In 2012

UNT90 · March 15, 2015

Both UNT and SMU had to replace basketball coaches for very different reasons. SMU fired their coach because, despite a lot of resources, they were the worst D1 school out of 4 in the metroplex at basketball.

UNT had to replace their coach because he had been so successful that he had landed a job at LSU, his alma mater, as head basketball coach. But he didnt leave before recruiting a buttload of talent to UNT, all of which was very young and returning to UNT for the next season. UNT had the most talent returning of any program in the metroplex for the 2012/2013 season. They were media darlings, including being picked as one of three "mid majors to watch" by a national sports publication. UNT had many experienced suitors for its head coaching position.

SMU decided to hire Larry Briwn, an all or nothing roll of the dice to change the culture. UNT chose to hire a guy SMU chose not to hire. A career assistant that wasn't on anyone's radar, but was cheap. A guy that had interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs without ever landing one.

Today, SMU just won its conference tournament after winning the regular season league title in a very strong basketball conference. SMU won 27 games on the year and will be a 3 or 4 seed in the tournament.

Today, UNT still has that same coach hanging around despite the deconstruction of a once on the cusp basketball program. Despite taking that 2012/2013 team that all the experts raved about preseason to an embarrassing 12-20 record, including a loss to a D2 team on the biggest regular season stage in this program's history. Despite a 28 point loss in the first round of this year's conference tournament to a lower seed team that had won 11 games. Despite never having a record above .500 in 3 years, despite all the talent that was bequeathed to him.

It's clear who was more serious about basketball in 2012. Will UNT finally get serious about men's basketball now? Or will the powers that be allow another year of the crapshow that has been Tony Benford to continue?

It's this weekend if it's going to be this year.

Hoping the right people do the right thing.

Finally.

EDIT: posted in wrong forum. Could a mod please move this to basketball? Thx

Edited March 15, 2015 by UNT90

UNT90 · March 15, 2015

SMU received a 6 seed (why you overrate them is confusing) and their conference only had two teams make the tournament. We could have easily had two teams make it. Obviously SMU has a better basketball program than UNT at this point, but you are definetly giving them way to much credit at this point. Let's see if they can make the sweet 16 and then come back and address their sucess

Right, because we are making sweet 16s nowadays, aren't we?

SMU got robbed on seeding. Should have at least been a 5.

In other news, JJ has LSU back in the tournament. He also has them poised to be a top 5 preseason team next year of everyone returns.

JJ still having his late game problems, though.

BillySee58 · March 15, 2015

No surprise, but North Texas made a better hire than SMU.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken)
April 24, 2012

UNT90 · March 15, 2015

https://twitter.com/danwolken/status/194833582584381440

Remember when we laughed at the Larry Brown hire?

Whose laughing now...

BillySee58 · March 15, 2015

A lot of people thought it was a home run hire. It just shows you that any hire can be a great or terrible. We could be having this same conversation if JJ stayed or we hired anyone else. We could also be having a completely different conversation.

Actual results are all that matter.

UNT90 · March 15, 2015

A lot of people thought it was a home run hire. It just shows you that any hire can be a great or terrible. We could be having this same conversation if JJ stayed or we hired anyone else. We could also be having a completely different conversation.

It became very clear very early in Benford's first year that we had made a disastrous hire.

Ben Gooding · March 16, 2015

It's no surprise that Dan Wolken didn't know what he was talking about...

All jobs are dependent on goals...I am sure that Benford had goals put in front of him and almost certain that he hasn't achieved them. Yet, he will still be our coach next season because RV doesn't want to do the leg work to buy him out and also RV isn't ready to admit that yet another hire of his is a failure.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Ben Gooding

Travis · March 16, 2015

I am pretty confident we are bringing back medicocrity.

bstnsportsfan3 · March 16, 2015

RV would have made the decision already, i have no doubt that Benford will be back next season as much as it pains me to admit it.

