Side Show Joe

The men's golf team is ranked 27th in the latest poll. They've finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their three tournaments this fall. Ortiz has 2 first place finishes in the 3.

I wanted to go to the game. A noon tip off is bad for me. I hope the students show up, because many of us won't be able to. Maybe a better way to get UNT students out is have tailgating for basketball games. Move tip off to 6:30, and have tailgating start at 3. Most students don't have Friday classes, and those that do are usually done by 3. The game will be done by 10, so they can go out and celebrate the win. I think Jones and the team should lead the fans down to the administration building after every win to light the tower green. I think that would get everyone excited, and make a positive impression on recruits.

This is great news. Is it too early to give Jones a contract extension? I really don't want to lose him to a bigger program.

Western Kentucky put a whooping on ULL. the losing streak is over. Are we going to be getting any players back for next weeks game?

I could not agree more.

I still like Fran, because he has won everywhere he has coached, has the Texas recruiting ties, and name recognition we need to turn this thing around, but if we end up with Leavitt I'd be very happy. Leavitt has already done everything we would be asking him to do. He has proved he can build a program with limited resources, and develop a strong fan base. This is great news.

Hootenhappylavender... I forgot to mention that Fran's A&M teams beat Texas his last 2 seasons coaching there. Anyway...Bower is a good coach, but I've heard nothing to indicate he is interested in coaching here... Fran interviewed the last time around, so I'd expect him to interview again... RV may like Bower, but I don't think the search firm will select him as the best option for North Texas. Just my opinion.

It's no secret that the Texas running game has struggled the past few years. Texas recruits some of the top talent in the country at every position and still has trouble running the ball. Charles was the last good back out of Texas. If this were only a problem this season I'd be ok with saying it could be the fault of the O-line coach or the O-Coordinator, but it has been a few years since Texas has run the ball well, and they had some good O- lines for most of the last few seasons. The plain truth is Texas has too much talent not to have a top running back, so it must be the coaching.

Because the Texas running game is so good this year??? No thanks. And lets not be so quick to anoint Bower. He is good, but I think we can do better. Lets see what the search firm has to say, and then debate their selections.

After looking at the records of coach Fran, Leavitt, and Bower, I have a better opinion of who I would like as the next coach. I didn't include Leach because I think he will get a better offer from a bigger program. Leavitt never had a losing season in the Big East, but also was very average when USF was in C-USA. Also, South Florida has never had a 10 win season. Does he have any recruiting connections in Texas? That said, I think he would do a fine job at UNT. Bower had a long successful run at Southern Miss, but he too never had a 10 win season. Aside from a few years as a quarterbacks coach at SMU, I don't know if Bower has recruiting connections in Texas either. He's not a widely known name among recruits either. Can he get players excited to come to North Texas? That said, I don't know if he would be better for us then Canales. I guess we will see what Canales can do at WKU. Coach Fran has won everywhere he has been, and he has been to the top of the college football world (Alabama). He has had two 10 win seasons, one at TCU, and one at Alabama. He did struggle at A&M, but he was also coaching and recruiting against Stoops, Brown, and Leach. That said, he still posted an overall winning record at A&M. The recruits in Texas know who he is, and he has all the recruiting connections after having coached at both A&M and TCU. Of these coaches I think Coach Fran is the best option for North Texas. We play in the Sun Belt. With coach Fran I think North Texas would dominate the conference and upset several out of conference teams. I feel Fran would bring new fans to the games, and needed media attention. With conference realignment always in the back of our minds, I think coach Fran would give us the best chance to make a move up. When the search firm (probably Chuck Neinas) gives its recommendation to North Texas I think coach Fran will be the top name on the list. It just makes too much sense.

I really like coach Fran if we can get him. He has the name recognition and success we need to lure in good recruits, and he has been a winner everywhere he has been. He lives in Texas, and would probably like being able to stay in state and coach. With so many players finishing after this season, we need a guy like Fran with a son at a top JC. If Fran wants to bring him in as a coordinator, I'm good with that. The big questions are, do we have enough money to get him here? and can we hire him before some other school does? More coaches are going to be fired, and I'm sure his name will be on some of their lists.

If we make a good hire, this won't be an issue. Players will be excited about playing for our new coach if we get a proven winner.

I agree, and I'll take it a step further. I'm tired of the word potential. I don't want us taking some position coach because he has the potential to be a good FBS coach someday. I want a coach that has made some noise in FBS football. Someone the recruits have heard of and can get excited about playing for. I'm tired of us being that school with potential. This is the time for us to change that, but we need a quality name coach, who has been a winner at the FBS level to go along with our stadium. As a person I liked and respected Dodge, but his coaching set our on the field performance back at least 4 years. Maybe longer, depending on how long it takes the new coach to install players that fit his system. We can't afford another bad hire, or a decade of North Texas football will be irrelevant, and we will remain a program with potential.

