With McCarney, It's All Downhill From Here

cl_1_2008 · November 16, 2014

The root of UNT's problems is that Dan McCarney can't recruit, but why can't he recruit? Well, I'd venture to say that it's because of his coaching.

He's coaching at a school in Texas, where 9 out of every 10 high school football teams run some form of the spread offense, yet he insists on his team running an offense that's better suited for the state Wisconsin. Those Big Ten offenses don't tend to be successful unless run by a team that is bigger and better than its opponent. We are neither.

Of course UNT has quarterback problems. Why the hell would any quarterback want to come play here? So he can hand the ball off 45 times per game, regardless of the score? Any decent high school quarterback that would even entertain that thought should have his head checked.

That's not even the worst part, though. For at least the second time this season, he sent out the field goal unit while trailing by at least four touchdowns. I mean, I understand that it's nice to finally have a decent kicker, but the entire idea of, "at least we didn't get shut out," is ridiculous. Settling for field goals while getting your ass kicked is even worse than getting shut out. No team should ever play that conservatively, but the fact that he's resorting to such tactics against the likes of UTEP is very indicative of the state of the program. If he's going to put a terrible product on the field, he could at least attempt to make it watchable.

Is there honestly any reason to believe it's going to get better? He hasn't been able to recruit since he got here, so why would that change? He may fire up the alumni, but no high school kid cares who Dan McCarney is, and they sure as hell don't care about his time at Florida. He spent his entire first season with UNT talking about how little talent was on the roster, thus inflating everyone's view of the job he was doing. We didn't have a talent problem when Dodge was here, we had a coaching problem. Now we have both.

But hey, we'll always have that bowl win.

Edited November 16, 2014 by cl_1_2008

Andrew · November 16, 2014

Preach

FirefightnRick · November 16, 2014

He may have problems recruiting offensive players due to the offensive system he runs but that doest explain the lack of Defensive talent, mainly Defensive Tackles, which was suppose to be his forte.

But I think you hit on the overall recruiting problem and why he may be having problems bringing in recruits? Because if he approaches them like he approaches the public then it may also wear thin on those who have more than one option? Just a thought?

For whatever reason it isnt working.

Rick

foutsrouts · November 16, 2014

The root of UNT's problems is that Dan McCarney can't recruit, but why can't he recruit? Well, I'd venture to say that it's because of his coaching.

He's coaching at a school in Texas, where 9 out of every 10 high school football teams run some form of the spread offense, yet he insists on his team running an offense that's better suited for the state Wisconsin. Those Big Ten offenses don't tend to be successful unless run by a team that is bigger and better than its opponent. We are neither.

Of course UNT has quarterback problems. Why the hell would any quarterback want to come play here? So he can hand the ball off 45 times per game, regardless of the score? Any decent high school quarterback that would even entertain that thought should have his head checked.

That's not even the worst part, though. For at least the second time this season, he sent out the field goal unit while trailing by at least four touchdowns. I mean, I understand that it's nice to finally have a decent kicker, but the entire idea of, "at least we didn't get shut out," is ridiculous. Settling for field goals while getting your ass kicked is even worse than getting shut out. No team should ever play that conservatively, but the fact that he's resorting to such tactics against the likes of UTEP is very indicative of the state of the program. If he's going to put a terrible product on the field, he could at least attempt to make it watchable.

Is there honestly any reason to believe it's going to get better? He hasn't been able to recruit since he got here, so why would that change? He may fire up the alumni, but no high school kid cares who Dan McCarney is, and they sure as hell don't care about his time at Florida. He spent his entire first season with UNT talking about how little talent was on the roster, thus inflating everyone's view of the job he was doing. We didn't have a talent problem when Dodge was here, we had a coaching problem. Now we have both.

But hey, we'll always have that bowl win.

I'm not going to agree that it's definitely all downhill from here with him since I hope that he can somehow adjust, but I do agree that he's trying to play Big 10 football in a situation where consistently attracting "Big 10 type" athletes just isn't likely to happen anytime soon. I also do wonder if his personality is a bit of a negative in recruiting, since we pretty much only recruit kids from Texas, and some kids just respond better to people from their own region. Have we ever had a "Northern" coach here at North Texas? I don't recall one, but I guess it doesn't hurt to grasp at straws.

techdawg88 · November 16, 2014

McCarney needs to look outside the state for prospects and not just in Texas

gradumacated · November 16, 2014

Obviously there must be something going on when players are picking the likes of UTSA, Texas State, ULL/ULM, etc. over UNT. You have to say it's probably the coaching staff and however they're representing the program.

