Mac post 2014 Season State of the Union

untjim1995 · December 2, 2014

In my business we deal with people who "come out and say they made some mistakes" every day. Parole hearings are chock full of them. It's just words until you show a change.

Well, we don't really have a choice here. He has to be given a chance--he has 3 more years at least to convince us that he wants to make the changes he talks about here. Next year, with McNulty and an inexperienced OL, plus a still really young defensive unit without much size, and a much harder schedule, most likely even with changes that we want to see, this thing is still destined for 3-4 wins. In 2016, albeit with a new busdriver QB, we will play SMU here, at Army, at Florida, and probably another Texas Southern/Nicholls State game in OOC. We should have a more experienced defense and the OL will be in its second year together. We just got to hope that will be the year we can 6+ wins by then. 2017 will be interesting, too, since we play at Iowa and at SMU, with Army at home. Conceivably, you could have a bus driver in his second year, an OL in its third year, and a defense that will hopefully look like 2013's unit. Yes, its a ways out--but we literally have no choice as fans but to look at the situation as reasonably as possible and assess when its possible to be a bowl eligible team again. When you run a vanilla offense, you gotta have a great OL and defense, as well as a bus driver QB that doesn't cost you games--to me, with where we sit right now, 2016 or 2017 are the earliest possibilities to reasonably get back there.

We aren't going to fire a head coach making the highest salary in the history of the school before he has only one year left to buyout. The school doesn't care if you get 3000 people to a game, they aren't gonna pay that much. The entire board would be wise to realize this and accept it for what it is. Complain if you want to, but if Todd Dodge could go 5-31 and get a 4th year, at half the salary, Dan McCarney is gonna get the same opportunity here. Do with that as you may, whether its continuing to support the program, following from an arm's length, or just walking away, the BOR and the administration flat out don't care. The only thing that matters is known cost--absolutely nothing else.

NT80 · December 2, 2014

Do with that as you may, whether its continuing to support the program, following from an arm's length, or just walking away, the BOR and the administration flat out don't care. The only thing that matters is known cost--absolutely nothing else.

And that is exactly what has and will continue to happen...fans leaving and not returning until something changes for them to want to come back, if they ever do. There is a cost to the BOR in lost Athletic revenue and University donations also, not just Coaching salary buyout. At some point I think they offset, it may be before the 4-year point of the contract...we'll see in 2015 when attendance at Apogee falls another few thousand.

untjim1995 · December 2, 2014

And that is exactly what has and will continue to happen...fans leaving and not returning until something changes for them to want to come back, if they ever do. There is a cost to the BOR in lost Athletic revenue and University donations also, not just Coaching salary buyout. At some point I think they offset, it may be before the 4-year point of the contract...we'll see in 2015 when attendance at Apogee falls another few thousand.

It won't matter how poor the attendance gets--the BOR deals in known costs, not "opportunity" costs from increased attendance. One is controllable, one isn't. One requires a known investment, the other requires extra funding that may not be returned or may be wildly returned plus some.

You've been following this place for a long time, based on 1980 as your graduation year. That you are still here, is, in many ways, nothing short of a miracle. You are literally in the 1% (or less) of that class that probably even cares enough to follow UNT sports in some fashion. You know better than I do that an empty Fouts, Super Pit, or Apogee doesn't bother anyone on the BOR or in the Administration. If it did, things would have changed decades ago. If we get 25k at a football game, its like a freaking celebration around here--same with a basketball game with more than 6000.

You either accept it or walk away. Because, as you have noticed a few times in the last 35 years or so, complaining about it won't change anything. Unless the BOR and administration drastically changes its mind on funding the program and the way it promotes the school, winning at revenue sports will never matter here nearly as much as you want it to. Yes, moving up to Divsion 1-A in 1995 took an investment--which was paid by an alum for 10,000 aluminum seats at Fouts that had to be the worst seat in the history of college football watching anywhere. And then we paid for the entire budget by getting an AD in who's idea of raising revenue was to play road games against the biggest payers in college sports. Yes, we built Apogee--after a stealth student body campaign miraculously passed, only to see the student fee get sunsetted against paying off the stadium and only charging well under what other Texas public schools charge for their athletics fee. Yes, we paid out more for a head coach than we ever have to an experienced head coach in McCarney, but we won't ever consider buying him out until the cost is "manageable".

I gave this place 5 years to turn it around from a winning standpoint and they went to the HoD Bowl and won it. So as not to be a hypocrite, I have nothing I can do but accept the above and keep following our teams, even when it is back to being very difficult to do. But it would sure be easy to walk away, just as so many of my fellow alumni have done without even a bit of remorse.

FirefightnRick · December 2, 2014

You've been following this place for a long time, based on 1980 as your graduation year. That you are still here, is, in many ways, nothing short of a miracle. You are literally in the 1% (or less) of that class that probably even cares enough to follow UNT sports in some fashion.

Jim, you may or may not know that 80 has or did have one of the greatest collections of NT memorabilia around. You should hear his experience he had when he tried to come to the Athletic Department's aid and donate some of his items for loan to help them expand the Hall of Fame display items. It was as if he was a sneezing leper or something?

Like you said, it's a wonder we have anyone left to care?

