McCarney: Mean Green ‘not as talented’

Ben Gooding · October 10, 2014

I have to disagree. The youth excuse doesn't apply in your fourth year. This should be the year that Dan McCarney's first recruiting class filled the shoes of the seniors who departed after last year. That shows that our recruiting is still not where it needs to be.

agree. But it's not that we are losing. I don't want people to be misled. We are gong to lose football games here and there. The issue is how we have been losing. Mac has a philosophy and people are using what he tries to do and are doing it very well against us bc of our personnel; run the ball and stop the run. This is the issue. Losing games is whatever, getting ran on for 600-700 in our 3 losses is the issue. Of course the rush defense as a whole will look adequate bc our wins are against SMU (who throws 50+ a game) and Nicholls, but reality is our rush D is not very good bc of recruiting/underdevelopment/or whatever you want to call it.

stryker · October 11, 2014

I haven't kept up with the roster turnover, but if there's not much left from Mac's first two classes which should be playing key roles right now, then that falls on the coach. Regarding the rush defense, I thought at the beginning of the year that would be a strength even with the losses of players like Orr. I expected the offense would be the unit struggling as the quarterback situation was sorted out.

greenminer · October 11, 2014

I haven't kept up with the roster turnover, but if there's not much left from Mac's first two classes which should be playing key roles right now, then that falls on the coach.

I fault coaches for a lot of things: player evaluation, player development, etc.

What I don't fault them for are players that leave the program. Can you explain why you do, and maybe why I should too?

Ben Gooding · October 11, 2014

A part of coaching is that super cliche phrase of "buying in." If your team isn't buying in then you as a coach are not doing your job.

Did this really need to be explained to you?

Edited October 11, 2014 by Ben Gooding

greenit · October 11, 2014

Part of building a program is defining a culture. As a coach, you have to show the players who is in charge and what is required if you want to play. Many times, kids have their own opinions in terms of work ethic, commitment, etc... You could look at the situation as Coach Mac was willing to run off some very talented players in their first couple of years rather than compromise. I can deal with that.

Remember that a lot of these players from the first couple of recruiting classes were coming into a program with a history of losing and could have easily had expectations of playing right away and when they didn't crack the lineup immediately decided to bolt. Hard to say without being on the inside, but would not be hard to imagine. Hopefully, the culture is changing.

I feel like the last 2 classes were pretty solid. It will be interesting to see how they both pan out.

Ben Gooding · October 11, 2014

Did Mac run them off or did they decide to part ways? Big difference. I can understand Mac cutting away cancers, but letting 3* recruits just walk out on their own terms is not reasonable and shouldn't happen. I don't think no one knows the full extent as to why a lot of Macs best recruits have folded shop at UNT, but there has to be some kind of explanation. As a coach your job is to reach out to these players and be rest assured that all 85 are bought in and are moving forward fully understanding what is expected from each one. Even if it means spending extra time on certain guys, that's what you have to do to keep your recruiting classes intact and your team coherent. Anyways, enough of this BS for the day. Beat UAB, GMG

greenit · October 11, 2014

Did Mac run them off or did they decide to part ways? Big difference. I can understand Mac cutting away cancers, but letting 3* recruits just walk out on their own terms is not reasonable and shouldn't happen. I don't think no one knows the full extent as to why a lot of Macs best recruits have folded shop at UNT, but there has to be some kind of explanation. As a coach your job is to reach out to these players and be rest assured that all 85 are bought in and are moving forward fully understanding what is expected from each one. Even if it means spending extra time on certain guys, that's what you have to do to keep your recruiting classes intact and your team coherent. Anyways, enough of this BS for the day. Beat UAB, GMG

I agree that we don't really know which I said it is hard to say since none of us are on the inside. However, as a coach you have to be consistent. On the outside looking in, it seems like Coach Mac as been pretty consistent, but like most coaches he seems to have picked a few scenarios where he has strayed from the norm. I have no idea if the kids that left did so on their own, or the coaches made it clear they needed to leave, or a little of both. You can't let talent just walk out the door, but you can't let the inmates run the asylum either.

All in all, I feel strongly that Coach Mac has increased the profile and outside perception of the program. He does not have to win every game or every recruiting battle for me continue supporting the team. He has my support and I don't see that changing anytime soon. At some point I have to trust that he knows what he is doing.

NT03 · October 12, 2014

Looks like Dan McCarney is missing all those Todd Dodge recruits now. Funny cause he used to talk down on the Dodge guys in our meetings.
— Austin Fitzpatrick (@TheAustinFitz)
October 11, 2014

Travis · October 12, 2014

Who is Austin Fitzpatrick?

GMG24 · October 12, 2014

Who is Austin Fitzpatrick?

Hahaha I wondered the same thing

Travis · October 12, 2014

Was he the old d coordinator before skladany?

GMG24 · October 12, 2014

TE who never played from friendswood??

Travis · October 12, 2014

TE who never played from friendswood??

Oh ok. Thank you.

GMG24 · October 12, 2014

Daniel Pryor was the 36th best LB IN THE NATION and he's playing TE?? Hmm.... Dodge back to recruit?? Yes please!

Ben Gooding · October 12, 2014

Oh this is great. Former player (Dodge recruit) chiming in giving his 2 cents. They should all chime in as far as I'm concerned. Mac spat in their faces when he first got on campus basically calling the cupboard bare and it was one of the smallest, slowest D1 programs he has witnessed. Then 4 years of his own recruiting and 2014 happens....Way to go Coach!

All About UNT · October 12, 2014

Noticed Schrapps's brother said something similar

Green P1 · October 12, 2014

Thread title should read.

Mean Green: McCarney ‘not as talented’

Edited October 12, 2014 by Green P1

Got5onIt · October 13, 2014

Mac setting up the fanbase for a dose of reality come year's end?

DallasGreen · October 14, 2014

Not really. Last year at this point the 3 losses had been by a combined 33 points. Including a top 10 Georgia team.

This year the three losses are by 77 points. That's over two td's a game in difference.

It's the lack of competitiveness in the losses that is the most troubling thing to me.

Just look at the records of the teams to whom we have lost --UT 2-4 and struggling ; La Tech loses to FCS Northwestern State; IU-has one quality win against a Missouri team that has since proven to be greatly overrated as well as IU having lost to FCS Bowling Green; UAB outside of scoring points against MSU nothing of consequence even losing to FIU. This is MUCH different than last season when we competed with Ohio, Georgia, and Tulane in mostly games that were decided in the fourth quarter not by halftime or before as this year has been. I see no leadership and little toughness in this year's team. As MAC said at last night's show being " soft and light between the ears" is not a good combination. Anybody else think that was in direct reference to DaJon?