Grade the Littrell Hire

[Charlie NT 73]

I voted "A" for the hire and for the positive attitude Littrell brings to the football program.

I truly believe Littrell will bring winning back to North Texas football.

The guy has "it", while others do not. Every where Littrell has been, he  has proven he knows how  to win and does win.

North Texas is very fortunate to have hired Littrell!

 

 

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

 

...

What I said in the first post:

 

 

Exactly boss.

[Withers940]

dickwad over there started it ;)

Nuh-uh...You did booger eater. Just kidding, I want to formally apologize to the group and to you 97 for my vulgarity and immaturity with my last comment. If it would please the jury, i would like to withdraw my last comments from the record.

Littrell hasn't done anything yet so you cant properly grade him but as for the hire itself and the upside that he has before he has done anything, I gave him an A

[Cerebus]

I'd give it a 20-25% grade. 

He's got a steep, steep climb ahead of him. Not impossible, but definitely tougher than the incline he'd face almost anywhere else in the country. 

[untjim1995]

I'd give it a 20-25% grade. 

He's got a steep, steep climb ahead of him. Not impossible, but definitely tougher than the incline he'd face almost anywhere else in the country. 

I'd give it a C. He's average until we see better or worse from him. He's a young guy, great background, great pedigree, but he's never been a HC before, never coached at a G5 before that is about as bottom barrel as you can get, and he has the F- of ADs to work with.

Its very possible that Littrell comes in here and doesn't succeed enough over the next 4 years to stay as coach, but gets the program's talent and recruiting back up to a place where the next coach benefits from his time here. That won't surprise me a bit. He's taking over a garbage roster. No QB, maybe a few pieces that can be cleaned off to be usable, very questionable character, and offensive players that haven't played in a wide-open offense in college before. And then in recruiting, he's walking into a situation that probably cannot get much worse than it currently is with the Texas HS Coaches, recruits, and their families. If they know anything about us, its that we suck immensely and are behind every team not named Texas State in the pecking order of FBS football in this state.

I think if Littrell gets us bowl eligible within three years, he's coaching somewhere else--and we all should be fine with that. And if he doesn't, he is probably done coaching here after 4 years, if not sooner. And the best that we can hope for in that case is what I listed above--that he was able to turn us into an actual roster of players built for today's college football world, not Grandpa's 1950 game, while making strides in recruiting. Grandpa Mac left us a lot of debt on the farm and no inheritance to really speak of. Its Littrell's job to see if he can get the creditor's to write-off those losses, while also going out and seeking new credit lines to try and rebuild the farm.

[Aldo]

B+

He doesn't have the Texas brand like Meacham does, but HS coaches are already talking very highly of him on the twitter, and other college coaches love the hire.

He's getting UNT's name out there at the very least, and generating some excitement.

So far so good.

Oh, and his hire of Harrell (although concerning in my book) made a splash throughout the HS ranks (via The Twitter).

[NorthTexan95]

I voted A- but could have gone B+.  He's a young, OC who's been very, very successful wherever he's been.  He also appears to be a good recruiter from past success.  He brought in a big name OC in Graham Harrell who hopefully lives up to the hype.  If he had been a successful head coach previously I would have bumped him up to an A+.  If he hires a good remaining staff it could jump to an A.  

For me it comes down to this:  He is and has done everything that could have been done in this short of time. 

[KingDL1]

I guess there is no "D" range in this course. 

Edited December 14, 2015 by KingDL1

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

I hope this isn't like all the Dodge and McCarney threads where we look back on them and shake our heads at our excitement. That being said, I gave it an A-. 

[GTWT]

as of this moment, no officially announced coaching hires, the unofficial ones are very inexperienced, and no new verbals from recruits. And there is not an option for a D or I, so I said F.

Dickwad. 

Five years from now, if UNT hasn't been to 3 straight bowls, half the posters on this board will claim they were the one who gave the 'F'.

[TheReal_jayD]

If its ok with the group, May I ask who the dickwad was that voted it an F?

I'm taking a wild guess and saying 90.. because RV is still employed..

[KingDL1]

I'm taking a wild guess and saying 90.. because RV is still employed..

It is an open poll isn't it? Not  90 yet anyway. 

[GOMG2013]

I gave him a B-.  I liked the Harrell hire. Kinda disappointed in not getting Ruffin as DC...I'm sure UNT DC is a better opportunity than LB coach at Virginia.

After thinking about it. I don't expect to get a splash hire at DC, so I can see why a defensive guru like Ruffin may not come.

We will have a high flying offense and will probably be uptempo, take risks, no huddle, etc and it will most likely result in our defense being on the field a lot and a lot of quick turnarounds for our defense.  They should be used to it, but I can't see an established defensive coach playing under those circumstances where they can be overruled and outvoted.

I think the DC will be a young unproven position coach.

[Christopher Walker]

B-

I can't even think of going higher until we see who will be coaching the defensive side of the ball. Also if this is an RV hire, I see it as reactionary; if it's a Smatresk hire which I really believe it is, I see it as visionary.

[Cerebus]

Oh come on, Joe, just play the game. I sense that Cerebus is trying to do something interesting here, not play "gotcha".  