Rick

Edited December 2, 2014 by FirefightnRick

Harry · December 3, 2014

Next year, with McNulty and an inexperienced OL, plus a still really young defensive unit without much size, and a much harder schedule, most likely even with changes that we want to see, this thing is still destined for 3-4 wins. ...with where we sit right now, 2016 or 2017 are the earliest possibilities to reasonably get back there.

When times get tough, you can always count on untjim to lift everyone's spirits round here.

Harry · December 3, 2014

Ugly scene at UAB:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10102561192830901#

UNT90 · December 3, 2014

just like I feel the young qbs can improve with experience, McNulty can too. If McNulty had been named starter from the very beginning, we may have had a better shot at pulling off, USM, Rice, or UTSA. Maybe.
Add goree and Wilson, and that could give him more explosive weapons. Marcus Smith and harris were some of the few bright spots this year.
McNulty is going to play better next year. How much better? Dont know.
McNulty lost the running element to his game. His ribs were hurt against Rice and they are still hurt. Its sad that we had to continue to roll out a below average qb, and on top of that, he was hurt. The hurt ribs affected the playcalling and the read option. It also prevented him from wanting to scramble for yardage. Especially against UTSA. Lots of yardage available. That was the reason for the sliding on the runs. Hurt ribs.

McNulty doesn't have the velocity to be successful in the vertical passing game at the FBS level.

It's apparent to EVERY opponent we played, as they stacked 8 and sometimes 9 in the box and dared us to beat them downfield. We couldn't.

It doesn't matter how talented your receivers are if you don't have a QB to get them the ball. We should be on the phone right now with the UAB QB offering him Scrappy's left Talon to come here.

We were and are obviously not good at this position.

Edited December 3, 2014 by UNT90

UNT90 · December 3, 2014

It won't matter how poor the attendance gets--the BOR deals in known costs, not "opportunity" costs from increased attendance. One is controllable, one isn't. One requires a known investment, the other requires extra funding that may not be returned or may be wildly returned plus some.

You've been following this place for a long time, based on 1980 as your graduation year. That you are still here, is, in many ways, nothing short of a miracle. You are literally in the 1% (or less) of that class that probably even cares enough to follow UNT sports in some fashion. You know better than I do that an empty Fouts, Super Pit, or Apogee doesn't bother anyone on the BOR or in the Administration. If it did, things would have changed decades ago. If we get 25k at a football game, its like a freaking celebration around here--same with a basketball game with more than 6000.

You either accept it or walk away. Because, as you have noticed a few times in the last 35 years or so, complaining about it won't change anything. Unless the BOR and administration drastically changes its mind on funding the program and the way it promotes the school, winning at revenue sports will never matter here nearly as much as you want it to. Yes, moving up to Divsion 1-A in 1995 took an investment--which was paid by an alum for 10,000 aluminum seats at Fouts that had to be the worst seat in the history of college football watching anywhere. And then we paid for the entire budget by getting an AD in who's idea of raising revenue was to play road games against the biggest payers in college sports. Yes, we built Apogee--after a stealth student body campaign miraculously passed, only to see the student fee get sunsetted against paying off the stadium and only charging well under what other Texas public schools charge for their athletics fee. Yes, we paid out more for a head coach than we ever have to an experienced head coach in McCarney, but we won't ever consider buying him out until the cost is "manageable".

I gave this place 5 years to turn it around from a winning standpoint and they went to the HoD Bowl and won it. So as not to be a hypocrite, I have nothing I can do but accept the above and keep following our teams, even when it is back to being very difficult to do. But it would sure be easy to walk away, just as so many of my fellow alumni have done without even a bit of remorse.

The fact that the BOR hasn't raised that fee one time tells me they never wanted it, and were probably more shocked than anyone that it actually passed.

Then they allowed it to be drastically dumbed down in the legislature, having it connected to paying off the stadium.

Kicking and screaming, they were dragged into the new stadium.

Army of Dad · December 3, 2014

I would sign up for a pay per view if the Alabama BOT in a circle drill with UAB football players.

SEC fans would probably jump all over it too and that might have made up the projected shortfall.

Ben Gooding · December 3, 2014

I would sign up for a pay per view if the Alabama BOT in a circle drill with UAB football players.
SEC fans would probably jump all over it too and that might have made up the projected shortfall.

Oh yes, sign me up. Paul Bryant Jr as the finale.

Side Show Joe · December 4, 2014

My problems with Mac's Address:

- I don't like having a down season. No one does. But, every program has them. I can't be too mad about that. I'm upset because we we are now 0-2 against UTSA. Mac can call his staff great if he wants to, but the truth is they have yet to beat the Runners. To me, that is completly unacceptible. I noticed he didn't address the fact that we lost to every C-USA Texas team this season either.

- I don't like him naming McNulty as the starter heading into next season. Yes, McNulty started down the stretch this season, but it isn't like we won with him running the show. Saying McNulty is our best option, doesn't mean he is a good option, and that says a lot about where we are right now.

Coach always seems ready to talk about how hard it is to recruit players to North Texas. He is always ready to admit how small and slow the team was when he took over (Even though our best players (Thompson, Chancellor, Byrd, Trice, and Orr) on our 9-4 bowl team were a Dodge recruits). He has pointed out that a new stadium and new conference hasn't magically fixed his recruiting issues. I'm not a recruiting guru, but I know losing to every Texas program in the conference, and than insesting that what you are doing is working, won't help in recruting either.

It is going to be a long off-season.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Side Show Joe