fort worth star telegram UNT athletic director under fire

[Coach Andy Mac]

North Texas will soon be hiring a third permanent head football coach since 2006 and a number of vocal university stakeholders don’t want athletic director Rick Villarreal making the hire, citing his history of choices to lead the school’s major sports programs since taking over the athletic department in 2001.

“Under the leadership of athletic director Rick Villarreal, we have become birds of pray,” reads a postcard sent to school president Neal Smatresk. The card shows an imposing eagle representing the school’s mascot overlooking the words.

Another alum said he was part of a group that has purchased an airplane banner that will circle Apogee Stadium preceding today’s 6 p.m. home game with UT San Antonio.

Its message: Fire Villarreal.

Their list of grievances are headed by a record in football and men’s basketball — the “money” sports — and women’s basketball that is 133 games under .500 under Villarreal-hired coaches.

In football, following the controversial firing of Darrell Dickey in 2006, the program is 28-74 under Todd Dodge and Dan McCarney, who was fired five games into this season.

The Mean Green enters today’s game 0-7 overall and 0-4 in Conference USA. UTSA is 1-6, 1-2.

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Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/football/article41992233.html#storylink=cpy

[laxtonto]

Good.. the message is slowly leaking out...

 

Fire RV

[drex]

If this catches fire with metroplex media, it could get real grim, real quickly.

[UNTcrazy727]

RV asked for public backing from Smatresk, but he said no. Very interesting...

[UNT90]

For those who didn't want to fly the banner, THIS is why it is necessary. There will be a follow up with pics of the banner. 

There are A LOT of UNT alums in local media that are sick of losing, whether they properly place the blame on RV or not. This will get media play, both to the positive and the negative for the banner itself. 

People are talking. That's what this was meant to do.

[BillySee58]

Everyone thought Mccarney was he best thing since sliced bread back in January 2014. Except recruiting analysts and people who followed recruiting. It was a bad decision, even at the time. 3 years in he hadn't signed a QB to push Thompson in the least, his entire d-line was made up of guys he inherited, 6 defensive and 7 offensive starters were inherited from Dodge, and his best road win was against a 4-8 team. Factors that did not translate well long term, at the time. All RV could see was 9-4.

And praise for getting into CUSA is honestly unwarranted. Said it before, but it would've been impressive if he could've got us in before SMU left, but he couldn't. We were the only DFW team left that hadn't spurned CUSA for a better conference. Those defenses for RV are filled with major holes. There's a reason we 0-7 in football, coming off not even making the CUSA women's tourney and losing by 30+ to a 10-seed in the first round of the men's tourney.

[UNT 90 Grad]

“Under the leadership of athletic director Rick Villarreal, we have become birds of pray”

[UNT90]

Everyone thought Mccarney was he best thing since sliced bread back in January 2014. Except recruiting analysts and people who followed recruiting. It was a bad decision, even at the time. 3 years in he hadn't signed a QB to push Thompson in the least, his entire d-line was made up of guys he inherited, 6 defensive and 7 offensive starters were inherited from Dodge, and his best road win was against a 4-8 team. Factors that did not translate well long term, at the time. All RV could see was 9-4.

And praise for getting into CUSA is honestly unwarranted. Said it before, but it would've been impressive if he could've got us in before SMU left, but he couldn't. We were the only DFW team left that hadn't spurned CUSA for a better conference. Those defenses for RV are filled with major holes. There's a reason we 0-7 in football, coming off not even making the CUSA women's tourney and losing by 30+ to a 10-seed in the first round of the men's tourney.

CUSA is headquartered in Dallas. If there was anything close to a viable metroplex team, CUSA was buying. 

We were a default. And one year later, it became just slightly better than the conference we just left. CUSA even took a start up and a FCS move up. I mean, better than the Belt?

RV should be working his ass off to get us in the Mountain West. Instead, he sits back and views something slightly better than the Belt as his crowning jewel. 

Pretty amazing. 

Edited October 31, 2015 by UNT90

[All About UNT]

“Under the leadership of athletic director Rick Villarreal, we have become birds of pray”

embarrassing 

[James329]

Poor RV...guy just has it so rough. 

[greenminer]

Villarreal appears to have retained the support of Smatresk, who took the reins of the university in February 2014, despite declining the athletic director’s request for a public vote of confidence, according to officials at the school who requested anonymity.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2015 by greenminer

[UNT90]

The most important and infuriating part of that article is that RV will be picking the next head football coach. 

