AD at UNT

untjim1995 · November 14, 2014

Excellent post.

The benchmarks for achievement in Athletics at UNT to maintain a position or receive an extension seem to be skewed compared to other programs.

Value and good PR coach-speakers are one thing, but there seems to be a BIG piece of the resume missing during RV's evaluation of them...consistent wins and consecutive seasons of winning.

Wins are the key to a program's outside image and fan satisfaction. And not just fake wins over lower-level opponents, peer wins. Otherwise, any person could be hired if peer wins really don't matter. Do they here?

I'm assuming that the 80 part of your username is the year you graduated here. If that's correct, what have you seen since 1980 that makes you feel like winning matters here like it does at "peer" institutions? The SWC schools don't allow themselves to be considered our peers, not even fellow CUSA-mate, Rice, who is a small private school with outstanding academics and a nationally ranked college baseball program.

We like music, arts, and education in Denton. That's what the BOR takes care of first and foremost. And its hard to argue that they aren't doing a great job at taking care of those colleges, since those areas are the strongpoint of the univerity's overall reputation. Its just different from what our buddies at the other fomer SWC schools and current CUSA schools put their importance on as the window to their schools. Around the water coolers, those guys like to talk about their teams, not their fine arts. It just exacerbates the differences between UNT and the other schools around us, "peers" or not...

flyonthewall · November 14, 2014

Since we are calling out RV, why not do some research and call out some of these so called cronies that you 23 would like to have fired but are so gracious as to let rv stay.

More stupid clownery.

#itsallajoke

oldguystudent · November 14, 2014

Since we are calling out RV, why not do some research and call out some of these so called cronies that you 23 would like to have fired but are so gracious as to let rv stay.

More stupid clownery.

#itsallajoke

I'd really rather do some extensive research on your ribs and extensive wine collection.

NT80 · November 14, 2014

The SWC schools don't allow themselves to be considered our peers, not even fellow CUSA-mate, Rice, who is a small private school with outstanding academics and a nationally ranked college baseball program.

We like music, arts, and education in Denton. That's what the BOR takes care of first and foremost. And its hard to argue that they aren't doing a great job at taking care of those colleges, since those areas are the strongpoint of the univerity's overall reputation. Its just different from what our buddies at the other fomer SWC schools and current CUSA schools put their importance on as the window to their schools. Around the water coolers, those guys like to talk about their teams, not their fine arts. It just exacerbates the differences between UNT and the other schools around us, "peers" or not...

Yes, UNT has been historically a school of teachers and fine arts majors, not major-salary occupations from which to give back to Athletics. For a long time we have been behind other Texas FBS schools and had no Engineering, Medical, or Law School from which to graduate mega-$$$ donors to return later. We still have very few.

I would consider "peer" schools now to be schools with like attendance, athletic facilities and budgets, ie most G5 conference schools, but not all. We have much more of all than Eastern Michigan but far less than BYU.

I've seen us grow from Independent, down to 1-AA Southland, back up to a new Big West, then SunBelt and finally to CUSA although not the older, better verison of CUSA. We don't have Big12 assets, yet if ever.

UNT resides in a college town that acts like a college town for music, but very lacking for Athletics. In some ways the Athletic Department and the City of Denton are very similar. It takes a lot of time for much to change, something many older fans have given up on ever seeing, and they have grown tired of waiting and moved on.

Harry · November 15, 2014

Yes, UNT has been historically a school of teachers and fine arts majors, not major-salary occupations from which to give back to Athletics. For a long time we have been behind other Texas FBS schools and had no Engineering, Medical, or Law School from which to graduate mega-$$$ donors to return later. We still have very few.

I would consider "peer" schools now to be schools with like attendance, athletic facilities and budgets, ie most G5 conference schools, but not all. We have much more of all than Eastern Michigan but far less than BYU.

I've seen us grow from Independent, down to 1-AA Southland, back up to a new Big West, then SunBelt and finally to CUSA although not the older, better verison of CUSA. We don't have Big12 assets, yet if ever.

