McCarney’s candid remarks about the situation at UNT

Harry · October 14, 2014

Dan McCarney made what I thought was a pretty telling comment about the situation at North Texas earlier today. I mentioned it in my press conference notes, but this deserves its own post and its own discussion because I think McCarney really provides some good insight here

This isnt the easiest place in the world to recruit to. This isnt the easiest place in the world when you have a track record and a lot of years of losing. Just because you put up some cement and some bigger stands, that doesnt make it easy."

Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/10/mccarneys-candid-remarks-about-the-situation-at-unt.html/

GreenMachine · October 14, 2014

Dan McCarney made what I thought was a pretty telling comment about the situation at North Texas earlier today. I mentioned it in my press conference notes, but this deserves its own post and its own discussion because I think McCarney really provides some good insight here
This isnt the easiest place in the world to recruit to. This isnt the easiest place in the world when you have a track record and a lot of years of losing. Just because you put up some cement and some bigger stands, that doesnt make it easy."
Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/10/mccarneys-candid-remarks-about-the-situation-at-unt.html/

what would you expect him to say? That him and his staff aren't getting the job done when it comes to recruiting? Of course he isn't going to take the blame.

JRock · October 14, 2014

Thanks Harry. That's a great write up by Vito. As much as I have complained about Vito in the past, this one is respectful and spot on.

keith · October 14, 2014

Well that didn't take long. Starting to tire of this regime.

Edited October 14, 2014 by keith

UNTexas · October 14, 2014

It sounds like he's making excuses before the season is even over. Maybe they see the writing on the wall that the season is doomed. Who knows. Whatever. The players will hear every word he said. Hell, recruits may as well.

If they are going to make excuses publicly then at least it tells me why the players quit playing hard last week. One thing I've never really seen UNT do in my 21 years following UNT is lay down the way they did Saturday. And those were some brutal 21 years of football to follow.

I don't even know what to think about the state of the program now.

BillySee58 · October 14, 2014

I'm sorry, but I just don't like hearing that. Take a look at Western Michigan's 2014 signees and 2015 commits. Western Michigan! It's cold up there, but they still convinced Javonte Seabury to say "no thanks national champs FSU" and "no thanks 'The U.'" I'm leaving the sunshine state and taking my talents to Kalamazoo!

http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Javonte-Seabury-32993/RecruitInterests

Here's the rest of their 2014 and 2015 classes. Take a look at some of these kids' offer lists.

http://westernmichigan.247sports.com/Season/2014-Football/Commits

http://westernmichigan.247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/Commits

And I've watched them play some this year. They have a much improved football team, especially from a talent aspect and those young guys are already contributing. They were 1-11 last year, but they already have 3 wins this year. Their true freshman running back already has rushed for over 800 yards and 15 scores. They have a young coach who is selling the heck out of that program, and those kids are buying it. He's had some rough moments learning as a coach, but he's getting talented kids and getting them to believe in that program. Good recruiters can get kids to go anywhere. I'm not saying we need to start getting recruiting classes as good as Western Michigan, but they aren't making excuses and look what it's getting them.

Edited October 14, 2014 by BillySee58

Mean Green Matt · October 14, 2014

Simply an excuse hidden as an explanation. I will continue to believe greater things are ahead but this is far from the optimistic tone we heard when he first started here.

TheColonyEagle · October 14, 2014

That's really troubling…...

talk about how difficult it is to recruit here

after talking about the unbelievable players that led you to the 9-4 bowl winning season who are gone

most of which who were recruited by arguably the worst coach in the history of the program who at best had pictures of a possible new stadium to sell

talk about how difficult the situation was when you got here (that the last guy left) all the while enjoying the talent he evidently brought in…..that you now can't seem to bring in

I was not a fan of Todd Dodge when he was here but the situation we have now at UNT is arguably the best it's ever been. The guy whose mess McCarney had to turn around had a mess as well. He evidently still got talent in here (just didn't know what to do with it)

……really troubling

untbowler · October 14, 2014

just pathetically sad that he would make that statement.

DMac was handed the golden goose with a new stadium to get recruits, forget the losing record, this is on the coaches for not recruiting well and connecting with the athletes.

Comes off as giving up, whatever DMac is now teflon and will not have any accountability for 3 more years.

oldguystudent · October 14, 2014

That's too bad. I've really been enjoying UNTg football the past few years. But now we get the "hey guys, did you know I won a national championship at Florida?" and "This is the worst place to recruit to ever" in the same breath? Not gonna gain my everlasting love, affection, and fandom like that, coach.

Green Mean · October 14, 2014

To be fair, how many recruits would be dying to play for a coach with a 76-109 career head coaching record?

