Tony Benford

[Andrew]

Benford's first year, the answer is an unquestionable yes. JJ had one down year (for him) with 18 wins, having won 20 or more in 5 straight years. And he had one of his better rosters (his best?) ready to go if he came back. I find it impossible to believe he would not have won significantly more than the pathetic 12 wins we got.

That said, I'm in agreement with the above posts that observe that Benford is clearly improving as a head coach, and will almost certainly be back next year. But IMO he'll need to do significantly better next year than he's done so far to come back in 2016-17.

I agree. I'm still anxiously waiting to see who else we bring in with our recruting class. if we can find another jermey combs or somehow find the next jordan williams (badly needed) then winning 20 next season is very possible. Brice is a great pick up, but we need a lot more.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

The posts aren't "gleeful," they are frustration posts from fans who simply can't believe Benford was given 3 years to learn how to coach when he was handed one if the most talented teams in UNT history according to many basketball prognosticators and the AD itself. To avoid cuss words, sometomes you just got to shake your head and laugh.

He will always be trying to repair what he ruined in his tenure here. Some people aren't going to forget that.

I'm with you, but I am trying to focus on the present. If he can salvage this season into our first not losing conference record under him or maybe just maybe a winning conference record then I am at least satisfied that some progress has been made. To say that substantial progress has been made, I will have to see what happens in the conference tournament. No one in the C-USA is getting an at-large bid so the tourney is really the only important thing anyways. I said yesterday that at least this team is getting hot at the right time of year and not during non-conference play like last season. That being said, any talk of an extension right now is ridiculous.

[greenminer]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be conference title contenders year in and out. If the same 2 - 3 teams are duke-ing it out every year, why not include us in that picture?

Benford is on a nice little run. It is not about him displaying improvement, the issue with RV and Benford will always be why we allowed a coach to restart a pretty good program and then spend 3 years learning on the job. It will take a lot of time for the wounds to heal.

I can see us continuing to improve, bit by bit. We might make an appearance in the conference final every 7 - 10 years. Personally, I would like to see seasons that 1) include 20 - 25 wins, 2) compete with the conference elite and 3) consistent postseason appearances. And by this I mean every year. Not once every 3 - 5.

We can have the resources, we just need the right decision-makers. Anybody who is content with placing middle of CUSA every year should not be involved in the decision process.

[Andrew]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be conference title contenders year in and out. If the same 2 - 3 teams are duke-ing it out every year, why not include us in that picture?

Benford is on a nice little run. It is not about him displaying improvement, the issue with RV and Benford will always be why we allowed a coach to restart a pretty good program and then spend 3 years learning on the job. It will take a lot of time for the wounds to heal.

I can see us continuing to improve, bit by bit. We might make an appearance in the conference final every 7 - 10 years. Personally, I would like to see seasons that 1) include 20 - 25 wins, 2) compete with the conference elite and 3) consistent postseason appearances. And by this I mean every year. Not once every 3 - 5.

We can have the resources, we just need the right decision-makers. Anybody who is content with placing middle of CUSA every year should not be involved in the decision process.

How can we say any other person who took the job would have done any better? I Could see how JJ could have done better, but with our budget and prestige who for a fact could we have brought in and done better with? I'm not content year in year out being in the middle off he pack, ut at this point and time I am content where we area at. We need to win today though...

[foutsrouts]

Benford needs to get us in the NCAA or NIT tournament for any consideration of a contract extension. UNT basketball is not an "on the job training" HC position.

Coulda fooled me.

[greenminer]

How can we say any other person who took the job would have done any better? I Could see how JJ could have done better, but with our budget and prestige who for a fact could we have brought in and done better with? I'm not content year in year out being in the middle off he pack, ut at this point and time I am content where we area at. We need to win today though...

.

You don't. I think a lot of people were fine with Benford. I don't hold the initial hire against RV. But I recognized a disaster before we were halfway through the season. Either RV did not, or he immediately started planning a 3 year master excuse plan. I imagine "locker room cancer" was drafted in there pretty quickly.