Yes.  Just trying to introduce some new discussion.  If I have to read another thread about coaches who are no longer here or players who are out of eligibility I am going to find out where this server is hosted and then magnetize the entire building.  

 

Even I am strange enough to want to see how my perception of this hire changes as he puts his coaching staff together, recruits, and we have spring ball.

I think after the spring game is a good idea.  I'll do four polls

1. Now, because, hey we got to get a baseline sometime.  
2. Sometime before NSD when the staff is more put together, hopefully after a DC is hired to see how the staff hires effect the baseline.
3. NSD, to see how the first recruiting class is perceived.
4. After the Green/White game, because this has to end at some point. Though I guess if the AD or President wants to throw me a fat contractor deal my way for statistical services I can keep doing them forever.  Where else are they going to get better data on the grognards?

Along the way I'll throw out some charts and graphs (dare you hope for trendlines?   DARE!) and it will be something nice we can actually talk about instead of ... well you know.

----

PS: The F wasn't 90.  I'm going to keep the polls anonymous so people can vote their conscience without public shaming. 

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Cerebus

[MeanGreenEngineer]

B+ for me.

Love this on the offensive side, worrid about the defensive side.  He gets a strong staff on that side of the ball and it becomes an Easy A.

I bet them East Texas skill position players can't wait to start practice.

[Cerebus]

if it's a Smatresk hire which I really believe it is, I see it as visionary.

It is a Smatresk hire.

 

Cumbie decision an indictment of Longhorns football

After losing out on the head coaching job at North Texas, TCU co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham was thought to be a top candidate to be the next head coach at Tulane University, which was originally reported by NOLA.com. Per multiple sources at TCU, however, Meacham will remain in Fort Worth.

This decision comes after North Texas did not hire Meacham because the president of the school wanted North Carolina assistant Seth Littrell.

[Christopher Walker]

 

It is a Smatresk hire.

 

Cumbie decision an indictment of Longhorns football

Yep, his comments to those of us at the Alumni Pavilion before the last home game regarding the ACC championship were just a little too telling.

[Travis]

I am not sure I ever want to see a wad of dicks. 

[Aldo]

I am not sure I ever want to see a wad of dicks. 

So you're saying there's a chance?

[medpilot21]

I gave him an A. Here are my reasons..

1. Runs a wide open, high scoring offense which will greatly improve the quality of football we have here. No, he hasn't done it here yet, but we know it's coming and it works based on every other place he has been. Exiting football brings in fans and re-invigorates the Alumni base, including myself. 

2. RECRUITING - in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area he is already knocking on doors that Mac refused to approach. He has already contacted a parent in the HEB area about their son. NO ONE contacted this kid or his parents last year from North Texas. I can vouch for that first hand. If the proof is in the pudding, this coach is already cooking.

3. Graham Harrell. I watched that kid play at TTech, and he is the real thing. Now, to address a point UNT90 is about to raise.. yes at the time he was a player not a coach. BUT who better to teach our young QB's the Air-Raid offense than a guy who has not only done it, but holds passing records at a Big-XII school KNOWN for that offense? Mike Leach thought enough of him to bring him to Washington State as a coach? I call that a positive endorsement. I believe Kliff Kingsbury is doing the same thing at TTech, and followed a very similar role to the running that offense in Lubbock. 

4. Attitude. Seth Litrell came in knowing about the issues here, and the words right out of his mouth were.. "The past is the past and I don't care about it". THANK YOU Coach. I haven't heard him say one thing about how difficult it is to recruit here, or how many unusual challenges there are here. Aggressive and positive works for me.

For the record, I would have given Kendall Briles an A, Sonnie Cumbie and A, and Dough Meachum a B+. Of course nothing has been done here yet, but the grades we give now are for the potential and excitement Seth Litrell brings with him. That is something we are in desperate need of. For the first time in a long time we have more than hope.. we have a coach that could bring the Mean Green Family back together. GRADE: A

GMG

[Cerebus]

I guess there is no "D" range in this course. 

Too easy of an out.   Only milquetoasts and the French would want to grade someone a D.

 

 

I am not sure I ever want to see a wad of dicks. 

If you change you mind, make sure you go to the next @SMU game.  

[Tyler Maryak]

B- because I think he will be an excellent offensive-minded coach if all the pieces come together, but so far we've got two extra-mild recruits and two scary young assistants.  If we get a reputable DC or a couple recruits by the end of the day today, I'll happily come change my answer to B+.

[Huff]

He seems to be a sharp young man on his way up.   We need that type of coach here.    By the way, when Todd Dodge was hired I thought it was a mistake due to his lack of experience at the college level.   When Dan McCarney was hired I thought it was a good hire due to his experience as a head coach at the college level.   So much for my thoughts.........

[Travis]

So you're saying there's a chance?

We all must admit that there is a degree of curiosity about said Wad...  How big is this wad?  How many individual units (pun intended) consist of this wad?  How many exactly makes a wad a wad and not just a group?  Does a wad also require numerous amounts of said item, but also be intertwined?  How long must each one be to be intertined?  Does the Wad have to be in a spherical shape, or can it be squared?  We shouldn't be so quick to dismiss these questions.  Thus, there is a chance.