MGB: UNT considering forming hiring committee for new coach

FirefightnRick · October 14, 2015

I worry that they may want representation from various departments etc.

Like 1991...the last time we did that stupid $hit and got Dennis Parker...a super nice guy who had never so much as been an assistant in college. But he had won the 5A State Championship and the lady from the English department and the gentleman from the the math department and a woman from the student union board all thought he'd be a good high school recruiter...and he was...but that was it. Result? Disaster!

Rick

Chris Drybread · October 14, 2015

Hire an outside consultant like Hayden Fry to be on the head coach search committee.

NorthTexan95 · October 14, 2015

Like 1991...the last time we did that stupid $hit and got Dennis Parker...a super nice guy who had never so much as been an assistant in college. But he had won the 5A State Championship and the lady from the English department and the gentleman from the the math department and a woman from the student union board all thought he'd be a good high school recruiter...and he was...but that was it. Result? Disaster!

Rick

Good Lord, Parker was awful. He had a tremendous skill of losing games in stupid ways.

I'll reserve judgement until we see who is on the committee.

golfingomez · October 14, 2015

i don't have a problem with an outside consultant/firm doing some research, as long as the whole point of that is to say... 'Hey, do NOT hire this guy, or this person, they have some skeletons in their closet/questionable moves have been made in the past.'

the AD should still be the one who conducts interviews and officially makes the hire though.

UNT90 · October 14, 2015

If RV was as good at his job as he is at saving his job by blaming others, we would be nationally ranked in every major sport every year.

VideoEagle · October 14, 2015

i don't have a problem with an outside consultant/firm doing some research, as long as the whole point of that is to say... 'Hey, do NOT hire this guy, or this person, they have some skeletons in their closet/questionable moves have been made in the past.'

the AD should still be the one who conducts interviews and officially makes the hire though.

Yes, vetting candidates is very important. Likewise a "hey, here's someone you might consider." And having someone do the initial screening interviews if you've got a number of candidates is also good. But the final interview should be the AD and possibly the President. I would think the President should at least MEET a couple of finalists. The AD (or Acting AD or President) should be the one making the final decision.

There is a difference between input and decision making!

Eagle-96 · October 14, 2015

Like 1991...the last time we did that stupid $hit and got Dennis Parker...a super nice guy who had never so much as been an assistant in college. But he had won the 5A State Championship and the lady from the English department and the gentleman from the the math department and a woman from the student union board all thought he'd be a good high school recruiter...and he was...but that was it. Result? Disaster!

Rick

Please, Please, Please do not put anyone on this search committee that 1. Does not have an athletics background. 2. Does not have skin in the game. I DO NOT want someone that teaches advanced tuba to make the decision on who is gonna coach this football team. I'm sure the Engineering School would not want Hank Dickenson deciding who their Dean is. I want:

1. The AD(preferably a new one but that may not be feasible) and some of his/her staff.

2. Neal Smatresk

3. A couple of former players from different eras that have been active with the school. I want someone who truly cares about this program as much as everyone on this board does.

4. The only outside firm(people) I want in the room are those that can vet candidates for skeletons and past histories. I don't want to hire someone that comes back to bite us. I don't want a Bobby Petrino or Steve Sarkisian fiasco.

UNTcrazy727 · October 14, 2015

Anyone think this search committee is part of a deal Smatresk had to make with our big donors?

Let's say Smatresk doesn't trust RV with hiring a new coach and wants him gone immediately, but RV's 17 BFFs are threatening to leave if RV is fired. So to make a deal where everyone comes out looking great they decide to let RV's contract run out, but in return make a committee comprised of school officials, donors and former athletes that will hire a new coach. That way, whenever RV's contract isn't renewed in 16 months, the coach won't have to worry about having the school's support when a new AD is hired. So in return for Smatresk allowing RV to have a graceful exit and allowing some of the donors to be apart of the coach selection process, RV's donors agree to stay on once a new AD hired. I wouldn't be surprised if another committee is formed when Benford is fired in a few months.

***Note- I hate the idea of something like this because it's ass backwards, but this is UNT and we never do things conventionally.

Edited October 14, 2015 by UNTcrazy727

EagleGreen · October 15, 2015

The committee is already formed. You can guess who is on it. Very popular initials on this board.

untjim1995 · October 15, 2015

The committee is already formed. You can guess who is on it. Very popular initials on this board.

A mass exodus is getting closer to occurring, Neal Smatresk...

James329 · October 15, 2015

This is a fairly common way of doing things, and I took faculty to mean Smatresk and BOR types, not professors or deans. Now, that's not to say I trust the braintrust that would form this committee, especially compared to other big programs that do this. On the other hand hiring consultants like Neinas have their negatives as well. I just hope they can come to a consensus and find the right guy. I also think this limits the chances of us going way off board and hiring a name nobody is considering like the McCarney hire.