Tasty had a nice post recently about bad negotiating/contracts leading us to having our hands unnecessarily tied to these types of scenarios.

[UNT90]

.

You don't. I think a lot of people were fine with Benford. I don't hold the initial hire against RV. But I recognized a disaster before we were halfway through the season. Either RV did not, or he immediately started planning a 3 year master excuse plan. I imagine "locker room cancer" was drafted in there pretty quickly.

Tasty had a nice post recently about bad negotiating/contracts leading us to having our hands unnecessarily tied to these types of scenarios.

Dead on.

The major crime here is blaming players to cover your own ass for a terrible, program killing hire instead of addressing the problem head on and FIXING IT!

[GrandGreen]

Back on the history again, I doubt there is anyone on this board that is not aware of the history of the last two years. Enjoy a four game winning run and hope it signals that the team and coach are on the right track to turn NT basketball fortunes upward.

I don't thinks everyone agrees, but I much rather see Benford succeed than starting over again with an unnamed coach. And before someone chimes in, success at NT basketball should be defined as producing teams that challenge or win conference championships not break even seasons with a powderpuff OC home schedules.

[Ben Gooding]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be conference title contenders year in and out. If the same 2 - 3 teams are duke-ing it out every year, why not include us in that picture?

Benford is on a nice little run. It is not about him displaying improvement, the issue with RV and Benford will always be why we allowed a coach to restart a pretty good program and then spend 3 years learning on the job. It will take a lot of time for the wounds to heal.

I can see us continuing to improve, bit by bit. We might make an appearance in the conference final every 7 - 10 years. Personally, I would like to see seasons that 1) include 20 - 25 wins, 2) compete with the conference elite and 3) consistent postseason appearances. And by this I mean every year. Not once every 3 - 5.

We can have the resources, we just need the right decision-makers. Anybody who is content with placing middle of CUSA every year should not be involved in the decision process.

Yes, that last sentence.

[flyonthewall]

Dead on.

The major crime here is blaming players to cover your own ass for a terrible, program killing hire instead of addressing the problem head on and FIXING IT!

More comedy, carry on.......

[NT1978]

More comedy, carry on.......

This is like Ground Hog day. If Scrappy pokes his head out at the end of the season and sees .500, 6 more years of Benford.

[Got5onIt]

This is like Ground Hog day. If Scrappy pokes his head out at the end of the season and sees .500, 6 more years of Benford.

What the hell is that in your avatar? I can't tell what it is? A dogs face with a tumor growing out of it?

[Army of Dad]

What the hell is that in your avatar? I can't tell what it is? A dogs face with a tumor growing out of it?

Dog chewing up/playing with a basketball?

[GreenMachine]

More comedy, carry on.......

No laughing matter

[NM Green]

I feel unt is on the right track. I am still Looking for the via our first NIT or Big dance win. Jones couldnt do it maybe benford can.

Looking forward to old dominion in the pit next weeknd. Who wants to rock it with me!

GMG

[flyonthewall]

I vill be dare, in de pit, watching the meen grean

[Got5onIt]

Dog chewing up/playing with a basketball?

Oh yeah, I see it now. It was hard to make out because of the color of the dog & ball blending.

[Rudy]

I feel unt is on the right track. I am still Looking for the via our first NIT or Big dance win. Jones couldnt do it maybe benford can.

GMG

As long as we don't play a lower division school like Prairie View or UAH.

[emmitt01]

I feel unt is on the right track. I am still Looking for the via our first NIT or Big dance win. Jones couldnt do it maybe benford can.

Looking forward to old dominion in the pit next weeknd. Who wants to rock it with me!

GMG

If a freight train bearing down on you means you're on the "right track" then yes.

[NM Green]

All I am saying is that benford has as many tourney wins as savior jones. Someone break us through. It's like watching UNM with all of their history and high profile coaches they have never been able to break into the Sweet 16 even with their best teams. So someone step up and do it. Win a game in the tourney for the good ole Mean Green.

