Leftwich spent four years at Tulsa, where he took Jeff Perrett (2006), Jesse Stoneham (2005), Derek Warehime (2004) and Austin Chadwick (2003) to all-conference first-team honors. Chadwick’s honor in 2003 was the first time since 1998 that a Tulsa offensive lineman had been named all-conference. 4) Clayton George - prior experience was high school, but was the position coach for Fitzgerald. 5) Shelton Gandy- Prior to North Texas, Gandy spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech. 6) Robert Drake: 17 years at Carroll, and obviously in over his head. 7) Todd Ford: high school 8) Gary Deloach: UNT, UCLA, pro level, etc. 9) Todd Dodge: coached here in '92, played quarterback in a major college football program Point is 6 of the nine coaches have coached at the college level.

Best decision of the year concerning the football program. To Bigntex, Coach Dodge is very down to earth. Always visited my table at the coach's show and very friendly.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is such thing as a "hot seat" here at North Texas. I think it may get warm, but not as hot as it needs to be.

If there is a limit, I certainly would not want my def. coordinator to be one of the ones not recruiting. That does not make any sense, and if that is the case here, it needs to change. As to whether Deloach could be the head coach here or anywhere else, my understanding is he has never wanted to be a head coach.

I think it is Deloach that is leaving. Posts on this board have said he has not been involved in recruiting, and perhaps this is one of the reasons. Just my opinion.

Also would explain why there has not been much participation in the way of recruiting by Deloach, as many of you have pointed out.

Yea, and these guys have plenty of experience. This is their first senior class at Guyer, so these guys have 2 full seasons at least of varsity football. Everybody raves about how hard this o line has worked.

Agree, and he would be crazy as hell to take the Iowa State job.

Did the tooth fairy leave a good percentage of the 30 million under you or RV's pillow? Is Santa going to bring the rest?

UNT FOOTBALL STADIUM ALUMNI TASK FORCE One of our wealthier donors getting others to commit

Thought the same thing. Coach Stephens must have talked with Deloach on how to not have anybody question your decisions.

Remember, Blakeney also has some NCAA baggage from his days at Auburn. I think that hurts him, despite what he has done at Troy.

All very interesting but no mention of how it will be financed? Yes, I know about the athletic fee, but getting that approved by the legislature is required whether you are building a stadium or not, so the legislature approval is for the fee, not the stadium. You and I have discussed the other 30 million or so needed above the student fee, and you voiced your concerns. Have you heard anything substanital that would alleviate your concerns about the financing?