More UNT Coaching Search Thoughts

Harry · November 2, 2015

With Frank Beamer retiring at VT and Norm Chow out the open jobs count is up to 10. You could see as many as 15 or more opening up by the end of the season.

Major Applewhite is a name we have seen make the circles around here and I am starting to question as to whether or not he is going to be strongly considered by UNT. On the positive side, he is a Texas hometown hero of sorts and carries many of the same attributes that made Todd Dodge seem like a great hire way back when. His current team Houston is on fire and remains undefeated and may well get the coveted G5 playoff spot. On a second glance, it appears that despite being offensive coordinator at Houston he is not calling the plays, rather it is Tom Hermann. He was offensive coordinator for one season at Alabama under Nick Saban before taking a lessor position as a running backs coach at Texas. Was he fired at Alabama or did he voluntarily leave? Is he ready to be given the reigns at a program like North Texas, or for that matter any program or would he be better off spending another year or two at Houston or perhaps taking a higher level OC position, and one where he is completely in charge? I still like Applewhite and think he brings enough to at least warrant further interviews and detail. Then again, sometimes a guy who seems to make all the sense in the world may not necessarily be the guy.

On another note, all signs point toward recruiting and wide open offensive philosophy being two key components of this next hire at UNT. What is interesting is, you will find that at most successful programs, there is a key assistant who essentially "kills it" on the recruiting trail and is the lead dog in identifying and closing on many of the top recruits. So it is not necessarily the head coach who is the main player in many of these recruiting battles as much as it is the assistant who is out on the road, meeting with high school coaches and families. A couple of examples of this would be Van Malone at SMU or perhaps Curtis Luper at TCU. These are guys whose names come up if you asked coaches around the country in regards to the key players in DFW area or even Texas area recruiting. These are guys that win a LOT more than they lose on the recruiting trail. Both of these guys can just flat out recruit. UNT might want to lure a "recruiting specialist" coach here if the compensation package was better than what they currently have and you gave them a pathway to move up to a bigger job, perhaps as a coordinator etc. I think this is something UNT is going to need to consider as they look at the various candidates and consider the new structure of the coaching staff. Head coaching hires will all tell you they understand the importance of recruiting and have a strategy to make that happen. Being able to bring in a key recruiting coach who can implement that strategy seems to be the trend.

Another thought -- some have mentioned Chad Morris as a possibility for some of the bigger open jobs at places like South Carolina, USC and others. After they lost on Saturday to Tulsa (with newly hired HC Phillip Montgomery) you have to wonder if any coach with a team that is 1-7 is going to be able to be sold to a traditional power program fan base. SMU had a long way to go but if they win one game this season I do not see Morris jumping ship to any bigger job just yet. This theory could also apply to potential UNT HC targets. College programs want guys who coach winning teams. A candidate who may look great at one point in the season may see their interest fade after consecutive losses begin piling up.

Is it just me or do you get the feeling that the rest of C-USA would have loved for us to keep Mac in place for many years to come? I honestly think the other C-USA schools know that the right hire here could make things a lot more difficult for them in years to come.

UNT finds itself with the question of do you make a "Splash hire", ie a name that is young and garners a lot of interest and media attention versus a more traditional hire like a Dan McCarney or more seasoned assistant who is not as well known. It is sort of a risk reward type of situation. The Splash hire may be a lot younger but show a lot of promise as a coordinator. For instance, Kendall Briles or some of the other candidates in their early 30's may give you a lot of interest and media/fan attention but you worry about how well can they lead/run a program versus being an important piece. An older more experienced hire (Willie Fritz at 55) may not have a lot of national name recognition or pizzaz but may provide less downside or learning curve. It is truly a risk versus reward proposition. UNT post McCarney really seems to need a guy who will give them a boost in interest and coverage. They also can't afford to make another mistake so a safer hire may be appealing. I would think UNT decision makers will be pondering this issue heavily in the coming weeks.

gmg

greenit · November 2, 2015

The flashy assistant that is a little inexperienced would be a good option in situations where there is an older, experienced executive within the program that can mentor and nurture the 'running a program' side of things. I will leave it for others to decide whether or not we have that type of person somewhere within our athletic department that would garner the respect and trust of a young assistant and be willing to take guidance from that person.

If you think we have that person, then you shouldn't be concerned with a young'ish assistant. If you don't, you are probably leaning heavily toward a retread or establish coach from a lower level.

Mean_Green09 · November 2, 2015

Applewhite left on his own

Id like us to move away from the term "splash hire" and focus on the right hire.

