What's your "safest" HC pick?

casual fan · October 18, 2015

Assistant coaches with no HC experience are a scary proposition.

HCs with losing records at a P5s are also a scary proposition.

Here are my 2 "safe" picks. What are yours?

Chris Thomsen 45 with Texas HC ties.

Now assistant head coach at Arizona State.

As head coach: 51-21 at Abilene Christan and 1-0 at TT (was interim HC for bowl).

Willie Fritz 55 with Texas HC ties.

Now head coach: 14-4 at Georgia Southern in the Sunbelt, 97-47 at Central Missouri, and 40-15 at Sam Houston State.

HC the last 19 years with a 151-66 record. I think he's making $400,000 a year at Georgia Southern.

MeanGreen13 · October 18, 2015

Of the two you mentioned, definitely Willie Fritz... but his system just wont fly here in my opinion. So Thomsen then. Both are very safe low risk, decent rewards type of guys.

FirefightnRick · October 18, 2015

Of the two you mentioned, definitely Willie Fritz... but his system just wont fly here in my opinion. So Thomsen then. Both are very safe low risk, decent rewards type of guys.

You mean his system of "Winning"..or what?

Rick

Mean Green 93-98 · October 18, 2015

It's hard to think of a safer choice than Willie Fritz.

NT91 · October 18, 2015

Coach Friz looks solid!

ADLER · October 18, 2015

There may be others that could be considered to look like "safe" picks, but Willie Fritz looks like the best combination of everything that we should be looking for.

MeanGreen13 · October 18, 2015

You mean his system of "Winning"..or what?

Rick

It was actually a pun... I like winning just fine.

Got5onIt · October 18, 2015

I would take Fritz over any of the young OC's that keep getting mentioned around here. Give me a guy who has successfully run a program on a smaller scale 10 times out of 10 versus one of these young coordinators who's been handed literally all the talent in the world and asked to just draw up an offensive play. We're just asking for Teflon Todd 2.0. It's funny how much flack McNulty got around here for being Mac's dude, but Lil' Briles is being put on a pedestal? How the hell did he get his OC job at Baylor?

Edited October 18, 2015 by Got5onIt

James329 · October 18, 2015

Willie Fritz isn't just a triple option guy. He ran different pistol offenses before Georgia Southern, and he doesn't exclusively run that there. That's the offense that school and their fans wanted him to run. But he's capable of coaching the spread, with a strong running game.

Edited October 18, 2015 by James329

eulessismore · October 18, 2015

Willie Fritz isn't just a triple option guy. He ran different pistol offenses before Georgia Southern, and he doesn't exclusively run that there. That's the offense that school and their fans wanted him to run. But he's capable of coaching the spread, with a strong running game.

I'd be ok with Fritz in light of what you've just written, with this once caveat. I consider our last coaching hire to be the "safe" candidate at that time, and don't consider it to have really had sufficient upside. One thing that occurred to me after the relative success of D. Smith's first start is that people want to win, and to see an exciting offense. Although we didn't win, we were more exciting. At some point, to make real progress, we're going to have to make a home run hire. Is that Fritz?

Ben Gooding · October 18, 2015

I'd be ok with Fritz in light of what you've just written, with this once caveat. I consider our last coaching hire to be the "safe" candidate at that time, and don't consider it to have really had sufficient upside. One thing that occurred to me after the relative success of D. Smith's first start is that people want to win, and to see an exciting offense. Although we didn't win, we were more exciting. At some point, to make real progress, we're going to have to make a home run hire. Is that Fritz?

no.

Mike Jackson · October 18, 2015

Candles because you will be able to keep him for about 500k a year. Let him go out get an OC and DC for 350k each. Sign him to a 2 million dollar 4 year contract right now, that starts January 2016. Because until UNT makes the gamble and matches the head coach salary with the size of this university the program in going no where. I think all these conversations about the future head coach are way more realistic if UNT was hiring for a 2 million dollar per year contract. You might even be able get Mack Brown interested with that amount of money and our location. I think Mack Brown would look at this as an easy job with huge growth potential. Because all he would have to do is out recruit Rice, UTSA, UTEP and La Tech. And he could get young hungry innovative under radar coordinators to come to UNT and work on the cheap for awhile. But is all just a dream because UNT isn't serious about building something special. They just want to make due.

James329 · October 18, 2015

I'd be ok with Fritz in light of what you've just written, with this once caveat. I consider our last coaching hire to be the "safe" candidate at that time, and don't consider it to have really had sufficient upside. One thing that occurred to me after the relative success of D. Smith's first start is that people want to win, and to see an exciting offense. Although we didn't win, we were more exciting. At some point, to make real progress, we're going to have to make a home run hire. Is that Fritz?

He might not have the buzz factor, so he might be considered a safe pick. The only caveat, he has won everywhere he has been. He always runs a good offense and has Texas ties. Now, we might not be able to get him, and he might not be exactly what people want, but he's an interesting name to consider.

keith · October 18, 2015

Hopefully we don't approach our HC search the same way we seem to approach recruiting.

NT91 · October 18, 2015

Question is does he want the job.

casual fan · October 19, 2015

Question is does he want the job.

UNT might have a couple of aces in the hole,

He probably has about 13 years in TRS.

If he could make it work here and stick around for a number of years, he would certainly build a nice retirement.

Also he's familiar as anything with recruiting in Texas, and he's lived here for a long time.

He might also bring most of his coaching staff with him and hit the ground running.