Green P1 · November 16, 2014

Literally.... It's all downhill handoffs from here on out until McNulty graduates or Mac leaves....

gradumacated · November 16, 2014

Literally.... It's all downhill handoffs from here on out until McNulty graduates or Mac leaves....

Or quick throws out to the side for at best 2 yard gains at worst 3-7 yard losses...

Green P1 · November 16, 2014

Or quick throws out to the side for at best 2 yard gains at worst 3-7 yard losses...

Ah yes.... The endless WR screens for the "warrior leader student of the game" that supposedly knows the playbook front to back!! Where were those for the "we're afraid he's gonna commit turnovers" redshirt freshman?

Downhill bitches!!!!!

NM Green · November 16, 2014

Went to the incredibly frustrating game tonight and bummed but we beat FIU and upset UTEP to finish 5-7 in a rebuilding year. Disappointing yea hideous no. We will get better and crack 6 next year. We got no breaks this year with so many of our roadie teams having bang up years! UAB Rice and UTeP are All bowling. Doesn't explain Smiss but let's have fun the next 2 weeks. 2014 losing is over time to celebrate and show on Denton and San antone!

GMG

Eagle915 · November 16, 2014

So hard to read these forums. Last year we have a great year and everyone praises Mac, this year we lose a ton of starters and play teams having good seasons. Relax yall. I wouldn't count out Mac so fast.

UNT90 · November 16, 2014

Went to the incredibly frustrating game tonight and bummed but we beat FIU and upset UTEP to finish 5-7 in a rebuilding year. Disappointing yea hideous no. We will get better and crack 6 next year. We got no breaks this year with so many of our roadie teams having bang up years! UAB Rice and UTeP are All bowling. Doesn't explain Smiss but let's have fun the next 2 weeks. 2014 losing is over time to celebrate and show on Denton and San antone!
GMG

We don't win either of the last 2 games.

UNT90 · November 16, 2014

So hard to read these forums. Last year we have a great year and everyone praises Mac, this year we lose a ton of starters and play teams having good seasons. Relax yall. I wouldn't count out Mac so fast.

I would remind you that last year we did it with a bunch of slow, small recruits that Dodge recruited. This year was the year we were going to see how Mac's recruiting stacked up.

No QB. Only one DL that comes anywhere near 300, and a slower defense than I remember from the Dodge years.

That is what is concerning.

UNTLifer · November 16, 2014

Preach

Go hug Benford.

Mean Green Matt · November 16, 2014

Obviously there must be something going on when players are picking the likes of UTSA, Texas State, ULL/ULM, etc. over UNT. You have to say it's probably the coaching staff and however they're representing the program.

I know it is a tough pill to swallow, but the only people that think NT is superior to any of those schools you mentioned are on this message board. Reality.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Mean Green Matt

H-towngreen · November 16, 2014

So hard to read these forums. Last year we have a great year and everyone praises Mac, this year we lose a ton of starters and play teams having good seasons. Relax yall. I wouldn't count out Mac so fast.

I hate to tell you this, but we lose a ton of starters next season too.

TheColonyEagle · November 16, 2014

I hate to tell you this, but we lose a ton of starters next season too.

Agree. Don't really see how this is a rebuilding year with so many juniors and seniors starting. We lose 3/4 of our secondary and most of our OLine next year. 2 units that were supposed to be our strengths this year. We also lose Akunne who was supposed to be the best D player on the team. We have no QB and haven't developed a young QB.

Maybe our DLine will hit a growth spurt in the offseason?

We supposedly have talented young receivers but who is going to throw to them and who is going to protect him?

Most rebuilding years are young players taking their lumps while developing. Don't see that happening a lot here.

There a few freshmen sophomores getting playing time but not many.

GOMG2013 · November 16, 2014

The coaching was so bad last night, I have to re-think everything. We might have the talent on our team and we might have good recruits. Not outstanding ones that can play in any system and overcome bad coaching, but who knows what we have as far as talent?