Edited October 15, 2015 by James329

Christopher Walker · October 15, 2015

This is the worst possible news. Now we will have faculty members who don't have a clue and honestly don't give a shat about football making huge decisions impacting our future.

If (and that's a strong "if"), faculty and staff are considered for this committee, then Neal will ensure that it is populated appropriately. For example the Chair of Criminal Justice studies is heading up the Campus Carry policy committee.

If there's something I cannot reiterate enough, it's that we finally have a rather competent administration going for us for once.

Cerebus · October 15, 2015

For example the Chair of Criminal Justice studies is heading up the Campus Carry policy committee.

Really been impressed by that guy, doing a fantastic job with a tough assignment.

Christopher Walker · October 15, 2015

Really been impressed by that guy, doing a fantastic job with a tough assignment.

Me too. Yesterday's meeting was handled really well.

UNT90 · October 15, 2015

Anyone think this search committee is part of a deal Smatresk had to make with our big donors?
Let's say Smatresk doesn't trust RV with hiring a new coach and wants him gone immediately, but RV's 17 BFFs are threatening to leave if RV is fired. So to make a deal where everyone comes out looking great they decide to let RV's contract run out, but in return make a committee comprised of school officials, donors and former athletes that will hire a new coach. That way, whenever RV's contract isn't renewed in 16 months, the coach won't have to worry about having the school's support when a new AD is hired. So in return for Smatresk allowing RV to have a graceful exit and allowing some of the donors to be apart of the coach selection process, RV's donors agree to stay on once a new AD hired. I wouldn't be surprised if another committee is formed when Benford is fired in a few months.
***Note- I hate the idea of something like this because it's ass backwards, but this is UNT and we never do things conventionally.

No other university but UNT would do this. It's a recipe for disaster.

bstnsportsfan3 · October 16, 2015

The committee is already formed. You can guess who is on it. Very popular initials on this board.

who?

KRAM1 · October 16, 2015

This is the worst possible news. Now we will have faculty members who don't have a clue and honestly don't give a shat about football making huge decisions impacting our future.

Then you might be surprised to learn that there are a good many faculty members who know a great deal about athletics, love athletics, support athletics and donate to athletics at UNT. I would be more than comfortable having any of these faculty representatives on the committee should, in fact, a search committee be formed to help select our next HC.

James329 · October 16, 2015

Then you might be surprised to learn that there are a good many faculty members who know a great deal about athletics, love athletics, support athletics and donate to athletics at UNT. I would be more than comfortable having any of these faculty representatives on the committee should, in fact, a search committee be formed to help select our next HC.

Of course you would.

EagleGreen · October 16, 2015

There is no faculty on the search committee. It has 5 or less people.

MeanGreenTexan · October 16, 2015

There is no faculty on the search committee. It has 5 or less people.

Just spitballing here:
Rick Villareal
Neil Smatresk
C. Dan Smith
G. Brint Ryan
Ernie Khuene

MeanGreenTexan · October 16, 2015

ding ding ding ding

billy-madison-i-am-the-smartest-man-aliv

UNTcrazy727 · October 16, 2015

Just spitballing here:
~~Rick Villareal~~ Joe Greene
Neil Smatresk
C. Dan Smith
G. Brint Ryan
Ernie Khuene

One can dream, right?

KRAM1 · October 18, 2015

Of course you would.

Yes, indeed I would. As for just one such example, I know a faculty member who has donated and pledged well over $300,000 to athletics, attends every football and men's and women's BB games along with other team sports as well. Who plays in every Don January golf tournament, attends the conference BB tournaments and knows as much or more about UNT and UNT athletics as any person I know in or outside UNT. He is not alone among faculty either, just one of the larger donors I personally know. And, he has been so involved for many years. He would, indeed, be a very qualified member of any possible search committee if so asked. He is one of the most professional people I know associated with UNT in any way. So, as you said...of course I would.

UNT90 · October 18, 2015

Then you might be surprised to learn that there are a good many faculty members who know a great deal about athletics, love athletics, support athletics and donate to athletics at UNT. I would be more than comfortable having any of these faculty representatives on the committee should, in fact, a search committee be formed to help select our next HC.

Right, because the head of computer science should have input into the next head football coach.

This is a terrible idea. If you don't trust your AD to make major hires, get a new AD.

Its that simple.

KRAM1 · October 18, 2015

Right, because the head of computer science should have input into the next head football coach.
This is a terrible idea. If you don't trust your AD to make major hires, get a new AD.
Its that simple.

Never once said I was in favor of a committee. Just responding to the statement that faculty would be a bad fit for a committee. There are a good many faculty that I would be most comfortable with having on a committee should one be formed. To suggest they would be any less qualified than alumni members is ridiculous. Lots of folks here on GMG.Com "claim" expertise. What makes them any more qualified than faculty in your mind...including you or me for that matter....or any of the mystical 17 that posters here refuse to name?