UNT resides in a college town that acts like a college town for music, but very lacking for Athletics. In some ways the Athletic Department and the City of Denton are very similar. It takes a lot of time for much to change, something many older fans have given up on ever seeing, and they have grown tired of waiting and moved on.

I don't disagree with you sentiments about UNT being a teachers college way back when but my dad got his MBA at UNT back in the 60's and has had a successful business career as have many others in various other fields too many to name. There are plenty of successful UNT grads out there we just have to feed them with consistent winning. I also understand where KRAM is coming from with OSU but look, and he makes some good points but we haven't ever beaten a school like OU in our history much less been in the top 5-10. So it's really not an Apples to Apples comparison in my book. They are in the Big 12 for goodness sakes. The fans on here that are asking for accountability and success are doing so because they know we have a good base of students/alums that will get more involved if they are given a reason to. Going from a 9-4 win bowl team after close to a decade of losing seasons to a 3-6 doesn't help. I fell we lost some momentum from last years success and I hate that to happen. I hope like hades we get to 6 but this has been a disappointing season thusfar.

UNT90 · November 15, 2014

The best thing about this poll thread is it is informative to the average GMG poster about how many regular posters their really are.

About 100 or so, it seems.

Not bad, and far better than the Pony site.

NT80 · November 15, 2014

I don't disagree with you sentiments about UNT being a teachers college way back when but my dad got his MBA at UNT back in the 60's and has had a successful business career as have many others in various other fields too many to name. There are plenty of successful UNT grads out there we just have to feed them with consistent winning. I also understand where KRAM is coming from with OSU but look, and he makes some good points but we haven't ever beaten a school like OU in our history much less been in the top 5-10. So it's really not an Apples to Apples comparison in my book. They are in the Big 12 for goodness sakes. The fans on here that are asking for accountability and success are doing so because they know we have a good base of students/alums that will get more involved if they are given a reason to. Going from a 9-4 win bowl team after close to a decade of losing seasons to a 3-6 doesn't help. I fell we lost some momentum from last years success and I hate that to happen. I hope like hades we get to 6 but this has been a disappointing season thusfar.

I likewise have a Business degree from UNT. Business and Accounting *cough* are also historically strong majors from the school. There are just not enough of them making the huge salaries to give back the way Big12 schools get their Business Alums to donate to Athletics and combined with their other Big-salary occupations they have offered for decades. We are a school of mostly middle-class workers with middle-class salaries.

Yes, the success from January's Bowl win seems to already have been washed away by this year's regress back to mediocrity. It is this lack of sustained winning (and Big wins over Name programs) that causes UNT to be judged as "not worthy" of being the next Boise.

Rudy · November 15, 2014

We've tried the "having access to the athletic department" route for a while now, I'd like to try the "perennial winner" route for a while. We can always go back. And that's not a statement for or against RV. And I can think of a lot of things to call Mr. Jackson, and a joke isn't one of them.

NT80 · November 15, 2014

More stupid clownery.

Is that the term customers are referred to as now by AD Employees?

They were called a lot worse when Dickey worked there. :unsure:

Mean Green 93-98 · November 15, 2014

The best thing about this poll thread is it is informative to the average GMG poster about how many regular posters their really are.
About 100 or so, it seems.
Not bad, and far better than the Pony site.

I assure you, not all regular posters have chosen to vote in this poll.

oldguystudent · November 15, 2014

Is that the term customers are referred to as now by AD Employees?
They were called a lot worse when Dickey worked there.

If he's an employee of the athletic department, that is one very, very strange compensation package.

MeanGreenHoops · November 15, 2014

I likewise have a Business degree from UNT. Business and Accounting *cough* are also historically strong majors from the school. There are just not enough of them making the huge salaries to give back the way Big12 schools get their Business Alums to donate to Athletics and combined with their other Big-salary occupations they have offered for decades. We are a school of mostly middle-class workers with middle-class salaries.

It really isn't this. There are plenty of alums making money. The problem is until 5 years ago, there was very little almost no effort made to create any kind of school spirit and loyalty to the school. This is being done now. So in twenty years, there will be plenty of support. Hopefully a lot of us are still around then.