Mike Ekeler - LB Coach Georgia - It's official!

[Aldo]

Although he's seen limited time running a defense, he has coached some real good LB talent while at Nebraska and USC. 

[FirefightnRick]

For bringing up uniforms in a football coach thread you deserve a response from 90.

But since your somehow still confused about our traditional color,..here's a link to a report ch 8 did yesterday on North Texas asking for historical memorabilia to commemorate our 125 years.  I want you to check out the colors on some of the articles already donated.  Outside of the small time of the Fry era we have carried Kelly Green the most of our history.

 

http://www.wfaa.com/videos/news/local/denton-county/2015/12/09/unt-seeks-mean-green-memorabilia/77078144/

 

Rick

Freshman Beenie Hats from 1940 and 1948

Thats about as Kelly Green as it gets...75 years ago.

 

Rick

Edited December 17, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[medpilot21]

For bringing up uniforms in a football coach thread you deserve a response from 90.

But since your somehow still confused about our traditional color,..here's a link to a report ch 8 did yesterday on North Texas asking for historical memorabilia to commemorate our 125 years.  I want you to check out the colors on some of the articles already donated.  Outside of the small time of the Fry era we have carried Kelly Green the most of our history.

 

http://www.wfaa.com/videos/news/local/denton-county/2015/12/09/unt-seeks-mean-green-memorabilia/77078144/

 

Rick

Thanks Rick. This may be a GMG.com first? A "Hose-Dragger" correcting an "Airborn-Egg Beater" about school colors? Strange way to derail a thread, but okay. I was originally talking about the coaching staff and hires, but thought to get my shot in for the old Uni's. As for the color issues, I started following North Texas football as a student in 1997, so the Hunter Green was the color of our jerseys back then. We had the awful Daffy Duck helmets, but great jerseys. As for UNT90, I was also a bit surprised he didn't pounce on me? I thought my reference to him would draw at least one rifle shot, but he is picking his battles more selectively these days. 

Thanks again for the link!

Steve

[FirefightnRick]

Your welcome..I'm always here to help.

 

 

Rick

[MeanGreenTexan]

I love that because Footballscoop.com reports it, IT'S OFFICIAL!

oh well,  if so, welcome aboard coach Ekeler.

[All About UNT]

https://www.canesinsight.com/thread/mike-ekeler/95322

http://hailvarsity.com/news/football-news/an-interview-with-mike-ekeler/2013/02/

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/71991/indiana-assistant-ekeler-leaves-for-usc

"He joined Wilson's staff at IU after serving as Nebraska's linebackers coach from 2008-2010. Although the Hoosiers' defense is still struggling, Ekeler helped spearhead recruiting, which has picked up significantly on the defensive side. He's a young, dynamic coach and a good addition for Lane Kiffin's new-look staff in Los Angeles."

Edited December 17, 2015 by All About UNT

[HarringtonFishSmeller]

Would love to see the darker green return as well.  Probably won't happen.  But...one can hope.  I'm happy enough with the new stadium and non-"North Texas" helmets to accept that the green is now lighter.

[HarringtonFishSmeller]

I'd still like to see a silver helmet, green flecked, with the logo in green, outlined thinly in black and white.  That is my fantasy UNT helmet. 

[MGNation92]

https://www.canesinsight.com/thread/mike-ekeler/95322

http://hailvarsity.com/news/football-news/an-interview-with-mike-ekeler/2013/02/

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/71991/indiana-assistant-ekeler-leaves-for-usc

"He joined Wilson's staff at IU after serving as Nebraska's linebackers coach from 2008-2010. Although the Hoosiers' defense is still struggling, Ekeler helped spearhead recruiting, which has picked up significantly on the defensive side. He's a young, dynamic coach and a good addition for Lane Kiffin's new-look staff in Los Angeles."

Espn article also said "He's a big loss. Especially on the recruiting trail"

[Cowtown]

Put me in the camp of those that dont dig the sow. I think its a mixed message since we rebranded ourselves as Mean Green. I would take the last gen of North Texas helmets over the eagle. North Carolina doesnt have a ram or tar heel on their helmet, Bama doesnt have an elephant, Auburn doesnt have an eagle or tiger. Its advertising/marketing 101. If everyone loves the eagle, lets be the freaking eagles. If we are going to be Mean Green, gotta change the mark.

But I do love this hire. Dude has a great resume, seriously shocked that Littrell landed him. 

[JesseMartin]

He does have a great resume in terms of where and with what coaches he's been, but the results appear to be so varied that it'll be hard to tell how good he is.  DC was the biggest concern to me, and I'm glad we landed someone with such a solid resume.  Just hoping that it translates well to what we need.  The resources and reputation of big P5 schools can make it easier to hit the ground running.  The big test - for all of them - will be to see what they can pull off in a turnaround situation.

[Or]

A friend of mine is very tied in at USC... he sent me this after the Ekeler news came out. Thought I'd pass it along.