Can we trust this old school staff's evaluation of any position? I know for a fact that Jamal Marshall is not slow. He has legit 4.4 speed and can run college track right now. Go ask the UNT track coach. But the angles he takes and his alignment makes him look horrible and out of position.

Why does it take a whole le half to make adjustments? You don't have to wait until halftime. I noticed on Beyond the green that skladany asks the linebackers, what do you see out there? And gets on them about reading their keys. This is a reaction defense.

Many of us, really underestimate the loss of Orr. Skaldany does not trust these lbs. we have 8 in the box, but we still only rush 4 DL, and the other 4 are waiting. We changed this in the second half and finally started getting stops. It should not take that long to adjust and start attacking.

Utep sent 5 and 6 every time to stop our run. Calvin Wallace showed me something. Should have been getting reps last year. He can play. Just needed a chance. How many more on this team that just need a chance?

Ben Gooding · November 16, 2014

So hard to read these forums. Last year we have a great year and everyone praises Mac, this year we lose a ton of starters and play teams having good seasons. Relax yall. I wouldn't count out Mac so fast.

First and only, last year "everyone" didn't praise Mac. Let's just get that crystal clear right now. His philosophy is too vulnerable and flawless football (or close to it) has to take place for success to take place. We are toast. Mac needs to retire.

H-towngreen · November 16, 2014

.. Calvin Wallace showed me something. Should have been getting reps last year. He can play. Just needed a chance. How many more on this team that just need a chance?

He's been progressing nicely this season. Glad to see him prove a lot of his critics wrong.

Ben Gooding · November 16, 2014

I hate to tell you this, but we lose a ton of starters next season too.

I was trying to explain this to people when everyone was adamantly using our youth as our downfall. We are not a youthful team, we are relatively inexperienced bc of the lack of PT last year in 6 blowout wins (coaches fault); but not youthful at all.

untbowler · November 16, 2014

First and only, last year "everyone" didn't praise Mac. Let's just get that crystal clear right now. His philosophy is too vulnerable and flawless football (or close to it) has to take place for success to take place. We are toast. Mac needs to retire.

you are correct many of us asked to tap the brakes until we saw DMacs recruits in action.

Earlier post said we are catching breaks this year, well can be said we got lucky last year hitting teams while they were sliding and the 2 conference games against rising opponents, the team lost and DMac was out-coached and out-prepared (Tulane and UTSA)

ntmeangreen11 · November 16, 2014

We have been hosed in recruiting every season.

-We have zero redshirt seniors and two redshirt juniors because of how many kids left in the 2011/2012 classes. Mac's plan for building this team (redshirting half the class or so) won't be in full effect until 2016. His plan has always been to win with a roster full of redshirt players but he wasn't able to do that in year one and two.

-I remember when we were in the sun belt, pretty much any high school kid with an offer from a CUSA school would turn us down. We are now in CUSA (with a much larger budget and first class facilities) and have lost out on players to sun belt schools each year of the Mac era.

-The amount of scholarships awarded to punters/deep snappers is strange.

-JUCO recruiting has been awful for the most part. Andrew Power (Class of 2011 JUCO TE), James Jones and Shawn Mckinney (to an extent) made an impact. Justin Manu, Quenton Brown, Brock Berglund, Brent Obsorn, Darren Denucci, Matthew Dash, Akii Smith, Josh Greer, DQ Johnson, Deleon McCord have been busts. That is 3 out of 13 JUCO players panning out over 4 signing classes.

-Put a lot of time and resources into recruiting Louisiana in 2012 and got nothing in return, Lajaylin Smith is the only player who remains and he backs up freshmen at LB as a junior

-Repeatedly made comments about how big players were when he arrived yet starts a 5'11 220 pound DE in year 4...

-Class of 2011 was put together in a couple of months, no one expected miracles. However, this team is bad because of the class of 2012. A class where we signed six defensive lineman and have seen very seen very little production from any of them.