Rick, Thanks for updating us die hards with new information. I'd love to hear more.

I think it is the biggest hire since Fry, and could end up being bigger, if we do it right. I hope the BOR sells out, breaks the piggy bank, mortgages the university's future, and spends an obscene amount of money to hire a top notch college football coach & staff. I know we don't have the boosters to bank roll this kind of move, so I hope the BOR can get it done.

If we are going to put high profile big money coaches like Leach in this fictitious poll, why can't we add Chris Peterson. If we could hypotheticlly afford Leach, then we could afford Peterson too. Minnesota seems to think it would cost about $3 millon a year to smuggle him out of Boise. Also, I don't think we should be looking at coordinators or lower level head coaches. We have Patterson and Jones in DFW too. In all of college football you can count the number of head coaches that have taken non BCS teams to BSC bowl on one hand, and both of these guys are in that small exclusive group. In my opinion, we need a proven big name coach that can recruit against these guys and build a team that can compete with them. There is an arms race in college football, but there is a mini arms race in DFW, and I believe all three programs can benifit. None more then UNT, because we are the largest, and have the greatest potential. But I don't think we can do it without a proven name coach with a history of winning. Lets get this right. I like coach Fran, Leavitt, Leach, and Peterson, if we could afford the last two. After that, I don't know.

I'm watching the Tennessee/Jacksonville game. I wonder if we coild go after Chuck Cecil. I like the Titans D. I wonder what he makes a year?

Side Show Joe Age: 37 in a few days Why I'd be a good coach: I'm the current "Teacher of the Year" at my school. That means I'm good with kids. I coached the Chi Omega girls to the Sorority Championship Game twice at MSU. That was lots of fun... Lots. As a player, I never played on a losing team, and I'm going all the way back to pee wee. North Dallas 40 is still my favorite football movie. Necessary Roughness is second. I hate the prevent defense. I'd run out on to the field waving the big North Texas Battle Flag before every game. I'd put speakers in the visitor's locker room at the new stadium, and hook it up so when the lights are on "Tip Toe Through the Tulips", plays very loud on a continuous loop. I'm old school. That means I played back when coaches hit players. Not that I would. At practice coaches would gives us some water with our dirt during our water break, and run us 'til we were gasping for air, call us into a huddle, and then the coaches would fart. That's the kind of toughness I'd demand of players. I'd be a tough coach. Yeah, that's it. Why I'd be a bad coach: Aside from the wonderful experience of coaching sorority girls, I've never done any real coaching. I use profanity that would make Gary DeLoach blush. I'd publicly bad-mouth recruits that turn us down, and the programs they went to. I'd drink too much at the Monday radio show from the Pourhouse. I'd call the local radio shows, T.V. news, and newspapers, and complain about their coverage of North Texas athletics. I'd guarantee wins, even if I didn't think we had a chance of winning. I'd bet on our games. I'm a gambling man like Pete Rose. Compensation: Whatever they are paying Dodge. I'd take less, but I need some scratch to bet with.

I woke up this morning still angry about the way things are going for our football program. After last nights game I don't know if I can find any possible wins left on the schedule. I had to go get something to eat, and on the way, I decided to stop by the new stadium. I saw it last night from Fouts, but had not stopped by and had a good look at it for a while. That thing is beautiful. There were cars in the lot, but I didn't run into anyone at the complex. After my visit, I left feeling a little better. That stadium is too impressive not to have a bright future. I have to believe RV will get this program there. If you are mad, angry, or depressed, stop by the new stadium for a minute. It might just recharge your batteries.

You need to add "reassigned on Monday" as an option to this poll. That's my guess.

If the guys in charge at the athletic complex want to get some of the heat off themselves and win back the fan base, they need to reassign Dodge on Monday. It's a by week. That would give Canales two week to play mad scientist. We will probably be no better, but we need to make the change, so we can start the search for a new coach.

The team is better on offense and defense because Dodge has less say in those areas then he did during the first 3 years. That said, we are no better in the wins column, and that's why people feel he needs to go. I'm sorry, but unless he gets 7 wins, I think he needs to go. I know you must be a big Dodge fan. I hope you have a chance to continue your support of him when he is coaching high school again.

I'm not asking the guy to walk on water, or cure cancer. I just want the guy to win more games then he loses. We play in the Sun Belt for crying out loud. I don't think we are asking for too much. If you want to label me or other fans "Dodge haters" for that, it's your choice, but I think it's weak. Every coach going back to 1979 has a better winning percentage then Dodge, and none of them had a winning record. We got rid of all of them. This whole argument reminds me of those schools that don't give ribbons at field day, because they don't want kids to feel bad when they lose.

I kind of feel like the "must win" tag went out with the Rice and Army games. The chance for 7 wins is all but over. To me these are "salvage something from this season" games.

This is true. No North Texas coach since Fry has had a winning record, but do any have a worse winning percentage then Dodge?