HoustonEagle · March 16, 2015

Nothing will ever change with North Texas athletics unless some big donors are found. I appreciate the money and effort that several alumni have given the program to this point, but it is not nearly enough. I could go on but I wont. I just don't think many here can see the forest for the trees.

drex · March 16, 2015

Kuehne was in Birmingham to watch the total meltdown. I'm told that he really cares about the program...he could give the money and pull the trigger on Benford. Will he? Who knows?

GrandGreen · March 16, 2015

Don't forget that SMU also hired Jank as head assistant making about twice as much as NT payed Benford.

The field has definitely reversed with NT going from number one in the Metromess to last.

Even worse, NT is going to have Benford apparently for another season; trying to rebuild a program he decimated.

Cooley · March 16, 2015

Brown's total annual compensation is 2.8 million. (apples/oranges to UNT) He was also SMU's 4th or 5th option after others turned them down. 3 years after JJ had been here there were multiple calls for his head. Benford will be here for the next 2 years. Please get over it! This one man campaign to fire the coach and AD with over 5 posts per thread has long been old. Give us all a break.

I'm not a Benford supporter but with the constant bitching, I'm hoping the guy sticks around much longer just to piss folks off more. Please RV and President Smatresk, let the man finish the job he was hired to do. No one is asking for a 5 year extension like we gave our losing football coach after 3. Of course, all the experts (and record on the field) indicates that he can't recruit. The football program is a bigger disappointment relative to the money devoted to it (facilities, salaries etc).

CMJ · March 16, 2015

I am not gonna debate your entire post, because I am too lazy. However I do take issue with you saying there were multiple calls for JJ's head after three years. I suppose that might be true, but I never heard any rumbling prior to the 2006-07 season (then I heard quite a bit)....and then he proceeded to win the league tournament.

UNT90 · March 16, 2015

Brown's total annual compensation is 2.8 million. (apples/oranges to UNT) He was also SMU's 4th or 5th option after others turned them down. 3 years after JJ had been here there were multiple calls for his head. Benford will be here for the next 2 years. Please get over it! This one man campaign to fire the coach and AD with over 5 posts per thread has long been old. Give us all a break.

I'm not a Benford supporter but with the constant bitching, I'm hoping the guy sticks around much longer just to piss folks off more. Please RV and President Smatresk, let the man finish the job he was hired to do. No one is asking for a 5 year extension like we gave our losing football coach after 3. Of course, all the experts (and record on the field) indicates that he can't recruit. The football program is a bigger disappointment relative to the money devoted to it (facilities, salaries etc).

Basketball has been deconstructed.

I'll keep saying it until something is done about it.

So you are ok casting blame on every player the first 2 years as being cancers (cause when you say it in the vaugue manner that RV said it, that is exactly what you are doing)?

Surprised by that. Also surprised that you want Benford to be here the full 5 years, no matter what happens next season. That really makes no sense, since he wouldn't be able to recruit without an extension after next year.

I would think you would want what is best for the program.

Weird.

UNTLifer · March 17, 2015

Continuing to say it on here isn't going to change anything.

Caw Caw · March 17, 2015

Continuing to say it on here isn't going to change anything.

Brown's total annual compensation is 2.8 million. (apples/oranges to UNT) He was also SMU's 4th or 5th option after others turned them down. 3 years after JJ had been here there were multiple calls for his head. Benford will be here for the next 2 years. Please get over it! This one man campaign to fire the coach and AD with over 5 posts per thread has long been old. Give us all a break.

I'm not a Benford supporter but with the constant bitching, I'm hoping the guy sticks around much longer just to piss folks off more. Please RV and President Smatresk, let the man finish the job he was hired to do. No one is asking for a 5 year extension like we gave our losing football coach after 3. Of course, all the experts (and record on the field) indicates that he can't recruit. The football program is a bigger disappointment relative to the money devoted to it (facilities, salaries etc).