Green Lantern · November 2, 2015

Id like us to move away from the term "splash hire" and focus on the right hire.

You and me both. The "splash" is getting someone in here here that's capable of winning some games for us as far as I'm concerned. Don't care if it catches headlines. We can make those with conference championships, bowl wins, and an occasional crack into the top 25.

DeepGreen · November 2, 2015

Hear me out. We need a Todd Dodge type hire that gets attention, knows offense, recruits well, and can hire experienced assistants, coordinators, etc. We all have to admit it that Todd Dodge was a good recruiter. Hell! Mac got the benefit of those recruits. Such a coach is out there, waiting to be introduced by President Smatresk as the next Head Football Coach at the University of North Texas.

Harry · November 2, 2015

Applewhite left on his own

Id like us to move away from the term "splash hire" and focus on the right hire.

I'll take your word on Applewhite but it does seem odd that he would take a lessor position after being at Alabama for only one year.

I agree in general in terms of the "right hire" but I think that oversimplifies the process. There is a difference between the two types of candidates North Texas is considering and a recent history of hiring both. Dan McCarney was not a splash hire -- most of us did not know who he was until we heard he got the job here. That said, his credentials were pretty strong. He had been a head coach at a high level (Big 12). He was most recently an assistant at a national championship program. In that regard he was a much safer hire than perhaps an unproven assistant who had not yet been a head coach anywhere. Yet his hire did not make a splash per se. Was it a respected hire yes. Was he really known in Texas that much? No.

I think of Applewhite as being more of a splash hire. He would garner a lot of media attention and attention in the state of Texas. He is somewhat of a folk hero here in the state from his days back at Texas. Simply put, people know the name "Applewhite". But his actual coaching credentials are not, shall we say yet "mature". He hasn't been a head coach yet, his body of work as a coordinator is still being developed. Can he hire and retain the best assistants? We don't really know that as he hasn't yet done it. Perhaps if he was teamed with more experienced assistant we would have a better level of comfort making this type of hire.

The "right hire" could fall into either category.

Houston took Art Briles as their HC when he was a running backs coach for 3 years under Leach. He had the reputation of being a good recruiter but he had not yet been a head coach at the college level so there was some risk involved there. What is interesting is Briles was 51 at the time he was hired at Houston. He had been a high school coach for 21 years.

Texas Tech hired Kliff Kingsbury after just 5 seasons of being a college assistant at Houston and Texas A&M. Kinsgbury is only 36. I think there was somewhat of a splash when Tech hired a coach that young with that little experience. Will it work out for them? Time will tell.

I tend to lean to UNT needing someone who will redefine how our alums, students and the football world in general view us. We (UNT) desperately need to change the perception that we don't give a damn. Hiring Mac was actually a step in that direction; because we raised the bar for salaries and facilities unlike we had ever done before. It just did not work out. I see this time perhaps being a younger less experienced coach who has more upside. I think Texas ties could be a big plus but not a requirement. We need to re-engage the state and show them that UNT is heading in the right direction this time. We need someone who has shown strong recruiting results or has a clear plan of attack that has worked with the right assistants in place.

97and03 · November 2, 2015

I am ok with a young coordinator for head coach as long as they bring in experience for the OC and DC.

wardly · November 2, 2015

We can't hide the fact that we have fired our last 8 head football coaches. If that's not a coaching graveyard I don't know what is. I don't bring this up to belabor the point, but to offer the opinion that our next hire will be taking a bigger risk on us than we are on him. We probably will have to overpay in order to get a "safe hire" who is betting his career that he can bring us back from the dead.

HarringtonFishSmeller · November 2, 2015

Hear me out. We need a Todd Dodge type hire that gets attention, knows offense, recruits well, and can hire experienced assistants, coordinators, etc. We all have to admit it that Todd Dodge was a good recruiter. Hell! Mac got the benefit of those recruits. Such a coach is out there, waiting to be introduced by President Smatresk as the next Head Football Coach at the University of North Texas.

Agree with this sentiment. I think it is a given that if we hire an FBS-level offensive coordinator from somewhere, he will hire experienced assistants. The Dodge bringing on high school coaches is something we will likely never see again.

My thought, as always, is that we'll be settling for someone not so splashy/under the radar. As more jobs up the food chain open up, the faster our window to guys like Applewhite close.

And, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, coaches are too hyped. Dodge was too hyped. SMU Jesus is too hyped. Coaching is half the battle. The other half is players good enough to do what is being asked.

The new coach has got to get in recruits that a serious about what they are doing from Day One they set foot on campus. If not, we'll wash, rinse, and repeat this cycle until our dying day.