Side Show Joe

If he can improve our O-line play, the I'm all for it. I think Littrell has proved he has the ability to evaluate quality coaches. The only reason we are even filling this job is because Seth's last O-line coach was hired away by a P5. I'm more concerned about his inability to sign more highly regarded football players. I think that is where our fan base needs to keep the microscope.

It a fantastic job!!! You get paid more then a million dollar over a five year span,.... Most private sector jobs don't pay that much. If you stink and do a terrible job, you are gone after five seasons. But, you do get to finish out your contract, and $1,000,000+ goes a long way if you are smart with your money.

This guy has been able to successfully recruit and win in the state of Texas. Is he an option? From his Baylor Bio: "Jerome Tang is in his 14th year as an assistant at Baylor, following 10 seasons as head coach at nationally recognized Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas. Tang has been integral in the Bears' rise to national prominence. As an original member of Scott Drew's Baylor staff, Tang has helped put together seven consensus top-25 recruiting classes, including 2010 (Perry Jones III), 2011 (Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello), 2012 (Isaiah Austin, Taurean Prince and Rico Gathers) and 2013 (Ishmail Wainright, Al Freeman and Johnathan Motley)." http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/tang_jerome00.html

This. I am excited about the possibilities. No association at all. I'm an art teacher. I sculpt on the side, although I've been spending more and more time sculpting lately. Right now I'm working on a sculpture of a colonial Spanish Texas predidio soldier from around 1760, for a museum in San Antonio. I tend to focus on historical figures. The nickname Side Show was given to me by my brother a long time ago.

I agree with all of this. I would also try to get him to narrate our intro videos every season. I'd also have him narrate all the football promos and commercials.

I will always appreciate what our past players have done for this program. I'm saying imagine the teams we might beat and bowls we might win if we actually got to the point where we were recruiting classes that ranked in the upper half of our conference, or even someday the top 50. If you don't want to see the North Texas program advance in the ranking and improve the talent on the field, then you obviously have a different plan for the future of our team. People can say "Stars don't matter" all the want, but the Alabamas, Ohio States, Clemsons, and Michigans of the football world seem to be doing well with their 4 and 5 star guys.

You were making a fair point until the last sentence.

I agree. If Brett wanted to take a swipe at Littrell for lowering the recruiting bar, then he should have just came out and done it. No need to place that demeaning quote into the article.

This class is in the bottom half of C-USA. We are losing more recruiting battles then we are winning. I know Littrell won five games this season, which was more then most of us believed possible, but even if he had only won 2 or 3, I expected this class to rank higher. Mac could have landed a class loaded with "2 Star" and "Only Offer" talent. Wilson has beaten Littrell on the field and now in recruiting. I don't want excuses, I want results. I can't see how any rational person could grade him out above a "C" right now.

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2017/01/unt-picks-up-late-commit-from-greg-white.html/ This Greg White addition looks good to me. I like that Littrell and company are not content to settle for 11th place. I applaud their effort. I glad they are leaving no stone unturned and scouring the country looking for quality players. I love DFW players, but we need the best we can get. If we need to take a kid from outside of Texas then so be it.

nm

This is how I feel, and I'm not going to sugar coat it. I did not expect Littrell to have us 11th out of 14 teams in C-USA just days before national signing day. I'm glad we are adding players at positions of need, but overall our staff should be recruiting better. I hope we have good surprises by signing day. In my opinion, the players Vito is mentioning in this report are not enough to make this a good crop. And, it turns my stomach to see UTSA sitting in first. Littrell and company need to do better. This just won't cut it. I expect better.

Circumstances change situations. Nebraska isn't the program it used to be. They have not played a game in DWF since losing the Big12 Championship game back in 2010, and as of now, they don't have a game scheduled in DWF for at least the next 15 seasons (thru 2031). So yes, I think Nebraska would at lest consider a home and home with North Texas. It would be a smart more for them to get their team in front of DFW recruits.

Gosh if you set that low of a ceiling for North Texas, why are you even a fan? This is why scheduling a home and homes with these programs is better then bending over on the road every season... Littrell is improving our program. These games would not even start until 2019. That's 3 seasons from now. I expect us to be better by then. If you don't, then you need to re-access your priorities as they pertain to what you expect from the North Texas football program. This is why scheduling these home and homes are better for recruiting... First, I don't expect to beat out most P5 programs for recruits, and I never stated we would. But, scheduling these home and home series, will elevate the perception of our program, and help us win recruiting battles with other C-USA programs and many of the other G5 programs in general. I believe there are more P5 programs out there that would be willing to play at North Texas, because they would love the opportunity to place their product in front of talented DFW recruits. We all need to expect more.

That is great news. You should make a thread for news like that. +1 for you!