 

Yo, you're gonna enjoy your new DC. Ek is good people.

 

 

Ek is intense - he's the only player ever to be appointed a captain by Bill Snyder. Developed linebackers well at SC and Georgia. Really good quite and just straight up - media will like him and the kids will go crazy for him. His coaching pedigree is nuts too - Nebraska, LSU, USC, OU, Georgia.

 

 

[hickoryhouse]

Honestly I was anti Harrell due to experience and name recognition blah blah blah.     I have to say I am starting to like the way things are progressing.  This could either be the dream team made of first timers or it could flame out epically and expensively.  But I am starting to feel very good about the energy, enthusiasm and drive that these young up and comers have.  They all want to come here and kick ass and take names so they can get a better job.   That's perfect!   If we make a lifer out of Littrell or Harrell or whoever then good on us, but personally I am warming up to the idea of young energy up and comers.   If they succeed then next thing you know Unt is the place to be hired to as a high potential young coach and that changes everything around here.  

[outoftown]

I have no clue how to feel about this one. I guess that it is good that at least the DC has already held the exact job he now has somewhere for some time. But if the previous results were something to get excited about I am quite uncertain. To me this could have been both better and worse. I guess this is a wait and see hire as I just can't manage to get excited about hiring the guy that coached the defense of 2011 Indiana.

[Harry]

A friend of mine is very tied in at USC... he sent me this after the Ekeler news came out. Thought I'd pass it along.

 

Yo, you're gonna enjoy your new DC. Ek is good people.

 

 

Ek is intense - he's the only player ever to be appointed a captain by Bill Snyder. Developed linebackers well at SC and Georgia. Really good quite and just straight up - media will like him and the kids will go crazy for him. His coaching pedigree is nuts too - Nebraska, LSU, USC, OU, Georgia.

 

 

 

very cool factoid about him being appointed by The Wizard.  Thank you for sharing that.

[JesseMartin]

This could either be the dream team made of first timers or it could flame out epically and expensively.  But I am starting to feel very good about the energy, enthusiasm and drive that these young up and comers have.  They all want to come here and kick ass and take names so they can get a better job.   That's perfect!   If we make a lifer out of Littrell or Harrell or whoever then good on us, but personally I am warming up to the idea of young energy up and comers.   If they succeed then next thing you know Unt is the place to be hired to as a high potential young coach and that changes everything around here.  

I figure there are enough guys that have had success thus far that even if half of them kick ass and the others aren't so hot and need to be replaced, we'll still be in a good spot.

[Dr. Seuss]

aren't all coordinators/head coaches former position coaches?

He's trolling 90.  

Like that this guy began his coaching career with Bo Pelini at OU and LSU.  That's an aggressive coach.  Hope we can pull the athletes on board to allow him to blitz and pressure the way Pelini's defenses do. 

This^

[GMG24]

very cool factoid about him being appointed by The Wizard.  Thank you for sharing that.

you can't B slap a stud D1 athlete wearing a helmet and give them a semi concussion if you're not a badass. Period. I'll look for the link. 

[Dr. Seuss]

you can't B slap a stud D1 athlete wearing a helmet and give them a semi concussion if you're not a badass. Period. I'll look for the link. 

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25374220/watch-georgia-lb-coachs-celebratory-helmet-slap-hurts-bulldog-player

[Rudy]

I'm liking the new staff. I'd love to see Wintrich return as strength and conditioning coach. I still think it hurt more than we know when he left. 

[GMG24]

I'm liking the new staff. I'd love to see Wintrich return as strength and conditioning coach. I still think it hurt more than we know when he left. 

nope far to many under whelming combine numbers... (Lemon, and Johnson) 

[MeanGreen13]

the reason I am so excited about this coaching staff is simple: they are ALL starving for success. We do no have any guys just here collecting pay checks like we have had in the past which means that recruiting will not suffer when the coaching stress piles on like it did with some coaches. Honestly, we had 4 coaches on the last staff that were just good ole boys getting a nice check from their buddy Mac. Not saying they didn't work, but they were starving like these new guys are... Taking a job here is a risk for really young guys but also for somewhat settled guys who are looking to make the move up because if you lose and don't make a dent, you are probably going to be a position coach permanently... but if you win here and win big, the sky is the limit! That is why I am so excited that guys of their pedigree are coming here... it means they are going to be going full throttle to make sure it pays off! 

[EagleMBA]

Thanks Rick. This may be a GMG.com first? A "Hose-Dragger" correcting an "Airborn-Egg Beater" about school colors? Strange way to derail a thread, but okay.

If someone called me a "hose-dragger" I would grin and say "Thank you...thank you very much!".

Edited December 18, 2015 by EagleMBA

[eulessismore]

If someone called me a "hose-dragger" I would grin and say "Thank you...thank you very much!".

You're killing me, man!

[UNT90]

Looks like we are going straight back to the Dodge days where defense doesn't really matter.

Wonderful.