celebrate Odus Mitchell Pavillion and Joe Greene Statue

Mike Jackson · December 5, 2015

To celebrate a new era in UNT Football I think we should honor the past in the opening home game next season. And I think the Alumni Pavilion could a small expansion and minor improvements. Can we get the Alumni Pavilion renamed for Odus Mitchell and announce the name change and expansion plans next September? If you need a history lesson (like I did) here is a link below. For this I might show up for debut of the Seth Littrell era at UNT.

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

rcade · December 5, 2015

Next year would be a good time to honor Odus Mitchell. September will be the 60th anniversary of when Mitchell helped integrate UNT's football team, making sure players Abner Haynes and Leon King would be accepted by the team and no trouble occurred. Here's an academic paper on how that went down:

http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1987/JSH1403/jsh1403c.pdf

greenb.o.g. · December 5, 2015

I don't need Wikipedia to tell me that Odus Mitchell was the greatest coach in North Texas history. Giving him any kind of honor would be fabulous.

I think North Texas should also celebrate George Herring as well. If you don't know who that is, just know that he is a very unheralded war hero that UNT should've been celebrating a long time ago.

Withers940 · December 5, 2015

I think they should designate a Beer Chugging On the Hill area in the Name of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Ben Gooding · December 5, 2015

I think they should designate a Beer Chugging On the Hill area in the Name of Stone Cold Steve Austin

I have to say, this is classy. I might have to participate only if I can wear jorts, no shirt, and of course spill half of it all over me.

Withers940 · December 5, 2015

I have to say, this is classy. I might have to participate only if I can wear jorts, no shirt, and of course spill half of it all over me.

Is there any other way to enjoy a beer in quick fashion?

baseball party drinking beer chug

Got5onIt · December 6, 2015

I have to say, this is classy. I might have to participate only if I can wear jorts, no shirt, and of course spill half of it all over me.

Dont forget the tall trucker's cap and aviators.

hickoryhouse · December 6, 2015

I don't need Wikipedia to tell me that Odus Mitchell was the greatest coach in North Texas history. Giving him any kind of honor would be fabulous.
I think North Texas should also celebrate George Herring as well. If you don't know who that is, just know that he is a very unheralded war hero that UNT should've been celebrating a long time ago.

I think that both of these are great ideas. The Mitchell alumni pavilion is a fantastic idea. That is a piec of UNT history that we can and should be incredibly proud of

SilverEagle · December 6, 2015

From 1943 until 1945, North Texas did not field a team because of the war. In 1946 North Texas hired Odus Mitchell, who had been the head coach of Marshall (TX) HS . And the next 7 years were historical...

1946, 7-3-1, Lone Star Champions

1947, 10-2, Lone Star Champions, trip to Salad Bowl, also a 20-12 win over Florida

1948, 6-4

1949, 8-4

1950 7-2-1, Co-Champions of Gulf coast conference

1951 8-4 Gulf Coast Conference champions

1952 7-3 Gulf Coast Conferenc Champions

1953 3-6-1.......first losing season.

When was the last time we had seven winning seasons in a row?

Edited December 6, 2015 by SilverEagle

UNT86 · December 6, 2015

Answer: that was the last time.

Coach Mitchell, after two losing seasons, then put together another 5 winning seasons in a row.

Best since then are Hayden Fry with 4, Rod Rust with 3, Corky Nelson with 3, and Daryl Dickey with 3.

Also don't want to leave out the 8 in a row that Coach Sisco had before WWII.

MeanGreenTexan · December 6, 2015

...

1953 3-61.......first losing season.

...

Wow! No wonder he was fired!

eulessismore · December 6, 2015

To celebrate a new era in UNT Football I think we should honor the past in the opening home game next season. And I think the Alumni Pavilion could a small expansion and minor improvements. Can we get the Alumni Pavilion renamed for Odus Mitchell and announce the name change and expansion plans next September? If you need a history lesson (like I did) here is a link below. For this I might show up for debut of the Seth Littrell era at UNT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odus_Mitchell

You know, I think you've got a good idea. After having read a lot of what the UNT oral history has to say on Odus Mitchell and the integration of North Texas football, I'm not sure he would get a lot of credit by those looking at it from today's standards, but what he and others in the program did back then took a lot of courage.

Cerebus · December 6, 2015

Wow! No wonder he was fired!

It was incredibly brave for him to state that North Texas was a good enough program to play with any team in the country. It was a terrible mistake to schedule them all in the same season.

tmjerm · December 7, 2015

Also, how in the world is there not as Mean Joe statue outside the stadium?

Side Show Joe · December 7, 2015

Also, how in the world is there not as Mean Joe statue outside the stadium?

You raise the money and I will make one.

Christopher Walker · December 7, 2015

You raise the money and I will make one.

He's serious.

FirefightnRick · December 7, 2015

Also, how in the world is there not as Mean Joe statue outside the stadium?

I always thought we should give out a trophy to the top defensive tackle, like other national awards such as the Outland, Butkus, Davey O' Brian..etc.,. each year we would award the prestigious Joe Green Trophy to the nation's top DT.

Rick

Edited December 7, 2015 by FirefightnRick

Side Show Joe · December 7, 2015

He's serious.

I am very serious.

I always thought we should give out a trophy to the top defensive tackle, like other national awards such as the Outland, Butkus, Davey O' Brian..etc.,. each year we would award the prestigious Joe Green Trophy to the nation's top DT.

Rick

I have thought the same thing, and would sculpt love to sculpt that trophy too.

Here is a life size bust I created for TCU's College of Education about a year ago. It's installed in front of the Dean's office at the Palko Building.

IJarvis-wb

Edited December 7, 2015 by Side Show Joe

aztecskin · December 7, 2015

I am very serious.
I have thought the same thing, and would sculpt love to sculpt that trophy too.

Here is a life size bust I created for TCU's College of Education about a year ago. It's installed in front of the Dean's office at the Palko Building.

How much are we talking?

Side Show Joe · December 7, 2015

How much are we talking?

I would need to talk to the foundry to get a more accurate estimate because the price of bronze changes, but somewhere in the neighborhood of around $65K to $85K. That would include the pedestal and installation.

aztecskin · December 7, 2015

That's not unreasonable for the combined powers of the UNT alumni. Let's do it.

Christopher Walker · December 7, 2015

That's not unreasonable for the combined powers of the UNT alumni. Let's do it.

GoFundMe?

rcade · December 7, 2015

A Mean Joe statue outside the stadium is a great idea. We could raise the money through someplace like GoFundMe, but before that starts we need someone with a lot of credibility in the UNT community to lead the effort. We also need to know that UNT's president and board support the idea and will allow it to be placed on campus, presumably somewhere fans can see it outside Apogee.