Win on Thursday and beat ODU!!!!!

GMG

[greenminer]

All I am saying is that benford has as many tourney wins as savior jones. Someone break us through. It's like watching UNM with all of their history and high profile coaches they have never been able to break into the Sweet 16 even with their best teams. So someone step up and do it. Win a game in the tourney for the good ole Mean Green.

Win on Thursday and beat ODU!!!!!

GMG

If you think tourney wins are the only measure to compare the two, I am glad you're not involved in grading and hiring coaches.

JJ made took us to the conference final how many times, not to mention two appearances to the Big Dance. Why don't you elaborate and tell us how close you think Benford is to that, because apparently that is not a hump at all.

Or better yet, let me go over to the Kentucky board and find that thread that argues Billie Gillespie deserved a little bit more respect because he matched John Mauer's UK postseason record. I'll be right back.

EDIT: here, try this instead:

Not trying to pick a fight or anything, because hey- I think you're swell.

But, counterpoint-

Whatever 'hump' you feel we didn't get over under Johnny was an obstacle that wasn't even visible on the horizon when he started here.

When he first got here, getting 'over the hump' meant double digit wins. Then, it meant winning a conference tournament game. Then, it meant making the NCAAs. Then, it was certain recruiting hurdles. Then, it meant winning the regular season. Then, it meant beating a power conference team. Then, it was beating a power conference team on the road. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

No matter what you do, there's always another hump to get over. And anyone, anywhere, is free to say "not good enough" about anything they feel like diminishing.

I wish we'd won a tournament game. But even if we had, someone else could always bitch that we hadn't made a Sweet 16, or any other bar you want to set. I wish we'd beaten a ranked team. But, when you only get one or two chances a year, always on the road, usually against perennial powerhouses like Kansas or Texas, that's exceptionally improbable. That's why they pay teams to show up for those games. One of the humps JJ supposedly wasn't capable of getting over was beating a ranked team... But he did it last week (at home, I'll point out... an opportunity he never got here at NT) despite coaching a team that (in my opinion) is less talented than most of the ones he led in his last few years here at North Texas.

He's gone, he left us. And honestly, I'm not that interested in defending his achievements or legacy to anyone who doesn't feel they were worthwhile. As far as I'm concerned, though, he did some amazing things here, and I will love that guy forever for what he accomplished and how he represented us.

It doesn't matter what you do, there's always another hump to get over. And people will always be able to talk down your achievements by pointing to whatever the next hurdle would have been.

Seriously, it's never, ever enough. There's always something else. Just ask Gary Williams.

Edited February 26, 2015 by greenminer

[TheWestie]

My biggest issue is the fact that he can't get any of his OWN recruits to stay around more than 2 years.

You guys are talking high hopes about finding a second Combs and a replacement Jordan Williams.... More like finding a replacement Combs after Benford runs him off too. All the talk the first two seasons about "getting his guys in here" was all BS. He's gotten his guys. And they quickly started running away.

[UNT90]

All I am saying is that benford has as many tourney wins as savior jones. Someone break us through. It's like watching UNM with all of their history and high profile coaches they have never been able to break into the Sweet 16 even with their best teams. So someone step up and do it. Win a game in the tourney for the good ole Mean Green.

Win on Thursday and beat ODU!!!!!

GMG

Funny, it's seems a 4 game conference win streak is enough for some people, and then you go Talkin' all crazy stuff about an NCAA tourney win.

Don't you know who we are? Just be happy with this conference win streak. It's enough for poor little ole UNT.

Edited February 26, 2015 by UNT90

[untjim1995]

I just fear the contract extension for "leaping" over the back-to-back .500 seasons "hurdle"...

Edited February 26, 2015 by untjim1995

[UNTFan23]

I just fear the contract extension for "leaping" over the back-to-back .500 seasons "hurdle"...

That's not a hurdle to me. It should be an expectation.*

* I say this and we've had many coaches, especially in football, that have been kept for many years that don't have winning records over their career at North Texas.