Who Should Be The Next Head Coach @UNT

mgfan · October 11, 2015

I don't believe we need to look beyond the FCS. There are plenty of OC/DC and FCS head coaches that we shouldn't need to look into DII and Juco

BillySee58 · October 11, 2015

Butch jones or zac azzani?? Seriously why not! They can recruit....and motivate. If smu can get a big name why can't we

Butch Jones isn't going anywhere, but I would absolutely love that. If Dobbs plays better, and with the young and committed QBs they have he'll win a lot of games going forward. They're both great recruiters. Those guys have the energy, ingenuity, ability to connect, and relentlessness we need in recruiting. Those guys' recruiting abilities would translate anywhere in the country.

NT91 · October 11, 2015

June

Matt from A700 · October 11, 2015

The Portland St. Coach. That team was in complete disarray last year. Same situation we were in. They have NO resources. None. Now they have TWO FBS wins this season, and that Wazzu team they beat just put the beat down on the Oregon Ducks. If I'm UNT, I don't let him on the plane back to Portland.

Heard an alumni yell "We want their coach!" yesterday and for these reasons couldn't agree more.

BillySee58 · October 11, 2015

Sonny Cumbie
Major Applewhite
Kendall Briles
Jake Spavital

Curious why people are so set on it being these type of guys. I agree those should be prime candidates if they are interested, but would they be? Look how bad a shape this team is in. Those guys are one step away from a P5 head coaching job as it is. They could be thinking if they come here they'll need 3-4 years to be good, and that there's no need to risk it when they could keep their cozy, easy-to-recruit-to job and have a P5 offer in that same 3-4 years anyways.

Also, how would their recruiting translate? I know they're young, but have they proven to be good recruiters, ceteris paribus? Obviously it has to be someone who can recruit to UNT, and not just someone who can recruit to a P5 school or has recruited primarily in Texas. Again, I am interested in all those guys and I'd love to see us get our own Tom Herman. That guy has done a great job at Houston, and they're recruiting great. But the next guy would not inherit a roster close to what Herman inherited.

Love seeing these names as possibilities. The old UNT fan in me however is disheartened that we'll not see any of them and we'll hire some no name running backs coach from P5 U. Hopefully things are different now.

In 2003 Houston was a sub-par non-BCS conference program. They hired a running backs coach from Texas Tech, who was a high school coach before that named Art Briles. They're program took off and has continued to ever since. They weren't picky, and he was the right fit. They didn't overly narrow their criteria and say "it has to be a coach who has been at this type of school, or had this type of position."

Had they done so they would've eliminated a great candidate before their search even began. We should handle this the same way. No sense in eliminating coaches who would be good fits here before the search even begins.

H-towngreen · October 11, 2015

Curious why people are so set on it being these type of guys. I agree those should be prime candidates if they are interested, but would they be? Look how bad a shape this team is in. Those guys are one step away from a P5 head coaching job as it is. They could be thinking if they come here they'll need 3-4 years to be good, and that there's no need to risk it when they could keep their cozy, easy-to-recruit-to job and have a P5 offer in that same 3-4 years anyways.
Also, how would their recruiting translate? I know they're young, but have they proven to be good recruiters, ceteris paribus? Obviously it has to be someone who can recruit to UNT, and not just someone who can recruit to a P5 school or has recruited primarily in Texas. Again, I am interested in all those guys and I'd love to see us get our own Tom Herman. That guy has done a great job at Houston, and they're recruiting great. But the next guy would not inherit a roster close to what Herman inherited.

Those are my top of the list guys, if they would even want to come here. Offensive minded, younger, energetic, and have shown some ability to recruit. Unless you're grabbing a guy who was a coach previously you never really know how they recruit.

Has anyone ever been able to successfully recruit to UNT?

madmaxx7 · October 11, 2015

You guys need to look at Colby Carthel. He has turned around bad programs. His dad was a successful FCS football coach. They have great contacts within the Texas high school coaching community. He is young and has proven he knows how to win. I think he is what we need, Take a look at him.

http://lionathletics.com/staffaspx?staff=22

Coach Bill Lewis · October 11, 2015

Carthel link to bio http://lionathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=123

Cerebus · October 11, 2015

Has anyone ever been able to successfully recruit to UNT?

Dickey recruited 11 DaMN State Top 100s in three different years. Mac landed one (Goree), Dodge landed one (Riley). By far the best recruiting we have had since the return to FBS.

Dickey also landed top recrutis from Oklahoma (Cobbs was a top 20, Early a Times-Union Florida Top 40, Sky Pruitt was top 10 Big Sky or somesuch) and was able to bring in top Juco talent (Daniels was a Top 5 JUCO, so was the DT who replaced Booger).

Rivals was much smaller then and Hudl didnt even exist so we never got the attention. No doubt in my mind Dickeys best class would have been top 40 or so.

greenit · October 11, 2015

If we want the bump in recruiting, we probably have to try and hire the OC from a P5 program known for success. Hiring an FCS head coach or a D1 HC that is out of a job probably reduces the buzz, but may be a better long term hire.

It will be interesting to see who ends up on the short list.