Look, he's 5-1 and went 9-3 last year. They've crushed the Sunbelt.

Last year they lost 2 road games at NC State and Georgia Tech by a total of 5 points.

Some big school is going to hire him away from Georgia Southern. Just watch.

Edited October 19, 2015 by casual fan

UNT90 · October 19, 2015

Of the two you mentioned, definitely Willie Fritz... but his system just wont fly here in my opinion. So Thomsen then. Both are very safe low risk, decent rewards type of guys.

Willie Fritz runs the spread. He is being forced to run the triple option at Georgia Southern and has been wildly successful with it.

To me, that shows me that Fritz is someone who can coach, plain and simple.

I wouldn't call him the safe hire, I'd call him the best hire.

I'd be ok with Fritz in light of what you've just written, with this once caveat. I consider our last coaching hire to be the "safe" candidate at that time, and don't consider it to have really had sufficient upside. One thing that occurred to me after the relative success of D. Smith's first start is that people want to win, and to see an exciting offense. Although we didn't win, we were more exciting. At some point, to make real progress, we're going to have to make a home run hire. Is that Fritz?

He has been a home run hire for Georgia Southern, who, like it or not, play in a conference almost comparable to CUSA

A P5 will hire him after next year. Hell, they might after this year, making Fritz an impossible dream.

Ben Gooding · October 19, 2015

Willie Fritz runs the spread. He is being forced to run the triple option at Georgia Southern and has been wildly successful with it.
To me, that shows me that Fritz is someone who can coach, plain and simple.
I wouldn't call him the safe hire, I'd call him the best hire.
He has been a home run hire for Georgia Southern, who, like it or not, play in a conference almost comparable to CUSA
A P5 will hire him after next year. Hell, they might after this year, making Fritz an impossible dream.

I am starting to believe the gap between the Belt and CUSA is widening and widening extremely fast.

StealthEagle84 · October 19, 2015

Question is does he want the job.

That is the biggest question. Fritz seems like an obvious candidate on our end but would the move make sense for him? If he keeps winning at Georgia Southern, someone will pick him up pretty quick. I doubt a major P5 school would grab him but a lower level P5 school would most likely give him a shot. I think it really comes down to if he wants to come back to Texas or not. I would like to think a move to UNT would be an upgrade from Georgia Southern but I'm sure he would weigh the difficulties of this job vs. other options that may come available. In order for him to take this job, I would almost have to believe it would be a destination job for him given his age (55). And given the quality of opponents in C-USA right now, it will take a few years to truly compete in this conference. I'm afraid this job wouldn't make much sense though if he has his eyes are on greener pastures down the road.

untjim1995 · October 19, 2015

I like Chris Thomsen's pedigree a lot. As a matter of fact, he'd be my front runner. To me, the safe pick is to get a retread head coach--someone like a Houston Nutt, who has built up a reputation of winning at big places, but I still don't think he would be as good a hire as a younger coach with head coaching experience as a winner.

To me, the two guys I like the most that I think we could get are Thomsen and Mario Cristobal. Not against anyone else we have read about on here, especially Sonny Cumbie, who I also really like, but I think the first two have shown that they can be a head coach and turn around bad programs into winners. Whether that can happen here is subject to opinion, but that is that type of guy who I think we need at this time to turn this around in the next 2-3 years.

UNT90 · October 19, 2015

I like Chris Thomsen's pedigree a lot. As a matter of fact, he'd be my front runner. To me, the safe pick is to get a retread head coach--someone like a Houston Nutt, who has built up a reputation of winning at big places, but I still don't think he would be as good a hire as a younger coach with head coaching experience as a winner.
To me, the two guys I like the most that I think we could get are Thomsen and Mario Cristobal. Not against anyone else we have read about on here, especially Sonny Cumbie, who I also really like, but I think the first two have shown that they can be a head coach and turn around bad programs into winners. Whether that can happen here is subject to opinion, but that is that type of guy who I think we need at this time to turn this around in the next 2-3 years.

No to Cristobal. I'm ok with Thomsen.

Mean_Green09 · October 19, 2015

Question is does he want the job.

This is what I was told regarding Fritz and his interest in the job

"Fritz would like to stick around Statesboro and have his name attached to a team that is turning a lot of heads."

"As far as North Texas is concerned, I think it might be a little too toxic."

"If/when Fritz leaves, I get the feeling it will be to replace a coach at a moderately successful P5 school."

MGNation92 · October 19, 2015

I noticed in the MGN Podcast you said Chris Thomsen was interested. I think he should be the front runner at this point. He's a proven winner, young, has head coaching experience, and can recruit. He makes the most sense to me, and I hope we go after him hard.

untjim1995 · October 19, 2015

This is what I was told regarding Fritz and his interest in the job

"Fritz would like to stick around Statesboro and have his name attached to a team that is turning a lot of heads."
"As far as North Texas is concerned, I think it might be a little too toxic."
"If/when Fritz leaves, I get the feeling it will be to replace a coach at a moderately successful P5 school."

He would be a steal at a place like USF or UCF, or any other strong G5 program, as well. It wouldn't surprise me to see Fritz come back to coach a team like UH when Herman gets hired away somewhere higher up the foodchain.

HarringtonFishSmeller · October 19, 2015

Thomsen, for sure, in my book. Then, the Cornelsen from Memphis, Heupel fro Utah State, or Norvell from Texas. All good coaches who will probably not be in the running for the Southern Cal-type openings this season.