This assures that we will suck for another 5 years and a new AD will be suck raising buy out money for another failed RV hire.

Its becoming a really expensive friendship for the 17...

And seriously, dies RV do anything besides talk to the media?

Edited October 31, 2015 by UNT90

[NorthTexan95]

Hopefully RV makes a good hire. Then basketball season comes and we can focus on his basketball hires.  

[UNTpolitico]

“One-and-a-half years ago, when we were playing in a New Year’s bowl game no one was calling the athletic director saying ‘great job.’ You understand for most of the time what you’re going to get is the downside. That’s just part of the business.”

I guess now we should call and thank people for doing their job at an acceptable level... I bought a soda at QuikTrip earlier the clerk rang me up and smiled, I'll call tomorrow to say 'Great Job'.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/football/article41992233.html#storylink=cpy

[Ben Gooding]

OK, for the 1000th time...

RV, this is directed at you so please listen up...

NOT EVERYONE BOUGHT INTO DAN MCCARNEY!!!!!!!! 

 

[UNT90]

Whenever he brings up the HOD bowl, I would love a follow up of "Do you think one winning season out of 11 in football should be enough to keep your job?" 

Maybe Sidway will ask it. Vito won't. 

Edited October 31, 2015 by UNT90

[MeanGreenD]

I thought McCarney was pretty awesome then. That didn't stop me from raising an eyebrow when I heard RV gave him a long extension. That was a head scratcher, but made a little more sense when I understood doing so meant him getting an extension himself. 

[Side Show Joe]

I wonder how much bad press Smatresk is willing to endure. I'm sure RV is hoping he can get a hire that will distract the masses and change the narrative, but I don't think that will happen.

Even if RV were to raise Bear Bryant from the dead and name him the next head coach, I still want him gone. No AD should ever be allowed to minimize, and belittle a large segment of loyal Mean Green Club members, which is the backbone of our fan base.

This story has grown into something bigger then a large segment of the fan base not trusting our AD to make a quality hire. It has changed into an AD holding our program hostage, and alienating the core of supporters that are the majority of us on GoMeanGreen, and probably the majority of the Mean Green Club. It appears both sides are digging in. At some point this story will gain traction outside of the metroplex, and it is sad it will come to that.

[BillySee58]

CUSA is headquartered in Dallas. If there was anything close to a viable metroplex team, CUSA was buying. 

We were a default. And one year later, it became just slightly better than the conference we just left. CUSA even took a start up and a FCS move up. I mean, better than the Belt?

RV should be working his ass off to get us in the Mountain West. Instead, he sits back and views something slightly better than the Belt as his crowning jewel. 

Pretty amazing. 

We just had to be FBS to get into CUSA under the circumstances we did. Didn't even have to be a good program at all, even though we should be.

[UNT90]

No other company in America, inside or outside college football, will pay RV $375K. And he knows it.

He does love green, just not Kelly Green.

He ain't letting go of the easiest paycheck in America without a fight. 

Edited October 31, 2015 by UNT90

[meangreenbob]

OK, for the 1000th time...

RV, this is directed at you so please listen up...

NOT EVERYONE BOUGHT INTO DAN MCCARNEY!!!!!!!! 

 

No one I knew wanted mccarney. What he did and how he used our University for his own personal gain is and will always be despicable.

[MeanMag]

I'm pretty sick of seeing the 17 referred to as apologists. My hope and my trust is that they (the 17) will make sure whoever succeeds Rick Villarreal is the best candidate for the job and someone they can continue to be happy with. And, that they will give him the same or better resources that they gave Rick.

They are not stupid individuals, they understand that Rick Villarreal will not be around forever.

[UNT90]

I'm pretty sick of seeing the 17 referred to as apologists. My hope and my trust is that they (the 17) will make sure whoever succeeds Rick Villarreal is the best candidate for the job and someone they can continue to be happy with. And, that they will give him the same or better resources that they gave Rick.

They are not stupid individuals, they understand that Rick Villarreal will not be around forever.

I think you underestimate the power of personal manipulation. 

I don't think they all think the same way of RV, but what is clear is the majority support him.

Otherwise he would have been fired along with DMac right after the worst loss in college football history. 

[untjim1995]

The best thing that can happen here is the DFW media grabbing ahold of this banner and what it stands for. It's the only way Smatresk can truly feel any pressure to finally get rid of RV.

[EagleMBA]

I look forward with interest to seeing Dale Hansen and/or Newey Scruggs get ahold of the banner story. If UNT still merits some time on their shows.