I don't think there a a single reason for our issues in recruiting. I think it is a combination of things. The perception of North Texas football over the last decade hasn't helped. -Most of these recruits we around 4 years old when we went to the 2004 New Orleans Bowl. Aside from the 2013 HOD and this past season's HOD, all they know is the other 10 seasons. That can't be good for our recruiting. -Our facilities are nice, but other programs have some things we don't. That probably factors into some recruits not signing with us too. -Scheduling is also an issue. Wren did a great job of signing Tech to a home and home. That is a great start. To be honest, I think he will be working to adjust and improve the OOC schedule for the next few seasons. - Our media deal stinks. Players want to be on TV. Some of these things are out of our control. We can't change the past. The Dodge and Mac losses will always be there. The C-USA media deal will remain crappy. We don't appear to have the funds to build an indoor practice facility. We need to focus on what we do have, and develop a plan to take advantage of those assets. North Texas has a large alumni base, and we are the only public university in a region with over 8 million people that covers more then 42 thousand square miles. That means North Texas represents a larger population and a larger area then many states. I think we need to focus on signing more home and home series with P5 programs, and commit more funds to promoting North Texas throughout our region. We try to get the attention of DFW, but seem to forget Wichita Falls and Sherman are also within our territory. Both of those communities have TV stations that broadcast out around 50 miles from their locations. They need news too. Plus, both are within an hour and a half drive of Denton. We need to do more to target those communities. I believe this would have a positive impact on recruiting, attendance, and our perception within the North Texas region.

Another change to the schedule could be made by adding a home and home with Nebraska. The Huskers have an opening for a road game in 2020. We could easily give them the return game in 2022. All we have to do is drop Houston Baptist. This is what the change would look like. 2020- SMU, @A&M, Houston Baptist, @Army 2022- SMU, @Memphis or 2020- SMU, @A&M, Nebraska, @Army 2022- SMU, @Memphis, @Nebraska If Wren were able to Drop both Wisconsin and Houston Baptist, and add home and homes with OK St. and Nebraska, this is what our future schedule could look like. 2019- Abilene Christian, @SMU, Army, @Oklahoma State 2020- SMU, @A&M, Nebraska, @Army 2022- @SMU, Army, Oklahoma State, @Nebraska That is a non conference schedule the athletic department can sell to recruits and potential season ticket purchasers. People like us will buy our season tickets and be at the games, but we need to think of how we can tap into our large alumni base in DFW, and attract more media attention in Texas. Plus, I think a schedule like this would help us win more battles for some of the higher regarded recruits.

Can Wren drop our road trip to Wisconsin and add a home and home with OK State? Oklahoma State needs a home game in 2019, and has an opening for a road game in 2022. Stillwater is fairly close to Denton, and would bring a large crowd. Plus it would be a game we could sell to local recruits. This is what the change in schedule would look like. Changes are in bold. 2019- Abilene Christian, @SMU, Army, @Wisconsin 2022- @SMU, Army changed to 2019- Abilene Christian, @SMU, Army, @Oklahoma State 2022- @SMU, Army, Oklahoma State What do you think? And, how much might it cost to get out of the Winconsin game?

These players are not stupid. They have to know Benford will be gone. If they are going to transfer, they are going to transfer. The sooner we get moving forward in our search for a new coach, the better. If we stink for the rest of the season under an interim basketball coach, as least it will come with the disclaimer that we are in the process of finding a new coach.

I don't see Dooley as a risk. Florida Gulf Coast has an RPI of around 100. We are around 300. I have no problem with him making more then 400K, or paying off his FGC contract. Our athletic department has wasted money on losing coaches. Dooley went to Florida Gulf Coast from Kansas, but he has managed to recruit just fine over there. I have no problem with him not having Texas ties. He is a proven winner, not a risk.

If that were to happen, and I believe it could be a possibility, then Benford was recruiting the wrong kind of players. Those jerseys say North Texas on them, not Benford. If they don't want to play for North Texas, then they can follow Benford to where ever he ends up.

No. I want a proven winner at the top level of college basketball. Dooley took FGC to the NCAA Tourny and looked respectable doing it. I think Dooley would be a great hire.

I know he doesn't have solid Texas ties, but the guy is a winner, and we need a winner. Dooley was an assistant coach at Kansas for 10 seasons,where he won a national title in 2008. Dooley is working on his 4 straight 20 win season at Florida Gulf Coast. This season FGC lost by one point to #13 Michigan State, and beat UT- Arlington by 13 point. Also Dooley is 3-0 against C-USA teams this season, which is much better then Benford. Dooley is also affordable. I believe he is only making around $260,000. I really hope Wren is looking at this guy.

At this point it really doesn't matter, as long as Benford is removed from the equation. Either can can hold the wheel on this sinking ship, while we start the search for a basketball coach. Let them. No one is at the Super Pit to watch them anyway, and this season is already lost. Our new coach will want to recruit to his style of play anyway. Had Benford been replaced last off-season, we would not be in this spot.

Benford has turned our basketball program into a joke. Some of us said Benford should have been fired with Mac, and then also said he should go with RV. Others on this board said he should get to coach this season because he finally had his team in place. Well, those wanting to give him this season were wrong. Benford just can't coach. Johnny Jones left North Texas with a respectable and competitive program. Benford has been allowed to run it into the ground. The North Texas men's basketball team hasn't won a road game in over a year! How much longer do we have to wait before this situation gets addressed. If you don't want to fire him, then reassign him. Let someone else coach out the rest of the season. Just please don't let Benford anywhere near the court.