Class of 2012

OL Boone Feldt- Gone

S David Busby - Gone

RB Mark Lewis - Gone

JUCO CB DQ Johson - Bust, graduated

WR Nick Schrapps - Gone

DE Jarrian Roberts - decent player

WR Roderick Lancaster - gone

DE Malik Dilonga - minimal impact so far

DE Brad Horton - gone

DT Calvin Wallace - minimal impact if any

ATH Rex Rollins - Haven't seen him much this year

CB Xavier Kelly- gone

OL Ryan Rentfro - unknown up to this point

S Devante Davis - gone

LB Dustin Clark - gone

RB Jamarcus Jarvis - gone

LB Jamal Marshall - minimal impact

DT Dutton Watson - minimal impact

DT Mustafa Haboul - minimal impact

LB Lajaylin Smith - backup

WR Carlos Harris - The classes saving grace

OL Connor Trussell - Unknown up to this point

BillySee58 · November 16, 2014

We have been hosed in recruiting every season.

-We have zero redshirt seniors and two redshirt juniors because of how many kids left in the 2011/2012 classes. Mac's plan for building this team (redshirting half the class or so) won't be in full effect until 2016. His plan has always been to win with a roster full of redshirt players but he wasn't able to do that in year one and two.

-I remember when we were in the sun belt, pretty much any high school kid with an offer from a CUSA school would turn us down. We are now in CUSA (with a much larger budget and first class facilities) and have lost out on players to sun belt schools each year of the Mac era.

-The amount of scholarships awarded to punters/deep snappers is strange.

-JUCO recruiting has been awful for the most part. Andrew Power (Class of 2011 JUCO TE), James Jones and Shawn Mckinney (to an extent) made an impact. Justin Manu, Quenton Brown, Brock Berglund, Brent Obsorn, Darren Denucci, Matthew Dash, Akii Smith, Josh Greer, DQ Johnson, Deleon McCord have been busts. That is 3 out of 13 JUCO players panning out over 4 signing classes.

-Put a lot of time and resources into recruiting Louisiana in 2012 and got nothing in return, Lajaylin Smith is the only player who remains and he backs up freshmen at LB as a junior

-Repeatedly made comments about how big players were when he arrived yet starts a 5'11 220 pound DE in year 4...

-Class of 2011 was put together in a couple of months, no one expected miracles. However, this team is bad because of the class of 2012. A class where we signed six defensive lineman and have seen very seen very little production from any of them.

Class of 2012

OL Boone Feldt- Gone
S David Busby - Gone
RB Mark Lewis - Gone
JUCO CB DQ Johson - Bust, graduated
WR Nick Schrapps - Gone
DE Jarrian Roberts - decent player
WR Roderick Lancaster - gone
DE Malik Dilonga - minimal impact so far
DE Brad Horton - gone
DT Calvin Wallace - minimal impact if any
ATH Rex Rollins - Haven't seen him much this year
CB Xavier Kelly- gone
OL Ryan Rentfro - unknown up to this point
S Devante Davis - gone
LB Dustin Clark - gone
RB Jamarcus Jarvis - gone
LB Jamal Marshall - minimal impact
DT Dutton Watson - minimal impact
DT Mustafa Haboul - minimal impact
LB Lajaylin Smith - backup
WR Carlos Harris - The classes saving grace
OL Connor Trussell - Unknown up to this point

Don't go off our roster on our official website. It doesn't do a good job keeping track of redshirts after our RS freshman. We actually have 4 redshirt seniors (A Johnson, Y'Barbo, Teegarden, and Dunham) and 15 redshirt juniors (Ellard, Jimmerson, C Jones, M Thompson, Chad Polk, Zach Whitfield, Anthony Wallace, Kenny Buyers, Michael Banogu, Andrew Mcnulty, Austin Orr, Jarod Lynn, Marcus Smith, Chris Loving, and Freddie Warner) on scholarship. Some of those kids were not originally 2011 signing class guys, though.

But that doesn't make your point any less valid.

Edited November 16, 2014 by BillySee58

Ryan Munthe · November 16, 2014

Didn't TCU go 4-8 last year and look like a trainwreck? Doesn't TCU rank towards the bottom of P5 schools in recruiting? Now they're gonna win the B12.

Just sayin'. Continue the circlejerk.

Good coaches find ways to win.

I think Mac is an excellent coach.

I'm not worried about the future.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Ryan Munthe