Yeah you're right, no one should ever continue to voice there opinions, money or votes about broken systems. Why vote in America right? Not liek that voice or opinion actually changes anything. I bet you guys bitch about the president, taxes, recruiting, your bad backs, whatever. Different sports, different issues and different people prioritize differently than you. But to tell someone on a sports fan board about an opinion on a major revenue hire is about the same as telling you guys to talk about something other than your opinion on the quarterback situation. Get over yourselves.

FirefightnRick · March 17, 2015

Don't forget that SMU also hired Jank as head assistant making about twice as much as NT payed Benford.
The field has definitely reversed with NT going from number one in the Metromess to last.
Even worse, NT is going to have Benford apparently for another season; trying to rebuild a program he decimated.

No, much much more than that.

Rick

UNTLifer · March 17, 2015

Bitching about it ON HERE. My goodness, Caw Caw, did you read that one sentence. Express your disdain with those that can exact change not on a fan forum where, after three years of continual bitching, nothing has changed. Schedule a meeting with the AD, the President, the BOR. We all know how he feels and he takes almost every post, regardless of topic, and turns it in to a RV isn't doing shit and Benford should be fired campaign. It's an ass whipping.

FirefightnRick · March 17, 2015

Brown's total annual compensation is 2.8 million. (apples/oranges to UNT) He was also SMU's 4th or 5th option after others turned them down. 3 years after JJ had been here there were multiple calls for his head. Benford will be here for the next 2 years. Please get over it! This one man campaign to fire the coach and AD with over 5 posts per thread has long been old. Give us all a break.

I'm not a Benford supporter but with the constant bitching, I'm hoping the guy sticks around much longer just to piss folks off more. Please RV and President Smatresk, let the man finish the job he was hired to do. No one is asking for a 5 year extension like we gave our losing football coach after 3. Of course, all the experts (and record on the field) indicates that he can't recruit. The football program is a bigger disappointment relative to the money devoted to it (facilities, salaries etc).

Complete bullshit.

JJ took a team that won 4 games the year before and turned them into a .500 team his very first year.

No one was calling for JJ's head in year three. To say so is a complete fabrication of the truth.

Rick

Edited March 17, 2015 by FirefightnRick

TheTastyGreek · March 17, 2015

JJ took a team that won 4 games the year before and nearly turned them into a .500 team his very first year...

He was actually over .500 (both overall and in conference).

FirefightnRick · March 17, 2015

He was actually over .500 (both overall and in conference).

What was the record? 17-15?

Rick

Edited March 17, 2015 by FirefightnRick

UNT90 · March 17, 2015

Bitching about it ON HERE. My goodness, Caw Caw, did you read that one sentence. Express your disdain with those that can exact change not on a fan forum where, after three years of continual bitching, nothing has changed. Schedule a meeting with the AD, the President, the BOR. We all know how he feels and he takes almost every post, regardless of topic, and turns it in to a RV isn't doing shit and Benford should be fired campaign. It's an ass whipping.

Lol. A meeting with RV? Seriously? Do you know how many people have had said meetings, had RV politely listen, maybe even been promised things, only to have it not matter one bit and to have those promises broken?

You would think being as old as you are, you would have figured out how the world works. I don't matter as a donor. I wouldn't waste RV's time with a meeting or an email, because HE SHOULD SPEND THAT TIME MORE EFFICIENTLY. He would politely half listen, tell me to be patient because wonderful things are just around the corner, then nicely escort me out.

The issue isn't with RV at this point, it's with his bosses. I definitely wouldn't pretend to be important enough to waste their time.

I'm sure all those people glance at this board from time to time, so I will continue to post the way I do in the hopes that they and maybe some big donors finally decide to ask some very tough questions of our AD.

Do I expect that to happen? No, but it's pretty much all I can do. You apparently just are either happy losing or live in a pretend world where there are no consequences for doing a crappy job.

Enjoy 3 wins this football season...