BillySee58 · October 11, 2015

Those are my top of the list guys, if they would even want to come here. Offensive minded, younger, energetic, and have shown some ability to recruit. Unless you're grabbing a guy who was a coach previously you never really know how they recruit.

Has anyone ever been able to successfully recruit to UNT?

True. All we can really go off of is hearsay and reading those schools' boards to understand if those assistants are the good recruiters.

I won't pretend to know any farther back, but Todd Dodge got players with decent offer lists despite losing terribly and recruiting to Fouts. I don't think he's the only one who can recruit like that, and I see no reason we can't get someone who is at least as good at recruiting as he was while being able to put a good product on the field as well.

MeanGreenTeeth · October 11, 2015

Curious why people are so set on it being these type of guys. I agree those should be prime candidates if they are interested, but would they be? Look how bad a shape this team is in. Those guys are one step away from a P5 head coaching job as it is. They could be thinking if they come here they'll need 3-4 years to be good, and that there's no need to risk it when they could keep their cozy, easy-to-recruit-to job and have a P5 offer in that same 3-4 years anyways.

I'm not sure all (or any) of those guys are going to have a P5 HC job within 3 years. Honestly, I don't think Spav is very good and Applewhite hasn't shown anything up to this point to deserve the adoration he has received. Of these guys, I'd go after Kendal Briles. I'm sure he could recruit well and there is a lot of upside if he is anything like his father. That being said, he is really really young and there is a chance he'd be overwhelmed. However, given where we find ourselves, I'd be happy to give him a shot.

Also, keep in mind that if any of these guys got P5 jobs they'd probably be at low-end schools. It is a lot easier to make North Texas competitive in C-USA than Kansas in the Big 12. There also isn't much pressure given where we are right now.

BillySee58 · October 11, 2015

I'm not sure all (or any) of those guys are going to have a P5 HC job within 3 years. Honestly, I don't think Spav is very good and Applewhite hasn't shown anything up to this point to deserve the adoration he has received. Of these guys, I'd go after Kendal Briles. I'm sure he could recruit well and there is a lot of upside if he is anything like his father. That being said, he is really really young and there is a chance he'd be overwhelmed. However, given where we find ourselves, I'd be happy to give him a shot.
Also, keep in mind that if any of these guys got P5 jobs they'd probably be at low-end schools. It is a lot easier to make North Texas competitive in C-USA than Kansas in the Big 12. There also isn't much pressure given where we are right now.

Yeah, that's how it has seemed lately. It's funny, TCU fans wanted us to take Spav when his name was included in that tweet. It's interesting to me that Applewhite has never been considered for an HC job yet, to my knowledge, considering where he has been. I wonder if that says anything negatively towards his ability to run a program.

I believe Briles is 34. Certainly doesn't exclude his from being a good coach, but still he has to get an interview if he's interested. You should be able to find out to a degree there if that's the case for him or not.

WestTexasEagle · October 11, 2015

I just don't think Carthel is ready for this level.

SilverEagle · October 11, 2015

I just don't think Carthel is ready for this level.

I think Carthel has coached at more credible schools than Freeze before Freeze was hired at Ark. St.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Freeze

mgfan · October 11, 2015

The position we are in we need more than a coach with with a good resume (there are a lot out there). We need a NAME. Someone with a good resume and someone students, recruits, and fans know.We have a great chance here to do something special.

Edited October 11, 2015 by mgfan

NT91 · October 11, 2015

If RV is gone who will pick the next HC?

MG fan that takes money.

Edited October 11, 2015 by NT91

WestTexasEagle · October 11, 2015

Carthel did a good job at West Texas State and Commerce is looking good...he may be as good of choice as any small school choice, but if we go to small school I want someone whose proven to hang with the big boys....

GangGreen · October 11, 2015

Can we just hire matt turney? We know he can kick some ass.

Tree · October 11, 2015

Jake Spavital OC of the Aggies would be my pick! He can recruit, recruit, recruit. We need a guy that comes in and has some swagger and can recruit like crazy.

Got5onIt · October 11, 2015

Why not a guy who's relatively young, been a HC in the FBS before, turned around an abysmal program that's hard to recruit to, and is still successful at a FCS school?

ABrownGMG · October 11, 2015

I think a good under the radar name would be Jeff Traylor. TE and ST coach at Texas. Fantastic east Texas coach before that.

http://www.burntorangenation.com/2015/2/13/8033349/jeff-traylor-hired-texas-longhorns-tight-ends-special-teams-coach

Got5onIt · October 11, 2015

What about giving Cristobal another shot? He's doing good things at 'Bama Jelly right now.

GoMeanGreen1999 · October 11, 2015

RV isn't going to get anyone that we consider to be Top 5. He can't. But as I have been saying for awhile, if RV isn't going anywhere, there is no point in firing your coach. I have to believe if President pressured the firing, he is on his way out as well. Just keep Canales on a interim tag until you remove RV.

jtm0097 · October 11, 2015

I think a good under the radar name would be Jeff Traylor. TE and ST coach at Texas. Fantastic east Texas coach before that.
http://www.burntorangenation.com/2015/2/13/8033349/jeff-traylor-hired-texas-longhorns-tight-ends-special-teams-coach

Dodge 2.0