UNTexas · October 14, 2014

The part of it that is the most disturbing to me is the players are going to turn on him. I saw it happen first hand with Simon. DMac's statements will translate to the players as my players suck. I promise y'all some of the players are already saying f him privately to each other. If he's going to say this is harder than I thought and my current players suck then they'll stop playing for him. Especially the seniors who know they only have a month or two left. Expect the guys to stop caring and just wanting this season to be over. It's sad but it's reality. I've been in those players shoes and they hear every word he says. Negativity is infectious in a locker room when you're in this position. This is bad leadership and DMac knows better.

untbowler · October 14, 2014

The part of it that is the most disturbing to me is the players are going to turn on him. I saw it happen first hand with Simon. DMac's statements will translate to the players as my players suck. I promise y'all some of the players are already saying f him privately to each other. If he's going to say this is harder than I thought and my current players suck then they'll stop playing for him. Especially the seniors who know they only have a month or two left. Expect the guys to stop caring and just wanting this season to be over. It's sad but it's reality. I've been in those players shoes and they hear every word he says. Negativity is infectious in a locker room when you're in this position. This is bad leadership and DMac knows better.

good thing he got that nice raise before declaring how rough it is here

ColoradoEagle · October 14, 2014

He's gone full-Dickey.

Ben Gooding · October 14, 2014

Well...not to pull a 90 and push my agenda onto people, but when is the line drawn in the sand with this coach? I have been following North Texas since Mac has took the job and I have not trusted the direction of the program once, even last year. Ugly football only wins for so long and his recruiting classes are continuously OK at best. A collapse was inevitable. Anyways, when is the line drawn?

Oh, and his snarky comment of "It's still North Texas" is spit in my face. McCarney is helping cement his perception of North Texas. 20-23. This coach is literally a loser, his teams consistently lose more than they win.

And may I point out that Mac arrived at Florida in 2008, when they won the national championship. He didn't recruit or develop any of those players on that team. They were already there and were already primed to go on a run. Clowns could have been position coaches with the talent, OC, DC, and HC they had. Funny thing is that after that year, while he was there, the down spiral of the program began.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Ben Gooding

GMG24 · October 14, 2014

Ben Gooding, is and always will be a tool.

TIgreen01 · October 14, 2014

What are you guys reading? Clearly not the same thing I just read. He is saying that it takes time to develop recruiting inlets. Are there some coaches able to knock down doors as soon as they show up in new places? Maybe.

Look, we have all followed the recruiting rankings every single year. It has been obvious that DMac's staff wasn't recruiting well initially, but it has steadily gotten better. How many guys those first couple of years had offers from only us and Montana St. or some other FCS? It was alarming then and especially now that those kids aren't filling out our depth chart...but it is anything but surprising. I distinctly remember GrayEagle sounding the alarm bells a couple of offseasons ago.

Either way, he's saying it is slowly getting easier to recruit here...at least that's how I read it. If that loses these players, then so be it.

Travis Scott · October 14, 2014

I read this as he is not making excuses but being honest. I'll take that all day. See you Saturday to support the team and have a shit load of fun doing it.

Hunter Green · October 14, 2014

A new winning streak will begin on Saturday. There's nothing like home cooking.

DeepGreen · October 14, 2014

I really resent what McCarney said. How many more years will we have to live with this guy? Thanks RV. Thanks Chancellor Jackson.

eulessismore · October 14, 2014

I'm still thinking that we just got blown out in every aspect of the game by a team of which serious people were writing last year might go out of existence. How the hell do you sell that to recruits?

MeanMag · October 14, 2014

I expected a decline in production this year. I didn't expect this. However, this is still better than Dodge, Ben Gooding.

The one thing I heard about UNT after hiring McCarney from non-UNT fans was, "I guess North Texas decided to get serious about who they hire." I've never heard that before, and I haven't heard many people get the respect McCarney has among people who know college football and college football coaches.

The dude is connected. Sometimes the truth hurts, but he knows what has to be done.

I'm in full support of Coach Mac and the MGF until he gives me a reason not to be. This isn't it, and some of you guys are wearing a chip on your shoulder that I hope the players are too.

Got5onIt · October 14, 2014

Has anyone ever stopped to think that Mac is just telling the cold, hard truth? Now, that doesn't excuse the current recruiting issues and the QB debacle, but I think we've heard this a gazillion times by some former coaches.

The Buick is back.......

ChristopherRyanWilkes · October 14, 2014

Yes it's hard to recruit in Texas, but is it really so hard you can't at least not get blown out by teams in your own conference? Do you think UAB is just having a recruiting party over there with Alabama and Auburn?

DeepGreen · October 14, 2014

Mac "knows what has to be done"? Pray tell, "what" has to be done? Why is UNT hard to recruit to? We have facilities. What is it? Too small of a recruiting budget? What is it, Mac? His comments are bullshit.